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

Canon O'Hanlon, the noted historian, by Teddy Fennelly of Portlaoise. 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. Canon O'Hanlon made a remarkable contribution to Irish History and this lecture will be illustrated.
Tea and biscuits will be available after the meeting and we hope to have your attendance.

Michael Tierney Lecture on Archaeology & Development on 26th January 2006

Our thanks to Michael Tierney of The Archaeology Company of Birr for his most interesting lecture. A copy of it has been kept on video in the Society archives.

We also have some literature from Mr. Tierney in connection with the work of his company.

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.

23rd 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: looking at sources for the family from 1660 to the present day. Michael Byrne

Additions to our Library
The library is open each Thursday evening from 7.30p.m. to 10.30p.m. and thereafter by appointment. For the next few months it will also be open on Tuesday evening 7.30 to 10.00 We particularly welcome graduate and post graduate students who may be doing research on aspects of Offaly History.

We enclose with this newsletter the most recent additions to the library which have not been substantial for the month of January.
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

We had very little response to the piece on Offaly's bridges and if you have had time to look at the list we sent in the previous newsletter you might contact ourselves or Fred Hamond at his email address below.
[frederick-hamond@utvinternet.com]


New Books and articles published to date for 2006

2006 Journal Offaly Heritage
The journal promises to be a success this year with a substantial number of articles and it has been now sent to the printers and should be available from mid March.

Recent Journals received include Riocht na Midhe. This journal includes the following :-

1. An article on the Diocese of Meath in the sixteenth century by Brendan Scott

2. An interesting interview with Patrick Fagan of Westmeath who has published among other books, a history of the Diocese of Meath in the eighteenth century.

Russell Shortt continues his research on IRA activity in Westmeath 1918 - 21. He is currently working on Offaly aspects of such activity.
Finally the journal contains an interesting review by John Bradley of Clonmacnois volume 2.

The 2003 Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI) has a short piece by Griffin Murray on the at one time missing eleventh figure of St. Manchan Shrine, This figure was exhibited by Robert Day, the well known collecter in 1869 and was found in Clonmacnois in 1861. It is believed to have fallen off the shrine when it was brought to the site on pilgrimage. This is an interesting review of the story and of the piece itself. The journal is available in the Society Library.

A pictorial history of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois by Reverend Owen Devaney
This handsome book was published just before Christmas and is a colour photograph collection with commentary of the history of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois inclusive of the churches in the parishes of Offaly which are in that diocese. Some copies are available for sale from the Society.

1809 large scale map of King's County
The Society has received a grant from the Heritage Council of €5,000 for this publication which is being edited by Dr Arnold Horner of UCD. Our thanks to the Heritage Council for this vote of confidence and we are looking forward to the publication in the autumn.