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In Memory of Sister Genevieve (Genny) Hassey. Offaly History Blog 822, 9 October 2026.

The following appreciation piece is based on an interview with Sr. Genny by Albert Fitzgerald on Midlands 103’s Life and Times programme recorded in 2007. You can listen to the full recording on Voices of Offaly which is accessible from the homepage of Offaly History website (www.offalyhistory.com)

On Saturday 3rd of October 2026, the community of Tullamore, County Offaly, and the wider Sisters of Mercy family bid a solemn and heartfelt farewell to Sister Genevieve Hassey—known affectionately to generations of students, parishioners, colleagues, and friends simply as Sr. Genny. Though born Philomena Hassey in Freshford, County Kilkenny, her life’s work, her warm smile, and her untiring spirit became inextricably woven into the fabric of Tullamore over more than seven decades. To write an appreciation of Sr. Genny is to recall a life marked by joy, resilience, dedicated service to youth and parish, an open-minded approach to education, and an enduring faith that touched countless lives.
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October 9, 2026
Selling the site of the old jail, Tullamore for the new Salts Textile Factory in 1937 and the state of unemployment in Tullamore. T.J. Kelly, Secretary Offaly County Council on the situation. Offaly History Blog, no. 821, 6 October 2026

Proposal of the County Council to dispose of the old Gaol premises for the purpose of a site for new textile factory as discussed by county secretary Kelly who in 1935 gave a valuable public lecture on the history of Tullamore. Kelly wrote to the Secretary of the Dept of Local Government and Public Health seeking financial assistance. He went on:

After considerable negotiations between the Tullamore Industrial Development Committee, aided by Messrs P. Boland T.D. [ Fianna Fáil] and Mr Davin T.D, [Labour] the Directors of Messrs Saltaire Ltd. [later Salts Ireland Ltd] have decided to erect a new textile factory in Tullamore. [It was in operation from 1938 to 1982.]

Various sites were inspected and rejected for many reasons principal of which was that they were either two low-lying and likely to be damp or too far from the Railway.
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October 6, 2026
Tullamore and the Third World War: a hasty departure from Berlin in 1961. Blog no. 820 in the Offaly History Series, 1 October 2026. By Fergal MacCabe

As the 13th of August comes around, the present rising tensions between Russia and the West bring me back sixty-five years to the Summer of 1961 and my ringside seat at its most momentous event.

The Cold War was hotting up and the nuclear powers were preparing for a confrontation when myself and some classmates from the School of Architecture in UCD arrived in London hoping to make enough summer money to get us through the next year. Our skills were instantly snapped up by firms engaged in the delivery of priority defence projects.

For the next two months I worked night and day churning out drawings for the construction of a nuclear submarine base at Faslane in Scotland. By the end of July we were all exhausted but having saved enough money, we badly needed a break. One of us had bought a second-hand car so we decided to make an architectural pilgrimage to the Continent before returning to Ireland.
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October 1, 2026
An Appreciation of Andy Gallagher (1936–2026). Blog no. 819, 27 September 2026,

This appreciation is based on an interview Andy Gallagher conducted with the late Maurice O’Keeffe in 2012.

Introduction:

The recent passing on 14 September 2026 of Andy Gallagher in his ninetieth year—just a couple of weeks short of his 90th birthday—marks the end of an extraordinary era for Offaly and Tullamore. A towering figure in the GAA, a dedicated public servant, and a cherished community leader, Andy Gallagher was, in every sense, a proud son of the Faithful County whose immeasurable contribution and legacy will endure for generations. To chart Andy Gallagher’s life is to chronicle the growth of modern Tullamore and the transformative rise of Offaly hurling from modest beginnings to the pinnacle of All-Ireland glory.

For the interview Voices on www.offalyhistory.com or direct to Soundcloud

Andy Gallagher by Offaly History on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/QMpcyRRiPWIaey7JvT

Early Days:
Born and raised in the heart of Tullamore, Andy’s roots ran deep into the local soil. When once asked about his lineage, Andy proudly confirmed that his family went back as far as records could trace in the Tullamore area. The son of Matthew (Matt) Gallagher, a skilled carpenter who worked with local contractors, Andy grew up steeped in the town’s traditions. He received his education at the local Christian Brothers school, where his natural sporting gift and lifelong love for Gaelic games were nurtured.
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September 27, 2026
In his second contribution to his Bulfin Bulletin Blog, Timothy Moloney previews his forthcoming lecture on William Bulfin at the Offaly History Society on 28 September. Offaly History Blog Series, Blog no. 818, 23 Sept. 2026.

