D E Williams Family and Workers Exhibition

 

The launch of this exhibition organised by Ita Galvin takes place at the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre on Wednesday 30^th April  and now continues.

 

Declan McSweeney memoir

Declan’s account of his time as a journalist and his reflections on the changing Tullamore in the 1990s can be purchased at the Society for €12.99. Only 100 copies were printed so hurry  and buy one.

 

Clara Bog Article

 

An article has just appeared in Irish Geography volume 41 number 1 ( March 2008) on ‘The changing landscape of Clara Bog: the history of an Irish raised bog’.

The article is by Patrick Crushell and others and a copy is in the Society’s Library.

 

New Websites

Offalyhistory.com is still undergoing change and we would be glad to have your comments on the new website.

 

Irishmidlandancestry.com is another of our websites which has family history material and again we would be glad to have your comments.

 

For those of you are interested in Archibishop Rinuccini and his visit to Ireland.  He spent some time in West Offaly before his departure in the late 1640s.  You will be able to look at the six volume account of his work in Ireland now in English translation and indexed at www.ulster.ac.uk/commentarius. For further details of this site you could look at a recent publication in History Ireland which is available at our library.

 

Journal no 5, 2007-08

 

Journal 2007/8.  The journal issued on St. Patrick’s Day and it runs to over 300 pages and it is available from the Society for €20 (postage in Ireland €4).  From many accounts it is the best yet and we hope that you have purchased a copy.

 

 

Offaly Naturalists Field Club – Programme of Events for 2008

 

Saturday 26th April, Woodland Walk. Golden Grove Wood (behind Dromakeenan School). Meeting at the School at 14:00. Plant outing led by Fiona Devery.

 

Tuesday 13th May, Squirrels in Offaly. Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore at 8pm. Talk by Geoff Hamilton.

 

Sunday 18th May. Celebrating National Dawn Chorus Day. Meeting at 04:30am at Turraun Car Park, adjacent to Pullough. Event led by David Watson of Birdwatch Ireland.

 

Wed 28th May. Batlas introduction and Daubenton’s Bat Training event for volunteers, event led by Tina Aughney of the Bat Conservation Council. Meeting in Birr (venue to be confirmed) at 20:00 followed by site visit. For more information see www.batconservationireland.org To register your interest in being a volunteer email tinaaughney@eircom.net

 

Saturday 7th June. National Moth Night. Meet at Teach Lea, Boora Parkland Offices at 21:30. Talk followed by field trip, led by Alex Copland.

 

Saturday 14th June. Corncrake Evening. Birdwatch Ireland, Crank House in Banagher, walk in Callows in County Galway. Starting at 21:30. Event led by Anita Donaghy.

 

Saturday 21st June. Petrifying springs and horsetails. Walk up the Silver River led by Stephen Heery. Wellington boots advisable. Meeting at the car park at Cadamstown at 11:00a.m.

 

Monday 30th June – Friday 4th July. Offaly Summer School. Daily field trips to proposed Eco-Nodes. Venue to be confirmed. Booking required with Heritage Office 05793 46839. Cost €100. Co-ordinated by John Feehan.

 

Friday 4th – Sunday 7th September. Geology Weekend based in Kinnitty Community Centre, two outings on the Saturday and Sunday. Booking essential. Please contact the Heritage Office on 05793 46839. Price €20.

 

Rocks in the making: the geology of Offaly over the last 10,000 years.

This year the geology weekend looks at how the events of the Ice Age and its aftermath shaped the world we live in – and may influence our future.

 

Saturday 1st November. Wintering birds walk at Turraun / Boora. Bird Atlas winter fieldwork starts on this date. Meet at Turraun Car Park, adjacent to Pullough, at 11:30. Event led by Alex Copland of Birdwatch Ireland.

 

Individuals and families are welcome. No experience required. Please dress appropriately for outdoor activities and bring your own refreshments.

 

For further details please contact the Heritage Office of Offaly County Council on 05793 46839 or by email apedlow@offalycoco.ie Please email the Heritage Office if you would like reminders about events or if you would like to be notified of other heritage events.

 

See our website for more information and for updates to the programme:

www.offaly.ie/offalyheritage

 

The Offaly Naturalist Field Club Programme is an initiative of the Offaly Heritage Forum.

 

 

Hidden Landscapes: Searching for the Lost Kingdom of Mide

NRA archaeological exhibition at Belvedere House, Co. Westmeath

April-September 2008

 

Discover life in the early Christian monastery of Clonfad and find out about its residents and their crafts. Find out about hundreds of skeletons that were uncovered at Ballykilmore and learn about who suffered from aching diseases and who died by treacherous means. Learn about ringforts and the people who may have lived there.

A series of archaeological excavations were carried out in advance of the N6 Kinnegad-Kilbeggan and N52 Mullingar-Belvedere Road Schemes between 2004 – 2006. Over sixty archaeological sites were excavated ranging in date from prehistoric to post medieval times. The results of these excavations have now come to fruition and have produced some very interesting and exciting evidence.

This exhibition, Hidden Landscapes: Searching for the Lost Kingdom of Mide, will focus on the results of three of the large-scale excavations at Clonfad, Ballykilmore and Rochfort Demesne in Co. Westmeath. It will provide a glimpse into the early medieval world of the ancient kingdom of Mide which extended into present day Westmeath.

A selection of both original and replica artefacts will be displayed which will provide a unique opportunity for the people of Westmeath to view firsthand these wonderful discoveries.

 

 

 

The exhibition will also introduce the public to the fascinating world of archaeology and the archaeologists and scientists who fit the pieces of our past together.

Dr. Aidan O’Sullivan of UCD will launch the exhibition at Belvedere House on Wednesday the 16th April. lt will be open to the general public from mid April to September 2008. It will also go on tour at various venues around the county after this period.

Admission is free

This exhibition was undertaken by Valerie J. Keeley Ltd. on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

For further information contact Orlaith Egan, NRA archaeologist at Westmeath National Road Design Office T. 044 9334250 or oegan@nra.ie

 

 

Rahan Monastic Site

A beautiful new publication on Rahan Monastery will be launched it is expected on 9 June and copies will be available from the Society for c €10

 

Ordnance Survey Letters for Offaly

Dr Michael Herity is finalising this new edition which will soon be available at €60 in hardback. The book which will be handsomely illustrated will be available at a reduced price to members.

This article is based on research related to Offaly and the Civil War executions published in the recently launched Offaly Historical and
Archaeological Society (OHAS) annual journal Offaly Heritage.

Civil War

In the second of a two part series local historian Philip Mc Conway looks at the execution of two Offaly IRA Volunteers and a Leix IRA Volunteer. This article is based on research related to Offaly and the Civil War executions
published in the recent Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society (OHAS) annual journal Offaly Heritage.

Civil War 2