Athy historian to facilitate WW1 'Memories Night'

Athy-based historian Frank Taffe will attend the WW1 'Memories Night' which the Kilcullen Great War Commemoration Group has organised for Thursday July 17, writes Brian Byrne.

Mr Taffe has a special interest in WW1 matters, and will facilitate the telling of stories amongst those attending, which will include family members of Kilcullen men who served in the conflict.

The event will be held in Kilcullen Community Library, beginning at 8pm.

Meanwhile, it is hoped that the banner commissioned by the Group will be installed in a prominent place in town shortly. The banner, designed by local artist Kieran Behan, is currently in production.

The Group has already held a very successful 'Life in the Trenches' presentation by Col Des Travers, which included a field trip to the training trenches on The Curragh, used to give young soldiers a feel for what they would experience prior to being sent to the war.

There have also been meetings of the Group at which memorabilia and information have been shared.

The major event for this year will be a concert on the evening of 23 August, during Heritage Week, which will include stories, music and song from the era, readings by local writers, and a rehearsal reading of a play by John Martin set in the War.

These coming events are free, generously supported by Kildare County Council with additional assistance by Kildare Library and Arts Service.

The provision of a commemorative sculpture is planned for coming years, but in the meantime there will be a temporary plaque made for the Heritage Centre recording the names of the more than 33 men from the locality known to have died in the conflict.