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Another successful Culture Night here at Academy House!

23 September 2016

This year we welcomed 1467 visitors through the doors and we had plenty for them to see and hear.

This is our tenth year participating in Culture Night and we have seen it grow each year. We’d like to thank the organisers of Culture Night, NearFM Radio, Tim O’Neill and all our visitors. A big thank you also to all the Academy staff and volunteers who worked late into the night.

Artist and historian Tim O’Neill gave fascinating talks on the making of medieval manuscripts. We learnt how the vellum is made from calf skin, the various materials used in the making of inks, how long it would have taken a medieval scribe to write a page of text and much much more. If you want to learn about medieval manuscripts and scribes Tim O’Neill’s book The Irish hand is a great place to start.

NearFM, Community Radio for Dublin North East, set up in the Member’s Room and broadcast throughout the night. Deputy Librarian Bernadette Cunningham was interviewed about the work of the Academy Library and the Book of Fenagh exhibition currently on view. Later in the evening Librarian Siobhán Fitzpatrick was interviewed by Raidio na Life about the Academy's history, the various projects operating at the Academy and our contribution to the Irish language, as well as our Culture Night offerings.

Valeria Cavalli and Ruth Hegarty from our Publications department set up shop in the Council Room, a great opportunity to show off Academy publications and stationery. 

Jennifer Moore had a wonderful display of historical maps and views and discussed the Irish Historic Towns Atlas project with lots of visitors.

A fifteenth-century Irish medical manuscript was on display in the Reading Room. Librarian Siobhán Fitzpatrick was on hand throughout the night to tell visitors all about this wonderful manuscript, a translation of the Rosa Anglica.

Niamh Mongey our Press and Communicatons Officer invited people to nominate a name for Women on Walls. Niamh was interviewed by NearFM about this exciting new campaign. 

Also in the Reading Room young and old were keen to try their hand at writing in the Ogham script. Maybe you can have a go yourself? 

We look forward to Culture Night 2017!

 

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