The Tenth 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 to Sunday August 11-13, at the beginning of National Heritage Week 2023.
The three-day programme of historical, cultural and heritage events will begin at 7.00 pm on Friday evening in Thompson’s Pub in Menlough (H53 XY36 ), with a traditional Irish music session by Blasta, featuring brothers Enda and Pat Mannion and Ronan Regan.
This will be followed by the official opening of the 2023 Mannion 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 top-class demonstration of traditional Irish sean-nós dancing by world-renowned champion dancer, Róisín Ní Mhainín, and her daughters Bláithín, Nell and Fia.
On Saturday 12th August, a guided tour of the principal heritage 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 Ó Mainnín 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 Malachy – was buried in a tomb dated 1648, with two of his kinsmen from their traditional stronghold of Mionlach Uí Mhainnín, now Menlough village.
Later on Saturday evening, an update on the Mannion Surname DNA Project will be given in Thompson’s Lounge Bar at 7.00 pm by the Clan’s genetic genealogist, Jim Hollarn of San Diego, California, followed by a presentation and family history research advice by Noel Murphy and Peter Mannion of the Rosmuc Area Genealogy and DNA group.
On Sunday 13th August, the Ó Mainnín 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, a mouth-watering BBQ overlooking the Mannion chieftain’s castle site, a Gaelic medieval arms and armour demonstration, and a traditional Irish music session with Fr Colm Mannion, Alan Mannion, 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 Clan Gathering weekend, but attendance is not limited to members of the Mannion Clan. All are welcome! For further information, please email [email protected].
