The Dorr Township Library will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and commemorate the 160th anniversary of the end of the Civil War with two interactive programs by the Swordsmanship Museum and Academy of Comstock Park.
Those attending from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 13, can expect to see and handle replicas of weapons wielded by the Kern and Gallowglass classes of Irish warriors during the Renaissance. At the end of the presentation about the history, weapons, and fighting techniques of Irish Renaissance mercenaries, the audience will be invited to ask questions and see the weapons up close.
In the second program, presenter Jerry Berg’s Blades of the Civil War, will come to the library April 3 from 6 to 8 pm, and nclude original artifacts and tales of the importance of blades during the war. The audience will learn the surprising role of swords in the incident that nearly made the Civil War an international conflict.
Berg has worked in historical education and scholarship for over a decade. Besides being director and curator of the Swordsmanship Museum, Berg is a professor of historical swordsmanship at Grand Valley State University. Library systems as far away as Tampa, Florida have hired Berg for his expert presentations.
Both programs are free and open to the public. They will start promptly in the Library’s Community Room, located at 1804 Sunset Drive in Dorr.
