Sweet Childhood O’ Mine

Happy cat!

or a while there, it was beginning to feel as though the Greystones Archaelogical & Historical Society was, well, history.

Ms Raughter

Thankfully, Rosemary and the gang are gearing up for a hearty return in November.

At least, that was the plan, but rising Covid numbers means everything is being shifted to 2022.

In the meantime, the gang do have a very special guest lined up for their return.

Killian House Family Centre

Over to Rosemary for the info on the now postponed talk…

At last I’m happy to be able to confirm that, following on from the expected lifting of all Covid-related restrictions on October 22nd, the Greystones Archaelogical & Historical Society hopes to resume normal activities by holding a meeting on Thursday, November 18th in the Killian House Family Centre.

We are aware that people will rightly continue to be extremely cautious, but are confident that the Family Centre can provide a safe and secure environment in which to carry on our business. We’ll be using the large hall there, which as you know offers ample space for distancing, and will obviously be strictly observing all precautions as advised at that, or any subsequent time by the HSE. Our plan is to have just one meeting in 2021, reconvening in the New Year and hopefully resuming our usual programme of monthly meetings from January 2022 on. Details of dates and speakers will be circulated in due course.

Majella [left] & the Museum board

Our speaker on Thursday November 18th will be Majella McAllister, chairperson of The Museum of Childhood Ireland. Majella will describe the activities, aims and vision of the MCI which, having accumulated over 30,000 items of material childhood culture, now aspires to secure a permanent physical space in which they can be displayed and stored. She will also talk about one of her own particular concepts, Project 2020 Together, Le Cheile, an online initiative on the worldwide voice of children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The young Derek Ferns

For more on the Museum of Childhood, check their website here.

We’re confident that Majella – who incidentally grew up in Greystones – will get our programme off to a lively start. Childhood, after all, is an experience we all share in outline if not in its details, and we look forward to a lively audience participation – in fact, we’ll be suggesting that some of you might like to bring along photos or artefacts on the night to spark further memories and anecdotes. You will be receiving official notice of the meeting in due course, but for now please put the date in your long-disused diaries and come along on November 18th to help get GAHS back on track after our lengthy enforced absence.

You can find out more about the Greystones Archaelogical & Historical Society on their website here, and get in touch directly here.