Past programmes
Sept. 2001 to May 2023
* PWM Lecturerefers to the Philip Wilson Memorial lecture, the Society's annual public lecture held in September each year. It was named after the late Philip Wilson who had been curator of Craigavon Museum Services until his untimely death.
In 2014 our annual public lecture was renamed the Atkinson Lecture- the lecture is now part funded by a generous bequest to the society by a member of the Atkinson family.
Major T.J. Atkinson,
9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Killed in action near Hamel, France on 1st July 1916 while serving with the Ulster Division.
| Date | Lecturer | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | |||
| Tuesday 11 Oct 2022 |
Ryan Montgomery | An Introduction to Zooarchaeology | |
| Tuesday 08 Nov 2022 |
Michael McKernan | ‘And the old enchantment lingers…’: Reflections on the great literary personalities of Craigavon. | |
| Tuesday 13 Dec 2022 |
Jim Conway | AGM (at 7:00pm) followed by the Atkinson lecture (at 7:30pm) ‘The Clan McCann’ and launch of our Journal Review | |
| Tuesday 10 Jan 2023 |
Alister McReynolds | Captain Jack Crawford: the Poet Scout | |
| Tuesday 14 Feb 2023 |
Cormac Bourke | Early Christian Bells: making, using and keeping | |
| Saturday 25 Mar 2023 |
David Dunlop | ‘Reading Books with New Eyes’ – seeing Beyond Cover, Content, and Cost to Construction, Connections and Corresponding Value | |
| Saturday 15 Apr 2023 |
Caroline Somerville | Visit to Grange House and Retreat, Moyallon | |
| Tuesday 09 May 2023 |
Dr Barry Sheppard | ‘Depending on the generosity of the outside public to carry on the conflict?’ – The 1913 Lurgan Weavers and Winders Strike | |
| 2018/19 | |||
| 24 Sept 2019 AGM and Atkinson Lecture | Ann Donnelly | May 200(8:00pm) The Annual Atkinson Lecture. Archive footage from the Northern Ireland Screen: Digital Film Archive (digitalfilmarchive.net). This is a public lecture which is open to all | |
| 08 Oct 2019 Lecture | Simon Wells | May 200The design of greenways in Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council – incorporating and preserving historic and natural assets. | |
| 12 Nov 2019 Lecture | Charles Friel | May 200Irish Ambulance Trains in the Great War | |
| 10 Dec 19 Lecture | Dr George Legg | May 200Geographies of Boredom & the New City of Craigavon | |
| 14 Jan 2019 Lecture | Alan Freeburn | May 200Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum and the Oral History Project | |
| 11 Feb 2020 Lecture | Mark Bailey | May 200Armagh Observatory: Societal Impacts and Long-term Climate Archive. Celebrating More than 225 Years of Scientific Research at Armagh | |
| 10 Mar 2020 Lecture | Brett Hannam | May 200(6:30pm) Talk and walking tour of Richhill. The speaker is author of 'Richhill: A Profile of an Ulster Village'. Meet in Friends Meeting House Hall in Irish Street. | |
| 07 Apr 2020 Lecture | (6:30pm) Clare Presbyterian Church. Talk and walking tourMay 200cancelled due to coronavirus. | ||
| May 2020 | Saturday outingMay 200cancelled due to coronavirus | ||
| 2018/19 | |||
| 25 Sept 18 AGM and Atkinson Lecture | Cormac McSparran | The Great Fort of Aghagallon, its location and extent. How old is it and how diverse is its history? | |
| 09 Oct 2018 Lecture | Greer Ramsey | Archaeological treasures from County Armagh | |
