Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society

Book Launch "Tales of Westmeath" by Shay Callaghan
2025-05-28 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Dublin) | N91 A4EP, Mullingar, N91 A4EP, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Book Launch “Tales of Westmeath”
By Shay Callaghan
A history and folklore from the schools collection by Shay Callaghan
With Special Guest Mr Bertie Ahern
MC on the evening, Historian Seamus O’Brien
On wednesday 28th May 2025 at 8pm in the Park Hotel Mullingar.

All Welcome!

Eighth Annual Conference 2025
2025-04-12 09:00 - 15:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Eighth Annual Conference
In Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar
On Saturday 12th April 2025 – 9am to 3pm

Admission €35 pp incl. Admission, Lunch, Tea, Coffee and Brochure.

Westmeath Archaeology - A Voyage of Discovery
2025-03-26 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Westmeath Archaeology – A Voyage of Discovery
A Lecture by Caimin O’Brien

Wednesday 26th March 2025 at 8:00pm in the Greville Arms Hotel Mullinger.
Refreshments will be served, All Welcome.

A Lecture by Prof Anne Byrne 'Lecture on Cathedral Mosaics'
2025-02-26 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
‘There is something about these Virgins: Boris Anrep (1883-1969), the Mullingar Mosaics, Bloombury and friends’
A Lecture by Prof Anne Byrne
Professor Anne Byrne from Galway University will deliver a very interesting lecture on undoubtedly the most famous work of art in Mullingar and indeed it is of national and indeed international repute.
The title of the lecture is ‘There is something about those virgins:Boris Anrep (1883-1969),the Mullingar Mosaics, Bloomsbury and friends’. The preeminent architectural feature of the town is undoubtedly the cathedral of Christ the King completed in 1936.
However equally significant are the beautiful mosaics created by the famous Russian poet and artist Boris Anrep at the invitation of Bishop Kyne. The image shows the St Patrick mosaic, Boris Anrep and Cardinal Dalton a former bishop of Meath.
Professor Byrne has completed extensive research on Anrep in Mullingar and London in recent months and this promises to be a very interesting lecture.

Wednesday 26th February 2025 at 8:00pm in the Greville Arms Hotel Mullinger.
Refreshments will be served, All Welcome.

The Greville Family of County Westmeath
2025-01-22 20:00 - 22:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
The Greville Family of County Westmeath 1840-1923
A Lecture by Dr Eugene Dunne

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 at 8:00pm in the Greville Arms Hotel Mullinger.
Refreshments will be served, All Welcome.

Christmas Lecture & Book Launches
2024-12-11 19:15 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Christmas Lecture & Book Launch “The Irish Jacobite Army” by Dr Hamon Murtagh

Book Launch Carn, Kildare – A forgotten Westmeath Famine Village (Revised & update) by Seamus O’Brien

Book Launches by Dr Mary Shine Thompson and Ruth Illingworth will launch two new books
Wednesday 11th December 2024 at 7:15pm in the Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar
All Welcome and refreshments will be served.

The Don Tidey Kidnapping by Ronan McGreevy & Tommy Conlon
2024-11-27 20:00 - 22:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
The Don Tidey Kidnapping
A Lecture by Ronan McGreevy & Tommy Conlon

Wednesday 27th November 2024 at 8:00pm in the Greville Arms Hotel Mullinger.
Refreshments will be served, All Welcome.

Launch "Iarmhí 2025 Edition" Journal of the Westmeath Archaeological Society
2024-11-27 19:15 - 20:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Launch “Iarmhí 2025 Edition” Journal of the Westmeath Archaeological Society
Editied by Seamus O’Brien

We extended an invitation to attend the launch by Most Rev Dr Paul Connell, Bishop of rdagh and Clonmacnois of
Iarmhí 2025 Edition – Journal of the Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Edited by Seamus O’Brien.
In the Greville Arms Hotels Mullingar on Wednesday 27th November 2024 at 7:15PM
refreshments will be served, All Welcome.

