Dr Daire Keogh, the first Director of the Byrne Perry Summer School, returned to perform the official opening of this year’s event in Gorey Library, last Friday night, where, in a light-hearted and well-presented address, he recalled the first two decades of the weekend and how it had evolved to where it is now.
Dr Keogh said it was “absolutely wonderful to be here,” and went on to recall the origins of the Byrne Perry Summer School and the ambitions of Fr Walter Forde, who was a curate in Gorey at the time.
Dr Keogh said Fr Forde had been impressed by the success of the McGill Summer School in Donegal at the time and felt the time was right for Gorey to have its own Summer School.
Amongst the people who assisted Fr Forde in getting the project off the ground were Jack McEvoy, a local solicitor, Eileen O’Loughlin, who became secretary and is still in that position, John Woodbyrne, Ronnie McCormick, Michael Warren, and a young Malcolm Byrne, who was present in his current role as Chairman of Wexford County Council.
Dr Keogh also acknowledged the presence of Wexford historian, Nickey Furlong, who was also a keen supporter of the Summer School.
The President of St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, recalled the emphasis on the 1798 Rebellion and one year there was a focus on “the women of ‘98”, however, later the School went down into literary areas, and over the past three years had pursued the “decades of commemoration” initiative.
Dr Keogh said there was a belief that “Wexford people are interested in history,” but in a reference to the tremendous interest shown in the events of 1798, he stated that “Wexford people are interested in Wexford history.”
Full report on the weekend’s Byrne Perry activities in this week’s edition of THE GOREY ECHO.