| 13 Nov 2018 Lecture | Jim Conway | The McAlinden brothers WW1: four went one returned | |
| 11 Dec 18 Lecture | Armagh Rhymers | Mummers, Rhymers, Strawmen, Guisers, Galoshians, Wrenboys or fools. The house visiting tradition of Armagh | |
| 08 Jan 2019 Lecture | Dr FX McCorry | 'The Book of Armagh' and 'Egyptian Hieroglyphics near Crumlin, Co. Antrim' | |
| 05 Feb 2019 | Annual Dinnerin Brownlow House with musical entertainment by pupils from Lismore Comprehensive School | ||
| 12 Feb 2019 Lecture | Dr. Liam Campbell | Turf cutting | |
| 12 Mar 2019 Lecture | Sebastian Graham | Mills in the Craigavon area | |
| 09 Apr 2019 Members' Night | David Weir | film onMay 200Sir Robert Hart and distribution of Review Vol. 11 No. 1 | |
| 07 May 2019 Evening Outing | Lissan House, Cookstown - seat of the Staples Baronets of Lissan and Faughanvale from 1628 | ||
| 18 May 2019 Saturday Outing | Cavan County Museum exhibition: ‘Road to War; Path to Reflection’, Cloughoughter Castle and Saint Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore and its 12th century Romanesque doorway. | ||
| 2017/18 | |||
| 26 Sept 17 AGM & Atkinson Lecture | The Rt Hon Lord Justice Deeny | That Myriad Minded Man; George 'AE' Russell, the Polymath from Lurgan. | |
| 10 Oct 2017 Lecture | Bracken Anderson | History of the North Irish Horse | |
| 14 Nov 2017 Lecture | Jim Conway | The Characters and History of Shankill Graveyard | |
| 12 Dec 17 Lecture | Alistair McCann | 'Target Armagh': Northern Ireland's Cold War Legacy | |
| 10 Jan 2018 Lecture | Plunkett Campbell | The Life and Times of Rev. W B Yeats, Tullylish | |
| 06 Feb 2018 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 13 Feb 2018 Lecture | Dr Emma Reisz (QUB) | Sir Robert Hart, the small significant Irishman | |
| 13 Mar 2018 Lecture | Dr Naomi McAreavey | Portadown and the 1641 Rebellion. | |
| 10 Apr 2018 Members' Night | Sean Barden | The resources of Armagh County Museum | |
| 08 May 2018 Evening Outing | Monie Hill Burial Ground and Friends Meeting House, Richhill | ||
| 20 May 2018 Saturday Outing | North Antrim Coast historic sites including Ben Varden, Bonamargy Friary and the "lost town" of Dunluce | ||
| 2016/17 | |||
| 27 Sept 16 AGM & Atkinson Lecture | Alister McReynolds | My 18th Century Irish genealogy in prose and poetry | |
| 11 Oct 2016 Lecture | Dr. Brian Turner | Ulster surnames (note: this is a change from the original planned lecture) | |
| 08 Nov 2016 Lecture | Richard Warner | The Scarva Danes Cast, the Black Pigs Dyke and the boundaries of ancient Ulster | |
| 13 Dec 16 Lecture | David Weir | Craigavon: A history in 30 objects | |
| 10 Jan 2017 Lecture | William Beattie | Caledon | |
| 07 Feb 2017 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 14 Feb 2017 Lecture | Primrose Wilson | The Follies Trust | |
| 14 Mar 2017 Lecture | Roger Dixon | Portadown and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum | |
| 04 Apr 2017 Members' Night | Various members | Early recollections of Craigavon Historical Society | |
| 09 May 2017 Outing | Evening outing - 50th Anniversary Event at Brownlow House | ||
| 20 May 2017 Outing | Saturday outing to Tullynally Castle, Pakenhamhall, Castlepollard | ||
| 2015/16 | |||
| 29 Sept 15 AGM & Atkinson Lecture | Dr Olwen Purdue (QUB) | Medicine in the Ulster workhouse | |
| 13 Oct 2015 Lecture | Fred Cooper (& Charles Friel) | "The Derry Road" | |
| 10 Nov 2015 Lecture | Richard Parkinson | Memories of World War II | |
| 08 Dec 15 Lecture | Dr William Roulston (Ulster Historical Foundation) | The Hamiltons of Baron's Court | |
| 12 Jan 2016 Lecture | Richard Edgar | Not forgotten: Lurgan and the Great War | |
| 02 Feb 2016 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 09 Feb 2016 Lecture | Des Quail | Aspects of the history of Banbridge and District - seen through the medium of postcards. | |
| 08 Mar 2016 Lecture | Dr FX McCorry | Understanding marriage rites and patterns: 1650 - 1830 | |
| 12 Apr 2016 Members' Night | Dr Ian Hunter | American family connections | |
| 10 May 2016 Outing | Evening outing to Ulster Aviation Collection | ||
| 21 May 2016 Outing | Saturday outing to Crom Castle, tour of Enniskillen and Devenish Island Monastic Site on MV Kestrel and visit to Headhunters Railway Museum in Enniskillen | ||
| 2014/15 | |||
| 16 Sept 14 AGM & Atkinson Lecture | Dr Greer Ramsey | Bronze age gold jewellery: the tale of a twisted torc | |
| 14 Oct 2014 Lecture | Pat Close | Eels on Lough Neagh | |
| 11 Nov 2014 Lecture | Robert Wallace | The 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers (in association with Craigavon Museum Services) | |
| 09 Dec 14 Lecture | Roger Dixon MBE | The Donegall family and other great landowners of Lough Neagh | |
| 13 Jan 2015 Lecture | Damian Woods | The Armagh Railway Disaster | |
| 03 Feb 2015 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 10 Feb 2015 Lecture | Linda Fullerton | The Lurgan Jewish Community 1890-1955 | |
| 10 Mar 2015 Lecture | Roddy Hegarty | St. Patrick and the early church in Armagh | |
| 14 Apr 2015 Members' Night Lecture | Mervyn Gilmour | Growing up in the Birches 75 years ago | |
| 05 May 2015 Outing | Evening outing to the Ballance House, Glenavy, restored birthplace of John Ballance Prime Minister of New Zealand 1891-1893 | ||
| 16 May 2015 Outing | Saturday outing to Newry and Mourne Museum at Bagenal's Castle followed by Greenore and Carlingford | ||
| 2013/14 | |||
| 17 Sept 13 AGM & PWM Lecture | Éamon Phoenix | A decade of Centenaries | |
| 08 Oct 2013 Lecture | Michael McKeown | A History of Newry | |
| 12 Nov 2013 Lecture | Ernest McCall | Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary | |
| 10 Dec 13 Lecture | Mrs Brenda Collins | The Rawdon and Conway families | |
| 14 Jan 2014 Lecture | Plunkett Campbell | Gilford Mill | |
| 04 Feb 2014 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 11 Feb 2014 Lecture | Douglas Mowbray | McCaw Allan | |
| 11 Mar 2014 Lecture | Dr Mary Goss | Dr James Deeny (1906-1994): his distinguished medical career and the particular significance of the Lurgan years | |
| 08 Apr 2014 | Members' Night Lecture | ||
| 06 May 2014 Outing | Evening outing to Armagh Public Library and Registry | ||
| 17 May 2014 | Outing - Saturday outing: Lagan Shipbuilding Heritage | ||
| 2012/13 | |||
| 18 Sept 12 AGM & PWM Lecture | Mr Ken Neill | Archaeology of Co. Armagh | |
| 09 Oct 2012 Lecture | Dr Olwen Purdue | Local Workhouses | |
| 13 Nov 2012 Lecture | Mr Brian Cassells | The History of Bellville Church at Bellville Church, Derrytrasna. | |