A blog contribution had been planned closer to the envisaged eventual publication of the biography; however, following a request from Offaly History for an article prior to the lecture on 28 September, I have composed the following internet pages. I will return to the story of the biography from initial acceptance by my agent in 2022 in a separate blog.

[Monday 28 September 2026 at 7 30 p.m. Timothy Moloney on William Bulfin: his Life and Works at Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore (beside new Aldi). All are welcome.]

Timothy Moloney describes the life of William Bulfin using his works as a frame in which to set the biographical details. Drawing on his as yet unpublished biography, Timothy surveys his main works, Tales of the Pampas and Rambles in Eirinn, but he also pays attention to his lesser-known creations   ̶ ‘Sketches of Buenos Aires’ and a novel A Man of the Pampas, as well as a series of articles he wrote on a trip to the Andes in 1905. He accompanies the lecture with interesting slides showing samples from Bulfin’s oeuvre and pictures from his time and of his family members.

Editor adds: Bulfin was an important figure in Irish Ireland of the early 1900s. His premature death in 1910 robbed Offaly and Ireland of a leader in cultural nationalism who might well have been a senator and perhaps a candidate for the presidency. The family have lived in County Offaly since at least the 1800s if not much earlier. Bulfin was buried in the Eglish churchyard. ]

The topic was to be a choice of my own, and after consideration, I chose ‘William Bulfin: his Life and Works’. It should have been easy to prepare, but since I had been working on other projects since completion of the biography ̶ a novel completed in 2023, and another historical work in 2023 and 2024, it proved more difficult than I expected. I had to review his life again, and had to distil it into manageable chunks for a sixty minute lecture. The life itself was one aspect, but then there were also the works: I planned to examine the genesis of his well-known works such as Tales of the Pampas and Rambles in Eirinn, but also wanted to draw attention to his lesser known literary or journalistic creations, such as his ‘Sketches of Buenos Aires’ under the nom-de-plume Che Buono, an unpublished novel he wrote called A Man of the Pampas, and also a lengthy series of articles he composed about a trip to the Lower Andes in 1905.
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September 23, 2026
Tullamore jail/Kilcruttin Business Park reaches its 200th, 1826–2026. By Michael Byrne, no 817 in the Offaly History Blog Series, 17 Sept. 2026.

The foundation stone for the Tullamore jail was laid on 13 September 1826 just 200 years ago. Two hundred years of history as we pass those gates of what is now Kilcruttin Business Park. We may wonder at what went on there over 200 years. In many ways the former jail encapsulates the history of Tullamore since the 1820s. When the jail was built Tullamore was not yet the county town. There was no railway until 1859 at this location. No road up from Kilcruttin until 1938, Lloyd Town Park was agricultural land with an old out-of-town cemetery nearby. Only the ‘Charleville Parade’ houses north of the courthouse were built. The courthouse was not completed until 1835. The jail was designed to accommodate 120 prisoners and had double that number during the Famine years of the late 1840s. It was well run on reform lines but Victorian prisons were tough places.
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September 17, 2026
Memories of life by the Grand Canal: the Cummins family at Ballycowan Lock as recorded in 1983. Blog no. 816 in the Offaly History Blog Series. 11 Sept. 2026

The Grand Canal, like all great waterways, has its own traditions. One of the most enduring of these customs is the tradition of loyal service given by those men and women who work on, or at the canal. In many cases, this tradition of service remains within a family, and is passed down from generation to generation. The Cummins family of Ballycowan Lock are such a family.

