The role of Irish women played as business owners and entrepreneurs across the centuries will be celebrated and explored by expert researchers, archivists and historians as part of a new and engaging Kilkenomics event this year.
The historic Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny on the city’s Medieval Mile is the venue on Saturday night, November 8, for ‘Women’s Business: The History of Irish Women in Brewing, Bottling and Behind the Bar’.
The ticketed, over 18s only event runs from 7pm and limited tickets are available on a first come first served basis on https://kilkenomics.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873679053
Women’s role in Irish history is often not part of the official record, Eibhlin Colgan, Archive and Heritage Manager at Diageo Irish Brand Homes explained. She joins an expert panel which includes Dr Antonia Hart, writer, researcher, historian and author of a number of publications, among them ‘Ghost Signs of Dublin’. Dr Hart will share her research on women in business in Ireland in the 19th and 20th centuries and discuss her recently launched book The Commercial Lives of Irish Women, 1850-1922: Business as Usual.
Dr Christina Wade, a beer historian and author specialising in the hidden histories of the brewing trade, especially the role of women, will unveil her research into the role of women in the brewing trade, culminating in her book Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland.
“We’re inviting the general public to join us for an evening where we demystify the role of Irish women in Ireland’s everyday economy prior to the 21st Century,” Eibhlin Colgan explained.
““I’ll be going through the Guinness Trade Ledgers, which we recently digitised and indexed. The Ledgers are a previously untapped resource for genealogy, a litmus test for the broader economy, and a census of publicans. They are also an unparalleled example of Irish women in the workplace and as business owners during the 19th and 20th centuries.
“The Trade Ledgers contain meticulous records of the distribution and sale of Guinness to individual publicans and wholesalers across the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. They include sales further overseas on a smaller scale, including mainland Europe, the United States and more.”
Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny Manager, Ignacio Peregrina, said the event will have broad appeal and will be of significant interest to current or past publicans, entrepreneurs and those with an interest in history and how our economy has evolved down through the ages.
“The Smithwick family has been part of the economic and social fabric of Kilkenny down through the Centuries. It is only fitting therefore that we host this event and support cultural and community events with the brand’s support for Kilkenomics, Savour Kilkenny, Smithwick’s Roots Festival, Yulefest and more.
“We’re proud to host this event and look forward to lots of engagement during the event and the networking and social opportunities that will follow once the panel discussions end.”
