St Patrick’s Day Celebration
Thursday 17th of March

A 1916 ‘heritage style’ St Patrick’s Day parade will be held in the village. Parade participants will be dressed in period costumes and military uniforms. Members of the public will be encouraged to come in costume. Vintage vehicles from the period will be on display as part of the parade.Visitors will enjoy traditional Irish music, dance, poetry and storytelling as well as ‘living history’ presentations from actors at key points around the village. There will also be an impressive exhibition of 1916 and First World War memorabilia in the Community Centre presented by the Irish Volunteers Organisation.

Kiltyclogher Heritage Centre will also be open to the public. The Centre has a small exhibition providing visitors with information about it’s most famous son, Seán MacDiarmada as well as information on the history of the village and locality.The festival will have a ‘family-friendly’ feel and there will be lots of fun attractions and activities planned which are certain to keep children entertained.
More details to be confirmed.

The Seán MacDiarmada Vigil
Wednesday 11th of May 10.30pm-12pm

At 11.45pm on the 11th of May 2016 an open air vigil will be held by the Seán MacDiarmada Monument in KIltyclogher to mark the 100th anniversary of his execution in Kilmainham Gaol. The vigil will begin at 10.30pm with a torchlit procession from his family home in Corranmore to the MacDiarmada monument in the heart of Kiltyclogher Village. At 11.45pm there will be a reading of his final letters written on the eve of his death, followed by a lament being played. There will then be a few minutes silence. The vigil concludes with the national anthem being played. Further details to be confirmed.The event will last approximately one hour. This simple focal ritual gives an opportunity for the the county and community to formally honour the memory of Seán MacDiarmada.

‘Walking In the Footsteps Of History’: The Corranmore-Corracloona Seán MacDiarmada Schoolhouse Trail
Thursday 9th of June 2pm-4pm

This event commemorates the old pathway that Seán MacDiarmada walked from his home to the former Corracloona National School where he was educated. The event is open to everyone, especially school groups and walkers.Visitors are invited to walk along the newly constructed heritage trail which follows MacDiarmada’s schoolboy route. It runs from the MacDiarmada cottage in Corranmore to the nearby former schoolhouse which is now a private residence.
A shuttle bus facility will be provided to transport walkers form Corracloona to Kiltyclogher nearby where they can join the opening of the seventh Seán MacDiarmada Summer School 2016.

The Seán MacDiarmada Summer School 2016
Thursday 9th of June-Saturday 11th of June

Now entering it’s seventh year, the Summer School in Kiltyclogher brings political analysts, commentators, women’s rights activists, journalists and historians together for discussion and debate on aspects of our history, culture and political identity.Individual speakers deliver a lecture on a specific topic relating to the chosen theme of the Summer School, followed by a question and answer session and a panel discussion. Past speakers include eminent author and journalist Tim Pat Coogan, award winning journalist Susan McKay and academic Mary McAuliffe from UCD.

The opening ceremony will be held at Seán MacDiarmada’s homestead in Corranmore, on the outskirts of Kiltyclogher. Traditional music in the house will be followed by an opening address by our guest speaker. This will be followed by refreshments at Kiltyclogher Community Centre. A shuttlebus will be provided to transport attendees to and from the MacDiarmada Cottage. Kiltyclogher Heritage Centre will also be open during the Summer School and a tour guide will be available to provide tours of the family cottage in Corranmore where Seán MacDiarmada was born and raised.

More details to be confirmed.

The Michael Shanley Traditional Music & Set Dance Weekend
Friday 19th-Sunday 21st of August

The weekend will feature set dancing, Irish traditional musical sessions, ceilis, storytelling sessions and a special guest.