In the early years of the twentieth century when trade and commerce flourished, and the Grand Canal was still a thriving transport waterway with barges steaming up and down from Dublin to Shannon, Michael Cummins worked as a greaser in the Canal Basin T Shannon. In 1915 he was the victim of a tragic drowning accident in the place where he had spent his whole working life. He left behind a widow, Catherine, and a teenage boy, Joseph and to keep the wolf from the door, they had to find a new means of living. Thus began the long association between the Cummins family and Ballycowan Lock.
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September 11, 2026
Birr Town Commissioners and The Grand Jury: Decades of Confrontation. By Martin Hoctor. Blog no. 815 in the Offaly History Series, 4.9.2026

In 1852 Birr in King’s County decided to have a town commission/council in an attempt to improve facilities in the town that had aspirations to be the county town in the 1640s and perhaps up to the 1780s. The earl of Charleville ensured that Tullamore was named as the capital of King’s County after legislation was passed in the House of Commons in 1832 before becoming the capital town in 1835. This was by way of becoming the chief assize town with the full apparatus of county courthouse and jail.

How people travelled in the country towns in the midlands during these years is a mystery as the state of the roads were an absolute disgrace from mud and horse droppings that made travel impossible and unhealthy as the threat of cholera and typhoid fever was prevalent in the country and killed more people than the years of the Great Famine. Indeed, King’s County despite a low death rate from 1847 experienced emigration to an unprecedented level and Birr was no exception as the town suffered a serious decline in the population in the post-famine period.
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September 4, 2026
Phil O’Reilly, Harbour Street, Tullamore – An Appreciation: He fought the good fight, both on the playing field and in civic life. A special article in the Offaly History Blog Series, no. 814, 1 Sept. 2026.

This appreciation piece is based on an interview by Aidan Barry and Shaun Wrafter (Offaly History members) with Phil O’Reilly Snr. at his home in Harbour St. Tullamore on 10^th June 2024.

You can listen to the full interview here at Offaly History on SoundCloud. Go to Phil O’Reilly on SoundCloud or to Voices on the http://www.offalyhistory.com website.

A lifetime spent in the quiet, noble service of a community leaves an indelible mark on the town that bred it. In the summer of 2024, when Shaun Wrafter, Offaly History sat down with Phil O’Reilly Snr in his beloved Harbour Street, the retired undertaker and former Offaly footballing legend looked back across his ninety years of life in Tullamore. With the news of his passing, Tullamore, County Offaly, and the wider GAA community mourn not just a giant of local history, but a man whose humble dedication, deep faith, and sporting courage touched generations.

From his earliest days kicking a ball along Harbour Street, Tullamore to the roaring, record-breaking crowds of Croke Park, and onward through over five decades of comforting grieving families as one of the town’s funeral directors, Phil O’Reilly Snr lived a life defined by decency, duty, and devotion.
Phil Reilly was born in 1993 and grew up in Tullamore

Born in 1933, Phil was a son of Tullamore and a true product of Harbour Street. His father, Phil, hailed from Tullamore, while his mother, Nora, came from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. The couple had married in New York, where Phil’s eldest sister, Patsy, was born in 1932 before the family returned to Ireland and settled into the property on Harbour Street.
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September 1, 2026
An Exciting Start: Fergal MacCabe recalls his first day at the School of Architecture U.C.D. in late October 1957. Blog no. 813 in the Offaly History Blog Series, 27.08.2026

At eight o’clock in the morning, my mother burst into my bedroom waving a telegram.

‘You have got a County Scholarship! You have to go to Dublin straight away!’

It was late October 1957. I had applied for a scholarship from Offaly County Council to study architecture in UCD but when the new term opened at the beginning of the month and I had no word I presumed that my Leaving Cert results simply weren’t good enough and had given up hope. Being an unemployed widow there was no way my mother could have found the money for fees and digs. A scholarship – of which there were only six- was my only hope.

At the last moment a student brighter than I had pulled out and I was next on the list. However, the offer had to be taken up that very day or else would be withdrawn. My mother thrust the telegram and three pounds into my hands and I raced to the station and caught the train to Dublin.

At Kingsbridge I got a taxi to the offices of the National University of Ireland in Merrion Square. My telegram from the Council was carefully scrutinised and to my great relief I was told that I was accepted but would have to be interviewed by the Professor of the School of Architecture who would have the final say. A call was made and I was told to race across to Earlsfort Terrace where Professor Desmond FitzGerald would interview me at one o’clock.

It was plainly obvious from the moment I entered his office that the Professor was unenthusiastic about my joining the course. I had already missed two weeks of projects and lectures and would never catch up, he said. Might it not be better if I used my scholarship to do an Arts degree. Anyway, why did I want to study architecture?
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August 27, 2026

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