The Launch of “Old Blarney” Issue 1 – June 1989

The Blarney and District Historical Society recently launched their first journal, “Old Blarney”, at a reception in the Blarney Woollen Mills. In his address, the Chairman, Mr. John Mulcahy, welcomed the guests and referred to the fine picture of Blarney Castle on the cover of the journal and reminded them that the castle had stood for many years guarding mid-Cork. He hoped that our Journal would also last a long time and that the Castle would be on the cover of many editions for years to come. It was appropriate that the launching of the Journal was held in the Mills as one of the main items in the Journal was a history of the mills by Colman O’Mahony.

Blarney is synonymous with tourism, and he was delighted to welcome a Blarney man, our Minister of State for Tourism – Mr Denis Lyons, TD, and on behalf of the society, to present him with the first copy of the first edition of the Journal.

In his reply, the Minister of State said that he felt privileged to be present and recalled that he had attended some of the earlier meetings of the Society. He congratulated them on the publication of “Old Blarney” and quoted from the editorial of John A Mulcahy, Chairman, – “As another decade draws to its close, it is right perhaps to reflect on the changes it has brought. The eighties will be remembered in Ireland as the decade of the video and the microwave, satellite TV and Multi-channel, cheap air fares and the National Lottery. Yet in the midst of all the wonders of science and technology, as the world becomes more available to us through travel and television, there has also been a remarkable growth in interest in both our ancestry and our locality. The more we learn about the great wide world, the more we want to find out about ourselves, who we are and where we come from” and said “I think that sums it up.” He wished the publication well and hoped it would be widely read.

The launching reception was very kindly sponsored by Mr. Christy Kelleher of Blarney Woollen Mills.

Reported in the Southern Star June 1989

The Journal is on sale locally in Blarney and surrounding areas as well as in Cork City, and is priced at £2.50. Copies may also be purchased from the Society.

Limited Editions of back issues of ‘Old Blarney’ Journals and Photo-journals are available at monthly lectures, at www.blarneyhistory.ie or by ringing 087-2153216.