Lions Tullamore Annual profiles all aspects of life in Offaly county town

The 12th edition of the Tullamore Lions Club Annual, jam-packed with news, sport, features and profiles, was launched on Friday last by the Secretary of Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, Michael Byrne.

Master of Ceremonies, Anthony Kearns, President Tullamore Lions Club, explained that the Annual is the major fundraising project for Tullamore Lions Club.

“We are most grateful to all our contributors and our advertisers for their valuable financial support on this production,” he todl those in attendance at the morning launch in the Bridge Hosue Hotel.

“Funds generated from the advertisements and sales of the Annual support a number of our projects throughout the year, starting this month with - our Christmas Food Hampers,” he said

Dymphna Bracken, Editor of the Annual, said that aligning with the Lions mission of voluntary service, the Annual, this year features the work of a number of our voluntary organisations, the Credit Union, Tullamore Show and our Civil Defence personnel who support numerous community events throughout the year.

“We highlight the exploits of some of our best known sports stars, and the gifted and creative work of some our best known national artists and musicians.

“We profile a number of people from our town including a special kidney donor, persons who share their experiences of travel to different parts of the world and others who have achieved above and beyond in their chosen fields including medicine and the arts.

“We also feature a number of our schools, their travel experiences and special and interesting projects completed throughout the year,” she added.

The changing face of our town, she said, is illustrated in articles on Esker Arts Centre, an analysis of the town’s 15,500 population and outlines of future town development.

“Welcoming members of Ukranian people was one of the club’s projects this year. We feature stories written by persons involved in those experiences,” she added.

Tullamore Lions club is affiliated to Lions Club International, the largest community service organisation in the world. Our motto is ‘we serve’ by which we mean we aim to help individuals to meet the costs of the help we provide. The people of Tullamore and surroundings are most generous in their support of our fundraising appeals. Our members are all volunteers who pay an annual fee of €100 to cover the administration costs of our work.

The publication of the Tullamore Annual is the culmination of many months of research and work by dedicated members of our club for which we are most grateful.

Ms Bracken thanked all those who agreed to interviews, contributed articles and photographs.

The 184 page Annual is now on sale in all usual outlets in Tullamore and surrounding areas still at €15 – Great Christmas gift.

In a wide ranging address, Michael Byrne, recalled that “in January 1904 Seaumas O Ruidhri [better known as James Rogers, but not yet qualified as a solicitor] of Tullamore, County Offaly, wrote to the editor of An Claidheamh Soluis' [the Sword of light] whose editor of that Gaelic League bilingual newspaper from 1903 was one Patrick Pearse. Rogers was complaining that Tullamore’s first published annual of 1903 – Ard na h Éireann had received but scant attention in An Claideamh Soluis and the short review had been mixed in with the Mungret Annual. That first published annual was an adventure of a kind which, according to Rogers, no other branch of the Gaelic League had attempted. He was advising Pearse that they had hoped for a rather fuller one. Nonetheless the annual produced in Tullamore was almost sold out and another issue appeared at Christmas 1904. That would be the last annual produced in Tullamore for over 100 years.

“The Tullamore Annual, under the management of the Tullamore Lions Club, first appeared in 2011 and is now in its twelfth year. Its great achievement and is one that should not be taken for granted. Every word on the 184 pages of the issue for the year 2024 had to be selected and checked.

“To continue that metaphor this issue of the Tullamore Annual has been out and about. The cover photograph is of Srah Castle and is by Tom O’Hanlon. It has been around for centuries – all the way to 1588 and is Tullamore’s oldest house. The back cover is of our new and distinctive distillery of 2014 and recalls the old distillery of 1829 and the importance of branding, something appreciated by Daniel E. Williams, Mr Dew himself, back in the 1890s. Another word that is very much out and about.

“The contents of this annual are presented under ten categories from profiles of the living to obituaries of the dead; tales learned in schools, music and arts performed or sports enjoyed. Then there is our community and our history and heritage sections. All brought to a halt with that catch all Miscellaneous section.

“There is nothing in the way of miscellaneous about this year’s Tullamore Annual or its eleven predecessors. With this twelfth issue we should be arranging binding for the shelf of four per volume. I have no doubt but that they will increase in value with age. Real value I mean and not just monetary, but that too.

“The annual is without doubt hugely appreciated. The level of support from advertisers and the buying public is tremendous. Long may it continue. The Birr Annual Review is in being for 22 years and our local Tullamore Tribune since 1978 and its parent the Midland Tribune since 1881. It all takes determination and every year all the members of the Lions Club get solidly behind this worthwhile published project and ensure its success. These are our printed sources for the local community in years to come. The softcopy is much vaunted for its flexibility but digital data is the most fragile.

“It is a pleasure for me to be asked to launch this fine edition for 2024. It is an easy task.

“Reflect back on the disappointment of James Rogers and his friends in the Tullamore branch of the Gaelic League in 1903-04 and how much better would be the record of the doings in Tullamore had that project of 120 years ago been successful.

“Tullamore Lions Club has now filled that gap with the Tullamore Annual and long may it survive and prosper. Everything the Lions do is pro bono and at this time of the year we especially see their worth.”