From Kazakhstan to Kilkeel - the story of the Sekules family

The Northern Ireland War Memorial in partnership with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) would like to invite you to a talk by Csilla Toldy and Esther Bloch, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

This talk is based on the illustrated book, Enemy Alien - Walter’s Journey Through Adversity (2024), written by Csilla Toldy and published by the Light Theatre Company​ CIC.

The book tells the story of the late Walter Sekules, a Holocaust survivor from Austria. Walter arrived in Northern Ireland with his family in 1947 aged seven years old. A few years later, Edith, his mother, was offered an opportunity to start a business and established, ‘Kilkeel Dancing Hose’, at times employing a hundred women.

Walter’s sister, Esther, will be joining Csilla for the talk and giving an account of the development of the business and the family’s years in Kilkeel.

Enemy Alien - Walter’s Journey Through Adversity was published with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

This event is onsite at PRONI only.

Host or Publisher DfC Engaged Communities Group