Irish Life and Lore Series
Maurice & Jane O'Keeffe, Ballyroe, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Website: www.irishlifeandlore.com
Telephone: 353 66 7121991 - 353 87 2998167
This is a series of recordings compiled by Maurice O'Keeffe in conversation with local historians, folklorists and storytellers.
Click to listen to or download an MP3 file of the series sampler 13.8MB MP3
The Irish Life and Lore Series: Kilkenny Collection
This collection of oral history recordings, is jointly funded by Kilkenny County Library and Kilkenny Heritage Officer
The recordings are available for borrowing through our branch networkand in our Local Studies Department., John's Green House for reference - 056 77 94160
A wide variety of subjects have been addressed beautifully in this collection, ranging from family histories, to farming traditions, slate quarries, to barge boatmen, fishing, to rural electrification, teaching & the religious vocations, with traditional crafts for example pottery & stone wall building
Old Kilkenny houses & estates are recorded from the perspective of owners & staff giving a valuable insight to a forgotten era of Irish life.
Hurling & Gaelic football reminiscences are included with traditional songs & poetry thrown in for good measure.Mills & mill workers play an important part in this collection also, with stories of milling families and their lives down through the years. Subjects discussed include politics (very topical at the moment ) traders & tailoring in the city, the old Kilkenny Creamery , Talbot's Inch Village, it's design and construction & the industries associated with it, the art of the gold and silversmith & the early days of the Design Centre across the road from us here tonight.
Also recorded is a lifetime in the gardai with stories of policing the City of Kilkenny.The story of the Watergate Theatre is recalled with tales of great performances down through the years, a local journalist's memories & experiences, stories about Smithwick's brewery & "The Village" with its well known hurling tradition.
Recorded too is an insight into history of Kilkenny County Council from the forties to the present day.Many people whose family members were forced to emigrate will identify with the fascinating story of a local family that spread its wings from Kilkenny to the far shores of Montana & Newfoundland. This unique collection of oral history recordings will provide a valuable insight into a bygone era here in Kilkenny.
The preservation of this cultural transcript ogf Kilkenny is an ongoing process and we hope to continue to add to the collection.