Offaly Historical & Archaeological Society Newsletter - May/June 2009

Lectures  and outings  May- December  2009

Saturday 13  June 2009  Visit to Moneygall on Saturday afternoon. The ancestral home of President Obama. Our main visit is to Laughton House, Moneygall, courtesy of Mrs Dorothy Reilly. Tea will be available and admission will be €5 per head. Depart from OHAS Bury Quay at 2pm to arrive in Moneygall not later than 3pm.

 

The Buildings of Ireland inventory advises that Laughton is a  detached three-storey house, built 1777, on the site of a seventeenth-century house, with additions of 1835 by James Pain. Main front consisting of two wide and shallow three-sided bows of three bays each with a two-bay centre between them. Single-storey wing of two bays, adorned with pilasters. Pediments and entablatures on console brackets over ground floor and first floor windows. Parapeted roof. Stable complex to rear. This is an important late eighteenth century house which was re-built by the Pain brothers in the early nineteenth century. Originally it faced north and had a shallow full-height half-hexagon bow in the centre. It was turned around to face south and the doorcase put at one end so that the drawing and dining rooms date from the Pain Brothers renovation. The house has very fine detailing and is probably the Pain's finest classical work. Traces of the late eighteenth-century decoration can be seen in the house as well as the early nineteenth-century changes in internal layout.

 

During the course of our visit we can take in other historic sites in the area. Travel will be by car and please meet at OHAS for not later than 2pm

 

22/30 Aug 2009 Heritage Week events

Saturday 22nd - East Offaly Castle Tour  - by Caimin O'Brien - booking will be required

Sunday 23rd  - Ecowalk in the Slieve Blooms - meeting at Kinnitty

Tuesday 25th - The Changing Face of Landscape - talk by David Hutton Bury with tour of Charleville Demesne  - Talk in OHAS first. 

Thursday 27 August -The district of Tullamore in the 1880s – a photographic portrait, Michael Byrne in OHAS at 800 pm

Saturday 29th - Birr Historical Society - marking Ireland's first automobile fatality.

29 August  Visit to Dublin to new exhibitions including Merrion Square, Westland Row and new exhibitions

 

21  September 2009   To be advised

 

19 October 2009 A.P. Malcomson - ‘The Rosse papers and other big house archives’. This lecture is from the standpoint of someone who has spent a lifetime exploring the big house archives.

 

16  November 2009 Philip McConway, ‘The Free State army in County Offaly, 1922-24’.

 

Friday 4 December 2009 Annual Christmas party at OHAS Bury Quay. Speaker to be confirmed in September

 

Local History Course Autumn 2009

A Local History Course on aspects of Sources for County Offaly History will be given by local historians over four Thursday nights in October 2009.

 

Thursday 1 October :  Maps for County Offaly history

Thursday 8 October:-  Books and periodicals published on Offaly history

Thursday 16 October: Old newspapers relating to Offaly history

Thursday 23 October : Land records and title deeds for County Offaly

 

 

In January 2010 we will again hold a European History Course to widen the study of local history and to appreciate that of other parts of Europe and the World. For 2010 we have taken the subject of Russian History and the Russian Cinema and the series of four films and discussion classes will commence on

Thursday the 14 of January. Details of films and readings to be advised and continue on

21 January, 28 January and 4 February.

 

Family History Course Spring 2010

 

After a very successful course recently we propose to have a second family history course next year to commence on Thursday the 11^th of February 2010 with the subject matters to be as follows:-

 

11 February at 8 p.m.  Photographs for family history 

18 February at 8 p.m.  Directories of trades and occupations for family history

25 February 2010        The wonderful world of wills

30 February 2010        Newspapers in Offaly Family History

11 March 2010             Maps for family historians

 

 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS COURSE   OCT/NOV 2009

 

Maura Nolan has agreed to hold the course in Oct/Nov. on Thursday evenings for two to two and a half hours per evening. One class per week.

 

Course Objective:

Introductory course in Communication Skills with emphasis on preparing and delivering presentations.

 

Participants:

Ten to no more than twelve.

 

Class content:

Subjects and activities would be drawn from the following, tailored to meet needs of the group:

                breathing skills

                voice production

                posture

                verbal/non verbal communication

                impromptu speaking

                reading at sight

                microphone skills

                role play

                structuring talks

                presentation skills

 

Cost:  €100, (€85 for job seekers, students, oaps)

 

Certification:   This course may be used as a basis of a study leading to grade examinations in Communication Skills from Trinity College London.

Certificates from this awarding body are accredited internationally, and to the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland.