Waiting for the Light a Lecture by Clare Tuffy
2024-10-23 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Waiting for the light – Sunrise & Sunset at the Boyne Valley Tomb.

A Lecture by Clare Tuffy

Clare Tuffy worked for the Office of Public Works for over 40 years managing visitor services at National Monuments sites in the Boyne Valley in Ireland.
She was manager of Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, which is the starting point for all visits to the World Heritage Properties of Newgrange and Knowth.
She also managed visitor services at the Hill of Tara, Old Mellifont Abbey, Trim Castle and Loughcrew. She retired in 2022.
At 8pm in The Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar

Map Making Seminar 2024 with Dr Paul Gosling
2024-10-12 10:00 - 15:30 | Co Westmeath
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
A Map Making Seminar 2024
with Dr Paul Gosling
Acquiring the skills to create our own maps for Local Studies. Please bring your own laptop to enjoy the activities.
On Saturday 12th October from 10.00am to 3.30pm
In the conference room, County Buildings, Mullingar
To Book your place on this Seminar
Email: obriains@gmail.com

Dr Paul Gosling
Dr Paul Gosling is a retired lecturer on built heritage in the Department of Heritage and Tourism at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. He is currently researching the place and route aspects of the great medieval epic, Táin Bó Cúailnge (the cattle raid of Cooley). He is a professional archaeologist and a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland.

The Gaelic League & The Hill of Uisneach by Angus Mitchell
2024-09-25 20:00 - 21:30 | Online at ZOOM
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
The Gaelic League & The Hill of Uisneach (1906-1913)
A Lecture by Angus Mitchell
This will now be an online lecture – see link below.
Angus Mitchell is a historian who has lived in Ireland for over twenty years. He has published extensively on the War of Independence and his work has focussed on the contribution of Protestant dissenters to the shaping of the Irish revolution. He is a regular contributor to both History Ireland, the Dublin Review of Books, and Ríocht na Midhe.
In 2023/24 he was awarded a Royal Irish Academy Bursary to carry out research into the Hill of Uisneach between 1898 and 1928.
Online Zoom Link: Click to Start Lecture
Due to unforseen Circumstances this lecture will now be broadcast live on Zoom on 25th September 2024 at 8pm. click the link above.
The Gaelic League and the Hill of Uisneach
Over three consecutive summers between 1910 and 1912, the O’Growney Branch of the Gaelic League in Westmeath organized “Feis Uisnig”.
These feiseannafollowed the structure and programming of similar events held across Ireland at that time. They proved to be an important catalyst in spreading the Cultural Revival throughout the Irish midlands and in awakening broader interest and engagement with the language movement in a relatively remote area.
The intention behind these occasions was to both educate and entertain while deepening a sense of community, unity and national well-being. The local parishes of Tang, Boher, Castletown and Drumraney were connected to the broader national movement and key public intellectuals addressed the gatherings.
Through Uisneach’s portal, Westmeath welcomed many of the leading figures involved in the Revival, notably Douglas Hyde, Eoin MacNeill, Alice Stopford Green, Francis Joseph Bigger, Agnes O’Farrelly, Alice Milligan, Mary Hayden, Arthur Griffith, Patrick Pearse, Ada English, Eamon de Valera and John MacBride.
Online Zoom Link: Click to Start Lecture

Lecture on Westmeath Archives hosted by National Library
2024-08-19 14:00 - 15:30 | Mullingar Library, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture hosted by The National Library for Heritage week

by Archivist Skeldon
Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society in partnership with the National Library are hosting a lunch time lecture as part of heritage week.
Monday 19 August at 2 pm
in the library in Mullingar
The speaker is Steven Skeldon a Kinnegad resident who is also a professional archivist working for the National Library with a special interest in Westmeath archives.
The lecture will be of special interest to all local researchers as it focuses on the vast repository of Westmeath sources available in the National Library which are freely available on line or on site in the Kildare Street HQ.
Steven will advise on access and availability of all the primary and secondary sources pertaining to Westmeath.
Promises to be a great lunchtime lecture and is free with no booking needed. All welcomed by Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Medieval to Modern Mullingar
2024-03-23 09:00 - 15:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St, Commons, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Seventh Annual Conference In association with Westmeath County Council
Medieval to Modern Mullingar
Anatomy of the evolution of a county capital
Ticket €35 (incl admission, lunch, teas, coffee and brochure)
Saturday 23rd March 9.30am to 3.00pm
Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath

