15/11/2025
40 Years of History In Clonakilty
Cumann Seanchais Chloch na gCoillte (Clonakilty Historical Society)
Seanchais Cloch na gCoillte was founded in October 1985.
First Officers were, Chairman - Micheál Ó Donnabháin, Secretary - Tim Crowley, Treasurer - Sean O’Connell.
First Committee - Concubhair Ó Ruairc, Liam Collins, Liam Ahern, Seán Ó Connell, David O’Hea, Jim Santry, Tomás Tuipéar & Mick O’Connell.
Some of the events and projects organised by the Society.
• 1985 – 2011 Historical Lectures and Field Trips on a variety of subjects, at O’Donovan’s Hotel and other venues in the Clonakilty area.
• 1989/1990 - assisted in the restoration of the Michael Collins homestead at Woodfield.
• 1987 – Organised Victorian Night in Clonakilty, which would later evolve into the Town’s annual Old Time Fair.
• 1988 - Published local historical booklet – ‘Cloch na gCoillte Stairiúil’ – Historical Walk of Clonakilty And It’s Sea-Front” compiled by Tomás Tuipéar. Proceeds from the sale of the booklet went to support the Lios na gCun Ringfort project.
• Late 1980’s – In association with Clonakilty ICA, a Ceremonial Robe was presented by the Society to Clonakilty Urban Council. In 1990 the Society organised enlargement of the Chain of Office of the Chairperson of Council. Both designs were by Tomás Tuipéar.
• 1997 – Michael Collins Tours from Clonakilty Town to Woodfield, Béal na Blá and other Collins sites.
• 1998 - With Cork County Council set up local Committees and organised an extensive series of events to mark the Bi- Centenary of the 1798 Rebellion and the Battle of the Big Cross.
• 1998 – Published the Clonakilty 1798 Journal
• 1999 – After the death in an accident of the historian Michael J Collins, Cumann Seanchais published his book ‘Clonakilty a History, A little Big Town on the banks of the Feale”.
• 1999 – On the 31st of December a Final Sunset ceremony at Lios na gCon Ringfort in Darrara, to mark the change of the millennium.
• 2002 – The placing of the Michael Collins Statue at Emmet Square Clonakilty, in association with Clonakilty Urban Council and Cork County Council. A week-long festival led up to the unveiling by Actor Liam Neeson.
• 2002 - Published the Commemorative Edition of “The West Cork People” Newspaper.
• 2003 – In July a ceremony to mark the Bi- Centenary of Robert Emmet’s rising.
• 2008 - The Society set up the “Friends of Lios na gCon” Committee to reopen the Ringfort project at Darrara College. The voluntary Committee managed the attraction for a number of years until it finally closed.
• 2011 - To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the closing of the West Cork Railway – 31st March 1961 – a wreath laying ceremony took place at the old station at McCurtain Hill in Clonakilty and a lecture was delivered by Maurice McCarthy in the Parish Centre.
• 2014 - In advance of the proposed disbandment of the Town Councils nationally by the Dept. of Local Government, in May 2014, Cumann Seanchais was involved in the setting up of a voluntary Mayoral Council that would organise the election of Clonakilty District Mayors for succeeding 5year periods, on a voluntary basis. The only town in Ireland to organise same, either then or since.
• 2015 - Organised a coach tour to Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, to mark the centenary of the death of O’Donovan Rossa.
• 2016 – With relatives of the Lyre Company of the 1916 Irish Volunteers Cumann Seanchais organised the funding and placing of the Monument at Lyre.
• 2016 – Organised a Bus Tour, to visit the historical sites in Dublin associated with the 1916 rebellion.
• 2016 – A headstone and memorial stone was placed on the grave of ‘Gaelic Authoress –Dul Amú’ - Máire Ní Shíthe in Timoleague Abbey Cemetery.
• 2016 – Members went on a tour to the site of Frongoch Camp in North Wales, where members of the Lyre Volunteers and Michael Collins were among the 1800 men interned in 1916.
• 2017 – A Memorial Board was placed on the roadside at Courleigh North between Clonakilty and Rosscarbery, opposite the farm where the Field Family ancestors of John F Kennedy once lived.
• 2017 – To celebrate the centenary of the establishment of the Ford Motor Company in Cork City in 1917, Tim Crowley gave a lecture at Clonakilty Parish Centre & members were given a guided tour of the old Ford factory in Cork.
• 2019 – Co-founded with the Collins 22 Society, the Michael Collins 100 Committee, which with Cork City Council organised the placing of the Michael Collins Statue on the Grand Parade in Cork City in 2023.
• 2025 - Cumann Seanchais is working at the moment with the Michael Collins 100 Committee on volume two of “Michael Collins News”, a glossy magazine full of articles and photographs associated with Michael Collins and the revolutionary period. The publication will be available in early 2026
• 2025 – The Society and the Michael Collins 100 Committee are also planning with local people in Frongoch in Northern Wales to place a memorial at the site of the Internment Camp there. The memorial will commemorate Michael Collins and the over ninety other Volunteers from County Cork who were held in the camp in 1916, among them were about ten prisoners from the Clonakilty area. The unveiling of the memorial will mark the 110th anniversary of the internment of the men.
Traolach Ó’Donnabháin - Chairman 2025.
Tim Crowley - Founding Secretary 1985 And Secretary 2025.
www.michaelcollinscentre.com
