On Saturday, March 25th at 1:00pm, the Town of Southbury will hold a History Talk on “The Irish in Southbury” as part of its year-long 350th-anniversary celebration. The event is free with registration and will be delivered live by the presenter in the Kingsley Room at the Southbury Library at 100 Poverty Road. It will also be streamed live via Zoom.
In this History Talk, Southbury Town Historian and Historic Buildings Commission Chairman John Dwyer, will explore shifting demographics and those that left their imprint on the Town. “On St. Patrick’s Day they say ‘everybody is Irish’,” notes Dwyer. “But when you conjure an image of an old-time Yankee farmer, the thought of an Irish immigrant with a quaint dialect does not immediately come to mind. The truth is, that not all those who fled the potato famine or those who went off seeking work on the railroad were willing to tolerate the tenements and sweatshops of the city. Some went to the countryside to practice a lifestyle more like they had left behind.”
John Dwyer and his family came to Southbury in 1984 to move into his wife Lynn’s ancestral home. Their children were the 8th generation descendants to live there. The proximity to this heritage spurred an interest in antiquities that developed into an in-depth and ongoing study of local history.
The 350th Anniversary Steering Committee is co-chaired by John Dwyer and Kevin Bielmeier, with vice-chair Brian Jones, Justin Bette, Lynn Dwyer, Melinda Elliott, Michael Ganem, Kara Kenney, Mary Korsu, and Gosia Liedlich.
To learn more about the 350th Anniversary visit www.southbury-ct.org/350.
At the History Talk, various 350th Anniversary commemorative items will be available, to benefit the Southbury Historical Society.
In-person Registration Link: https://www.southburylibrary.org/event/person-irish-southbury
Zoom Registration Link: https://www.southburylibrary.org/event/zoom-irish-southbury