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    Founded in 1938 and re-established in 1969, Offaly History (Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society) aims to preserve and promote the rich heritage of County Offaly. Since 1993, the Society has occupied premises at Bury Quay, Tullamore offering a Bookshop, library, reading room, and lecture hall for researcher and members of the public.  Offaly History Centre is beside the new Aldi Supermarket and Old Warehouse restaurant), and best approached from Kilbride Street via Patrick Street or Main Street.

    The main objective of the society is the collection and sharing of research and memories. We do this in an organised way; through exhibitions, the publication of local interest books, weekly blog posts, monthly lectures, and more. The bookshop and reading rooms at Bury Quay are open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am-4:30pm. Regular updates can also be found at our website, www.Offalyhistory.com and on our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.

    To promote Offaly History including community and family history

    What we do:

    • Promote all aspects of history in Co. Offaly.
    • Genealogy service for counties Laois and Offaly.
    • Photographic collections of County Offaly
    • Purchase and sale of Offaly interest books though the Society’s book store and website with over 3000 history books in our shop and up to 1000 online.
    • Publication of books under the Society’s publishing arm Esker Press.
    • The Society subscribes to almost all the premier historical journals in Ireland.
    • The Society manages the collections if Offaly Archives under the care of a professional archivist.

    Our Society covers a diverse range of Offaly Heritage:

    • Architectural heritage, historic monuments such as monastic and castle buildings.
    • Industrial and urban development of towns and villages.
    • Archaeological objects and artefacts.
    • Flora, fauna and bogs, wildlife habitats, geology and Natural History.
    • Landscapes, heritage gardens and parks, farming and inland waterways.
    • Local literary, social, economic, military, political, scientific and sports history.
    Offaly History is a non-profit community group with a growing membership of some 150 individuals. The Society focuses on enhancing educational opportunities, understanding and knowledge of the county heritage while fostering an inclusive approach and civic pride in local identity. We promote these objectives through:
    • The holding of monthly lectures, occasional seminars, exhibitions and social media. Organising tours during the summer months to places of shared historical interest.
    • The publication of an annual journal Offaly Heritage – to date twelve issues.
    • We play a unique role collecting and digitising original primary source materials, especially photographs and oral history recordings
    • Offaly History is the centre for Family History research in Counties Laois and Offaly.
    • The Society is linked to the renowned Irish Family Foundation website and Roots Ireland where some 1,000,000 records of Offaly/Laois interest can be accessed on a pay-per-view basis worldwide. Currently these websites have an estimated 20 million records of all Ireland interest.
    • A burgeoning library of books, CD-ROMs, videos, DVDs, oral and folklore recordings, manuscripts, newspapers and journals, maps, photographs and various artefacts (now over 25,000 items and a catalogue online)
    • OHAS Collections
    • OHAS Centre Facilities
    The financial activities of the Society are operated under the aegis of Offaly Heritage Centre c.l.g, a charitable company whose directors also serve on the Society’s elected committee. None of the Society’s directors receive remuneration or any kind. All the company’s assets are held in trust to promote the voluntary activities of the Society. Our facilities are largely free to the public or run purely on a costs-recovery basis.

    Acting as a policy advisory body –  Offaly History endeavors to ensure all government departments, local authorities, tourism agencies and key opinion formers prioritise heritage matters.

    Meet the current committee: Our Committee represents a broad range of backgrounds and interests. All share a common interest in collecting and promoting the heritage of the county and making it available to the wider community.

    2024 Committee
    • Helen Bracken (President)
    • Shaun Wrafter (Vice President)
    • Michael Byrne (Secretary)
    • Dorothee Bibby (Treasurer)
    • Charlie Finlay (Assistant Treasurer)
    • Niall Sweeney
    • Ciarán McCabe
    • Noel Guerin
    • Angela Kelly
    • Rory Masterson
    • Oliver Dunne
    • Frank Brennan
    • Pat Wynne
    • Laura Price
    Co-opted
    • Reneagh Bennett
    • Michael Scully
    • Jim Keating
    • Eamon Larkin
    If you would like to help with the work of the Society by coming on a sub-committee or in some other way please email us at [email protected] or let an existing member know.  
    +353-5793-21421 [email protected] Open 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri

    Confederate Ireland 1642 – 1649

    40.00

    Only 1 left in stock

    Description

    This book examines political and constitutional developments in confederate Ireland from the formation of embryonic governmental institutions in 1642, until the signing of the ‘Second Ormond Peace’ in 1649.

    The study of confederate Ireland (the only example of sustained self-government by the Irish on a national level before 1919) has suffered from a somewhat negative bias, due in part to the shadow cast by the Ulster massacres of 1641. In contrast to that cataclysmic event, the following decade was seemingly characterised by nothing more than confusion and chaos, as a multiplicity of factions battled inconclusively for control of the kingdom. Even the war appeared remarkable for its lack of major engagements, overshadowed by endless negotiations between Irish Catholics and Charles I. Finally, any confederate achievements in the political arena (and there were many) collapsed in the wake of the Cromwellian invasion. The primary goal of this book has been to resurrect these political achievements and to challenge certain misconceptions common to most previously published research on the nature and operation of the confederate association. These misconceptions originate in a failure to accurately classify the different social and cultural groups who formed that alliance, leading to a misunderstanding of the relationship between the confederates and, more importantly, of what originally united, and ultimately divided them.

    The over-simplified, bi-polar classification of the confederate allies into ethnic groups (Old English and native Irish), has diverted attention from how the political process within the association actually operated. In particular, the evolution of a sophisticated parliamentary system, based on the General Assembly in Kilkenny, has largely been ignored. Moreover, the emergence of a highly influential group of moderates, led by Nicholas Plunkett, which sought to plot a political course between the two main factions (peace and clerical), has not hitherto been recognised.

    This book charts the development of the political middle ground within the confederate association, which eventually marginalised the extremes. The moderates promoted a vision of an Irish kingdom, strong, independent and tolerant of diversity, in which loyalty to the Stuart monarchy, rather than ethnicity or religious affiliation, was the primary political consideration. As such, they were not revolutionary separatists but reforming nationalists, anticipating the tradition of Grattan and Parnell. Unlike their 18th- and 19th-century counterparts, however, the confederates actually governed the country (or at least most of it) for over six years, and, for this reason alone, their efforts warrant a more detailed scrutiny and a more sympathetic assessment than they have so far received.

    Micheál Ó Siochrú holds a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin and is lecturing there in 17th-century history.

    Additional information

    Weight .660 kg
    Dimensions 24 × 16 × 2.5 cm
    Author

    Condition

    Used – Good

    Hard Or Paper Back

    Pages

    Place of Publication

    Price

    €40

    Year

    2008

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