2006 Committee

The AGM of the Society was held in November and your committee for 2006 is as follows:-
Chairman: Steve McNeill
Secretary: Michael Byrne
Treasurer: Peter Burke
Committee Members: Ms. Marie Neville, Ms. Mary Jane Fox, Mr. John Kearney, Mr. Henry Edgill, Ms. Dorothy Bibby, Mrs. Helen Bracken, Mr. Noel Guerin, Ms. B. Hoey, Mr. James Matthews, Ms. Kitty O'Neill, Mr. Brendan Clarke, Shaun Wrafter, Rory Masterson, John Hume, Mr. Matt Mooney, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Geoghegan, Mrs. Anne Horan, Mr. James Kenny and Mr. Darrell Hooper.

We have pleasure in welcoming to the committee three new members, John Hume, Brendan Clarke and Shaun Wrafter.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to outgoing committee members who have served us well.

Archaeology and Development by Michael Tierney OHAS Bury Quay 26 Jan. 2006 8.15p.m.

This lecture is to be given by Michael Tierney of The Archaeology Company Birr and he will be dealing with the subject about development and archaeology. He proposes to outline the social and legislative context of heritage protection in an era of large scale development. The first part of the talk will be geared towards the law and how it implemented in a planning context, the second will look at different kinds of archaeological assessments (EIS, testing, monitoring and excavations etc) and the relationship between the developer, the planning and archaeological authorities and the archaeological remains themselves. These will take the form of three case studies. Finally he proposes to finish on a slightly more polemic note and offer a defence of the value of heritage, heritage protection and understanding the past in a time of rapid change. Developers vary from a person building an extension to a house in an archaeologically sensitive zone, to large scale developers of commercial and other properties and to state bodies like county councils. The talk should be general enough to make sense to people from these different backgrounds and to others with a more general interest also. Depending on your requirements he would propose that he allow plenty of time for discussion and questions.

Michael Tierney is the co-owner of The Archaeology Company based in the Birr Technology Centre. It is now in its fourth year of operation. Michael Tierney has completed my MA in Archaeology Theory at the University of Wales in Lampeter, where he is currently also working on his Ph.d. He is a Graduate of UCC. His company was recently featured on RTE The Mentor, which analyse new companies and well received.

Tea and biscuits will be available after the meeting and we hope to have your attendance.

23rd February 2006 at OHAS at Bury Quay at 8.15pm

Canon O'Hanlon by Teddy Fennelly of Portlaoise. Further details to follow in February newsletter Mr Fennelly, late editor of the Leinster Express has written numerous books including one on the esteemed Canon O'Hanlon. A selection of the works of Canon O'Hanlon including his Lives of the Irish Saints (ten vols.) will be available to look at on the night.

Tullamore Tour Sunday 5 March 2p.m.

Ramblers in Eireann are organising a guided walk of Tullamore for the 5th of March at 2p.m. and further details will appear in our newsletter in February.

23th March '06 Bill Jaffray Tullamore Recollections and Views and further details to follow in March Newsletter

27th April '06 The O'Molloys of County Offaly and the Diaspora by Michael Byrne

Christmas Draw Results
1st Michael Nestor, Clara
2nd Darrell Hooper
3rd Patrick Ryan
4th William Flanagan
5th Brendan Ryan

Additions to our Library

We attach a list of our recent acquisitions. The library is being extended all the time and now has upwards of 10,000 volumes. The actual catalogue stands at 6,346 titles but this includes long series of Journals and additional volumes of various publications. The library is open each Thursday evening from 7.30p.m. to 10.30p.m. and thereafter by appointment. We particularly welcome graduate and post graduate students who may be doing research on aspects of Offaly History.

offalyhistory.com
The web site is currently being improved and new material is being added. If you would like to help by sending us articles that you may have done and which may be available on disc or email please let us know.


Offaly's Bridges
Mr. Fred Hamond, has just completed a study of over four hundred of Offaly's Bridges. This is the first comprehensive survey and we would hope that it will be published by the County Council this year. Can you help with information in regard to the bridges listed with this newsletter.
We want to thank Mr. Hamond for his work. It was part of a wider series on the industrial archaeology of County Offaly.

Unknown source names for the bridges - would you have any answers?

Alley's Bridge OFIAR-045-005
Ballybrack; Brockernagh; Clonaghannagh

Annamoe Bridge OFIAR-016-025
Ballycowan; Lynally Glebe

Brook's Bridge OFIAR-017-034
Ballycommon

Carrig Bridge OFIAR-036-006
Droughtville; Kyle

Chenevix Bridge OFIAR-018-005
Ballycommon

Clonfosse Bridge OFIAR-036-007
Ballincur (Ballybritt Barony); Kyle

Coneyburrow Bridge OFIAR-036-012
Castletown and Glinsk

Drumcullen Bridge OFIAR-036-008
Knockbarron

Footbarrack Bridge OFIAR-018-016
Townparks (Lower Philipstown Barony)

Glash Bridge OFIAR-017-046
Ballard; Charleville Demesne
Gorteen Bridge OFIAR-023-009
Lea Beg; Rin

Johnville Bridge OFIAR-028-003
Bracknagh

Kilnahown Bridge OFIAR-033-006
Annamoe; Garryhinch; Co Laois

Kilscragh Bridge OFIAR-029-002
Lavagh

Lusmagh Bridge OFIAR-029-009
Kylebeg or Banagher

Maradyke Bridge OFIAR-026-014
Ballymacrossan; Gorteenard

Marlborough Bridge OFIAR-029-005
Corclogh; Incherky

Nealstown Bridge OFIAR-043-003
Gorteen (Ballybritt Barony; Roscrea Parish)

Rebel Bridge OFIAR-027-007
Ardra; Clonsast Lower

Rochfort Bridge OFIAR-003-001
Derrygreenagh; Co Westmeath

Scaul Bridge OFIAR-007-005
Cranasallagh

Skerry Bridge OFIAR-020-004
Ballygarrett;Clonbulloge

Suileen Bridge OFIAR-020-002
Shean

Trimblestown Bridge OFIAR-011-010
Ballinla; Rogerstown

Waterstown Bridge OFIAR-011-005
Monasteroris

New Books published in 2005

There were a significant number of new books published in 2005 of interest to Offaly Readers. Two in particular which came out in December are:-

1. Murder in the Midlands 1862-1915 by J.W. H. Carter, which is a substantial paperback book available at the Society for €29.50c. It deals with murders in the Midlands from 1862 to 1915 and a number of these are of Offaly interest.

