Clonmacnoise summer school details revealed

The second annual Clonmacnoise Summer School will take place at Cluain Ciaran, Clonmacnoise, from Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24 next.

The event celebrates 1,500 years of ancient Irish monastic life and is hosted just 700 metres from the famous monastic settlement.

The summer school will feature lectures by a number of high profile academics and experts.

Commencing at 1.55pm on Friday, the summer school will hear Reverend Ray Simpson, founding guardian of the International Community of Ss Aidan and Hilda, Lindisfarne, Northumberland, give a presentation on 'The spirit of the early Irish Monks’.

There will also be lectures on 'St Columban - Christian Missionary and First European’ by Fr Sean McDonagh and on 'Reconnecting with the Cross of the Scriptures’ by Dr Johnston McMaster, Lecturer and Co-ordinator, Education and Reconciliation Programme, Irish School of Ecumenics. 

Archaeology will also play a significant part in the weekend, with Neil Jackson, an archaeologist, with Albarta Audioguides, providing an introduction to The discovery in 2007 of a Mill at Kilbegley on an esker connecting Clonmacnoise and Connacht. Heather King, Archaeologist, National Monuments Service, will also give an introduction on excavations at Clonmacnoise, before leading a walk and talk on site.

It’s not the only walk included in the summer school programme as Elizabeth McArdle, Ecologist, Dalgan Park  and Dr Christy Cunniffe, Field Monuments Advisor with Galway County Council, will also lead walks during the weekend.

There will also be plenty of time for social activities with get together and musical entertainment planned throughout the weekend as well as a guided tour of Athlone Castle and a trip on Athlone’s Viking Boat.

Conference fees are €80 including Saturday lunch and Sunday bus and boat trip; and the daily rates are only €35.

See www.facebook.com/clonmacnoisemonastery for more details.