Thank you for visiting the home of the La Touche Legacy. The La Touche Legacy was set up to promote the history of the family and to contribute to the legacy the family left in Greystones. The committee meet regularly,organise an annual conference, support many positive initiatives locally & work closely with the Greystones Arch.aeological and Historical Society to promote the history of the area.
27th La Touche Legacy Seminar and
2nd Festival of History to be held on 25th, 26th, 27th September
in
the Greystones Golf Club.
The theme this year is:
“Reflections on the Great War and Easter Rising 1916”
Friday 25th September
4.00pm Professor Clara Cullen (Wartime diaries of Elsie Henry)
4.45pm Ms Eva O’Hara Loreto student doing research on WW1 soldier James Lawless lived in Knockrath Church Lane
5.15pm MrJohn Bruton (Former Taoiseach) on 1916
6.00pm John O’Keeffe The Psychology of the Fighting Irish
Saturday 26th September
10.00am Professor Susan Schreibman Letters of 1916 Project
11.00am Mr Philip Orr - Historian from Carrigfergus 36th Ulster Division
11.45am Mr Turtle Bunbury - 'That Easter Dawn'
The Personalities of the 1916 Rising Book out autumn
12 Noon Mr Ian Kenneally - Propaganda During WW1
Sunday 27th September
11.00am Mr - Michael McGinley The La Touche Soldiers.
TRAILS OF GREYSTONES: ITS BUILDINGS AND HISTORY PUBLICATION OF NEW HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR OF GREYSTONES
The La Touche Legacy in association with the Greystones Archaeological and Historical Society, Committee, is delighted to announce the publication of Trails of Greystones, a guide to a walking tour of some of Greystones’s most historic sites.
The route, which begins and ends close to the DART station, will take you on a leisurely ramble through highlights of the town’s past, some of which may be well-known, while others are more quirky and unexpected. Discover Greystones’s links with 1916 and its part in the women’s suffrage campaign, seek out its many literary and artistic connections, recall its maritime associations going back to the days when it was just a tiny fishing village, and much, much more.
Trails of Greystones was launched at Greystones Library on Thursday, 4 June. Copies of Trails will be available, free of charge, at the Library and at numerous businesses around the town - do pick up a copy, and enjoy the walk! Click here for information on the launch
The first Festival of History held in the last year in September was a huge success.
The first festival of history organised by the La Touche Legacy Committee and Greystones Archaeological and Historical Society held the last weekend in September was a huge success. The Chairman of the La Touche Legacy George Jones said “ we are really delighted that the weekend was such a success with huge attendances on all days of the lectures. More Information ....
Pictures of the weekend (Thanks to Martin Foley) can be viewed here
The La Touche Legacy Conference will have a new format for 2014
Theme : The Great War Roadshow
Chairman of the La Touche Legacy Committee George Jones has confirmed that the 26th La Touche Seminar will be held during the September weekend of 26-28. The Seminar will of course change this year according to George Jones in view of the new rules that will apply to conferences and seminars that the much reduced Local Authority sector will be allowed attend.
In order to meet the change there will be a much bigger focus on the local communities and indeed on Local Historical Associations throughout the county but the Committee hope to maintain the relationship built up with Ards Borough Council over the past 20 years.Read More Here
The La Touche Family History is now available in German Here Thanks to Matthias Fleckenstein from Wurtzburg for the translation and we look forward to meeting their delegation who are visiting Greystones. This is an extension of the La Touche Gathering 2013 that was held in September and a party of twenty four visited Ireland in October 2013.
Greystones - Its Buildings and History
Following on from the hugely successful part 1 of this pictorial snapshot of Greystones, Part 2 to be launched in Charlesland Golf and Country Club
LA TOUCHE FAMILY GATHERING In 2013 the committee, under the chairmanship of Cllr. George Jones (founder of the organisation) organised a La Touche Family Gathering in conjunction with The Gathering Ireland & sponsored by IPB Insurance. This was held for four days leading up to the conference and nearly forty family members came together to relive their history. They visited St patrick's Cathedral, Belfied House, Marlay house, Dáil Eireann, Luggala in Glendalough where they were guests of the present owner - The Hon Garech Browne, Honorary President of the La Touche Legacy & Bellevue in Greystones followed by unveiling a plaquein the Greystones Library, home to the La Touche Family exhibition The La Touche Family meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny TD with
Cllr. George Jones in Leinster House on 26th September, 2013
La Touche Family Gathering including the
25th La Touche Legacy Annual Seminar 2013
Full pictures from the conference can be accessed here
Launch of Bloomsday 2013
in Greystones
The second annual Bloomsday celebrations to be held in Greystones this year was launched at a reception in the Library on Tuesday 4th June 2013
The event organised by the La Touche Legacy in conjunction with Restaurants/Cafes and Delgany ICA Drama and Creative Writing groups will be held on Sunday June 16th, 12-6pm
George Jones Chairman of the La Touche Legacy said he was delighted that once more we would celebrate Bloomsday and acknowledge the central role James Joyce placed in the cultural history of this country.
