New Offaly history reflects 'labour of love'
"OFFALY Through Time & Its Townlands" is a new book published by Thomas Lee, a native of Geashill long resident in Dublin.
The book was launched last week in the Tullamore Court Hotel by the County Manager, Mr Pat Gallagher, who described it as "a labour of love".
The book starts at the geological beginning of Offaly and briefly goes through the formation of its landscape and the impact on it by its first people, going through the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages and through to the Celtic period.
This is followed by a look at Offaly's great Monastic Age and at how the Anglo Normans left their mark.
The book also describes how the county took its final shape through the transfer of ancient tribal territories as part of the process of confiscation.
The second part of the book examines all 1,136 townlands in Offaly, explaining the origin of each of their names, and listing and describing the ancient monuments which exist in almost every townland.
In his foreword, the noted geologist, Dr John Feehan, writes, "This book is truly a gift for our time: a time in which the landscape of Offaly is changing at an unprecedented rate, a time when it is important as never before to preserve the legacy of the past."
Mr Gallagher said that the book represented "tremendous personal dedication". He recalled how Offaly and Laois, as King's and Queen's Counties, were the first counties to be shired by the Tudors.
Referring to the RTE and BBC series "Who Do You Think You Are?", he suggested a similar one called "Where Do You Think You Come From?"
Mr Gallagher spoke of the huge interest in history in Offaly and said that the book would be of interest to both professional and amateur historians.
Mr Lee recalled that he left Offaly in 1957 and trained as an engineer. He worked in various parts of the world, but always had an interest in history.
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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