LISTOWEL-BORN historian and author, Father Anthony Gaughan, has received this year’s Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award.
Fr. Gaughan, a former parish priest in the Archdiocese of Dublin, has written extensively about the history, personalities and politics of Kerry and beyond.
His publications include several acclaimed books and articles including ‘Austin Stack : Portrait of a Separatist’, ‘Alfred O’Rahilly: Controversialist’ and ‘Listowel and its Vicinity’. He is a founding member of Listowel Writers’ Week.
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This is the second year of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts award and its objective is to recognise a Kerry person for their achievement of excellence in the Arts. The inaugural recipient was Professor Brendan Kennelly.
The selection committee for the award comprised both representatives of the Kerry Association committee and representatives from the Arts world, chaired by former Minister for the Arts, Jimmy Deenihan.
Fr. Gaughan was presented with his award – a bespoke piece of Dingle crystal sponsored by Kerry Group – at a special reception in the National Library in Dublin where a large crowd of friends, Kerry Association members, and representatives from Listowel Writers’ Week and Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society were in attendance.
Kerry Association chairperson, Keelin Kissane, and president, Christy McCarthy, paid tribute to Fr. Gaughan, noting that the selection committee was delighted to honour Fr. Gaughan with this award for his contribution to the literature of modern Ireland as one of the country’s most prolific historians and in particular for his contribution to the historical archive of his beloved Kerry for generations to come.
