Kilkenny County Council Library Services & Heritage Office are delighted to announce a new project called ‘Mná Feasa/Wise Women’; a social history project and podcast series comprising of stories, experiences & local lore from the women of Kilkenny.
On November 3rd 1324 in Kilkenny, Petronella of Meath became the 1st woman to be burned at the stake for witchcraft in the British Isles. As maid to Dame Alice Kyteler, she was found guilty of heretical sorcery, having been tortured to illicit a confession. We can be thankful that murmurs of witchcraft have long faded from the streets of Kilkenny. Though, the experiences of Kilkenny women in recent decades are far removed from the challenges faced in the 14th century, accounts of women’s lives and struggles continue to be under-represented in public re-collection and collections This project aims to amplify these voices and experiences.
Kilkenny County Council Library Services, Heritage Office and storyteller Helena Byrne are encouraging older women of Kilkenny to share their memories and experiences of life as women growing up in the county. From exciting moments in history to simple day-to-day activities, your childhood memories, old wives’ tales, stories of school days and academic expectations, marriage, working life, family and everything in between. With your help, we can record and preserve this invaluable part of our local heritage for many generations to come.
Helena will also meet with female transition year students for a series of workshops. These will cover various creative skills and introduce them to the art of oral storytelling culminating in the production of a podcast series and a storytelling performance. “700 years have passed since the Kilkenny Witch Trials, we hope that the lives and experiences of women will be reflected through this rich oral history piece” says Executive Librarian Aideen McDonald.
