Launch of a book on the life of Mother Mary Anne Doyle Foundress of Convent of Mercy Tullamore

This book by Sr. Bonaventure Brennan and of importance to the history of Tullamore will be launch at the Offaly Exhibition and Research Centre at Bury Quay on Wednesday the 29th of May at 8p.m by Bishop Michael Smith.

1st June 2002 Saturday Canal Walk to Lock House

On Saturday 1 June at about 10.30a.m. we meet at the Canal Harbour for a walk to the restored 26th Lock House on the Canal. Our walk is to coincide with a boat rally in Tullamore. There will be a short talk on the history of the Canal from the harbour as far as the Lock House and taking in the old Canal Hotel and the building of the canal line itself to Shannon Harbour.

There may be an opportunity for some to travel by boat if there are sufficient boats available and owners willing to accommodate us.

History of Cloneygowan by P.J. Goode

We have received some copies of a newly produced book on Cloneygowan at a price of e26 each. This is handsome publication of which only a small number have been run off using a colour computer printer.

Local Heritage Societies Seminar

We had a very successful meeting on the 9th of May with other Societies from County Offaly, Moate and Laois and a separate report on this will be sent to members shortly. Our thanks to all who attended and in particular to the Heritage Officer Amanda Pedlow.

Events May/June to December 2002

9th June Tour of Tullamore

On Sunday the 9th of June Mr. Steve McNeill will lead a walk through Tullamore to commence at Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre at 2.30p.m.

Development of offalyhistory.com Web site

Work is ongoing on the development of our two web sites www.irishmidlandsancestry,com and www.offalyhistory.com. The two sites have now been freshened up with a new design. We are now in a position to commence putting on further information on the sites and your suggestions would be welcome. Our thanks to Nuala Holland living in England and formerly from Charleville Road Tullamore who has given us a piece on her recollections on Tullamore which will be put up on the website shortly.

Birr Castle 2 - 3 June National Country Fair

You may have received notice of a Country Fair at Birr Castle on the 2nd and 3rd of June including Carriage Driving, Gundog Trials, Hunt racing, Falconry and Tug -O -War Championships.

Call from Rolf Loeber

Rolf Loeber has sent us an email enquiring if anybody has written about the Dissenters in South Offaly or North Tipperary in the 1730s. He is intrigued that there are so many King's County subscribers to a book of poems by Samuel Boyse. He thinks the likely answer is that they were friends of Samuel's father, Joseph who was a dissenting minister. Joseph visited Leap to do an ordination which may suggest that Leap was a centre of some dissenting souls!

Laois Heritage Society

There will be a talk organised by Laois Heritage Centre on the History of Portarlington and Cloneygowan and surrounding areas on Tuesday the 4th of June at 8.30p.m. The speakers are Ronnie Matthews and P.J. Goode and the lecture will be held at the East End Hotel, Portarlington at 8.30p.m. sharp.

8th June 2002

The Clontarf Historical Society will be visiting Tullamore.

9th June Pattern Day of Durrow

As many members as possible are requested to attend the mass at 12 noon and to walk from the Church to the old cemetery and High Cross.

Visit of Meath Archaeological and Historical Society

This will be held to Tullamore on the 22nd of June 2002. The Society arrives at 10.45a.m. at the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre. Members are requested to attend if they can at all to welcome the Society. In the afternoon at 3p.m. In the afternoon at 3p.m. the Irish Genealogical Research Society and the Irish Family History Society will be visiting the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre and the Offaly Historical and Research Centre.

New FÁS Scheme

A new training scheme commenced at the Offaly Exhibition and Research Centre on Monday the 27th of May. We want to wish all the new participants well in the work. There will be opportunities for a substantial amount of training and historical research to be done. Included in the research will be the indexing of the Civil Registers of births, marriages and deaths for Laois and Offaly commencing in 1864.

