Saintfield Heritage Society Programme 2018-19

The programme of talks for the 2018-19 season once again covers a wide range of interesting heritage subjects, as listed below.

All talks will be held in the Woodrow Room of Saintfield Parish Church Hall at 8:00 pm.

Members are invited to bring their family or friends.  Non-members are welcome to attend talks that interest them.

Membership of Saintfield Heritage Society for the year costs £10 (£4 for students).

2018

13th September:
THE SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT IN ULSTER – Mrs. CAROL WALKER MBE, the Director of the Somme Association, will examine the movement in support of votes for women and its impact on wider social issues in early 20th century Ulster.

11th October:
LIGHTHOUSES IN IRELAND – Lighthouses – and other aids to navigation – go back at least one thousand years in Ireland. Their story will be told by Dr GORDON MILLINGTON OBE, a distinguished civil engineer and keen sailor.

8th November:
THE HISTORY OF PURDYSBURN HOSPITAL – Mr STEPHEN HAMILTON, a Nurse Education Consultant and co-author of a book on “The Burn”, will take us through the history of this well-known hospital as he reflects on “the legacy of a villa colony”.

Please note that there will be no talk in December.

2019

10th January:
MASTERWORKS: A STUDY OF THREE FAMOUS PAINTINGS – Ms AMANDA CROFT, well-known Art Historian and former Head of the History of Art Department at Queen’s, provides a fascinating and intriguing analysis of three well-known masterpieces.

14th February:
VERE FOSTER: EDUCATIONALIST AND PHILANTHROPIST – Dr. ANN MCVEIGH, until recently a member of the Reader Services team at PRONI, will deal not only her subject’s invaluable contribution to education in Ireland but also explain how he became known as “the man who paid women to go away”!

14th March:
THE REMARKABLE POTENTIAL OF SEAWEED – Come and hear Dr KAREN MOONEY, a marine biologist from Queen’s, explain how seaweed from underwater farms could fill our cars with biofuel, clean up pollution and revitalise rural and coastal communities.

11th April:
WORLD WAR I WRECKS IN THE IRISH SEA – Dr. RUTH PLETS, a lecturer in Marine Science at UU, will explain how the scientific analysis of these shipwrecks can assist our broader understanding of the Irish continental shelf.
Preceded by a brief Annual General Meeting

May:
MEMBERS’ NIGHT – Details to be announced

June:
ANNUAL OUTING – Details to be announced