“Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.”
Author and Historian Eoin Swithin Walsh looks at what everyday life was like in Kilkenny in 1921.
Everyday-life-in-Kilkenny-in-1921.mp3 (size 27.1 MB)
'In this podcast, just like we did previously for the year 1920, we rummage through the archives and newspapers from 1921 to try and discover what our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents would have been talking about in Kilkenny, one hundred years ago. All these stories are not directly related to the ongoing military conflict of the War of Independence.
If you heard that five people were killed in Kilkenny City in the first six months of 1921, you’d automatically think it was something relating to the ongoing Independence fight. However, this was not the case. All of these five tragedies had nothing to do with the conflict. The podcast explains the circumstances that led to deaths of; Michael Lynch (aged 45, Walkin Street), Bridget and Bridie Fahy (aged 38 and 7, Upper Patrick Street), Mary Neary (aged 1, Kennyswell Road) and Thomas Meade (aged 56, Upper Patrick Street).
Also included in the podcast is a look at the cinema listings from Kilkenny in 1921; how a betrothal of marriage could be costly (!);, the goings-on in Desart Hall; airplanes flying over the city; a baby foundling in a local church; and we look at some of the restrictions that were in place in 1921, surprisingly not too dissimilar to the restrictions of 2021.
These stories really highlight that even in times of turmoil, everyday life does go on'.
Patrick Street
Buy Irish Campaign
Cinema in 1921
