On Saturday, 6 October 2018, on the beach behind the Ocean Sands Hotel in Enniscrone — in sight of the harbour from which so many O’Dowds had left — Kieran O’Dowd was inaugurated Taoiseach of Tireragh, the first woman to hold the office.

The Gathering

Early arrivals filled Thursday afternoon with a hike to Castleconnor or a walking tour of Enniscrone. Colum O’Dowd and Conor MacHale held a genealogy clinic. The Thursday evening meet-and-greet became an O’Dubhda history talk, and Pascal O’Dowd’s composition in honour of the clan was the piece of music most talked about the next day.

Friday’s Tours

Two parties set out. The first took the castles of Tireragh — the ruins of the O’Dubhda strongholds that the clan was now rebuilding on its website — and returned via Ardnaree Friary, Rosserk Friary, Killala and Foghill (the landing-place of St Patrick), stopping at the new whiskey distillery in Ballina. The second drove to Strokestown’s Famine Museum and on to Rathcroghan, arriving too late to reach the Daithí stone but in time to walk the ring-forts.

Marion Dowd & the Lanterns

That evening, Dr Marion Dowd of IT Sligo — whose excavation in County Clare had pushed back the date of human presence in Ireland by 2,500 years — gave a lecture on the archaeology of Irish caves: from refuge to hermitage to home. The session ran late with questions. Afterwards the whole clan moved to the patio behind the hotel and released lighted lanterns that drifted over Killala Bay toward Benbulben. Marion, at her first rally, enrolled as a member that evening.

The Inauguration & the Constitution

The Council of Chieftains met at 9am on Saturday, chaired by Taoiseach Andrew Dowds, and approved a draft Clan Constitution that the members adopted in open session. Tánaiste Colum O’Dowd was elected as successor. In the afternoon the entire clan walked onto the beach for the inauguration of Kieran O’Dowd as the sixth modern Taoiseach — the first female Taoiseach in the history of the office. Ollamh Conor MacHale passed the White Wand round the gathering and returned it to the retiring Taoiseach, Andrew, who held it over Kieran’s head. As she turned round three times, the clan shouted Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! Ó Dubhda! over the sound of the sea.

As they walked back to the hotel afterwards, Taoiseach Emeritus Thomas Dowds remarked to Kieran that it was a fitting site — “one of the last Irish things her ancestors would have seen as their ship sailed out into the Atlantic.”

The Banquet

The feast was again at Belleek Castle, with a trio led by Seamie O’Dowd providing traditional music. Transport carried the happy and tired clan back to Enniscrone afterwards. Sunday’s parting glass, at noon, was a quieter affair than most — the gathering had left everyone with quite a lot to think about.