OHAS Journal

Please note that articles should be sent to Rory Masterson at Screggan, Tullamore Co. Offaly or c/o OHAS Centre and should be completed by the 30th of June. We hope to publish in the autumn. Articles can be sent by email or on A4 preferably with a disk.

TARA Book Launch

24th June. Launch of a book of reminiscences of Tullamore and District published by TARA Group in Tullamore DEW Heritage Centre. Society members are cordially invited. See separate article below.

OHAS trip to Mullingar

On 29th June we will be visiting Mullingar including Belvedere and Mullingar Diocesan Museum, departing from the Offaly Exhibition and Research Centre at 2p.m.

6th July 2002

It is proposed to visit Clonmacnois

August - free

1st September to 8th September is Heritage Week

We are proposing the following programme:-

  1. Illustrated talk on the Hanly photographs of Tullamore and District.
  2. A walk through Tullamore on the Saturday of that week.
  3. An illustrated lecture on the Tullamore Gardai
  4. A talk on the growth and development of P. & H. Egan which was founded 150 years ago this year. Currently Mr. Bill Jaffray is organising with the Tullamore Dew Heritage an Exhibition of material on this company.

17th October 2002

In October we hope to have an illustrated lecture on Shinrone.

21st November 2002

An illustrated talk on the development of Charleville Demesne and the family life of the Moores and the Burys of Charleville, 1740 -1948.

Sun 8th December 2002

Mr. Joe Kenny has agreed has agreed to speak at our annual Christmas lunch on his recollections of Tullamore.

Tullamore Garda History

Copies of this wonderful publication complied by Sergeant Michael Dalton (retired) are available from the Society for e20. It is a hardback A4 size book of circa 200 pages well illustrated and is very good value.

Membership to date

Please check if you have paid up your membership for 2002. A good response has been received to late request and we have about 130 paid up now. Please note that paid up members will be listed in the upcoming Journal.

Roof at OHAS

We have some difficulties with the roof for a variety of reasons and work has lately started under the management of Matt Kelly of Midwae and Dermot O'Keeffe.

Tullamore DEW Heritage Centre Visit

Come along with Steve McNeill and enjoy a guided tour of the exhibition at the DEW Heritage Cente followed by a walk through the town to learn more about the little known corners of Tullamore and walk through its streets. Fee €3 adults (€11 Family) includes exhibition and glass of Tullamore Dew or Irish Mist and walking tour. Meet at DEW Centre @ 2.30 pm.

TARA Book Launch (Submitted by Fearga Kenny of TARA

TARA, Tullamore Active Retirement Association, invites the members of OHAS to the launch of their book of reminiscences

"Jip-Cat, Pig's Head, Petticoats and Combinations
Our lives, our times in Tullamore and surrounding districts".

The book is a culmination of much work during which the members of TARA collected reminiscences, photographs and memorabilia from among themselves and older members of the community in Tullamore to build a picture of life in Tullamore and district since the 1900s. It is wide-ranging covering many aspects of every day life in the very different but not so distant past. Life with oil lamps, candles and horse transport not to mention the intermingling of religion and daily life through Confraternities and other practices seems remote but was the norm. The everyday moments of that life are documented in this book. This sort of history is slipping away and without initiatives like this to record it would be lost completely. As Michael Byrne, Secretary of Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, wrote of the book

"This is an important book for all interested in Tullamore people and their history. The stories told here of the moments of peace and joy, hardship and sorrow will not be found in any textbook and are seldom recorded. The authors of these accounts of life in Tullamore and district since the 1900s have rendered good service and set a high standard for local history in the Midlands. Perhaps what is contained in these pages is a world we have lost but it is not forgotten."

TARA would also like to take this opportunity of thanking the OHAS for all their help and advice which has greatly assisted this project.

The launch, to which members of OHAS are invited, will take place on Friday June 14th 2002 at 8 p.m. in the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, Bury Quay. The book will cost €10 and will be available from Midland Books, Balcony Books, the OHAS and members of TARA.