2. The Papers of RH Moore is the third in the series published by Offaly County Library/ The archive service and deals with the work and papers of a man who was active in local affairs for almost fifty years of the last century. The book is available from the Library Service at €12.

2006 Journal
Our apologies for the delay in getting out the issue which we had hoped to have before Christmas. It should now be available before the end of February at the latest and we want to thank all those who have subscribed articles. It promises to be as good as other years if not better. We are moving away from the double column format to a single page with foot notes at the foot of the page which may be assistance to readers. The Journal will retail at €20 with a special price of €15 to members.

Launch of the three CDs for schools
This launch took place late last year and our thanks to Michael Fox of Leader + for launching. Our thanks also to James Scully of Banagher for responding on behalf of the Teachers. Finally our thanks to Leader and to Dotser and to Loughlin Hooper who assisted us with the preparation of the CDs. We are awaiting feed back from schools and how useful they found them and we hope to learn from these responses for other productions.


Archived Books
We have as you will see from Library Catalogue added to our archived books a collection of CDs which will considerably enhance the research facilities of the Society over time. We have also added considerably to the Library in the past year.

Local Newspapers from 1831
As some of the members will already know we have holdings of the Leinster Express from 1831 for about 20 years. In addition we have the King's County Chronicle 1845 to 1921, the Midland Tribune from 1881 up to 1970 and the Leinster Leader from 1956 to 1985. Through the important work of Maureen Kincaid we now have bound volumes of at least one local paper from 1970 to date with a few gaps. The three local newspapers for 2005 have now been sent for binding along with some previous years. Over the course of 2004/2005 we have spent about €4,000 having these newspapers bound. With a digital cameras it will be relatively easy for people to photocopy an item from the local newspaper without in any way damaging the binding of the newspaper.

The local newspapers are a valuable resource and we hope that keen students will make more use of them in the coming years.

Croghan Man
All those from County Offaly will be glad to see the report in the Irish Times of the 7th of January and in the local newspapers of the discovery of a bog body at Croghan and the archaeological dating of it to circa 2,300 years old. No doubt further archaeological reports will follow. In this regard the Heritage Officer reminds us that on this Friday 20th Jan at 21.00 hours the National Museum of Ireland Bog Bodies Project will be shown on BBC2 Timewatch series.

Lecture on Magans of Clonearl, Daingean by Marie Pilkington on Monday 30th Jan at 8 pm in Seery's Lounge Molesworth St. Daingean.

Marie Pilkington, now living in Dublin, is a native of the area and has been studying this subject as part of her Maynooth University degree course. The lecture, which will be illustrated, will look at the Magan great mansion and estate at Clonearl as well as their lands in Co. Westmeath.

Recent library acquisitions
Roger Casement in Irish & World History Daly Mary E (Editor)
Maria Edgeworth Butler Marilyn
The Talbot Press Plays M M Brennan
The Irish Novel in the Nineteenth Century
Belanger Jacqueline (Editor)
Irish Land Act 33 & 34 Vict Cap 46
Morris William O'Connor Esq
Adventures of the Law
Brand Paul Costello Kevin Osborough W N (Editors)
A Star Chamber Court in Ireland
Crawford Jon G
Kingship and Landscape of Tara
Bhreathnach Edel (Editor)
Parnell Ervine St John
Ireland O'Kelly J J
Catholics and Catholicism in the Eighteenth-century Press Brady John
The Population of Ireland 1750-1845 Connell K H
An Economic History of Ireland since 1660 Cullen L M
Life in Ireland Cullen L M
Aspects of Irish Social History 1750-1800 Crawford W H Trainor B (Eds)
Irish Peasant Society Connell K H
The Irish Stage in the County Towns 1720-1800
Clark William Smith
Film History and National Cinema Hill John Rockett Kevin (Eds)
Classical and Gothic McCarthy Michael
Chaos at the Cross Roads McDonald Frank Nix James
James Barry Dunne Tom (Ed)
Military Operations France and Belgium 1914
Edmonds Brigadier-General Sir James E
Irish Historic Towns Atlas Simms Anngret Clarke H B Gillespie Raymond (Ed)
History in the Ordnance Map Andrews J H
Maps & views of Derry 1600-1914 Ferguson W S
Map of Monastic Ireland to c 1600 Hadcock R Neville
Atlas of Cork City Crowley J S Devoy R J N Linehan D O'Flanagan P (Ed)
Ulster New Zealand Migration and Cultural Transfers Patterson Brad (Ed)
The Parish in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland
Fitzpatrick Elizabeth Gillespie Raymond (Eds)
The Law of Habeas Corpus in Ireland Costello Kevin

New FAS CE Scheme
The current scheme is due to finish on Friday 27th Jan. A number of the participants who have been with use over the past number of years will be leaving. We wish to thank them sincerely for their dedication and great contribution to the work over that period.

The new scheme will commence on the following Monday 30th Jan. Some new people will be starting and we would like to extend a welcome to them.