OHAS Trip to Rheinbrohl Germany 2nd - 7th Oct. 2006
Our thanks to our committee member Dorothee Bibby for organising this cultural tour to the Rhine Valley. Some 25 members and friends travelled.

Slieve Bloom Story Telling Festival - Paddy Lowry

Details of this can be had from the Slieve Bloom Co-operative Society and the function is on Wednesday the 4th of October 2006 at 8.30p.m. at Kinnitty Castle, Kinnitty.

8 October 1.00pm Tullamore Catholic Church - a special mass to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Church of the Assumption Tullamore on 7 October 2006. The Society is publishing an anniversary history to mark the occasion which will be available for €4.99 from the Society and in the shops.

Offaly Heritage Draft Plan
Details of the new draft plan and a discussion on it will be held at the Research Centre Bury Quay on Monday 9 October at 8.30 pm. Notices also in the local papers. The draft plan is issued to email subscribers of this newsletter and will be available on the night.

The Magans of Clonearl Daingean and Westmeath
This illustrated lecture by Mary Pilkington will be held at the OHAS centre at Bury Quay, Tullamore on Thursday 19 October at 8.15 pm.
Spanning over three centuries, the talk will initially concentrate on the origins of the Magan family. Maps and slides will be used to indicate the area where they initially held their lands in Westmeath, ie, Umma-more, Ballymore, Cloney and Togherstown. There will be references to the Penal Laws, Conversion Rolls and Thomas Magan's move to Togherstown. Slides will be shown of Togherstown House, entrance, two phases of building and the decorative work on the ceiling of the ballroom.

Morgan Magan will be mentioned in the talk and the marriages of his children into many of the notable families in Westmeath will also be discussed. Arthur Magan's move to Clonearl will be mentioned. There will be references to the state of the landscape at Clonearl in the years preceeding the arrival of the Magans. The talk will focus on the family at Clonearl in the early years, their marriage connections and the consolidation of their estates through marriage.

Taylor and Skinner and Bog maps of Clonearl will be used to illustrate the early phase of demesne building. An extensive outline of the structure of the courtyard and the demesne itself will be given. Reference will be made to William Henry's marriage to Eliza Loftus. The extent of her estate at Clonard will also be indicated. The painting of Clonearl house will be shown, together with plans for interior and elevations for east, north and south facings of the house.

There will be a reference to William Henry's continued involvement with Westmeath society, his connection with horseracing in the county and the Grand Jury system. The talk will also mention the family's other properties at the time, ie: houses at Stephen's Green, Rutland Sqaure, and Bray. The Magan connection with the St. James C of I church in Shankhill will also be discussed.

The controversies that surrounded William Henry the Younger, the succeeding heir, will also be discussed. Most notable of these was the burning of Flanagan at Clonearl, the subsequent parliamentary enquiry and the scandal of his affair, elopement and marriage to Georgina Hill. His involvement in politics and contribution to debates in the English parliament will also be discussed. Encumbrances on his estates, his death and the passing of his estates to his sister Augusta will also be referred to.

Reference will be made to the subsequent arrival of the Talbots as caretakers at Clonearl demesne and the use of the ruin itself. There will also be references made to tenants on the estate in the late 1800s and Sir Edward Grogan, who held some of the land at Clonearl. The changeover from Magan to Toppin estate in the early 1900s will also be mentioned. The death of Augusta and the auctioning of her property will also be referred to. The Hanlons will be mentioned as the final caretakers at Clonearl and Violet Magan will be shown to be the last connecting link between the caretakers and the family.

The talk will conclude with a reference to the eventual takeover of estate lands at Clonearl by the Land Commission in the 1920s. Details will be given of the removal of the stone from Clonearl and its subsequent use in the building of Mt. St. Joseph's Roscrea. There will be a brief reference to Killyon as the last Magan holding.

Roscrea Conference 2006

The theme of this conference is building and buildings in medieval Ireland and starts on the 3rd of November and runs from the 3rd to the 5th of November 2006. Details of the conference are available from georgecunningham@eircom.net or from the Society.

