JOE Kenneally, Child of 1921 is the title of a Zoom event that will be held on Tuesday, October 19 at 7.30pm as part of Clare County Library’s History Week.
Born in Kilshanny at the end of the War of Independence in July 1921, Joe still lives in the house he was born in.
His was an ordinary farming life in many ways and was reflective of the lives of many born into the new Irish State. But no lives are really ordinary. Joe has been recorded by three different collectors for Cuimhneamh an Chláir, by the National Folklore Archive in UCD and by many other song collectors.
The story that emerges is of a man with an intense artistic engagement with the songs and stories carried by generations of his family. These songs and stories link him to a past far back beyond 1921, which he makes real and present for us today in 2021.
The event is hosted online via Zoom by Paula Carroll and to register your interest email events@clarememories.ie.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.