All roads lead to Rathangan parish this weekend (11th – 13th August) for the final 1798 Commemoration, in this the 225th year since the rebellion. A weekend of activities, entitled Comóradh 225 is planned, including a storytelling house on Friday,11th from 7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. ish!!! taking place in McCall’s Community Centre, Rathangan (Y35 YH92). An invitation is extended to all singers, musicians, poets, jokers, dancers or just lovers of these talents to join the event.
Saturday’s programme is entitled ‘1798 in Focus’ and again runs in McCall’s Community Centre from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. including historical talks, living history demonstrations, a photographic display of the parish’s 1998 Commemorations and the renowned Wally O’Neill and his Red Books will have a bookstall there as well. The historical demonstrations are provided by the En Garde re-enactment group, who are travelling especially from Limerick for the weekend, and bring years of experience, passion and entertainment to the event.
Historical talks are on the hour and include talks on “The role of women in ‘98” with Jacqui Hynes; “Discovering your 1798 Ancestors – A Genealogy Talk” by Rory O’Connor; “Showcasing 1798 – a look at key documents, art, textiles and artefacts relating to the period from collections in Wexford County Archive” with Grainne Doran, Wexford County Council Archivist and “The Wexford Republic” by Brian O’Cléirigh.
Sunday’s “Comóradh 225” events include a Commemorative Mass in Rathangan Church at 11.30 a.m. and Commemorative Ceremonies in Cleariestown and
Duncormick at 1.15 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively. Everyone is invited to attend to commemorate and recall those who participated in the 1798 Rebellion in Rathangan parish and further afield. The organisers especially welcome the re-enactment groups, current pike groups and former pike people to the event.
Organised by Cleariestown Rathangan Heritage Group, and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Wexford County Council and Rosslare Municipal District Council, further details are available on the Clear Rath Heritage Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ClearRathHeritage
