Some years ago, the memorial plaque of John Stephen Sweetnam was handed into Skibbereen Heritage Centre. These memorial plaques were given to the families of those who died during WW1. Stephen Sweetnam (as he was known) was killed in action in April 1916, aged just 23. His memorial plaque had been purchased at an auction […]

As in other places in the Skibbereen Poor Law Union, the people of Drimoleague suffered terribly during the Great Hunger. During the Great Famine around 2,500 people in Drimoleague died, emigrated or migrated  –  42% of the overall population. From September 1846 – September 1847 alone we know that 865 people died in Drimoleague parish […]

Skibbereen Heritage Centre is seeking help from those who have relatives buried at Aughadown and Drinagh old graveyards in advance of creating signage at these sites. With the support of Cork County Council, Skibbereen Heritage Centre has already erected signs at three other graveyards in West Cork. The signs give information on those interred in […]

Do you have a ruined historic building in need of some TLC? Is your community group involved in maintaining a local historic graveyard, perhaps one that contains the ruin of a historic church? If yes, then you will be interested to hear that Cork County Council has organized a series of training workshops on the […]

The students from the University of Maryland have been working hard on their archaeological excavation in Skibbereen. The local pre-Famine house site is now cleared of vegetation and the dig has begun. Some 19th century pottery artefacts have come to light already and hopefully we will see more material unearthed. The University of Maryland dig continued […]