On Wednesday, May 1st, Ballinvreena Community Centre will host an exhibition of the Ballyhoura Country Historic Graveyards Survey Project.

Over the past 12 months, almost 70 graveyards in the Ballyhoura region have been surveyed and recorded as part of the Historic Graves Survey project. This project, the brainchild of John Tierney of Eachtra Archaeological Services, began in this region in March 2012 and due to massive interest and support, has been able to continue and all this, through the work of community archaeologists Colum Hardy and Will O'Shea with Doreen Mcelligott transcriber to Historic Graves website and indeed, the dedication from an army of volunteers from the Ballyhoura region.

The digital surveys are available to view for free on www.historicgraves.ie. The work has built up a huge genealogical repository of information for the region and is being availed of by people all over the world who have traced their roots to this area and are in contact with us through the Ireland Reaching Out project and The Gathering.

To mark this wonderful work we will be holding an exhibition of a number of the graveyards, displaying images of volunteers in action, images of the graveyards, headstones, our best rubbings of the Arma Christi and of course the special stories associated with the graveyards up and down the region.

So please put May 1st, from 7pm-9pm(ish!) in your diaries when the community hall in Ballinvreena plays host to this exhibition for one night only. There will be a special rambling house in Davy’s Cottage to mark the occasion after the exhibition.

The exhibition will be made available to groups who wish to include it at their gatherings, reunions or events this year. The exhibition can go 'on tour' after its inaugural viewing on May 1st. To confirm attendance, please contact Tourism and Heritage officer Amanda Slattery on 063-91741 or email aslattery@ballyhoura.org.

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