La Touche Legacy Seminar / Festival of History

The 8th Festival of History – 33rd La Touche Legacy Seminar will be back with a bang this year! In addition to the main weekend event in September there will now be a Launch Lecture given on Monday 15th May at 7.30pm in Greystones Golf Club.

We are delighted that Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society will once more be closely associated with the weekend, and that, as the longest running seminar in the country, we have again put together a great line-up of speakers. Our members have been great supporters of this event over the years and I hope we shall have a strong presence again this year.

The Theme of this year’s event is ‘Social Discourse of the 20th Century in Ireland’.

The Launch Lecture will be given by the Chair of the ‘Decade of Centenaries Committee’: Professor Emeritus Maurice Manning. He will give a review of the decade and what we have learnt.

The Seminar / Festival of History will be held on Friday & Saturday 15th & 16th September 2023 in Greystones Golf Club. Speakers will include Felix Larkin, Professor Paul Rouse, Dr Ian d’Alton, Dr Emma Lyons, Professor Emeritus Michael Laffan and Dr Emily Mark Fitzgerald.

There will be a very exciting range of subjects including: The Fourth Estate, Sport, the La Touche Family and Horse Racing and Ireland and Wicklow in 3D. Full details will be provided at the launch on May 15th. The seminar weekend will also include the ‘Jim Brennan Memorial Lecture’. Jim Smith, our Chairman, invites you and your friends to the Launch Lecture on Monday 15th May at 7.30pm and he looks forward to seeing you there.

Bookings: Kay Coughlan Tel: 01 2876694; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Further Info: George Jones Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 086 821 7357

The Society’s 2023 programme

Our planned outings in May, June and July 2023 are listed below. More detailed information on these will be sent directly to members of the Society in good time. Our outings involve hiring transport so only a  limited number of places will be available. Members will be given priority for these trips. If there are places available for friends of members, this will be made known here before the events. So watch this space!

Our talks will recommence from September 2023 onwards. See below for dates, and keep an eye on this page for more details when they emerge.

 Talks and Visits

Our Talks (normally) take place in the Family Centre next door to the Holy Rosary Church in Greystones. Talks normally begin at 8.00pm . A small charge is made to cover the cost of hiring a room.

Our Visits (normally) occur on Sundays throughout summer. Start times vary.

 2023 Programme

Talks and Visits, 2023

18th January 2023

 Talk by James Scannell on: John Hinde and His County Wicklow Postcards

15th February 2023

 Talk by Evelyn Cusack on: The History of Weather Reporting

15th March 2023

 The Society's AGM and members' "Show and Tell"

23rd April 2023

 Outing to Ardgillan Castle and Newbridge House

15th May 2023

 La Touche Legacy Launch Lecture

21st May 2023

 Outing to Johnstown Estate

25th June 2023

 Outing to Kilkenny

July 2023

 TBD

August 2023

 No activities

15th-16th September 2023

 The 8th Festival of History – 33rd La Touche Legacy Seminar

October 2023

 TBD

November 2023

 TBD

December 2023

 Christmas lunch