2023 Joe Neil MacNeil Memorial Lecture - October 6
Vincent MacLean, a well known authority on local history and genealogy in central Cape Breton, will be the guest speaker at the Joe Neil MacNeil Memorial Lecture at Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village. The evening lecture, entitled “People, Places and Stories from a Lifetime of Research in Washabuck’’ will take place at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 6, in the museum’s Welcome Centre.
A native of MacKay’s Point, MacLean has spent decades researching the history, culture, and families of the Iona Peninsula, an area settled by Scottish Gaels from the Outer Hebrides in the early nineteenth century. In recent years, he has also written two books based on this research: These Were My People: Washabuck, An Anecdotal History and These Were My People: Washabuck 1817-2017, Family Sketches and Scullery Anecdotes. Drawing largely on oral tradition, his work has been described as a “treasure house” and “model for historians and storytellers in other communities.”
In this presentation, Mr. MacLean will reflect on his years of research in central Cape Breton, sharing stories from local tradition and memories of the people who shaped his knowledge of the area and its history. Admission is free and a tea will be served. All are welcome.
The late Joe Neil MacNeil was a Gaelic storyteller from Middle Cape, Cape Breton Co. Mr. MacNeil was known in the Gaelic community as Eòs Nìll Bhig. A classic collection of his stories and folklore, edited by John Shaw, was published by McGill-Queen's University Press, bringing international attention to Cape Breton's Gaelic storytelling tradition.