Madam, - The 200th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Charles Agar falls next year on July 14th. Agar served as Archbishop of Cashel, Co Tipperary between 1779 and 1801, when he succeeded to the Archbishopric of Dublin, where he served until his death in 1809.
He is buried in Westminster Abbey, where a depiction of the Cathedral of Cashel adorns his tomb. Agar was keenly involved in Cashel affairs and organised the first performance of Handel's Messiah outside Dublin, using an organ built by Samuel Green, organ-builder to King George III. His name is commemorated in Cashel in Agar's Lane.
We are planning to mark this anniversary with a festival which will be held over the weekend of July 10th to 12th, 2009 in Cashel town. We would like to hear again from anyone of the name Agar who would like to participate in the festival, and from anyone who has information relating to the archbishop. - Yours, etc,
RICHARD O'BRIEN, Boscabell, Cashel, Co Tipperary.