Dunkerrin book lauded

Fourth volume of popular journal launched

There was a large gathering in the Obama Plaza, Moneygall, on Friday evening, November 24, for the launch of the fourth volume of Under Crimblin Hill, the biennial journal of the Dunkerrin Parish History Society.

In launching the volume, Michelle Hoolan delivered a wonderful address, offering a comprehensive overview of its contents, and some very thoughtful reflections on the importance of recording local history.

In paying tribute to the contributors, she noted that they were not just writers of history, but makers of history, who were ensuring that their contributions would be a very valuable historical resource for many years to come. “My one regret is that we weren’t contributing to a volume such as Under Crimblin Hill a generation or two ago,” she added, and recalled the many people who were “keepers of memories” and who have now passed on.

“Reading the volume in preparation for tonight’s launch,” she continued, “I found myself moved, inspired, educated and entertained. Certain themes are in evidence: from fond memories of childhood, to schooldays; a real strong sense of place; the role of the GAA in times past; and especially the role and influence of the village schoolmaster; and of course politics.”

In commending the high calibre of the articles, and the quality of the research and editing, she concluded by saying that this is a volume that people will find themselves reading and re-reading, and that all who have an interest in the communities of Dunkerrin, Moneygall and Barna will learn much from it.

In his vote of thanks on behalf of the editorial committee, Salvador Ryan warmly thanked chairperson of the society, Pat Sheedy, for his energy and enthusiasm in bringing history to life through the history lecture series and annual historical tours. He also thanked the courtesy and professionalism of Nenagh Guardian Print, and especially the work of Ruth Durack at the copyediting and typesetting stages, and also David Ryan. Salvador paid special tribute to the contributors – those who were seeing their work in print for the first time, and also more seasoned writers such as Eimear Ryan, who recently won the An Post Irish Book Award in the category of Eason Sports Book of the Year for her work The Grass Ceiling.

He ended with a rallying call to future contributors. Assuring those gathered that we define the historical aspect of our journal quite broadly, he remarked that while we are interested in things that have happened in the remote past, we are also very aware that we are also leaving a historical legacy for people who will live in a hundred, or two hundred years’ time, and who will wonder what kind of a community we were in the year 2023; what our interests were, and how we viewed our own history. He added: “In that regard, then every single person in this room has something to offer to this journal. Indeed, it’s often the most familiar and mundane aspects of our lives that are left unrecorded, precisely because they are so familiar. But if we don’t record them because we think they aren’t of any interest, we won’t pass them on to future generations.”

He ended by inviting all future contributors to consider that their work for volume five begins now!

Copies of volume four are available in all local outlets, and online at the Moneygall.ie store: http://www.moneygall.ie/buy-books.

Retailing at €15, it would make a perfect Christmas gift for a loved one with connections to the parish.