Local author to give presentation in Clara as part of Bealtaine Festival

Moate native and author Tom Minnock will give a presentation on the importance of capturing and recording our individual, family and wider social history in Clara this weekend.

The coffee morning will take place in Clara Library this Friday, May 17 as part of this year’s Bealtaine Festival. Tea/coffee will be served at 10am and the presentation will start at 11am.

Tom will discuss his book, ‘Down the Decades,’ which was written in conversation with the late George Griffith and with contributions from his wife Daphne and the Griffith family as well as access to his diaries.

George was born in 1922 and his life tracked that of the new Irish State. George never left his native Clonshanny giving him a local perspective on community life in the area during a fascinating period in the history of Ireland and the world. Tom's book is a collection of George's reflections on that century, captured for the most part, during conversation between the two of them, up until George's passing in March 2020.

Tom hopes his presentation will break the myth that the ordinary person has nothing to contribute to our social history.

Tom's book will take us on a journey that set out to give him an insight into his own family history and blossomed out to describe the history of rural Ireland as lived by a farmer who never left the area in his ninety seven years.

The local author will use this experience to encourage people to consider recording their story by highlighting the hidden skills they have to offer in getting it down on paper.

Finally, Tom will emphasise the importance of the ordinary person’s life in illustrating our social history and will use examples from the book to reinforce these points.

All are welcome to attend this event.