Queer Georgians: The Ladies of Llangollen

Anthony Delaney (author/actor/historian), Tadhg Sudlow (director/fiddle), Xander Baker (cello), Ellen Bolger(harpsichord)

Join us for 'the Ladies of Llangollen', as part of a new series exploring queer voices from history.

Eleanor Butler (1739-1824) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755-1831) were two upper-class women from Kilkenny who eloped in 1778 to escape their destined fates of marriage or a future in a convent. This is a tale of great love and even some wider acceptance, starting with difficult family pressures in Kilkenny and ending in fifty years of companionship in the Welsh countryside. The programme explores their lives in Kilkenny, including their thwarted escape efforts. Letters between Sarah and a Mrs. Goddard describe her experience growing up with her Aunt and Uncle at Woodstock house in Inistioge, while journals and news prints fill in the gaps and give context for Eleanor’s upbringing.

Music taken from the ladies' years in Kilkenny, sourced from newspaper concert advertisements and the notebooks of Pádraig Ó Néill, provides a backdrop and audible context for the storytelling. Kilkenny was a growing centre for music towards the end of the 18th century, with regular performances with a variety of concerts and productions held at the Tholsel by visiting and local performers.

Dr. Anthony Delaney, author of 'Queer Georgians: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers and Homemakers', doctorate of history, and trained actor/singer, will narrate the concert. The music features Baroque and Irish trad sources, drawing the listener into the sound world Eleanor and Sarah were familiar with in Kilkenny.