From Cregganbaun, Co Mayo to Kiltoom, Co Westmeath
2024-02-28 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
From Cregganbaun, Co Mayo to Kiltoom, Co Westmeath
A Lecture by Mary Burke and John Burke
A case study in Land Commission migration in the 9150’s.
Wednesday 28th February at 8pm
Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
All Welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Book Launch
2023-12-13 19:30 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
Book Launch
“Poverty in Pre-Famine Westmeath” by Sean Byrne
“The River Brosna” by Dr John Feehan
13th December at 7.30pm
Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.

Christmas Lecture & Book Launch
2023-12-13 19:15 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
An Invitation to
Christmas Lecture & Book Launch

by Dr John Feehan

The landscape of the River Brosna
a preview of his forth comin book Silver Streams.
Dr Tom Hunt & Nuala Gorman will launch two new books
Poverty in pre-famine Westmeath by Sean Byrne
Famine Graveyeard – Mullingar’s pauper burial ground by Seamus O’Brien
13th December 2023 at 7:15pm at the Greville Arms Hotel. Followed by reception.

Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement
2023-11-22 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement
by Mr Bertie Ahern
Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement and Where we go Now & Launch of IARMHI – journal of the Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society

22nd November at 8pm

Greville Arms Hotel

Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.

State Sanctioned executions in Athlone
2023-10-18 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
State Sanctioned executions in Athlone
by Dr Ian Kennelly
Westmeath County Council Decade of Centenaries Event

18th October at 8pm
Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar

Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.

Seminar on Enhancing the Skill Set for Writing Local History
2023-10-07 10:00 - 15:30 | County Buildings, Mullingar, Mount Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 XH9R, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
Seminar on Enhancing the Skill Set for Writing Local History

by Dr Mary Shine Thompson & Dr Michelle Dunne

Seminar on enhancing the skill set for writing local history and using the famous Unesco repository collected by the Folklore Commission in the1930’s.
7th October from 10:00am to 15:30pm
Conference Room, County Buildings, Mullingar from
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.

Seminar on skills for Writing and Researching Local Studies.
2023-10-07 10:00 - 15:30 | County Buildings, Mullingar, Mount Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 XH9R, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society Presents

Free Seminar on skills for Writing and Researching Local Studies.
7 October 2023 in the Executive Lounge County Buildings Mullingar between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm.
Dr Mary Shine Thompson will explore the skill sets needed to research and write local studies.
Dr Michelle Dunne will reflect on the vast store of primary sources available to Local Studies scholars in the National Folklore Collection.
Places are limited so early booking is advised.
Email Seamus Click Here to Mail for further information.
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council

The Land Border in Ireland by Dr Cormac Moore
2023-09-20 08:00 - 17:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
A Lecture In association with Westmeath County Council
The Land Border In Ireland
by Dr Cormac Moore
On Wednesday 20th September 2023 at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Visit Clonaboy Thatched Cottage
2023-08-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Clonaboy Thatched Cottage, Clonaboy, Rathowen, Co Westmeath, N91 RD34, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society Presents

Explore one if the few surviving mud walled Thatched Cottages surviving in Ireland at Clonaboy Rathowen and hear about our Vernacular Heritage.

