Skerries Historical Society Skerries History Heritage

Programme for the months ahead

Papers delivered at recent meetings

Address to A.G.M. '04

Address to the A.G.M. Oct. '04, by Chairperson, John Harte

Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to the Skerries Historical Society Annual General Meeting. I wish to reiterate the compliments extended to Rosalie Pickering and to thank her for her very thorough and efficient work as Hon Secretary during the year.

In the year ahead we have already arranged a full programme of lectures to take us through to June 2005. Also, a further series of VEC classes in Skerries Community College is planned for January. The details are still being worked out, but it is planned that these classes will focus on how to do local history, how to get involved in the research. Each month here we have a well-researched lecture on a local history topic. We didn't just want to repeat that process and so we are planning that the course participants will choose a topic from our list and research it with guidance. They will also get an opportunity to begin a genealogical study for their own family and to begin the study of a townland in Skerries parish.

The Research sub-committee, which was set up two years ago at the AGM continues to function and has accomplished some of its aims. There are just four members on the sub-committee now and we will again be asking for people to volunteer to take part. To date we looked at all of the archived papers presented since the Society was founded in 1948. We have analysed these under a number of theme headings to see what is there and if there are areas needing further research. This has led to our producing a list of possible research topics for the years ahead.

Examples from the list are:
The drinks trade - Pubs & Inns - 18th C. to present day
Family History of e.g the Grimes family
New Housing Estates - A Survey to update the previous paper as many new estates have been built.
Fishermen of Loughshinney, since many of the Skerries fishing families began there. Personal memories of older residents of Skerries.
Memories from people who came on holidays to Skerries when they were young during the 1940s and 1950s

The Political Parties which were active in Skerries from 1800 to the present day.
Skerries Harbour, which has been in the news recently - its development under Dublin Port & Docks Board Local Representatives since 1921
The Role of Government and Local Authority in Skerries during the British period and since 1921 and a comparison of the two eras.
The Brass & Reed Band - The instruments are in a room in Ardgillan so there could be an exhibition and one or two of those who played in the band would have memories.

The Canons Regular of St. Augustine, who had a monastery where Holmpatrick cemetery now is.
Recording & Broadcasting Technology in Skerries from its beginning to today's broadband internet.
The Parish Bulletin - we have all of the first 27 years bulletins.
Townlands - Each one or a group of adjacent townlands would be a suitable topic for research.
Visitors' memories of Red Island Holiday Camp and Skerries.

These are just some of the topics which were identified, so you can see - in case anybody thinks that all the work has been done after our 56 years - we are unlikely to be short of research topics in the next five years at least.

One of the areas, which could be improved, is communication with members e.g. having a short account of upcoming events available to all who attend monthly meetings throughout the year.. Members who have an email address could be sent newsletters by email and I would ask you to fill up the forms giving us email addresses and other details so we can contact you.

I wish to thank all of the committee members for their co-operation throughout. People did things without waiting to be asked, which made my task very easy. It has been a pleasure to work with this committee. In conclusion I wish the society all the best in the years ahead.

John Harte, Chairman 12 / 10 / 2004

Page updated 17 / 11 / 2004