Launch of important book on Offaly

Stories from a Sacred Landscape.

Set out below are details of a new book which is being launched at the County Council Aras Charleville Road on Friday the 26th of May at 8p.m. Members are invited and we look forward to having you present. Enclosed below
is a press release relating to the publication. It will be available on the night for purchase and copies will also be available from the Society. The book is published in full colour hardback at €40.

Stories from a Sacred Landscape
Croghan Hill to Clonmacnoise
CAIMIN O'BRIEN

With the flair of a storyteller and the keen eye of a practising archaeologist, Caimin O'Brien looks beneath the monastic ruins of County Offaly to uncover Stories from a Sacred Landscape: Croghan Hill to Clonmacnoise.
O'Brien draws on archaeology, history, poetry, folklore and legend to create vivid portraits of twenty-three sacred places within Offaly. He recounts the tales that surround the county's first saints and the monasteries they founded.

Lavish full colour illustrations feature Offaly's monastic landscape and the treasures produced there, including exquisite gold, silver and bronze artworks and glorious illuminated manuscripts. In addition, it highlights the artistry of monastic stonemasons and of the county's stained glass windows, many by Harry Clarke Studios.
This attractive book breaks new ground in presenting a visual feast with excellent photography and design work, whilst providing a valuable contribution to our understanding of how these early monastic sites functioned within society. - Pat Wallace, Director, National Museum of Ireland

Author Information
Caimin O'Brien is a native of Birr, Co. Offaly. He works as an archaeologist with the Archaeological Survey of Ireland which is a section of the National Monuments Service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. He graduated from University College Galway with a degree in archaeology and later earned an M. Litt. in Medieval History at Trinity College Dublin. His publications include the Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly, The Medieval Churches of County Offaly and the Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary, North Riding.
Stories from a Sacred Landscape is published in full colour hardback at €40.00

The OHAS Journal
Volume 4

This is now available at a sum of €20 to the public and €15 to members. Copies can be collected and paid for at the Society's office at Bury Quay or from Steve McNeill, Michael Byrne and other members of the committee. Copies will be available at Hoey & Denning for members on the southern side of town. We have printed only 500 copies so it is essential that you would pick up your copy as early as stocks will not last. Volumes 1 to 3 are still available at a sum of €50 to members. The four volumes are available at a sum of €60 to members and €70 to the public.

Forthcoming Lectures

During the Heritage Week 26th August to 3rd September Mr. Bill Jaffray has kindly agreed to give a further and new talk on other streets in Tullamore on Thursday the 31st of August 2006. Other functions during heritage week will be the Mac Regol Gospel Conference about which details have been mentioned in a previous letter and about which we hope to email further details to you shortly. The conference will take place from Friday to Sunday the 1st /3rd December 2006.

John Feehan will be giving a seminar on exploring the mountain's heart beat also during that week. This of course deals with Slieve Bloom.

Launch of Book on Eiscir Riada

Hermann Geissel will be publishing a book on the ancient roadways of Ireland with reference to the old Eiscir Riada roads and it is intended that this book would be launched on the 31st of August on the same night as the Bill Jaffray lecture. The Society is supporting the book to the sum of €2,500 in recognition of its importance and the work that has been done by the author. We hope to see you in attendance on that evening.

Birr Workhouse
Ms. Margaret Hogan of Birr will give a lecture on Birr Workhouse on Thursday the 19th of October 2006.

Offaly Atlas 1809

Dr. Horner's work on the Atlas of King's County of 1809 is expected to be ready for launch in the Autumn . The Society is supporting the publication and has assisted in various other practical ways. Details of the launch date will follow.

Stephen McNeill in New York

Our chairman Stephen McNeill is currently in New York at the time of writing this newsletter and we wish him well. He is giving a number of talks there on Offaly History and having a short holiday.

Longford Westmeath Argentina Society

This group is of interest to some of our members and our local contact is Thomas Ganly of Charleville View Tullamore. The Society has a website which you can check on also.

For updates on the Heritage Council and their website
You should look at www.heritagecouncil.ie

For Updates on Irish History Publications
You could look at www.four-courts-press.ie

Daingean Reformatory

Congratulations to Minister Parlon and all who were concerned in their recent opening of Daingean Reformatory for one day. It showed considerable interest and hopefully will result in a full scale history of the reformatory and those who had a misfortune to have been sent there over the period from the 1860s to the 1970s.

Library Accessions

We have added considerably to the library since our last newsletter. We are also glad to report that Library evenings with four to six people attending on Tuedsay and Thursday of each week.

Deceased Members and friends
Our sincere sympathy to Helen Bracken on the death of her husband Jim.
To the family and friends of Lal Grehan on her death some weeks ago.
To Eileen Russell and the family and friends of Eamon Graham on his recent demise.