| 11 Dec 12 Lecture | Mr Brett Hannam | The de Salises; Absentee Landlords of an Armagh Parish | |
| 08 Jan 2013 Lecture | Mr Roddy Hegarty | The roads of County Armagh | |
| 05 Feb 2013 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 12 Feb 2013 Lecture | Dr Ian Malcolm | Towards Inclusion; Protestants and the Irish Language | |
| 12 Mar 2013 Lecture | Mr George Busby | My Experience of Family History Research | |
| 09 Apr 2013 Members' Night Lecture | Mr Arthur Chapman | Emigration of Lurgan Quaker Families to North America | |
| 07 May 2013 Outing | Saturday outing to Castlecaulfield and Donaghmore | ||
| 25 May 2013 Outing | Saturday outing to Bective Abbey, St Mary's Abbey and the 12th century Anglo-Norman Castle at Trim. The round tower, high crosses and Columba's House at Kells | ||
| 2011/12 | |||
| 20 Sept 11 AGM & PWM Lecture | Dr. Brian Turner | Townlands | |
| 11 Oct 2011 Lecture | Brendan McAnallen | The Blackwater Valley | |
| 08 Nov 2011 Lecture | Richard Edgar | World War I (title to be confirmed) | |
| 13 Dec 11 Lecture | Roddy Hegarty | Christmas Goose | |
| 10 Jan 2012 Lecture | Cardwell McClure | Portadown Foundry | |
| 07 Feb 2012 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 14 Feb 2012 Lecture | Ken McElroy | The little blue flower (flax and linen) | |
| 13 Mar 2012 Lecture | George Busby | The Secret Listeners of Gilnahirk | |
| 17 Apr 2012 | Members' Night | table Quiz | |
| 03 May 2012 Evening Outing | Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Library & Archive, Armagh | ||
| 21 May 2012 Saturday Outing | By coach and boat to Ballyronan, Portglenone, Cranfield old church and Dr Alexander Irvine's cottage in Pogue's Entry in Antrim | ||
| 2010/11 | |||
| 21 Sep 10 AGM & PWM Lecture | Michael Costello | The Gordons of Stoneyford, Co. Antrim - Violin Makers | |
| 05 Oct 2010 Lecture | Anthea McWilliams | Sir Richard Wallace and Lisburn | |
| 09 Nov 2010 Lecture | John McKeown | Restoring the Royal Canal | |
| 07Dec 10 Lecture | Ken McElroy | The little blue flower (flax and linen): lecture cancelled due to snow | |
| 11 Jan 2011 Lecture | Charles Friel | Rails around Craigavon | |
| 01 Feb 2011 Dinner | Annual Dinner | ||
| 08 Feb 2011 Lecture | Rev Alex Cheevers | The Ulster Divisions in WW1 and Remembrance | |
| 08 Mar 2011 Lecture | Rev Shaun Cleland | Land of Saints and Scholars | |
| 12 Apr 2011 Lecture | Margaret Livingston | The Brontes | |
| 03 May 2011 Outing | Evening outing to the Bann Valley Heritage Centre | ||
| 21 May 2011 Outing | Saturday outing to Dundalk Museum, Monasterboice, Mellifont and the Boyne Valley | ||
| 2009/10 | |||
| 22 Sept 09 AGM & PWM Lecture | Prof. Raymond Gillespie | The Plantation of Ulster | |
| 13 Oct 2009 Lecture | Andrew McClelland | Historic buildings in the Craigavon area | |
| 10 Nov 2009 Lecture | Dr Cormac Bourke | The Blackwater Finds | |
| 08 Dec 09 Lecture | Rosemary Mulholland | Bessbrook - a Social Experiment | |
| 12 Jan 2010 Lecture | Edward and Primrose Wilson | Napoleonic War Veterans in Ireland | |
| 02 Feb 2010 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 09 Feb 2010 Lecture | Dr Neil McGleenon | Building of Gosford Castle | |
| 09 Mar 2010 Lecture | Olwen Purdue | Landlords and Tenants in Ulster | |
| 13 Apr 2010 Lecture | Dr FX McCorry | The Growth of Economic and Social Complexities in Lurgan, 1750-1850 | |
