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heritage · Tuesday 1 September 2026 · 7:30pm 
Cavan Library Autumn History Lecture Series 2026
At Johnston Central Library · Farnham Street, Cavan, Co. Cavan
At Johnston Central Library · Farnham Street, Cavan, Co. Cavan
Every autumn, Johnston Central Library on Farnham Street pulls in a room full of people who want to understand where they come from. The Cavan County Library Service has been running this free local history lecture series for years, and it has built a loyal following - not just among academics but among anyone with a curiosity about the county’s past. If you have roots in Cavan, or simply find yourself here in the autumn, it is worth clearing an evening.
Each lecture in the series is presented by a historian, archaeologist or community researcher with genuine expertise in Cavan and the wider Breifne region. Past topics have ranged across the full sweep of the county’s story: the prehistoric Corleck Head and east Cavan’s ancient past, the linen industry, the Virginia Road Railway, tenant farming and the Land War, Poor Law workhouses, and Cavan’s connections to the Spanish Civil War. Speakers have included figures like Dr Brendan Scott, Dr Mícheál Briody and Monsignor Liam Kelly alongside librarians and local scholars who know this material at ground level.
The 2025 series brought in Assistant Professor Jonathan Cherry, Professor Eunan O’Halpin and Professor Mary E. Daly among others - the calibre of speaker is consistently high for what is a free community event. Lectures typically run around 90 minutes including a Q&A, and the room is genuinely engaged. Topics and confirmed dates for the 2026 series are usually announced on cavanlibrary.ie in late August, so check there before travelling. Past lectures are also recorded and made available as free podcasts via the library website if you miss a session.
Cavan town sits roughly at the centre of the country, about an hour and a half from Dublin by road via the N3 or M3/N55, and around 40 minutes from Monaghan or Enniskillen. Johnston Central Library is on Farnham Street, a short level walk from the town’s main bus station on Railway Road. Bus Eireann operates services from Dublin and surrounding towns. Street parking is available on Farnham Street and the surrounding town centre roads in the evening; it is generally straightforward to find a space for a 7:30pm start.
Cavan town itself has a compact, unhurried centre with good places to eat before a lecture. The Cavan County Museum in nearby Ballyjamesduff is worth a half-day if you want to go deeper into the history touched on in the lectures. There is more to see in Cavan and across Co. Cavan.
Heading to Johnston Central Library in Cavan? Cavan has plenty more to see. Read the Cavan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.