The Offaly Heritage Plan sets out the work of Offaly County Council working in partnership with groups and agencies to deliver heritage projects within the county. This is the 5th Heritage Plan for County Offaly. You can visit the link to read the full Offaly Heritage Plan 2023-2027.
Each year there is an Annual Offaly Heritage Seminar to provide an information day for those interested to hear about projects delivered in the county.
Offaly Annual Heritage Seminar 2024 (reporting on 2023 programming)
Friday 22nd March started the seminar with the launch of the new book, The River Brosna, an Environmental History written by John Feehan and published by Offaly County Council. Clara Heritage Society hosted the launch and Ella McSweeney of RTE’s ‘Ear to the Ground’ and the Irish Times was the guest speaker with the formal launch by Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick.
On Saturday 23rd, in the morning there was a choice of two trips. One group leaving with Michael Byrne from Offaly History and Archaeological Society for a walking tour in Tullamore town where Offaly History have been undertaking research into O’Connor Square and High Street under a research grant from the Heritage Council. The second trip was a bus tour to Kilbride church (Ballycowan), a ruined medieval church which has undergone conservation in 2023 where the challenges of the work were set out by Colm Flynn Archaeologist. This was followed by a contrasting visit to the earlier church of St Carthage’s in Rahan which is still in use today and the maintenance and management was discussed by Anna Orman from the Vestry.
The afternoon had a variety of talks from updates on the development of an interpretive plan for Lemanaghan Monastic Site, the new Biodiversity Action Plan underway, Barn owls studies, conservation of archaeology, Offaly archives to a preview of Streetscape of Offaly in a Time of Transition, 1900-20 by Michael Byrne as editor.
Sincere thanks to all who came along for all or part of the 24 hours and an especially huge thanks to all the speakers and to Clara Heritage Society and Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society for hosting us.
No seminar was held in 2020 or 2021 due to covid.
- Annual Offaly Heritage seminar brochure 2024 (discussed the programming in 2023)
- Annual Offaly Heritage Seminar brochure 2022
- Annual Offaly Heritage Seminar brochure 2019