| 04 May 2010 Outing | Evening oouting to Gosford Castle, Mullabrack Church and Kilcluney 'Abbey' | ||
| 22 May 2010 Outing | Saturday outing to Gracehill and the North Antrim Coast | ||
| 2008/09 | |||
| 23 Sept 08 AGM & PWM Lecture | Richard Doherty | Field Marshall Sir John Dill | |
| 14 Oct 2008 Lecture | May Blair | Hiring fairs and Market Places | |
| 11 Nov 2008 Lecture | Charles Gardiner | Lurgan Clockmakers | |
| 09 Dec 08 Lecture | David Armstrong | Old Times in Portadown | |
| 13 Jan 2009 Lecture | Dr Robert Logan | The history of Gilford | |
| 03 Feb 2009 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 10 Feb 2009 Lecture | Pat Reilly | Kilmore | |
| 10 Mar 2009 Lecture | Sean Madden | Conservation of Books and Paintings | |
| 21 Apr 2009 Lecture | Members' Night | Launch of Review 2009 | |
| 05 May 2009 Evening Outing | Dungannon | ||
| 30 May 2009 Outing | Saturday outing to Downpatrick | ||
| 2007/08 | |||
| 18 Sept 07 AGM & PWM Lecture | Derek Bingham | CS Lewis | |
| 09 Oct 2007 Lecture | Sean Patterson | From the Basin to the Bar | |
| 13 Nov 2007 Lecture | Dr John Wright and Harry Eakin | Irish Wade | |
| 11 Dec 07 Lecture | Pat John Rafferty | The Flight of the Earls | |
| 08 Jan 2008 Lecture | Danny Donnelly | Water Mills of the Sperrins | |
| 05 Feb 2008 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 12 Feb 2008 Lecture | Gerry Oates | Townland names | |
| 11 Mar 2008 Lecture | Clive Scouler | Lady Gregory | |
| 08 Apr 2008 Lecture | Brian Cassells | Wandering Irish Waterways | |
| 06 May 2008 Outing | Evening Outing - ??? | ||
| 07 Jun 08 Outing | Saturday Outing - ??? | ||
| 2006/07 | |||
| 19 Sept 06 AGM & PWM Lecture | Canon Fleming | Tartaraghan Precinct | |
| 10 Oct 2006 Lecture | Anthony Russell | John Mitchell, his wife Jenny and his association with the Verners. | |
| 14 Nov 2006 Lecture | Griffith Wylie | The Moody Family of Poyntzpass - A Service History | |
| 12 Dec 06 Lecture | Mike Baillie | Tree-Rings and Plagues: what is the connection? | |
| 9 Jan 2007 Lecture | Richard Warner | Ancient Irish Silver and Modern Technology | |
| 06 Feb 2007 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 13 Feb 2007 Lecture | Andrew Kelly & Peter McNeill | Kilmore | |
| 13 Mar 2007 Lecture | Elaine Hill | Mapping our Locality | |
| 03 Apr 2007 Members' Night | Lecture by Society Members | ||
| 01 May 2007 Evening Outing | Poyntzpass and the Newry Canal | ||
| 02 Jun07 Outing | Saturday outing to Carrickfergus Castle, Museum and Gas Works Museum | ||
| 2005/06 | |||
| 12 Sept 05 AGM & PWM Lecture | Mr Anthony Shillington | The Shillingtons of Portadown | |
| 10 Oct 2005 Lecture | Dr Eoin Magennis | The Rise and Fall of the Magennis Lordship | |
| 31 Oct 2005 Lecture | Miss Mary McVeigh | Lurgan and Portadown - 100 years ago | |
| 28 Nov 2005 Lecture | Clive Scoular | The Life and Times of Paul, Cardinal Cullen (1803-1878) | |
| 9 Jan 2006 Lecture | Ross Chapman | In Stable. Byre and Sty | |
| 07 Feb 2006 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 13 Feb 2006 Lecture | Gabriel Mallon | Stories from Armagh Gaol. | |
| 13 Mar 2006 Lecture | Sean Bardon | Tullyelmer: a townland through time. | |
| 10 Apr 2006 Lecture | Members' Night lecture by Society Members | ||
| 02 May 2006 Outing | Evening outing to Loughgall | ||
