Offaly History who we are

    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.

    Our Mission

    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

    The changing face of Offaly towns in the early 1900s, beautifully illustrated with historic pictures, to be launched on Friday 15 November, 7.30 p.m. at Offaly History Centre Tullamore by Cllr Tony McCormack, cathaoirleach Offaly County Council.

    The changing face of Offaly towns in the early 1900s: An illustrated history edited by Michael Byrne with contributions from Paul Barber, Stephen Callaghan, Grace Clendennen, Kevin Corrigan, Michael Goodbody, Ger Murphy, John Powell, Laura Price, Ciarán Reilly and Brendan Ryan (Offaly History, Tullamore, 2024, 368 pp). Available from Offaly History Centre and Midland Books Tullamore and online at www.offalyhistory.com. ISBN 978-1-909822-38-2 (hard back), €27.99. The book will be launched at Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore – beside the new Aldi and Old Warehouse. It is already available at the Centre, online at http://www.offalyhistory.com and at Midland Books, Tullamore. If you cannot attend in Tullamore we have a launch at Giltrap’s of Kinnitty on Thursday 21 Nov. at 7. 30 p.m. We will have copies in Bridge Centre for the Christmas Sale 14 to 24 December.

    This is the first book to provide a photographic record of the towns and villages in County Offaly (formerly King’s County) in a time of tremendous political, social and economic change from 1900 to 1923. The essays with each chapter are intended to provide the context for the evolution of each town. An introductory essay provides an essential overview and identifies themes for further research. Over 300 carefully captioned photographs from the early years of street photography have been selected. These are to accompany the essays by a panel of local historians, all of whom have brought years of experience to their chosen town or village. The level of urban improvement in the years from 1900 to 1923 had not been experienced since the decades prior to the Famine times of the 1840s. By the early 1920s that period of growth, coinciding with the new century, was largely over and was not seen again until the Lemass economic reforms of the early 1960s. The book provides social and economic history and not political – already covered in publications of the 2016-22 period.

    What is fascinating is to witness the struggles of the time to secure housing for the working classes, a clean water supply, adequate sewerage, public lighting, second level education and the list goes on. Essays and monographs could be produced on these social questions. And that is without going near political questions and the provision of democratically run public health and local government. The last century opened with the new local government structures coming to the fore and the departure of unionists from the seats of county administration. The period closed with a certain kick back in Offaly with the dissolution of the county council for four years from 1924 to 1928.

    There was very much a need for this book. This is an image driven age and time is scarce. Changing faces provides an opportunity to take stock of how far we have travelled since 1900, a time when there were no public utilities save gas lighting in the larger towns and the availability of rail services and good postal services.

    Finishing works on the new 1910 front to Bridge House. The Old English bakery in the background and Dann’s teashop to the right.

    For this publication we have relied mostly on the printed postcards of the Offaly towns and villages in the 1900 to 1920s period. Offaly was not a popular tourist destination, so postcards views are scarce and expensive. We are also greatly obliged to the National Library of Ireland whose decision to purchase the Lawrence plates in the early 1940s turned out to be so important for the history of Irish towns. The online high-resolution pictures from the Lawrence and Eason Collections (among others) mean that we can now go beyond the scenic view and get right into the street scene. This publication will make many of the postcards widely available for inspection and their being produced to a larger format greatly enhances our knowledge of the people, ways of life and the buildings of the period, and thus allowing us to take account of the changing face of the Offaly towns in a time of significant change. The fifteen overview essays provide context for the pace of change from the 1900s to the early 1920s.

    Almost 400 pictures, 366 pages and about 75,000 words. Lots of pictures to read while looking at the print.

    Changing Faces contains fifteen essays and with almost 400 photographs, many in large format. About 120 of Tullamore, 60 of Birr and the other 200 of the other towns and places as below.

    The Changing Face of Offaly towns, 1900–23, Michael Byrne with Kevin Corrigan on the Changing Sporting Landscape.

    Banagher, R.H. Moore and ‘The age of improvement’, 1900–23, Michael Byrne

    Birr town and society, 1900–23, Michael Byrne

    Birr Barracks, Stephen Callaghan

    Clara, 1900–23, Michael Goodbody

    Daingean, 1900–23, Michael Byrne

    Edenderry, 1900–23, Ciarán Reilly

    Ferbane, 1900–1923, Brendan Ryan

    Kilcormac, 1900–23, Michael Byrne

    Kinnitty, 1900–23, Grace Clendennen

    Portarlington, 1900–23, John Powell 

    Shannonbridge, 1900–23, Laura Price

    Shinrone, Dunkerrin and Moneygall, 1900–23, Ger Murphy

    Tullamore town in the transformative years, 1900–23, Michael Byrne

    Villages, country houses and tranquil places – Clonmacnoise, Geashill,  Rhode, Rathrobin and Durrow, Michael Byrne

    From Goodbody’s in Bridge Street. Demolished 1992 and now part of Bridge Centre.

    The book was supported by Offaly County Council and the Decade of Centenaries while the contributors gave their services free of charge.

    Launch Friday 15 November 2024. 7 30 p.m.

    Short illustrated presentation by Michael Byrne and contributors

    Launch Tony McCormack, Cathaoirleach, Offaly County Council

    Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore, R35 Y5VO

    Hardback, 368 pages, full colour, large format

    Available from Offaly History Centre and Midland Books Tullamore and online at www.offalyhistory.com

    ISBN 978-1-909822-38-2 (hard back), €27.99. A small print run of a high quality book at a very keen price. So when they’re gone etc

    Daingean reformatory 1888

    Further information: [email protected]

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