The Burren and the Irish midlands in early Christian times is the theme of the Roscrea Spring Conference, which will be held this weekend at Mount St Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, Co Tipperary.
The conference, which is confined to 100 participants, has been organised by the people of Roscrea in association with Roscrea Heritage Society and is sponsored by Roscrea Credit Union.
Those attending will be welcomed by the Lord Abbot of Roscrea, Dom Colmcille O'Toole. Later tomorrow evening, they will hear lectures delivered by the Prior of Roscrea, Father Nivard Kinsella, writer and archaeologist Dr Peter Harbinson, and Prof Donnchadh O Corrain, of University College Cork.
Other contributions will be made by Mr Paul Gosling, archaeologist, Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology, and Dr Colman O Clabaigh OSB, Glenstal Abbey, who is a well known historian.
The final lecture will be delivered on Sunday by Dr John Feehan, writer and environmentalist, Department of Environment Resource Management, University College Dublin.