Thursday 6th of October postponed.

The launching of the three CD's on Offaly History for Schools as follows:-

  1. Monastic Offaly prepared by Darrell Hooper

  2. Tullamore Town Michael Byrne

  3. The Grand Canal and County Offaly  OHAS

Has been postponed to a date to be advised.

These CD's will be made available at €20 each to all the schools and should be extremely useful in a class situation and they come in several cases with extensive articles on the CD available to be used and printed off etc.

Our thanks to Leader + Co. for their assistance with this publication.

October the 20th  Dr Peter  Harbison on THE HIGH CROSSES OF COUNTY OFFALY

We are fortunate to have back with us Dr. Peter Harbison to give a talk on the High Crosses of County Offaly.  His book on the High Crosses is in three volumes and is the major work on the subject. We have a number of High Crosses here at Durrow, Tihilly, Kinnitty and of course Clonmacnois. The lecture will commence at 8.15p.m. and is free of charge.   The good news on Durrow as regards an interpretative centre has just been announced by Minister Tom Parlon.

THE HIGH CROSSES OF COUNTY OFFALY

The County of Offaly has one of the most interesting collections of High Crosses to be found anywhere in Ireland, dating generally to the ninth century. Not surprisingly, the great monastic site of Clonmacnois is the
most crucial centre, producing what is arguably the earliest sizeable grouping of pillars and crosses in the period around 800, and going on to achieve the most elegant example of all in the Cross of the Scriptures. The New Testament Passion Death and Resurrection of Christ features strongly in its iconography, which is so extensive that it overflows from the cross itself down on to the base. A very similar selection of biblical scenes is found also on the cross at Durrow. What unites these two crosses and that at Castlebernard near Kinnitty (which probably came from Drumcullen originally) is the presence of names of two generations of Clann Cholmain High Kings of Ireland, Maelsechlainn I and his son Flann Sinna, on the shafts of the crosses, showing unexpected political patronage at the highest level in their creation. It is probably also for political reasons that Offaly has no High Crosses from the twelfth century, which are concentrated in Connacht and Munster.

The Molloy Seminar 14 to 16 October

We draw your attention to Molloy Family History weekend, the details of which are with the newsletter.  This commences on the 14th of October with registration following Friday night with lectures from 8p.m. to 10p.m. There is a guided tour on Saturday commencing at 9.30 a.m. and of the research facility at OHAS in the afternoon at 4p.m. with dinner on Saturday night.

 Roscrea Autumn Conference 28-30th October 2005

Details of this conference which is on the subject of Vernacular Medieval Lives have now reached us and if you require further information you can email George Cunningham at georgencunnmingham@eircom.net or at  Parkmore, Roscrea Co. Tipperary.

The Roscrea Autumn Conference
At Mount St Joseph Cistercian Abbey, Roscrea.

37th consecutive conference: 28th - 30th October, 2005

Theme:  Vernacular medieval lives of the Irish saints



Friday 28th October

6.00       Supper and registration

6.45     Reception hosted by Roscrea Heritage Society

7.20       Welcome from Dom Kevin Daly, Abbot of Ros Cré

7.35       Official Opening by Professor Padraig O Riain,  UCC.

             Vernacular Lives: an Introduction

8.15       The importance of the lives of the saints

              Fr Nivard Kinsella, OCSO

              Guestmaster, Mount St Joseph Abbey

8.45       Discussion

9.15      End of Session

Hospitium



Saturday 29th October

3.45        Optional rise for vigils

9.30        How many sixteenth century Irish saints ' lives             are

              there?

               Dr Raymond Gillespie, NUI Maynooth.

10.05     Living saints: anchorites and their

              communities in late medieval Ireland

              Dr Colman Ó Clabaigh OSB, Glenstal Abbey

10.40     Discussion

11.00     Coffee

11.30     Vernacular lives: Finnbarr, Malaga and others

               Professor Donnchadh Ó Corráin, UCC

12.10      The Book of Fenagh and the cult of

St Caillin: a patron with a purpose

Bemadette Cunningham, Mícheal Ó Cléirigh

Institute, UCD.

12.50     Discussion

1.10       Snack Lunch



Saturday Afternoon

a)  Explore the Irish Life and Lore CD and

audio book collection recorded and

produced by Maurice and Jane O Keeffe

b)  Céad Bliain Faoi Rath

Cistercian College Roscrea: 1905-2005

c)  Optional visit to Roscrea Heritage and/or

the Library at MSJ.

5.30       Vespers

6.00        Sherry reception hosted by Roscrea Credit Union

for the Midland Launch of

The Irish Benedictines - a history

Edited by Martin Browne OSB and

Colman 0 Clabaigh OSB.

Formal launch by Fr Nivard Kinsella.

The book will be available at a special conference

rate.

6.30         Dinner

8.05         Wish I had been present

8.40         Illustrated quiz on the monastic midlands, the

Irish saints and the artifacts and books

associated with them

George Cunningham

9.10         Hospitium





Sunday 30th October

9.30      Logainmneacha na Naomh

      An tAthair Ciarán O Sabhaois, OCSO, Librarian

      and Archivist, MSJ.

       The Other Christ: devotion to St Francis ofAssisi

      in Medieval Ireland

      Colmán O Clabaigh

10.30     Community Mass

11.30     Coffee

11.55      Saints ' lives and reliquaries in late medieval

        Ulster

        Ray Gillespie

12.25      Légendes-á-clé: a key to the understanding of

        saints ' lives

        Padraig Ó Riain.

12.50      Discussion

1.15        Summing Up

        George Cunningham

1.35        Lunch

3.00        Official launch by Dom Laurence Walsh, OCSO

        of the Tipperary CD Collection in the Irish Life

        and Lore Series as recorded and produced by

        Jane and Maurice O Keeffe.







Conference Fee: ?50 (includes receptions, all lectures,

coffee/tea). Full time students and unemployed ?30. Part

attendance is possible.

Full board at Mount St. Joseph main guesthouse: ?135 per person sharing
(includes conference fee as above with accommodation on Friday and Saturday
nights; supper on Friday evening; breakfast, snack lunch and dinner with
wine on Saturday; breakfast and full lunch with wine on Sunday); single
supplement ?10 extra per night. Accommodation is also available at Clairvaux
(the guesthouse at the main gate): full board and fee as above for ?115 per
person sharing (?10 single supplement at Clairvaux). Some places for
full-time students are available at Clairvaux for an inclusive rate (full
board and fee) of ?70 per student sharing. All bookings to, and additional
information from Rev Fr Nivard Kinsella, Guestmaster, Mt St Joseph 0505 -
21711, Fax; 22198.

Accommodation may also be booked in hotel, guesthouse and countryhouse
accommodation near the Abbey. Meals at  the  Abbey,  if  required.
Conference  organizer and director, George Cunningham, Dept. of History,
College of Humanities, University of Limerick and Parkmore, Roscrea, Co.
Tipperary, georgencunningham@eircom.net.

The Roscrea Conferences are run by Roscrea People in

association with the Office of Public Works (OPW).

A date for your Diary
Roscrea Spring Conference

21st - 23rd April 2006

Theme: PILGRIMAGE