Below is a copy of a letter from Eoin summarising the talk he gave to the Skryne Tuesday Club on 21st January 2020.
Hi, The talk went very well and there was a good turnout.
I don?t have a clear copy but I can outline here for you roughly what I went through.
I brought along several books and pictures and photographs including of my mother and Skryne Castle. I spoke about growing up in Skryne Castle and how my mother had lived there for 50 years, probably longer than any Norman family!
I went through briefly my ? Growing up in Skryne? which won the competition and I referred to yourself and how you encouraged me to enter. I also mentioned other people who took part in that competition including Netta, Margaret Smith/Hayes, and young Louis Murray who won the junior section.
I showed some photographs of Skryne Castle and referred to the Norman ghost there.
I had and illustrated book on the Bayeux Tapestry which I went through and suggested perhaps the Tuesday Club might like to do a Skryne Tapestry and how they had made one in New Ross. I suggested that you, Mary Rose, might help them! If a tapestry was too complicated then perhaps they might do a film!
I showed a copy of the McAleese picture in the National Gallery of the wedding of Aoife and Strongbow and went through the De Fepoy?s in Skryne and Hugh DeLacy in Meath and I showed maps from my mother?s book of both Skryne and Meath in the 12th century.
I referred, from my mother?s book, to the Seven Manors outside of Skryne; Rsthfeigh, Timoole, Cushistown, Macetown, Trevitt, Ardmulchan and Tara. Also I spoke about the candlemakers of Candle Hill which my mother wrote about.
I introduced and a new book; Mythical Ireland by Anthony Murphy which refers to my mother?s interest in Rosnaree and fording the Boyne here.
This book also refers to Sir William Wilde?s book on the Boyne and Blackwater, of which I have a copy, published in 1850 and I showed them a sketch of the font which Wilde found at Kilcarn ruined church and had placed in Johnstown Church. I suggested that Mary Wilkinson (O?Brien-Lynch) was probably baptised in this front.
I then referred to another new book given to me recently called the Croppy Boy which refers to the United Irishmen particularly in Meath and Louth and gives a detailed account of the gathering at Tara in 1798 where hundreds of the Croppies were slaughtered and how 300 of them are buried in the Mound of the Hostages.
I then went on to show my mother?s other books Including;
I Send my Love Along the Boyne and it?s Nano Reid illustrations.
I went through The Green Cockatrice and how some of Shakespeare?s works were possibly written by an Irish noble man?s son and her correspondence with Enoch Powell (which I have).
I referred to some of the pictures of Thomas Cusick?s Memorial stones at Trevet and how these are listed on Wikipedia. I spoke about the stone from Trevet which was at Skryne Church for many years and now is in Tara church. Most people seem to be familiar with this stone.
I referred to Kileen Castle and The Cusack family and your interest and writings here and how I had worked at Killeen as a youngster.
I spoke about my mother?s books on Saint Finnian and Clonard and the connection between Odder at Tara and Clonard and how Clonard was her final book, printed just before she died.
Finally I referred to the tape recordings that my mother made of various people including Casey Oaks, The Bundy Callaghan from the five roads and Jock Wilkinson. These were made in the 1960s and I have since forward on copies of them to several people who asked for them.
And I finished up explaining that time did not allow me to fully explain our experiences with the Norman Ghost in Skryne Castle and that I would have to leave this to another time.
It all seemed to go down very well, there was a good crowd of about 50 people and they appeared to enjoy it. Certainly I did, it was a good experience.
Best wishes,
Eoin
