Outing 2025 to Ballagh Famine Village
2025-08-23 14:30 - 17:00 (Europe/Dublin) | Ballagh Famine Village, County Westmeath, N37 WR52, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Heritage Week 2025 Outing to:
Ballagh Famine Village, Rosemount
With Speakers Fr.Jimmy Murray, O.Carm. & Seamus O’Brien
On Saturday 23rd August 2025 at 2:30pm

Boris Anrep's Mullingar Cathedral Mosaics Event
2025-08-30 11:00 - 18:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St, Commons, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Mosaic Artists Association Ireland
Presents
Boris Anrep’s Mullingar Cathedral Mosaics

‘Hidden in Plain Sight: The Mullingar Mosaics and the Russian Artist Who Made Them’
Step into the luminous world of Mullingar Cathedral’s mosaics and discover the extraordinary story behind their creation. In this illustrated public lecture, sociologist and biographer Anne Byrne draws from a newly uncovered cache of letters between two Irish bishops and the celebrated Russian mosaicist Boris Anrep to reveal the personal and political events behind these remarkable works of art.
‘Using Lettering in Mosaic’
Discover how to ceate natural flow, spacing and consistency with mosaic lettering with glass and mosaic artist Vanessa Power.
Agenda
11 am: Vanessa Power
12 pm: Anne Byrne
1 pm: Lunch: Greville Arms Hotel
2 pm Launch of MAAI’s new website
3 pm: Visit to Boris Anrep mosaics in Mullingar Cathedral
Speakers
Professor Anne Byrne, a sociologist, biographer, and researcher who works with photographs, letters and diaries to explore what lies between the image and the word. She explores the cultural and intellectual ties between Ireland and the Bloomsbury group.
Vanessa Power, whose’s background is in lettering and sign painting, is the co-founder of Eirlume Studio that creates bespoke stained glass and lettering-based custom mosaics.
This event is funded by Design and Craft Council Ireland (DCCI) through their Guild, Association, Network or Society (GANS) Scheme.
Click here for Tickets
Saturday 30th August 2025 from 11:00am to 6:00pm in the Greville Arms Hotel Mullinger.
This is a free event, All Welcome.

History Workshops 2025 - Day 1
2025-10-04 09:30 - 16:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
History Workshops 2025
Doing Local Studies
9:30 -11am Dr Janice Mann: Genealogy- the cornerstone of local studies. Approaches, exemplars and sources with a focus on national and international repositories.
11:30am – 1pm Gretta Connell: Tracing your Westmeath Ancestors with reference to sources available locally such as Griffiths Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books, Wills, Census Returns, Newspapers, Diaries, Registers as well as online sources.
2pm – 4pm Dr Tom Hunt: Doing the history of your local sports club—approaches, resources, exemplars of best practice and publication.

Saturday 4th October 2025 in The Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar. from 9:30am to 4:00pm
The workshops will be interactive with the focus on skill set acquisition.
Please bring your own Laptop.
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.
Adm. Free. Contact obriains@gmail.com to register

History Workshops 2025 - Day 2
2025-10-11 09:00 - 16:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
History Workshops 2025
Doing Local Studies
9am -11am Seamus O’Brien: Bringing the Great Irish Famine in your local area to Book. Sources, exemplars of best practice, identifying Famine Landscapes and publication.

11.30am -1:30pm Paul Gosling: Descriptive writing for Archaeology and Local Studies – composing, role of illustrations, and exemplars of best practice.

Saturday 11th October 2025 in The Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar. from 9:00am to 4:00pm
The workshops will be interactive with the focus on skill set acquisition.
Please bring your own Laptop.
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council.
Adm. Free. Contact obriains@gmail.com to register

How the Irish Free State Army won the Civil War
2025-10-22 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
How the Irish Free State Army won the Civil War
By Dr Gareth Prendergast
On wednesday 22nd October 2025 at 8pm in the Greville Arms Hotels, MullingarPark Hotel Mullingar.
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Book Launch Iarmhi 2026 by Dr Paul Hughes
2025-11-26 19:15 - 21:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Iarmhí 2026 – Journal of the Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
By Dr Paul Hughes
Followed by
A Lecture on “Its all about the Land by Dr Myles Dungan
On wednesday 26th November 2025 at 7.15pm in the Greville Arms Hotels, MullingarPark Hotel Mullingar.
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Dispatches from the debris fields, an Illustrated Lecture by Michael Stanley
2026-01-28 20:00 - 22:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Dispatches from the debris fields
An Illustrated Lecture
By Michael Stanley
On wednesday 28th January 2026 at 8pm
in the Greville Arms Hotels, MullingarPark Hotel Mullingar.
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Monasticism in Early Medieval Ireland: Lectrure
2026-02-25 20:00 - 21:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Monasticism in Early Medieval Ireland:
A Different Perspective
By Dr Edel Bhreathnach
On wednesday 25th February 2026 at 8pm
in the Greville Arms Hotels, MullingarPark Hotel Mullingar.
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Workshop: Could there be another Tara in... Westmeath?
2026-03-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Mullingar Library, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Could there be another Tara in…
WESTMEATH?
Join us for this free workshop to help us to uncover the stories of Tevrin and its connections with the Hill of Tara.
On Thursday 5th March 2026 at 6pm
Mullingar Public Library, Mullingar.
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Ninth Annual Conference
2026-03-28 09:00 - 15:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society Presents
Ninth Annual Conference
On Saturday 28th March 2026 9:00am to 3:30pm
in the Greville Arms Hotels, MullingarPark Hotel Mullingar.
Tickets are €40 each (incl. admission, lunch, tea or coffee and brochure)
All are Welcome, Refreshments will be served.

