Achill place names, the turlough landscape, Mayo's lost islands and the National Museum's new folklife division in Turlough Park House - these are some of the subjects which will be discussed at a conference in Westport, Co Mayo, this coming weekend, organised by the county's archaeological and historical societies.
Entitled "Mayo through the Millennia: Landscape, Archaeology and History", the conference is being held in Hotel Westport along with excursions, a community exhibition and workshop. Dr Patrick Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, will deliver the special invitation lecture on Friday evening, describing the museum's folklife exhibition project outside Castlebar.
The conference will continue on Saturday with reports on excavations at Croagh Patrick, the archaeology of Clare Island and a multidisciplinary study at Mayo Abbey. On Saturday night, Prof Seamas Caulfield will give a lecture and the closing lecture on Sunday will be given by Prof Emer Colleran of NUI Galway.
On Sunday afternoon, the Westport Historical Society and the Irish Association for Quaternary Studies will host field trips. Local community groups and heritage societies will hold an exhibition entitled "The Mayo Heritage Wall".
The conference is supported by the Heritage Council, Mayo County Council, Mayo Naturally, FAS and Meitheal Mhaigheo Teo. Full details are available from Ms Marian Irwin, Clew Bay Heritage Centre, Westport, Co Mayo or by e-mail: info@mayoheritage.com
"Home" is the title of an exhibition opening in Castlebar's Linenhall Arts Centre this Friday. Exhibition curator, art critic and broadcaster John Hunt, has selected works by chosen Mayo artists and placed them in a domestic environment.
As he explains: "I love going to galleries, but . . . the notion of transforming the Linenhall gallery from a formal gallery space to something more like home appealed to me, to get away from that cold gallery formality."
"Home" runs from October 6th to 28th at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Linenhall Street, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Tel: (094)23733 or e-mail: linenhall@anu.ie
Artist Padraic Reaney has an aviary in his back garden in Moycullen, Co Galway. Recently, he became interested in the life cycle of bees and wasps. "Metamorphosis" is the title of his latest exhibition of paintings and monoprints, which opened in Galway's Kenny Gallery last month.
Former arts minister and Galway West TD Mr Michael D. Higgins describes Reaney's work as recalling the paradox that we are "as physical beings finite, but gifted or cursed with infinite imagination". "Metamorphosis" is at the Kenny Gallery, Middle Street, Galway. Tel (091)562739 or website: www.kennys.ie
Oliver St John Gogarty's life and work will be celebrated at his old Connemara summer home, the Renvyle House Hotel, later this month, when the Oliver St John Gogarty Society runs its seventh annual "Gogarty Octoberfest".
Two speakers will talk about Gogarty's Collected Poems and Plays, collected and edited by Prof A Norman Jeffares; and The Renvyle Letters - Gogarty's family and political correspondence 1939-1957, compiled and edited by Gogarty's grandson, Guy St John Williams. The October-fest aims to "amuse and entertain", and archaeologist Michael Gibbons promises a tour of the Renvyle peninsula. For further information and reservations, contact Renvyle House Hotel at (095)43511.