Recovering the Voices of West Cork in the American Civil War

Zoom Lecture

by

Dr Damien Shiels

Thurs May 13 2021

at

8.30pm

Around 250,000 Irish Americans fought for the Union during the American Civil War. The records they left behind offer us some of our most detailed insights into the ordinary lives of Irish emigrants in nineteenth-century America. Utilising new research, this talk will explore what these records can tell us about emigrants and emigration from West Cork to the United States, and what they reveal about how those from the area were impacted by the war. It will partly do so by using the words of the men and women themselves, left behind in their letters and statements from more than 150 years ago.

Dr Damian Shiels is a historian and archaeologist. A former curator in the National Museum of Ireland, he has run www.irishamericancivilwar.com website since 2010. He is the author of The Irish in the American Civil War (2013) and The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America (2016). His PhD at Northumbria University focused on the correspondence of Union Irishmen during the conflict. 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

 The AGM of Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage was held on zoom recently with 20 members attending. Cathaoirleach Tim Feen extended a welcome to all and reviewed the strange year gone by. The group’s last physical lecture was in February 2020 and as the COVID pandemic took hold, all activities were postponed. 

As the weeks dragged in to long months, Dúchas decided in December 2020 to try out its first online lecture. 

It was for many a trip into the unknown as Colum Cronin delivered a fascinating and faultless lecture on “The Kilmichael Ambush”. In January, “The Castles of West Cork” lecture by Finola Finlay was attended by over 300 people with huge positive reaction. Tim thanked and congratulated everyone in the organisation who organised these successful events, in particular, Marian O’ Leary and predicted that this is how the group will work for most of 2021 at least. 

He also reported on a few other activities and plans for the coming year. Fachtna McCarthy, Cisteoir reported that despite not having physical lectures with paying attendees, the finances were relatively healthy for the coming year. It was also said that membership is free until December 2021. Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, PRO thanked all the local media for advertising the Dúchas activities and mentioned recently retired Editor of “The Southern Star”, Con Downing, for his support over the years. He also reported that there has been a growing interest in the Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage Facebook page and website, the latter which will be upgraded in the coming weeks. 

Clíodhna O’ Leary and Michael O’ Mahony reported on the progress being made on the upcoming third journal and History of the Clonakilty Council respectively. Both publications will hopefully be completed and on the bookshelves by the end of the year. Representatives of other sub-committees also delivered reports, which were all positive. The outgoing officers as follows were all re-elected to their positions for the coming year. 

Cathaoirleach: Tim Feen; Leas Cathaoirleach: Carmel Flahavan; Cisteoir: Fachtna McCarthy; PRO: Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin; Asst. PRO: Marian O’ Leary. 

With membership expanding weekly, there was an open invitation to all members not attending the AGM to consider joining the committee or one of the sub-committees. Contact can be made by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage Facebook page or website.