Join us at the ICC for Ireland 101 – A Summary of Irish History presented by historian Sean Murphy on Saturday, June 1 from 3–4:30 pm. Sean leads us through a crash course on the entirety of Irish history, beginning 430 million years ago when three super-continents collided and separated, forming the landmass of Ireland, and continuing through the years to present day.

A number of topics are covered, including:
• What characteristics Ireland has had over millions of years
• How and when Ireland moved across the equator to where it is today
• When people arrived in Ireland and what we know about them
• Who were the Gaels
• How and why Ireland became Christianized
• When and why the Vikings invaded
• When and why the Normans made their conquest of Ireland
• How the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests affected the Ireland of today
• Why there was a Great Hunger/Famine in the 1840’s
• How the struggle for national independence evolved

The presentation takes place in the main room of the Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub. The bar will be open for drink orders.

Sean Murphy was born in Dublin and now lives on Cape Cod. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance. Over the past twelve years he has taught courses at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Cape Cod Sons of Erin, Cape Cod Cultural Center, the Cotuit Center for the Arts, and at venues on Nantucket. He leads a traditional Irish music session in O’Shea’s Olde Inne in West Dennis. He speaks on Irish cultural and historic issues at libraries, and at private and community events across the Cape and beyond.

Join us in the Irish Cultural Center Book Club. We’ll enjoy good craic and delve into Irish and Irish-American literature, with guided discussion in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. This event is open to all.

Our meeting will take place on Thursday, June 13 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC. 

We are reading In The Woods by Tana French. Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to get settled, perhaps grab a drink, mix and mingle. You are welcome to stay after at the Trinity Pub to socialize with dinner or drinks. 

To Register
The Book Club is free to join. Please register ahead so we know how many people to expect. Register online >

About In The Woods 
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past. (text from Amazon)

Available from several vendors online or your favorite local book shop. Or, check your local library.
• Amazon.com (new) >
• Better Worlds Books (used) >

Books for Upcoming Meetings
July: Summer Hiatus (no meeting)
August 8: We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
September 12: Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
October 19 (Saturday at 1 pm): Nora by Nuala O’Connor – Special Book Club Presentation with author via Zoom

The Irish Cultural Center has linked up with Irish historian, Sean Murphy, to introduce our community to live, weekly online Irish history courses. Sean presents two monthly topics, divided into four-week modules. On enrollment, participants will receive the Zoom link, a copy of each week’s PowerPoint presentation, and additional background materials. The courses may be taken as recordings if Thursday presents access difficulties for any reason. Participants also have a half hour one-on-one session with Sean to answer any questions on the course content.

*June special offer for NEW enrollees – the two courses for the price of one!*

The first topic is a general history of Ireland from ancient times to the present day. The course module for June 2024 is The Confederate Wars and Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland. Takes place on Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 7:30–9:00 pm. Download course flyer >

The second topic is a general history of each of the thirty two counties in Ireland. Featured in June 2024 is County Sligo. Takes place on Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 6:00–7:30 pm. Download course flyer >

To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $100 for each four-week course. Please contact Sean directly for information or to enroll in his course(s) – send an email to seanmurphy630@gmail.com or register at www.irishhistory.online.

About Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy was born in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance.