offalyhistoryblog

Category: Local history

Offaly and the Great War essays published in 2018 now on Open Access to all. Thanks to the Decade of Centenaries. Blog No 609, 4th May 2023

The bumper volume of essays (list below) in Offaly and the Great War (Offaly History, 2018) can now be accessed free online at www.offalyhistory.com thanks to the Decade of Centenaries. The book of 28 essays is also available in hardcopy from Offaly History for just €20. In all over 50 articles free to download. Go to the Decade of Centenaries on the offalyhistory.com website.

When the great historian and first ‘telly don’ A.J.P. Taylor published his short history of the First World War just in time for the remembrance days of over fifty years ago he wrote that the war reshaped the political order in Europe. That its memorials stood in every town and village and that the real hero of the war was the Unknown Soldier.
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May 4, 2024
Father Whelan from Ballycommon, County Offaly. He laid the foundation for the Catholic Church in three American States. By Danny Leavy. Blog No 608, 3rd May 2024

Prior to 1783, the history of the Catholic Church in America was one of struggle and suffering. The country was under British rule until the victorious War of Independence that year. In her struggle for independence, France was America’s greatest ally. King Louis XVI sent out a large fleet, under the command of Comte De Ternay on April 16, 1780. It anchored off Rhode Island on July 11, 1780. It was to wait for a second fleet under Comte De Grasse, which departed on March 22, 1781. The second fleet reached Chesapeake Bay on August 26^th of the same year.

At this time, the Irish Capuchins had two convents in France, Bar-sur-Aube and Vassy, where the friars were trained with the intention of returning to Ireland. Ireland at the time was under the penal laws. The Capuchins had removed their novitiate to France. The French King put out the call for Chaplains for the forces destined for America. Twenty Capuchins answered the call including, Father Charles Whelan, from the Vassy convent. Father Whelan was born in Ballycommon near Daingean, County Offaly, in the year 1741.
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May 3, 2024
52-53, Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Ballysheil to Clonony Beg No 52-53 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 607, 1st May 2024

Ballysheil is in the Electoral Division of Gallen, in Civil Parish of Gallen, in the Barony of Garrycastle, in the County of Offaly. The Irish name for Ballysheil is Baile Uí Shiail meaning the town of O Siail.

Ballysheil townland.ie/ Image Source: https://www.townlands.ie/

In this area we come to two smaller bridges, not far part from each other. Glyn and Judge’s Bridge. You will find the remains of the old Ballysheil house, once a beautiful tall building that stood out for its unique stone work and design. Where it once called home to noble guests, where it saw a number of events over its time, which would have had servants pacing back and forth doing the bidding of lord and lady of the house[1]. You will also find a bawn here this property was owned by the Sheil family, well known for their medical skills. The house and bawn exchanged hands to new owners when the Sheil family were forcibly transplanted to Galway in the mid17^th century. If looking around this area along the way, you may also find evidence of a corner tower[2].
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May 1, 2024
50-51, Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Derries to Glyn No 50-51 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 606, 27th April 2024

With the construction of the Grand Canal from the late 1750s, brought with it the expansion of Trade. goods could be carried from East to West along the line, this helped boost the development of the local economy from the late 18^th century. The Offaly section of the canal runs approximately 42 miles and is home to a number of species and wild plants, due to the cross over through wet bog land during the development of the canal way[1].

The first townland we come to along this way is Derries. It is situated in the Electoral Division of Ferbane, in the Civil Parish of Wheery or Killagally, in the Barony of Garrycastle, in the County of Offaly. The Irish name for Derries is Na Doirí meaning The Oak Woods.

Derries townland map. Image Source: Townlands.ie / Illustrations Nature on Irish Canals by Paul Francis

Wheery or Killagally is a large civil parish and it extends about 7 miles from Pollagh Village.
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April 27, 2024
‘Altogether, Tullamore was voted an excellent destination’. A visit to Tullamore and district in September 2023 by Michael Fewer. Blog No 605, 26th April 2024

In April 2023 our little history group had a successful trip to the town of Wexford, where it was decided that our next outing would be Tullamore. So, on 28 September, we came together for lunch in the bar of the Bridge House, of which I have fond memories of getting warm and dry after a trek in driving rain from Daingean during my walk across Ireland in 2001, before checking in to our bed and breakfast accommodation at the Sea Dew guesthouse.

After lunch we took a walk up the town to have a look at the Offaly History Centre owned by the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. It is a very impressive facility indeed, an extensive premises just chock-a-block with books old and new, collections of records of all kinds, bound newspapers, photographs, family papers, school records – the list goes on and on. Michael Byrne had been introduced to me by Fergal McCabe: Fergal’s watercolour works are everywhere there.
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April 26, 2024
48-49, Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Pollagh to Turraun No 48-49 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 604, 24th April 2024

Pollagh also spelt as Pullough, is located in a small village in County Offaly, it is in the Civil Parish of Lemanaghan. A small parish, it extends from Ballycumber to Ferbane. Pollagh village can be found on the north side of the canal. The Parish lies in the territory of Dealbhna Eathra of the MacCoghlans – an ancient people. It has a rich heritage in its archaeology including the important monastic site, churches, and ringforts and the famous castles.

One of The townlands that we come along as we work our way down the line is Pollagh, the name in Irish is Pollach, meaning Place full of Holes.

Townland Area Pop in 1841 Pop in 1851 No. of Houses in 1841 No. of Houses in 1851 Pop in 1871 Pop in 1911 No. of Houses in 1871 No. of Houses in 1911
Pollagh 907 267 168 43 33 282 223 42 50
An interesting profile in the fall and rise of the population due one assumes to the successful brick industry.
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April 24, 2024
Renewing your subscription to Offaly History (Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society) for 2024: a gentle reminder to Canon Stubbs, the Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, in regard to his membership subscription due to the Hellenic Society, in 1882. Joining OHAS in 2024. Blog No 603, 21st April 2024

A recent purchase by a ,member of Offaly History of the Letters of William Stubbs (1825-1901), edited by W.H. Hutton included an original letter from the Hon. Secretary of the London-based Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies sending a gentle reminder to the learned and revered historian that his subscription was outstanding for four years. i.e. from when that society was formed in 1879. This sometimes happens in Offaly History too, when perhaps a distinguished member will forget to renew and one would not have the temerity to send a reminder. Not so the Hellenic Society.
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April 21, 2024
46-47, Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Ballindrinan to Cornalaur No 46-47 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 602, 20th April 2024

Rahan, Civil Parish is situated in the ancient O’Molloy territory of Fear Ceall meaning Men of the Woods or Men of the Churches. It is bounded on its north west side by the Brosna River. Its bedrock is Limestone and it has deposits of brick and clay along the Grand Canal.

The townlands from Ballydrohid, Tullamore to Cornalaur

Ballindrinan Townland/ Image Source Townlands.ie

Its best know archaeological site is the Rahan Monastic Centre which was an area of great importance in the early Christian Period.

Townland: Ballindrinan is in the Electoral Division of Rahan, in Civil Parish of Rahan, in the Barony of Ballycowan, in the County of Offaly.

The Irish name for Ballindrinan is Baile an Draighneáin meaning land of the blackthorns.
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April 20, 2024
45 The landscape of east Offaly: Croghan Hill and Clonsast. Frank Mitchell describes the landscape of east Offaly taking in Croghan Hill and Clonsast bog. No. 45 in the Grand Canal Offaly series. Blog No 600, 17th April 2024

Frank Mitchell (1912–97) was a distinguished but unassuming academic, environmental historian, archaeologist and geologist. While he had many academic writings his best known book was The Irish Landscape (1976) about which he was typically modest. In 1990 Mitchell published ‘a semi-autobiography’ The way that I followed. The title was a play on Robert Lloyd Praeger’s, The way that I went (Dublin, 1937). Praeger in his peregrinations was less kind to Laois and Offaly than Mitchell with Praeger’s observation that neither county need detain us long (p. 235) and ‘there is not much of special interest’ (p. 237). Westmeath he found to be more hospitable than Offaly having less than half of the amount of bog in Offaly and more pasture. We may look at the Praeger account in another blog
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April 17, 2024
AN AWKWARD SITE- The Building and Rebuilding of the Church of the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady, Tullamore. By Fergal MacCabe. Blog No 599, 13th April 2024

A New Church

Towards the end of the 19th century the 1840 Mercy Convent with its frontage to the landscaped banks of the Grand Canal, was the most prominent symbol of the increasing importance of the Catholic Church in the spiritual life of the people of Tullamore. In contrast, the almost one hundred year old St Mary’s Parish Church, which had a capacity for 500 worshippers at most, was of a modest character. Located on a backland site behind Harbour Street on lands gifted by Lord Charleville it shared its cramped accommodation with the Parochial House.

The old church of 1802 to 1903-4

As Michael Byrne records in his comprehensive historical survey of Tullamore Catholic Parish, the question of repairing the old church arose in 1897 but on the advice of the influential businessman and local politician Henry Egan, it was felt that building an entirely new church would be a better option.

No time was lost and on the 16th January 1898 a preliminary meeting of a Parish Council to plan for the new Church was assembled and six days later appointed the Cavan based architect William Hague whose brief was to provide a 1,600 seat structure with additional space for 500 more on special occasions.
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April 13, 2024

Townland	Area	Pop in 1841	Pop in 1851	No. of Houses in 1841	No. of Houses in 1851	Pop in 1871	Pop in 1911	No. of Houses in 1871	No. of Houses in 1911
Pollagh	907	267	168	43	33	282	223	42	50