In Search of Ireland's Past
TRADITION | HISTORY | ART | ARCHITECTURE
Wednesdays, September 25 through November 20
$10/$15 per lecture at the door only
MYTHIC LORE OF IRELAND: HEROES, WARRIORS, AND GODS
David Jones | Wednesday, September 25
The rich tapestry of Irish myth leaps to life in the heroic tales of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the epic exploits of Cu Chulainn, and the mystical heritage of the Tuatha dé Danann, each story influencing Irish culture and literature.
ST. PATRICK AND THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF IRELAND
Gillian Brown | Wednesday, October 2
Elevated shamrocks and exiled snakes, nighttime visions and illicit bonfires—these stories crowd the record of Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. Whether documented history or merely lore, St. Patrick looms large over Irish culture.
THE BOOK OF KELLS
Linda McWhorter |Wednesday, October 9
The Book of Kells, a jewel of Ireland’s cultural heritage, is a medieval illuminated manuscript written on vellum of the Latin text of the Christian gospels with decoration so dense it requires a close look to reveal its magic, its mystery, and its whimsy.
CHRIST CHURCH AND ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRALS
Roger Smith |Wednesday, October 16
The ancient Christ Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedrals stand sentinel-like over Christendom in Dublin. One Protestant and the other Catholic, these architectural marvels evoke Ireland’s competing faiths.
BRIAN BORU, VIKING INVASIONS, AND THE BATTLE OF CLONTARF
Linda McWhorter |Wednesday, October 23
Every Irish school child knows the year 1014, the Battle of Clontarf, when Brian Boru, Ireland’s High King, defeated Viking marauders of the Irish countryside and finally unified the country. Or had he?
INSULAR ART AND THE IRISH HOARDS
Linda McWhorter |Wednesday, October 30
Insular art, medieval sacred masterpieces from the islands, and hoards, archaeologically significant works buried in peat, uncover a glorious Irish past. Breathtakingly beautiful works such as chalices, croziers, shrines, and a cross reveal the world of Celtic Christianity.
HENRY II, STRONGBOW, AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION
Roger Smith |Wednesday, November 6
Partly to assert authority in Ireland and partly to avoid ramifications of Thomas Becket’s murder, Henry II landed in Ireland in 1171. But the increasingly powerful Richard de Clare—known as Strongbow—had other ideas.
HIGH CROSSES AND MONASTERIES
Linda McWhorter |Wednesday, November 13
Irish monasteries in the late fifth and sixth centuries served as towns—for learning, health, and spiritual care—and witnessed a remarkable flourishing of manuscripts, metalwork, and stone sculpture, including round towers and High Crosses in places such as Glendalough, Clonmacnoise, and Monasterboice.
JAMES II, WILLIAM III, AND THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE
Kathleen Comerford | Wednesday, November 20
In one of James II’s final attempts to reclaim the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Jacobite forces met those of William III across the River Boyne in 1690. The battle ended in an English victory, ensuring Protestant rule in Ireland.
Gillian Brown is a retired history teacher. As an archivist at the Catholic Diocese of Savannah, her research centered on the Irish in Savannah.
Kathleen Comerford is a professor of history at Georgia Southern University. Her teaching specialties include the history of the Tudors and Stuarts in Britain.
David Jones lectures in history at TLC after a career in leadership and organizational development bridging industry and academia.
Linda McWhorter is an art historian with specialties in European art. She has been and remains involved in planning educational travel programs for TLC.
Roger Smith is the founding director of The Learning Center. He is a former classroom teacher of English and French, and served as director of education at the Georgia Historical Society.