Launch of the Mikie Joy Archive

Killoran Hall was packed to capacity last month for the launch of the Mikie Joy Archive, an online database of the late Portroe man’s many contributions to the local canon of history and folklore.

The archive was compiled by Arra Historical and Archaeological Society, which was founded in 2017, the year of Mikie’s death.

Mikie, who lived at Curragh, was for decades known as ‘Portroe’s Historian’. Whether it was the powerful documentary production of ‘Portroe – A Place of Peace’ in the 1990s, his love of the history of the slate quarries, or his invaluable input whenever anyone needed to research an event from local history, Mikie was often the first port of call. He had a vast knowledge of the local area, as well as archive material that he was always willing to share in order to help others on a project.

Honoured a year before his death with a standing ovation in Portroe Hall as a ‘Homegrown Hero’ during the Portroe Gathering, Mikie was among other things a keen quiz participant and a director/producer with Killoran Drama Group. One of his last achievements was the publication of ‘Betwixt the Arras and Lough Derg: A History of Portroe GAA’. In it, Mikie imparted encyclopaedic information about the sport and social history of the area.

LEGACY LIVES ON

Mikie’s legacy lives on with the collation of much of his lifetime’s work in the online archive, which is now available on the Arra Historical and Archaeological Society website. The archive is full of history, folklore and genealogy from around the Portroe and wider Arra area.

It has been divided into distinct sections, or boxes, including Archaeology, Historical Documents, Tracing (Genealogy), Slate Quarries, Schools, Graveyard Books, Songs and Poems, Miscellaneous and Postcards. There is information about field names, historic sites (such as the Graves of the Leinstermen), local families and houses, handwritten letters and notes, Ormond Historical Society lectures, the Great Famine, the GAA, census records, interviews (such as one with slate quarry manager Bill Fitzgerald), burials, photographs and slides. There is a word search function to help visitors sift through this treasure trove of information.

Derek Ryan of Arra Historical and Archaeological Society took the opportunity to thank everyone that attended, especially historian Danny Grace - colleague and friend of Mikie during their years together with Ormond Historical Society - for launching the archive. Mr Ryan also thanked the Killoran Hall committee, the members of his committee, and Mike McKeogh and family for all their help in making it a lovely night.

The archive can be accessed at Arra Historical & Archaeological Society: Mikie Joy Archive (arrahistoricalsociety.blogspot.com).