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The aim of the Kilmacud Stillorgan Local History Society is to promote and sustain an interest in our culture, heritage and history, particularly with regard to Kilmacud Stillorgan and the adjoining areas
Next Talk – – – – – – – 12 October
Our next talk will be in the St Raphaela’s Primary School Hall, Upr Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan (A94 R7N8) on Thursday 12 October at 8pm. It was given by Suzanne Pegley and is titled:
Thomas Conolly 1823-76 and the “lost” 19th century of Castletown House
Suzanne’s presentation will be about the Conollys of Castletown, particularly Thomas the 19th Century owner. It was thought a lot of details about his life had been lost but in the last 30 years diaries have been found and Suzanne has used these to recreate Thomas' life and the significance of social Networking.
By looking at Conolly’s social interaction to the wider ascendancy spaces during this period, Castletown represents a world that in the 21st century has virtually disappeared.
Dr Suzanne Pegley lectured in Geography at Maynooth University. She wrote ‘The Land Commission and the making of Rath Cairn: the first Gaeltacht colony’ (2011) and co-wrote ‘Aspects of Leixlip’ (2001) and ‘Aspects of Lucan’ (2009).
Her book Thomas Conolly of Castletown House and the social networking of Power was published by Four Courts Press in 2022.
We would ask you to note that we intend to video the entire presentation session for the Society as part of its efforts to develop a digital archive. We are very grateful to James for agreeing to our recording of the live event.
Annual subscription
September is subscription renewal time. We are happy to keep our subscription rates the same as before, i.e. €15 per person or €20 for a family. Subscriptions can be paid using our on line shop, by clicking ”Talks 23/24” or on the night of any of our talks
We look forward to seeing you at one of our talks and maybe you might tell a friend who might also be interested. Click ‘list of talks’ to see our full programme for the season.
Visitors welcome on the night for €3.
Obelisk 2023 – – – – on Sale
The seventeenth edition of the Society’s annual journal, Obelisk, was launched in the Function Room, Glenalbyn on Thursday 24 November. Our previous two launches were ‘virtual’ because of Government advice relating to covid. It was good to be back ‘live’.
Please view our five minute YouTube video to get a short description of each of the articles.
As always we pay a special thanks to our contributors for their very enthusiastic response with material and without whose stories there would be no Obelisk. Over the years Obelisk has accumulated a rich trove of articles that help to give us a fuller picture of daily life and the streetscape of times past.
Click on image for the list of contents.
Obelisk 2023 is available at our monthly talks at €7 a copy and through our Online Shop.
Online purchases for local addresses in Kilmacud, Stillorgan and surrounding areas that can be hand delivered will have any postage paid refunded.
Other Publications
Another in the series of very informative publications by Lakelands Residents Association. Available for €5 from Lakelands Store. and South Dublin Credit Union, Lower Kilmacud Road
Click on image for contents. All profits donated to St Laurence’s BNS. It is now only available from St Laurence’s BNS.
Last Talk – – – – – – 14 September
Our last talk was in a NEW venue - St Raphaela’s Primary School Hall, Upr Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan (A94 R7N8) on Thursday 14 September at 8pm.
It was given by Frank Tracy and was titled:
Lord Massy of Duntrileague
We were pleased to welcome Frank as our first speaker this year. Frank is a popular speaker and has been researching the history of the Massy family for many years. He told the story of the family of Lord Massy of Duntrileague, Co. Limerick from 1659, when Captain Hugh Massy (Hugh the first) received land holdings of approx. 1,800 Irish acres in lieu of military wage arrears.
He summarised the family history from the creation of Baron Massy in 1776 to the accumulation of landholdings of over 30,000 acres with a number of large mansions by 1880. By 1924 the family had sold off all its tenanted landholdings, had no ongoing means of income and Hugh Hamon Charles George, the 8th Baron Massy, was evicted from their last remaining house at Killakee, Rathfarnham.
His book If Those Trees Could Speak: The Story of an Ascendancy Family in Ireland was first published by South Dublin Libraries in 2005 and was reprinted twice that year. (Click on cover to download a copy). The second edition was published in 2008 and an audio book was produced that year also by South Dublin Libraries.