Famine Graveyard Commemoration Re-enactment
2026-06-24 19:30 - 21:00 | Robinstown Famine Burial Ground, Robinstown, Co. Westmeath, Ireland
Mullingar Famine Graveyard Committee Presents
Famine Graveyard Commemoration
Soup Kitchen Re-enactment
On Wednesday 24 June at 7.30pm, the Mullingar Famine Graveyard Committee will hold its annual ecumenical commemoration in the Robinstown Famine burial ground.

This year marks the 180th anniversary of the first total failure of the potato crop in 1846 when in excess of three million people depended on this crop for their subsistence.
To cope with the subsequent food crisis Soup Kitchens were set up all over the country. This form of relief certainly saved many lives but it was also a humiliating experience for those who had to queue publicly with their food vessels, bowls and billycans to receive their rations.
Some of the so-called Famine Pots used to cook the soup survived in Westmeath and the planned re-enactment on Wednesday 24 June next will feature a unique example of one such Westmeath Famine Bowl.
Musical accompaniment will be provided by Dick Hogan, Eamon Battle Val Johnston and Enda Finnerty will give his rendition of Johnny Mc Evoys The Famine Song. There will also be a short ecumenical service followed by a talk on the Westmeath Soup Kitchens by historian Seamus O Brien.
Supported by Westmeath County Council

Mullingar Famine Walk
2026-08-22 15:00 - 17:00 | St Mary’s Hospital, Longford Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, • N91N602, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Mullingar Famine Walk
Saturday 22nd August
The worst year of the Famine in Mullingar was 1849. The total failure of the potato crop was followed by the arrival of Asiatic Cholera in 1849 necessitating the opening of a famine graveyard in Robinstown in 1849.
Some 32 years since the then Fr Denis Nulty led the first Famine Walk in Mullingar, he now returns as Bishop Nulty to lead the second one from the site of the old workhouse on Saturday next 22 August at 3 pm. The walk will proceed to Robinstown Famine graveyard following a brief talk on the history of the Workhouse during the Famine by historian Seamus o Brien. The Mullingar Famine Graveyard Committee are organising this special event, which incorporates the re enactment of a Famine burial using a retractable coffin.
This event comprises three segments:
1. The Workhouse. We gather at the site of the old Workhouse which is almost completely extant. The history of this building and its role in relieving distress during the Famine will be reflected on.
2. The re-enaction of a Famine era funeral from the workhouse to the graveyard will comprise the Famine Walk which will include a replica of one the retractable coffins often used at this time.
3. At the graveyard we will process around the perimeter of the burial ground; this will be followed by a talk on the history of the graveyard.
Finally the Discovery Ireland archaeologists will give a preliminary report on their geophysical survey which will be carried out in the graveyard during the days previous to the Famine Walk. They will also describe the methodologies deployed and display the equipment utilised. Music and song associated with Famine times will accompany the activities of this remembrance day.
A commemorative booklet will be distributed to all attendees.
This project is being supported by the Heritage Council Community Fund. The walk and talk will be facilitated by historian Seamus O Brien. Bishop Denis Nulty, will also recall the first Famine Walk which took place here in 1994.
Refreshments will be served afterwards.
contact details obriains@icloud.com
0872658138
Some parking available at the workhouse/ st marys care centre site on the Longford Road and more in the Lough Sheever Corporate Park nearby.

Tour of Carn Famine Village
2026-08-23 10:00 - 14:00 | Carn Famine Village, Carn Famine Village, Killare, Co Westmeath, N91 FY54, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
Tour of Carn Famine Village
Sunday 23nd August @ 10am
On Sunday next 23 August at 10 am you are invited to join the Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society for a specially organised tour of Carn Famine village which is directly opposite the historic Hill of Usnagh.
Explore the ruins of the stone houses which housed this rural community until the dramatic events which unfolded here during the Great Hunger. Walk along the still extant Holloways which connected the settlement to the resources available on the hill and the surrounding community.
Field trip led by historian Seamus O Brien, author of Carn, Killare, a forgotten Westmeath Famine village. Post code : N91FY54.
Contact obriains@gmail.com. 0872658138

History Workshop Local Studies under the Microscope - 3rd October
2026-10-03 09:00 - 16:00 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
History Wokshops 2026
Local Studies under the Microscope
Saturday 3rd October
9.30 am – 11.30 am Dr John Feehan: Sources for the study of landscape and topography at local level.
12 noon- 1pm Dr John Ennis- Poetry as a source for local studies
2 pm – 4 pm Ann Murtagh- Weaving fact into fiction: using primary sources to write historical fiction
The workshops will be interactive with the focus on skill set acquisition
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council
Adm free Contact obriains@gmail.com to register

History Workshop Local Studies under the Microscope - 10th October
2026-10-10 09:00 - 15:30 | The Greville Arms Hotel, Greville Arms Hotel, Pearse St,, Mullingar, Westmeath, N91 X9RN, Ireland
Westmeath Archaeological & Historical Society
History Wokshops 2026
Local Studies under the Microscope
Saturday 10th October
9am – 11 am Dr Ciaran Mc Cabe – Social history approaches to Irish local studies
11.15 am – 12.45pm Dr Mary Shine Thompson – Literature as a source for local studies
1.30 pm – 3.30pm Paul Gosling- Using maps in local studies

The workshops will be interactive with the focus on skill set acquisition
Supported by Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council
Adm free Contact obriains@gmail.com to register
