September 2019
Carlow County Museum and 5th Carlow (Town) Scouts present a new exhibition:
Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some but for Carlow County Museum it proved to be a lucky September day to launch their new exhibition with the 5th Carlow (Town) Scouts “On My Honour I Will Try…” Scouting in Carlow, 90 Years Growing.
Cutting the ribbon on our new exhibition
Recently County Carlow welcomed a delegation from Echternach, Luxembourg, led by Yves Wengler, Mayor of Echternach, as part of the ongoing renewal of friendship between both areas. The highlights of the visit were the signing of a Friendship Agreement between both Councils and the unveiling of the restored early medieval Cross of Rath Melsigi. In AD 690, St. Willibrord, Patron Saint of Luxembourg, First Apostle of the Netherlands, departed County Carlow after spending twelve years at the famed monastic settlement of Rath Melsigi and undertook his mission to the continent. In AD 698 he established his major monastery in the town of Echternach. His monastery also had a scriptorium which over the centuries produced many fabulous manuscripts. Cllr. John Pender, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, led the welcome by Carlow County Council. Continue reading
Tuesday 11th June sees the annual UNESCO World Heritage Status ‘hopping procession’ taking place in Echternach, Luxembourg, in honour of St. Willibrord, their Patron Saint. Over 10,000 people will participate in the procession where they will hop from one foot to the other and they are known as “those who pray with their feet”.
Pilgrims ‘hopping’ in Echternach.
Willibrord, an Anglo-Saxon from Northumbria, England, spent twelve years at Rath Melsigi, Milford, County Carlow, being formed as a missionary monk. He is one of the most important Saints in Europe. In AD 690, Willibrord led a very successful mission to Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where his impact is evident to this day.
The 18th of April marks the feast day of St. Laserian, also known as St. Molaise. He is regarded as one of the 12 apostles of Ireland – these were 12 saints who trained under St. Finian (who was born in Myshall, Carlow) at Clonard Abbey in Meath. He lived during the 6th and 7th centuries and is venerated in both Ireland and Scotland. His name means ‘flame of fire’ – Laserian comes from the Irish ‘lasair’, or light. Molaise is ‘mo lasair‘ or my light. Continue reading
This Sunday will see the 91st Academy Awards aka The Oscars, and Carlow has more Oscar connections than you might think. Let’s take a closer look at some of Carlow’s Oscar Contenders in the lead up to the big night…
January 16th 2019 marked the 142nd birthday of Michael O’ Hanrahan. Born in Wexford but raised in Carlow, O’ Hanrahan played a highly important role in the 1916 Easter Rising, and was executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol in May 1916. To mark the occasion An Ciorcal Gaeilge watched a special bi-lingual documentary detailing the life of Michael O’ Hanrahan.
An Ciorcal Gaeilge enjoy a multi-lingual documentary on the life of Michael O’Hanrahan who helped found Conradh na Gaeilge in Carlow in 1898.
Dom Tower, Utrecht
In November, we were delighted to be invited by the St. Jakobus und Johannes Gilde, Emmerich am Rhein, Germany (Guild of St. John and St. James Rhineland), to attend their conference in the town of Kalkar to present a paper on St. Willibrord and his County Carlow connection. St. Willibrord and his missionaries spent time in that area and his influence is still there to this day. St. Willibrord was appointed the first Archbishop of Utrecht, the Netherlands, which borders the Rhineland. Dermot Mulligan, Museum Curator, presented a paper in which he explained St. Willibrord’s training at Rath Melsigi, Co. Carlow and the influence of Irish monks in the 6th and 7th centuries. The Guild are planning a visit to Carlow and Ireland in the Autumn of 2019. Close to Kalkar is the town of Emmerich which is home to the Church of St. Martin. Contained in the church is a beautiful 7th century Relic that was presented to St. Willibrord by Pope Sergius in AD 695 in Rome when Willibrord was installed as the first Archbishop of Utrecht. Continue reading
