22 November 2011

History Society launches 23rd fascinating journal

At the launch of the Wexford Historical Society's 23rd Journal were contributors (back): Liam Gaul, Jarlath Glynn (president), Paddy Berry, William Sweetman, Eithne Scallan, Bernard Browne, Monica Crofton, Rev Patrick Comerford and Tom Mcdonald....

This week’s edition of the Wexford People, Enniscorthy Guardian and Gorey Guardian carries this photograph and report:

History Society launches 23rd fascinating journal

Is Wexford home to more local historians than any other county in Ireland?

It would certainly seem so from the latest edition of the Wexford Historical Society journal.

The journal launched in Greenacres by the well-known Wexford historian and Smurfit Director Dr. Kevin Whelan, contains a baker's dozen of articles about fascinating people and places of the past.

Paddy Berry writes about emigration from County Wexford to Argentina; Bernard Browne explores the life of Lorenzo Dow (17771834), an American preacher in Wexford while Liam Gaul has researched the life of the balladeer, P.J. McCaul who wrote Boolavogue.

Other articles were contributed by David Ian Jamilton on the Sutton family of Longraigue; Niall O' Brien uncovering the story of Wexford apprentices in 16th century Bristol and Tom Pierse writing about the life of his father Dr. Toddy Pierse (1898-1968) of Mount George.

Monica Crofton recounts her experiences as a walking tour guide in Wexford and Eithne Scallan has a paper on Dr. George Hadden ( 1882-1973), the Methodist missionary who returned to his native Wexford and founded the Old Wexford Society. Tom Williams looks at the life and work of the Wexford-born folklorist James G. Delaney (1916-2000) while former People journalist Patrick Comerford has contributed a paper on his great-grandfather James Comerford (1817-1902), a stucco artist, architect and trade unionist who began his career working with Pugin and McCarthy on their Wexford churches.

The journal was edited by Celestine Rafferty, of County Wexford Library Service who is a specialist in local studies and an author in her own right.

The latest edition is the 23rd journal published by Wexford Historical Society since 1968.