The three-day programme gets underway in Cloughjordan in the Thomas MacDonagh Museum this evening and runs until Sunday.
Joseph MacDonagh, the younger brother of poet and patriot Thomas MacDonagh, was an important figure in Irish politics in post-1916 Ireland until his death in 1922.
The weekend will have a range of talks on the life and legacy of the prominent politician and will celebrate his influence and contribution to Irish freedom.
Tori McMarron, Director at Thomas MacDonagh Museum, says new information about the lesser known brother will be delivered from a selection of speakers over the weekend.
“It’s going to be a very busy weekend in Cloughjordan. We’re very excited. It’s the first event of this kind that the museum has itself run, following on from the fantastic and successful MacDonagh Easter weekend. This weekend we have the launch of Tipperary Decade’s centenary of their booklet on Joseph MacDonagh on Friday night, and everyone is welcome to come to that. On the Saturday, we have a very inspiring selection of speakers, who are going to talk about Joseph MacDonagh and really give us the information that we don’t have a lot of at the moment because he is the lesser known brother. That’s going to run from 10 am to 4 pm. ”
Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/joseph-macdonagh-centenary-weekend-tickets-394032591087?aff=erelexpmlt
Schedule:
Friday, September 23, 8pm-10pm – The launch of ‘Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution’s Illustrated Biography of Joseph MacDonagh, written by Gerard Shannon. This free event is hosted by the ‘Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution’ Committee as part of Culture Night 2022.
Saturday, September 24, 10am-4.30pm – Programme of talks, with registration open from 9am:
-‘The greatest young Irishman of his day: The life of Joseph MacDonagh’ – Keynote address by writer and Centenary Weekend Director Gerard Shannon on the extraordinary revolutionary career of Joseph MacDonagh – TD, city councillor, Minister for Labour, political activist, and political prisoner.
-‘Impossible for a Belfast merchant to sell as much as a bootlace in any other part of Ireland’ – An analysis by writer and historian Cormac Moore of Joseph MacDonagh’s role as Director of the Belfast Boycott in 1921.
-‘Internment during the Civil War’ – An exploration by librarian and historian Anne Marie McInerney on the nature of internment during the Irish Civil War including treatment, conditions, and post-internment issues for prisoners.
-‘The Civil War in County Tipperary – a Brief Overview’ – An overview by writer and historian Denis Marnane of events in county Tipperary during the Civil War of 1922-23.
-Closing Remarks – by Dr. Joe MacDonagh, grandson of Joseph MacDonagh and grand nephew of Thomas MacDonagh.
Sunday, September 25, 11am-3pm – A War of Independence Bus Tour hosted by renowned local historian John Flannery will highlight points of interest in north Tipperary which were affected by the War. Starting and ending in Cloughjordan, the tour will visit sites in Moneygall, Roscrea, Shinrone, Borrisokane and Modreeny.