Location: Clonaboy, Rathowen
Eircode: near N91 RD34
Parking available on site
A chance to view this thatched cottage, which was recently rethatched, and hear a talk on our vernacular Architecture by Barry O’Reilly Architectural Conservation Advisor, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage,Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Seamus O Brien- Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society and
Martin Manning- owner of cottage will also speak at the event
Contact email obriains@gmail.com for further information

The Civil War in Westmeath 1922-1923
2023-04-01 09:30 - 15:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Sixth Annual Conference
The Civil War in Westmeath 1922-1923
VIEW BROCHURE -> Click Here
Michael Nolan
Title of Talk: ‘War, Lawlessness & crime’: Westmeath 1922-23
Ruth Illingworth
Title of Talk: Mullingar in 1923
Vona Groarke
Title of Talk: Herafter: The telling life of Ellen O’Hara
Myles Dungan
Title of Talk: Execution, reprisals & extra-judicial killings during the Civil War
Robert Delaney
Title of Talk: The 18 Pounder field gun & the Irish Civil War
On Saturday 1st April 2023, 9:45am to 3:30pm
in The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar
Admission €30 (incl. lunch, teas, coffee and brochure)

Westmeath Numismatics - A lecture by Michael Kenny
2023-03-22 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
In association with Westmeath County Council
Westmeath Numismatics
– Gold and silver hoards discovered in the county’s lakes, islands and peatlands.
by Michael Kenny
On Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Literary Westmeath a lecture by Dr Mary Shine Thompson
2023-02-22 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
In association with Westmeath County Council
Literary Westmeath
– poets, writers and artists reflections on the heritage,
personality and culture of the Lake County
by Dr Mary Shine Thompson
On Wednesday 22nd February 2023 at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Hitlers Hangman - The Life of Heydrich - A lecture by Mr Justice Peter Charleton
2023-01-25 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Presents
“Hitlers Hangman – The Life of Heydrich”
by Mr Justice Peter Charleton
On Wednesday 25th January 2023 at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Book Launch - Iarmhí by Professor William Nolan
2022-12-14 19:30 - 21:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St, Commons, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Book Launch of
Iarmhí
Journal of the Westmeath Archaeological & historical Society
Edited by Seamus O’Brien

On Wednesday 14th December at 7.30pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Burning the Big House - Understanding Civil War Conflagrations by Prof. Terence Dooley
2022-11-23 20:00 - 22:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
In association with Westmeath County Council Decade of Centenaries Event
“Burning the Big House – Understanding Civil War Conflagrations”
by Prof. Terence Dooley
On Wednesday 23rd November at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Professor Terence Dooley, MA, PH.D. (NUI), H. DIP. ED. is Head of Department and Director, Centre for the study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. He is the author of the recently published and much acclaimed ‘Burning the Big House’ which explores the fate of the ascendency during the Civil War.

Lecture Schedule for 2022/2023 – click to enlarge

All welcome.

The assassination of Sir Henry Wilson MP - prelude to civil war by Ronan McGreevy
2022-10-26 20:00 - 22:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
In association with Westmeath County Council Decade of Centenaries Event
“The assassination of Sir Henry Wilson MP – prelude to civil war”
by Ronan McGreevy

On Wednesday 26th October at 8.00pm
At The Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar

Ronan McGreevy is a journalist and videographer with The Irish Times. He is the author of the book ‘Wherever the Firing Line Extends: Ireland and the Western Front’. He is the editor of Centenary, Ireland remembers 1916 the official State book recalling the commemorations of 2016. He is the author of the recently published, much acclaimed ‘Great Hatred: The assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP’.

Lecture Schedule for 2022/2023 – click to enlarge

All welcome.

Map Making Seminar with Dr Paul Gosling
2022-10-08 10:00 - 16:00 | County Buildings, Mullingar, Mount Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 XH9R, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
A Map Making Seminar with Dr Paul Gosling
Acquiring the skills to create our own maps for Local Studies. Please bring your own laptop to enjoy the activities.
On Saturday 8th October from 10.00am to 4.00pm
In the conference room, County Buildings, Mullingar
To Book your place on this Seminar
Email: obriains@gmail.com

Dr Paul Gosling
Dr Paul Gosling is a retired lecturer on built heritage in the Department of Heritage and Tourism at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. He is currently researching the place and route aspects of the great medieval epic, Táin Bó Cúailnge (the cattle raid of Cooley). He is a professional archaeologist and a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland.

Lecture Schedule for 2022/2023 – click to enlarge

All welcome.
