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Reviving the Óenach: Lughnasa – A Two Lecture Seminar
July 26 @ 10:45 am - 1:00 pm
€4 – €5
Join us in welcoming Dr. Roseanne Schot and Ann Gerety Smyth in Reviving the Óenach: Lughnasa, our two lecture seminar in association with the festival of Lughnasa on Saturday, July 26th. Our speakers will emphasise the harvest festival’s connection with the royal sites and sacred hills of Rathcroghan, Uisneach and Brí Leith, their associated figures from the early literature, and its relevance in today’s society and in our efforts in environmental conservation.
10:45 – 11:00 – Welcome & Introduction
11:00 – 12:00
Gathering time: the assembly landscape of Uisneach, County Westmeath
Dr. Roseanne Schot
The royal site of Uisneach is one of Ireland’s most evocative ceremonial and assembly landscapes, with a history spanning five millennia. Ancient monuments, natural wonders and mythical and historical figures all feature prominently in early literary depictions of royal assemblies and gatherings at Uisneach. Such gatherings frequently provided a setting for transformative, supernatural events, reflecting the hill’s status as a portal or threshold (axis mundi) between temporal and otherworld spheres. This year marks the centenary of the first archaeological excavations at Uisneach by R.A.S. Macalister and R.L. Praeger (1925-30). Their investigation of the ‘royal enclosure’ of Rathnew revealed the earliest potential evidence of ritual practices consistent with an assembly, including feasting, the lighting of great fires and possible animal sacrifice. This talk will focus on the places, practices and politics of assembly on the hill of Uisneach and in its wider landscape, with particular emphasis on the harvest festival of Lughnasa, for which archaeological and placename evidence has grown significantly in recent years.
12:00 – 13:00
Étaín and Earth: Reclaiming Connection through Myth, Place and Festival
Ann Gerety Smyth
Ann Gerety Smyth explores how ancient Irish tales like Tochmarc Étaíne (The Wooing of Étaín) continue to echo in our landscapes, local traditions, and seasonal festivals like Lughnasa. Drawing on her recent thesis Harnessing Myth and Folklore to Inspire Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Activism in Ireland, Ann delves into how reconnecting with story and place — particularly through the figure of Étaín and sites like Cruachan Aí and Brí Leith — can inspire a deeper environmental awareness and sense of belonging. This lecture weaves myth, heritage, and practical reflection, with a nod to Bilberry Sunday and the revival of ancient gatherings such as the óenach.
Bookings for this event are through Eventbrite:
https://tinyurl.com/2t24kwjn