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

    Collections relating to 1916 in Offaly History Archives

    December 2016 sees the publication of two new books on the subject of the 1916 Rising in Offaly. The first is the latest edition of the journal of Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, Offaly Heritage 9, a collection of essays to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, edited by Dr. Ciarán Reilly. A sister publication from the Society, a new book by Michael Byrne, Tullamore in 1916 – the making of the Tullamore incident, looks at Tullamore town as a place to live during this tumultuous period of Irish history and the issues confronting the town in terms of housing, local government and employment.


    Much of the research in both volumes draws on important primary sources held in repositories in the county, particularly in Offaly History Archives and Tullamore Central Library. To coincide with the launch of these books, Offaly History Archives is pleased to release newly catalogued collections, which will be a further resource for the scholarship of this period.

    Records of Rogers & Co. Solicitors

    James Rogers of 12 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin and Tullamore was admitted a solicitor in March 1907 and served his apprenticeship with the firm of A. & L. Goodbody at their Tullamore office. He established the firm of Rogers & Co. at High Street, Tullamore, in 1908 or 1909. He was enthusiastic about the Irish language and culture and was prominent in the Gaelic League and was subsequently employed in representing the prisoners connected with the ‘affray’ at Tullamore in March 1916. Rogers was election agent for the Sinn Féin candidates in 1918 and supervised all funds of the republican loan in County Offaly. He was election agent for the ‘Free State party’ in April 1922 and in 1923 was appointed state solicitor for County Offaly. Rogers resigned in August 1926 on his being appointed first county registrar for County Offaly. He retired from this position in 1943 and returned to private practice, conveniently switching place with his old colleague, James A. Ennis. He had taken a keen interest in local history and was the founder of the Offaly Archaeological and Historical Society in 1938. He died in 1967.

    James Rogers outside his offices on High St., Tullamore, c. 1912. (Courtesy Offaly History Archives)

    The Rogers & Co. collection consists of 54 bound volumes comprising letter books, client account ledgers, and cashbooks. The largest series is the letter books, which contain carbon copies of outgoing letters sent by Rogers & Co., Solicitors between the years 1911 and 1950. Unfortunately, it is not a full chronological set, with volumes for some years not extant, notably from July of 1916 to April 1927. All letter books contain an alphabetical surname index of clients. The rest of the collection is more financial in nature, consisting of series of cash ledgers, client account ledgers, cheques issued ledgers, a costs copying volume and a daybook recording daily work for clients.One of the most interesting letter books dates from January 1916 – July 1916. Due to Rogers’ nationalist sympathies, he was a natural choice to defend Peadar Bracken et al for their part in the Tullamore Incident of the 20th March 1916. Through letters sent by Rogers to correspondents such as Charles Wyse Power, and Timothy Michael Healy, MP, House of Commons, one can track the legal process set in train from the time of the prisoners’ arrest and imprisonment in Tullamore Gaol, their transfer to Dublin and their subsequent court-martial. Later volumes contain letters relating to subscriptions to the Dáil Éireann Loan 1919-1920 and its subsequent reimbursement. Names and addresses of subscribers are mentioned in the letters as well as the amount subscribed and the loan number.

    O’Brennan Family Papers 

    This collection consists of original manuscript material, contemporary sources, newspaper cuttings, memoirs, photographs and later commentary all relating to the involvement of members of the Tullamore-based O’Brennan family in the formation of the Tullamore Pipe Band, the Irish Volunteers, the Tullamore Incident, the 1916 Rising and beyond. Of particular interest are original postcards from Séamus O’Brennan while training at Irish Volunteer Camps in 1914, Alo O’Brennan’s recollection of the Tullamore Incident, the original charge sheet listing the men arrested for the Tullamore Incident, and a scrapbook compiled by Alo O’Brennan in 1966 with annotations and commentary alongside contemporary newspaper cuttings.These papers should be viewed in connection with the O’Brennan Papers held by Offaly County Archives Service in Tullamore Central Library (Ref code: OCAS P77). This archival material is from the same source and covers the same time frame.

    Charge sheet listing those arrested for their involvement in the Tullamore Incident, 20 March 1916. (O’Brennan Papers, Offaly History Archives)

    Donations

    Although the centenary year of the 1916 Rising is coming to a close, there is always new archival material to collect, catalogue and preserve for future generations of researchers. We are currently collecting ephemera and publications relating to the various events and commemorations which took place during 2016, and any donations of archival material for this project will be welcome. We also accept donations of archival material relating to County Offaly generally. So much of our recent history is contained in archives held in private ownership and will be of significant interest to historians in the years to come.

     

    Further reading

    Byrne, M., Legal Offaly: the county courthouse at Tullamore and the legal profession in County Offaly from the 1820s to the present day, Esker Press (2008)

    Byrne M., Tullamore in 1916 – the making of the Tullamore Incident, Esker Press (2016)

    Shortall, L. ‘Sources for the study of the revolutionary period in King’s County/Offaly (1912-1923), in  Offaly Heritage 9, Esker Press (2016)

     

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