Margaret Hogan on the story of Birr Workhouse 23 November at OHAS 8.15 PM

Caimin O' Brien on Offaly Monastic history - the guest speaker at our Christmas lunch, Bridge House, Tullamore 1.00 pm 3 December

A Road on the Long Ridge
by Hermann Geissel
In The Road on the Long Ridge Hermann Geissel gives a passionate description of his attempt to trace and map out the Slí Mhór on the Esker Riada. This ancient routeway, extending from the Áth Cliath Cualann hurdle ford that gave Dublin its Irish name, to the Áth Cliath Maree at the mouth of the Clarin River on Galway Bay, formerly linked East and West while dividing the island into two halves of similar magnitude. This attractive and well researched book is available in hardback and soft back in shops and at OHAS Bury Quay. Lavishly illustrated with striking photographs and equipped with helpful maps and informative appendices, the book is aimed at the general reader but its meticulous research and references also make it a rewarding and important academic discourse. Anecdotal humour and scholarly references sit together easily in the text, providing an enthralling and enlightening story of a little-known aspect of our medieval heritage. Historical events, traditions and legends are described and geological, ecological and socio-historical background is given in context. The result is an absorbing depiction of how our landscape can reveal much about our past.

Bill Jaffray's illustrated lecture on Tullamore streets. Our sincere thanks to Bill Jaffray for his second lecture. Again the lecture hall was packed to overflowing. Both talks have been recorded on CD and will be placed in ?
the library of the Society. A third talk on his memories of Tullamore will be given next in 2007.
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King's County Atlas 1809

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

Offaly Heritage Journal 2007 vol 5 The editor is now calling for papers. Why not work on something for this journal for publication in November 2006. Several articles have been received and we hope to have another bumper journal for 2007.

Email for newsletters and mobile phone reminder for lectures.

On receipt of this newsletter please email to us your email address for newsletters and your mobile phone number. We will not intentionally give it to others and will use it to forward newsletters and historical information and send lecture reminders. Those back within 10 days with details will receive a package of material in regard to the anniversary of the Church of the Assumption Tullamore and its history.

News from the Heritage Officer

The Offaly Heritage Forum has prepared the Draft Offaly Heritage Plan 2007 - 2011 which was approved by Offaly County Council at the September Council Meeting. A copy is attached. A public meeting to discuss the draft plan will be held on

Monday 9 October - Tullamore - 8.30pm, OHAS Premises - Bury Quay,

Tuesday 10 October - Birr - 8.30pm - Doolys Hotel

Thursday 12 October - Edenderry - 8.30pm - Byrnes, the Oakwood Inn

Monday 16 October - 8.30pm - Ferbane, Arts and Heritage Centre.

I look forward to seeing you to discuss the draft and any suggested amendments. Alternatively comments can be sent to the Heritage Office, Offaly County Council, Charleville Road, Tullamore, by Friday 17th November 2006


Amanda Pedlow
Offaly Heritage Office
Offaly County Council
Áras an Chontae
Charleville Road
Tullamore
Offaly

057-9346839
http://www.offaly.ie/offalyheritage/

Offaly Heritage Seminar
Dooly's Hotel, Birr Saturday 28 October 2006 9.30pm - 4.00pm

Featuring

" Conservation and Conversion of St John's Convent of Mercy to Birr Civic Offices and Library - Talk and tour

" Oral History recordings from Offaly by Maurice O'Keeffe in 2006

" Mary Tubridy on surveying Offaly's Eskers

" Market research results on heritage awareness and attitudes in Offaly

" Dr Jane Fenlon - on Offaly's Architecture. Jane is author of An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Offaly being launched on October 12 by the Dept of EHLG.

" Update on delivering heritage projects in Offaly by Amanda Pedlow Heritage Officer

To book or receive full programme contact Amanda Pedlow, apedlow@offalycoco.ie or see www.offaly.ie/offalyheritage