George took the opportunity to congratulate the organisers of Gourmet Greystones and the recently concluded Arts Festival, both events besides giving great entertainment to the community provided huge business to the commercial operators in the Town. Bloomsday would once more showcase Greystones as the “eating capital of the East Coast”
The Chairman thanked the participating restaurants and cafes and Delgany ICA groups would this year will be joined by male actors from Martello productions and Greystones Creative Writers Group George urged the community to dress up in the fashion of the Joyce period and to join with us on Sunday June 16th between 12-2 in the restaurants for some food and readings from Joyce
The Published book on “GREYSTONES ITS BUILDINGS AND HISTORY” has just been reprinted and is back in the Village Bookshop.
The chairman of the La Touche Legacy George Jones in association with the GAHS who published the book prior to Christmas confirmed that a limited reprint had been undertaken and copies of the book are available once more. Cllr Jones said “there is still such a level of interest in the publication that it was agreed that reprint would be done which will allow more residents in the area to buy and of course will be available during the Summer as a “lovely souvenir of Greystones”
The 24th La Touche Legacy Seminarwas without doubt the most successful to date. The town of Greystones was privileged to host a wonderful range of speakers to the Charlesland Golf & Country Club Hotel from the 28th to the 30th September.
Speakers included Deputies Brendan Howlan and Micheál Martin, Former Government Minister Ms Mary O'Rourke with other notable speakers including Dr. Deiric O'Broin, Dr Philip Byrne, Mr John Kilraine and Mr Rob Goodbody. The theme this year 'Local Democracy, Myth or Reality' was particularly relevant considering the major overhaul of Local Government planned by the Government over the coming two years. For more information click here
Cllr Angus Carson Ards Borough Council, Mayor Kathleen Kelleher Greystones Town Council,
Minister Brendan Howlan TD, Minister for Public Expenditure & Law Reform
Cllr Pat Casey - Cathaoirleach Wicklow County Council
Mr Eddie Sheehy, Manager WCC and Cllr George Jones WCC, Chairman La Touche Legacy
LA TOUCHE CUP - SPONSORSHIP BY LA TOUCHE LEGACY
The first Annual La Touche Cup Competition was hosted by the Greystones Soccar Club and took place over the August Bank Holiday and the La Touche Legacy sponsored the overall winners award - The La Touche Cup Congratulations to Malahide United FC on winning the Eirgrid La Touche Cup and a big thanks to all teams for an excellent display of football...
Pictured is Cllr George Jones, Chairman of the La Touche Legacy, The Marketing Manager of Eirgrid (Overall sponsor of the event) and the winning team from Malahide
WINNERS ANNOUNCED OF PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
At an event in the Greystones Library on Saturday 7th July, 2012, the Chairman of the La Touche Legacy Committee Cllr George Jones announced the winners of the photography competition recently run by the Legacy.
Cllr Jones thanked all who submitted entries over a 150 photos for the competition and in particular praised Committee member Pat Killilea for all the organisation of the final stages of the competition. Cllr Jones indicated that all entries were judged by a IPF member from outside the area and a sample of the entries are on display in the Library for the next week.
The Winners in the five Categories were as follows
Historic Buildings HolyRosaryChurchby Anna O’Rourke
Residential pre 1960 Cherry Orchard by John McGowan
Commercial pre 1960 Railway Station by Robert Pye
Commercial post !960 Charlesland Shopping Centre by James Griffin
Residential post 1960
OverallWinner The Crescent in Charlesland by Jenny Coughlan
A number of the entries will form part of a book to be published by the La Touche Legacy in association with GAHS on “The Built Environs of Greystones Town”
The 23rd Annual La Touche Legacy Conference was heralded as an outstanding success. Last years conference held from the 30th September to the 2nd October has been recognised as an outstanding success with a wide range of speakers and topics covered to discuss this years theme - Local Democracy - A Vision for the Future. Read More
The La Touche Family in Ireland - A Wonderful Gift for any occassion This book of over 400 pages containing over 40 pictures half of them printed in full colour and is available in paperback.
The book represents a major research effort on the part of the author, Michael McGinley. The main narrative traces the history of the great Irish Huguenot family, from its antecedents in France through its "golden era" in Ireland, a period which lasted 150 years from the arrival in 1689 of David Digues la Touche to fight for King William at the Boyne.
The author then chronicles the decline of the family in Ireland and the dispersal of the different branches throughout the world. He has managed to access an impressive assembly of family papers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including letters and diaries, as well as contemporary civil and religious records, newspaper reports and a wide range of highly regarded sources. This is an authoritative work and is unlikely to be displaced as the definitive history of one of our most important Irish Ascendancy families.
The book is published by the La Touche Legacy committee and copies may be obtained from George Jones Chairman La Touche Legacy Committee 2875678 or emailgjjones@eircom.net
The La Touche Legacy is delighted that the long awaited refurbishment of the Greystones Library is complete and its extension offers panoramic views of the coastline whilst offering a perfect area for quiet reflection and study......
Newly Refurbished Library with La Touche Legacy Heritage Area .... Read More