The Thomas Kent School of History

23/11/2020

Wonderful news for Fermoy native and friend of The Thomas Kent School of History, Edel Hanley - huge congratulations Edel👏
The Avondhu

16/07/2020

A big thank you to the Cork County Council for their continued support. We look forward to hosting the Thomas Kent Symposium again this year, subject to social distancing and government guidelines

27/06/2020

Congratulations to Micheál Martin as our new Taoiseach from today. Micheál has always been a good friend of The Thomas Kent School of History here in Fermoy.

07/05/2020

A Very Happy Birthday to Mary Colette Sheehan, Director of The Thomas Kent School of History😁

17/03/2020

Happy St Patrick's Day 2020☘☘☘

23/02/2020

Brilliant and brave Mary McAuliffe is on RTE Radio 1 Weekend programme now, one of our guest speakers at the 2019 Symposium.

21/01/2020

20/01/2020

We are so grateful to for bringing the story of the Wrens to the 2019 Thomas Kent Symposium.

We cannot select a single Wren to celebrate, as these women's individual stories have never been recorded in any great detail. The Wrens of the Curragh were a group of women who formed a community on the plains of County Kildare in the nineteenth century. They lived on the margins of society, having been cast out from their families and communities. Homeless and without support, they lived in 'nests' burrowed out under the furze bushes of the Curragh.
Most supported themselves, as best they could, through working as prostitutes, servicing the nearby British army barracks in the Curragh. They lived harsh and typically, short lives. Some were ex-convicts, some single mothers. All had, in some way, transgressed society's norms.
When the Wrens did venture into nearby towns they were shunned by most of the local communities. Shops and traders refused to serve them and there are records of them being beaten, having their hair forcibly cut. Gang r**e by soldiers from the barracks was not uncommon and on several occasions, seemingly for sport, the Wrens' nests were burnt out.
Up to 100 women were living together in female community at any one time over the approximately 50 year period of the community's existence. Once the army camp became a proper barracks, the Wrens became a permanent fixture.
The women eventually organised themselves using what they themselves called 'communistic principles'. The community shared what little they had amongst all women. Even their children belonged to the whole community and their care was shared.
Some of the women chose to be there because it was preferable to going to the workhouse and some, already marginalised, for whatever reason, saw that they could at least have some control over their own lives, living and working with these women.
The Wrens were victims of the colonial patriarchal times but they were victims who stood up and took back as much power for themselves as they possibly could, within a highly restrictive society.
Raise a toast on Nollaig na mBan to the Wrens of the Curragh, the fighting women who wouldn't take it lying down.

31/12/2019

22/11/2019

Congratulations to The Thomas Kent Pipe Band who are celebrating their 60th Anniversary