 

 

OFFALY NATURALIST FIELD CLUB EVENTS   

 

Sunday 14 June

See What We Find - Flowers, Birds and Butterflies

2.00pm – Derryounce, Portarlington (1.5 km out Bracknagh road – first gate just past level crossing).  Fiona Devery and Alex Copland will explore this newly formed habitat to see what wildlife is out there.

 

Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July.

Offaly’s Orchids - Ferbane

For the past number of years, John Feehan has co-ordinated a five day summer school in Offaly which has always been a wonderful opportunity to spend time with a leader who has a unique way of imparting information.  This year John has chosen the subject of Offaly’s Orchids.  The course will be based in Ferbane – there is a fee of €100.00.  Please book with the heritage office – 057 9346839 or apedlow@offalycoco.ie.

 

 

Wednesday 8 July

Daubenton’s Bat Evening

8.00pm. Meet at Edenderry Library for an introductory talk by Tina Aughey of Bat Conservation Ireland followed by a site visit along the banks of the Grand Canal where bat detectors will be used to hear these extraordinary mammals flying up and down the water!

 

 

Sunday 12 July

Dragon Hunting!

An introduction to Offaly’s dragonflys and damselflies for an afternoon to celebrate Dragonfly Day.  Meet at Shannonharbour at 2.00pm.  This day will be led by Alex Copland.

 

Tuesday 25 August

The Changing Face of the Landscape

8.00 Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, Bury Quay, Tullamore

David Hutton Bury will give a talk about the changes he has witnessed in the landscape before heading out to explore aspects of the Demesne at Charleville.

 

Friday 4^th to Sunday 6^th September

Geology Weekend; Corals, Volcanoes and Rain Forest; Offaly’s Carboniferous Memories.  Led by John Feehan.

This weekend starts with an introductory talk on the Friday evening at 8.00pm at the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, Bury Quay, Tullamore.  There will be a field trip on the Saturday and the Sunday.  This is a unique opportunity to discover more about Offaly’s geology.  For anyone wanting to know more about what has shaped Offaly’s landscape today, this is a great opportunity to hear and see material that will be presented for the general public.  Book with the heritage office – 057 – 9346839 or email apedlow@offalycoco.ie

 

Friday 18^th September

National Moth Night

8.30pm till late!  Meet at Teach Lea, Boora for an introductory talk followed by moth trapping at the Pavilion in the Sculpture in the Parklands area.  This will be led by Alex Copland.  While many of us are familiar with moths coming in through windows on a summer’s night – this is also the extent of our knowledge too!  This night will provide an introduction and an opportunity to understand more about Offaly’s moths.

 

Friday 16^th and Saturday 17^th October

Mushroon Hunt – The Lives of Fungi: Some awesome and gruesome details.

Friday 8.00pm Meet at Kinnitty Community Centre for a preparation talk by John Feehan

There is always a great interest in mushroom hunts and this offers a great 24 hours starting off with a talk all about fungi on the Friday evening and a trip to collect and identify fungi on the Saturday.

 

Sunday 1^st November

Winter Migrant Birds

11.30am – Meet at Turraun, part of Lough Boora parklands adjacent to Pullough.  Alex Copland of BirdWatch Ireland will lead the trip to see what birds have arrived to over winter in Offaly. 

 

Launch of Wildflowers of Offaly.

November / December 2009

John Feehan has a lifetime experience of examining flowers and explaining how they work and why they are structured as they are.  He is using this to write a unique book detailing every flowering plant in the county.  This is the first time such a flora of a county in Ireland has ever been written.  It will be large and fully illustrated – a book to read and learn more about the flowers after the day out exploring with a pocket guide.  It is being published by Offaly County Council.  John has a number of publications which are now out of print – so don’t miss your opportunity to get this book – email apedlow@offalycoco.ie or phone 057 -9346839 to be put on the mailing list.

 

 

New books for sale at OHAS

 

The Landscape of the Slieve Bloom  by John Feehan

Copies can be ordered from the Society at €30. This is a welcome reprint. The original of the late 1970s was scarce and making €150.

 

P.J. Goode’s history of the O’Dempseys is now available at the OHAS centre.

TULLABEG COLLEGE HISTORY  vols 1 and 2 now available at the centre for €40 for the two vols.

HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR MEMEBERSHIP FOR 2009?

See your address label if by post.  It shows the year last paid Those receiving newsletters by email will be also informed.  If you have email it means we can send you more history from time to time. 

Membership Renewal

 

If you would like to become a member or renew your membership, you can find the relevant form here.