The 4th Annual Ernest Shackleton Autumn School
The Athy Heritage Centre-Museum has established the Ernest Shackleton Autumn School to celebrate the life and work of the great Antarctic explorer in the area of his birth.
Saturday and Sunday Lectures
There will be a range of lecturers on Saturday and Sunday including:
Seamus McCann on “Antarctic Wildlife”
Dr. J.Mc Adam on “Shackleton’s Link with the Falklands”
Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan on “ Inuit, Irish & Norse”
Kevin Kenny on “What it said in the Papers”
Brendan Mc Williams, Irish Times Columnist, on “Antarctic Weather”
Dr. Bob Headland curator at the Scott Polar Research Institute on “Shackletoniana”.
Saturday 23rd October and Sunday 24th October – Drama
9.00pm “A Horse’s Breath on a Winters Road” will be performed.
Athy Heritage Centre
It portrays the history of emigration from Ireland as recorded in song and words.
Sunday 24th October – Screening
2.30pm 90′ South
Athy Heritage Centre
The screening of 90’South, a spellbinding chronicle of Captain R. Scott’s heroic and tragic race for the South Pole.
Monday 25th October – Activities
A Field trip to ‘Shackleton Country’ including Castledermot, Ballitore, and Kilkea, led by John Mackenna
In the afternoon take a Boat Trip on ‘Saoirse ar an Uisce’ down the river Barrow.
Daily Activities
Exhibition of unseen photography from the Museum’s collection recently acquired by the Athy Heritage Centre from Christie’s Auction House.
Appearance of the “Antarctic Adventurers” recreating the classic period of Antarctic exploration complete with sledge, tent sleeping bags and all the necessary equipment.
Daily boat trip down the canal.
Children’s Workshop and Street Theatre on the Polar theme.
Ernest Shackleton Autumn School, Athy Heritage Centre
The school will highlight the fact that Athy Heritage Centre has the only permanent exhibition devoted to Sir Ernest Shackleton, which includes an original sledge and harness from his Antarctic expedition, a 15ft model of Shackleton’s ship ‘Endurance’ and an exhibition of unique photographs and correspondence, also an audiovisual display featuring Frank Hurley’s original film footage of the Endurance expedition.