The Old Drogheda Society ✒ Walking Tour with Brendan Matthews on Wednesday 6-July-2022.

A special Commemoration Walk N Talk presented by Community Historian Brendan Matthews on the extraordinary life of John Sheil, who had written & supplied hundreds of songs to the massive Ballad-Sheet Industry of the early 19th century. 

Brendan will begin this Walk on Wednesday evening next July 6th at the Fairgreen at 7.30pm, where the origins and background of John Sheil will be addressed before the Walk n Talk will move to Bolton Square where the tale will be told of how these ballad sheets were produced, by whom and the `Pedlars` who sold them at Fairs, Markets, Pattern Days, Sporting events, etc. 

The Walk will then proceed to the area of the old Linen-Hall site in Drogheda where Brendan will elaborate on the content and nature of the ballad songs that Sheil wrote including the Seditious nature & content of some of the songs; the trouble with the Police & with the Authorities. 

The Walk will then head to West Street where, at a couple of final stops, it will cover the content of Sheil`s character and of those around him, who helped him make this a thriving business and finally the demise and passing of the radical Weaver & Song Maker that was John Sheil. 

A few surprises on the evening by those who know the wonderful Street Ballads of the 19th century as written by the radical Weaver. 

Note, there is no Charge for this particular event however donations for the further research and presentation of Community History will be gratefully accepted on the evening.

⏯Old Drogheda Society - History, Archaeology & Heritage - Millmount, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland. Tel. 041-9833097 - or find us on Facebook.

The Life, Times & Death of John Sheil, The Drogheda Radical Weaver & Song Maker 1784 – 1872

The Old Drogheda Society ✒ Walking Tour with Brendan Matthews on Wednesday 6-July-2022.

A special Commemoration Walk N Talk presented by Community Historian Brendan Matthews on the extraordinary life of John Sheil, who had written & supplied hundreds of songs to the massive Ballad-Sheet Industry of the early 19th century. 

Brendan will begin this Walk on Wednesday evening next July 6th at the Fairgreen at 7.30pm, where the origins and background of John Sheil will be addressed before the Walk n Talk will move to Bolton Square where the tale will be told of how these ballad sheets were produced, by whom and the `Pedlars` who sold them at Fairs, Markets, Pattern Days, Sporting events, etc. 

The Walk will then proceed to the area of the old Linen-Hall site in Drogheda where Brendan will elaborate on the content and nature of the ballad songs that Sheil wrote including the Seditious nature & content of some of the songs; the trouble with the Police & with the Authorities. 

The Walk will then head to West Street where, at a couple of final stops, it will cover the content of Sheil`s character and of those around him, who helped him make this a thriving business and finally the demise and passing of the radical Weaver & Song Maker that was John Sheil. 

A few surprises on the evening by those who know the wonderful Street Ballads of the 19th century as written by the radical Weaver. 

Note, there is no Charge for this particular event however donations for the further research and presentation of Community History will be gratefully accepted on the evening.

⏯Old Drogheda Society - History, Archaeology & Heritage - Millmount, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland. Tel. 041-9833097 - or find us on Facebook.

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