Skip to content

    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

    Sgt John Thomas Cannon of Birr

    The 12 June 2020 marks the 98thanniversary of the disbandment of the historic Southern Irish infantry regiments of the British Army at Windsor Castle. Disbandment was brought on by economic cuts to the British Army and in part due to the Anglo-Irish agreement. The Royal Irish Regiment, Connaught Rangers, Leinster Regiment, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (and South Irish Horse) all surrendered their colours to King George V for safe keeping. The ceremony took place at 11:30am in St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. During the ceremony the King made a promise to safe guard these highly prized colours. The ceremony finished with a royal salute and God Save the King played.

    The colour party detachments for each regiment consisted of the regiment’s commanding officer, then three officers and three non-commissioned officers (NCO) for the 1stand 2ndbattalion respectively. One of the NCOs on whom this honour fell was John Thomas Cannon of the Leinster Regiment’s 2nd Battalion. This is John’s story.

    Surrender of colours to King George V.  Courtesy National Army Museum.

    John was born in Mountmellick, Queen’s County (Laois) on 29 August 1891, but was brought up in Birr, the Parsonstown, King’s County. He was the son of Staff Sergeant George Cannon and Lizzie Cannon (née Guinan). George was from Cardiff, Wales. He has joined the 109th Foot in 1879, then transferred to the Leinster Regiment upon its creation in 1881. He married Lizzie Guinan, of Birr, on 7 January 1885 in St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Birr. John was their first son. They had several daughters previously. Lizzie died on the 17 July 1897 from convulsions. She had given birth to a son, Timothy only three days beforehand. Timothy died on 22 July. Both were interred in Clonoghill Cemetery just outside Birr.

    The 1901 census records John, or ‘Jack’ as he is named, living with his mother’s sister Bridget in 28, Military Road, Crinkill. John’s siblings were recorded as Annie, aged 15 years and a teacher in the convent school in Birr, Lottie aged 14 years, Lizze aged 12 years, May aged 12 years, Nellie aged 11 years, George aged 6 years and Joe aged 5 years. Their father George is missing as he was serving in the Boer War in South Africa with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Leinster Regiment.

    Sergeant Cannon’s 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

     

    On 19 September 1905 John enlisted in the Leinster Regiment at Birr Barracks, just aged 14 years old. He probably joined as a drummer,  a role usually given to young boys who joined (in fact John is recorded as a musician on the 1911 census). The following month on 8 October 1905, his father, George Cannon, died from tuberculosis which he had been suffering from for 12 months. His obituary appeared in the King’s County Chronicle.

    Military Funeral at Birr.
    In the course of last week Mr George Cannon, ex-Color-Sergt., the Leinster Regt., who retired on a well earned pension two or three years ago, had his last farewell amid the regrets of all who had known him both in and out of the military; and it was only to be expected that the funeral would partake of a military character. Accordingly the full strength of the Leinster Depot was present, and the music, under Bandmaster Hoole, was solemnly played from the deceased’s late residence at Crinkle to the soldiers’ cemetery close at hand. The Rev. J. Donnellan read the burial service. This is the third military funeral within the last six months.

     

    Sgt Cannon in Colchester, 1920.

    The 1911 census records Private John Thomas Cannon with his regiment in Jullundur, Punjab, India.  When the Great War broke out the 2nd Battalion was based in Cork, and they arrived in France on 12 September 1914, landing at St. Nazaire. They headed to Aisne at once to help the British Expeditionary Force. On the 20 October during the Battle of Armentières, Sergeant Cannon was taken as a prisoner of war (POW). He was held at Hameln POW camp in Germany for the duration of the war.

    After his release from captivity Sergeant Cannon re-joined his battalion. In February 1920 the battalion was in Colchester and received medals and awards from the Commander in Chief of the Regiment, the Prince of Wales. Sergeant Cannon was presented with his 1914 Star. Following disbandment on 12 June, Sergeant Cannon transferred to the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in order to complete a full 21 years service.

    John Cannon’s grave in Pinner Cemetery, Greater London

    John married Annie Gertrude O’Hehir at Portsmouth on 5 April 1920. He died in April 1953 at Harrow.

     

    I love lamp

    Back To Top