The Ninth Annual International Gathering of the Mannion Clan is scheduled to take place in the clan’s ancestral village of Menlough in East Galway on the weekend of Friday August 12 to Sunday August 14, as National Heritage Week 2022 gets under way.
An extended three-day programme of historical, cultural and heritage events has been planned for this long- awaited, in-person Gathering of the global Mannion Clan.
The weekend festivities will begin at 7.00 pm on Friday evening in Thompson’s Pub in Menlough (H53 XY36 ), with a traditional Irish music session featuring brothers Enda and Pat Mannion and Ronan Regan.
This will be followed by the official opening of the Clan Gathering by Galway County Heritage Officer, Marie Mannion, and an illustrated lecture on the history and heritage of the Mannion Clan by Dr Joe Mannion.
The evening will conclude with a demonstration of traditional Irish sean-no?s dancing by world-renowned champion dancer, Ro?isi?n Ni? Mhaini?n, and her daughters Bla?ithi?n, Nell and Fia.
On Saturday August 13, a guided tour of the chief residential, ceremonial and burial sites that go to make up The Mannion Clan Historical Trail will be led by Dr Joe Mannion.
All interested in partaking in this event are asked to assemble in the car park of Frank Mannion’s Lounge Bar in Abbeyknockmoy (H54 RW94 ), before 10.30 am for an introductory talk.
Killaclogher, Clooncurreen and Menlough castle sites will be visited during the tour, as will Ramore ceremonial mound in Mullaghmore West in the parish of Moylough. It was at this ancient assembly site that an agreement under Brehon law was drafted by a Mac Egan lawyer for two leading branches of the Mannion Clan in May 1584. Ballymannion, a sub-townland that formed a central part of the O? Mainni?n Brehon law deed, will then be visited.
After a break for refreshments in nearby Menlough, the tour group will head for Kilconnell Abbey, where the last-known ‘chief of the name’ of the Mannion Clan – John son of Melaghlin – was buried in a tomb dated 1648, with two of his kinsmen from their traditional stronghold of Mionlach Ui? Mhainni?n, now Menlough village.
Later on Saturday evening, an update on the Mannion Surname DNA Project will be given in Thompson’s Lounge Bar at 8.00 pm by the Clan’s genetic genealogist, Jim Hollarn of San Diego, California, with free one-to-one genealogy and DNA consultations afterwards with Peter Mannion and Noel Murphy from the Rosmuc Area Genealogy and DNA group.
On Sunday August 14, the O Mainnin ancestral village of Menlough will play host to a variety of exciting events, including a Clan Mass celebrated by Fr Colm Mannion, OP, a piper-led international Clan parade from St Mary’s Church to the Mannion castle site, a presentation on traditional Irish clothing and weaponry by Proinsias Mag Fhionnghaile, chieftain of the McGinley Clan of Donegal, a delicious BBQ overlooking the site of the Mannion castle, and a traditional Irish music session with Fr Colm Mannion, Alan Mannion, and Michael and Enda Fahy, as part of the Clan Gathering farewell festivities and closing ceremony.
A large attendance from among the global Mannion diaspora and clansfolk near and far in Ireland is expected over the course of the Gathering weekend, but attendance is not limited to members of the Mannion Clan. All are welcome! Beidh fa?ilte isteach roimh ca?ch! For further information, email [email protected].