| 03 Jun 06 Outing | Saturday outing to Drumantine, Drumbanagher, Newry and Mourne Park | ||
| 2004/05 | |||
| 28 Sept 04 AGM & PWM Lecture | Mr Trevor Parkhill | Conflict | |
| 12 Oct 2004 Lecture | Clive Scoular | Women in Irish History | |
| 09 Nov 2004 Lecture | Ellis Foy | Peaceful Wartime - the Women's Land Army | |
| 11 Dec 04 Lecture | Arthur Daly | Battle of Benburb | |
| 11 Jan 2005 Lecture | Miss Mary McVeigh | Lurgan and Portadown - 100 years ago | |
| 01 Feb 2005 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 08 Feb 2005 Lecture | Dr Eoin McGuinness | The Rise and Fall of the Magennis Lordship | |
| 08 Mar 2005 Lecture | Jason Diamond | Linen Families of the Bann Valley | |
| 20 Apr 2005 | Members' Night | Lecture by Society Members | |
| 10 May 2005 Outing | Evening outing to Richhill castle and churches | ||
| 28 May 2005 Outing | Saturday outing to the Bishop's Palace, Downhill and Martello Tower at Magilligan | ||
| 2003/04 | |||
| 30 Sept 03 AGM & PWM Lecture | Mr David Riley | The Foundation and Development of Craigavon | |
| 14 Oct 2003 Lecture | Dr Audrey McKeown | History of Portadown Technical College | |
| 11 Nov 2003 Lecture | F X McCorry | Parish Registers, Hidden Treasures | |
| 02 Dec 03 Lecture | Aideen D'Arcy | Books and Libraries in Ireland from early times | |
| 13 Jan 2004 Lecture | Crónán Ó Doibhlin | The Gaelic Scribe - Pádraig Ó Pronntaigh - a Bronte connection? | |
| 03 Feb 2004 Dinner | Annual Dinnerwith entertainment featuring Maurice Leydon | ||
| 10 Feb 2004 Lecture | Mrs Amanda Moreno | Royal Irish Fusiliers | |
| 09 Mar 2004 Lecture | Ian Wilson | E.V.Boulger, first headmaster of Lurgan College | |
| 20 Apr 2004 Lecture | Members' night lecture by Society Members - A Miscellany of Memories | ||
| 2002/03 | |||
| 24 Sept 02 AGM & PWM Lecture | Dr Patrick Fitzgerald | Migration Studies and the Craigavon Area | |
| 8 Oct 2002 Lecture | Kieran Clendinning | The Brownlow Family of Lurgan | |
| 12 Nov 2002 Lecture | Roger Weatherup OBE | The Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh | |
| 10 Dec 02 Lecture | Dr Robbie Meredith | The Linenhall Library | |
| 14 Jan 2003 Lecture | Stephen Cameron | The Princess Victoria | |
| 04 Feb 2003 Dinner | Annual Dinnerand entertainment | ||
| 11 Feb 2003 Lecture | Dr Greer Ramsey | High Crosses and Mediterranean Musicians | |
| 11 Mar 2003 Lecture | Mrs Muriel Sherlock | Diaries of William Lofty, Land Agent of the Duke of Manchester | |
| 08 Apr 2003 Members' Night | Brian Cassells | The Ulster Canal | |
| 2001/02 | |||
| 25 Sept 2001 AGM & PWM* Lecture | Ruth Delany | Ireland's Inland Waterways. | |
| 09 Oct 2001 Lecture | F X McCorry | Ecclesiatical chuch sites including Seagoe, Shankill and old Camlin | |
| 13 Nov 2001 Lecture | Bill Kennedy | 18th Century Ulster-Scots Emigration to the United States | |
| 11 Dec 01 Lecture | Elgin Cameron | Conservation of books and works of art | |
| 08 Jan 2002 Lecture | Marcus Patton | Ulster Vernacular Architecture | |
| 12 Feb 2002 Lecture | Brian Courtney (Portadown Times) | The Boer War - a family history | |
| 12 Mar 2002 Lecture | Stephen Cameron | Titanic and the Ulster Connection | |
| 09 Apr 2002 Members' Night | Primrose Wilson | Historic Buildings - Antiques to be treasured or millstones? | |