offalyhistoryblog

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.

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.

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.

1. The Changing Face of Offaly towns, 1900–23, Michael Byrne with Kevin Corrigan on the Changing Sporting Landscape.
2. Banagher, R.H. Moore and ‘The age of improvement’, 1900–23, Michael Byrne
3. Birr town and society, 1900–23, Michael Byrne
4. Birr Barracks, Stephen Callaghan
5. Clara, 1900–23, Michael Goodbody
6. Daingean, 1900–23, Michael Byrne
7. Edenderry, 1900–23, Ciarán Reilly
8. Ferbane, 1900–1923, Brendan Ryan
9. Kilcormac, 1900–23, Michael Byrne
10. Kinnitty, 1900–23, Grace Clendennen
11. Portarlington, 1900–23, John Powell 
12. Shannonbridge, 1900–23, Laura Price
13. Shinrone, Dunkerrin and Moneygall, 1900–23, Ger Murphy
14. Tullamore town in the transformative years, 1900–23, Michael Byrne
15. Villages, country houses and tranquil places – Clonmacnoise, Geashill,  Rhode, Rathrobin and Durrow, Michael Byrne

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

Further information: info@offalyhistory.com