'Superb' new book shines light on Ferbane's fascinating past

ACCLAIMED Ferbane author Brendan Ryan's new book was officially launched in Gallen Community School on Friday evening December 8th.

The book is called “As the years I backward span” and is beautifully produced and excellently written. It covers a variety of Ferbane subjects, including the famous scientist Mary Ward, the greatly-loved local poet John Doyle, the powerful Terence McCoghlan of Kilcolgan Court, the part played by the MacCoghlan clan in the 1641 rebellion, and the important, religious, engraved stone called the Ferbane Arma Christi.

During the launch the MC was Olivia Buckley, who said this new book adds to the considerable breadth of Brendan's published work. “This wonderful book,” said Olivia, “is a great celebration of place and is a heart-warming start to the Christmas season.” She said it was a very special evening for the community. She pointed out that the title of the book comes from a well known poem by John Doyle.

“In his works Brendan evokes a special sense of place,” she remarked. “ 'A Land by the River of God' is my favourite book by Brendan.

“It is easy to forget that Brendan is a son of Dublin and is a proud Dubliner, but of course he is very much an Offalian as well. A resident of Ballyclare he has written several books about west Offaly. We are fortunate to have him among us. Because of his presence there are few parishes in Ireland which have received such attention to their details, to their past. Imagine if Brendan hadn't written all these books? He has given us our history. He has written these books because he is inspired by what is around him. In this latest book there is a considerable focus on the ordinary people of the area. For Brendan the ordinary people are just as important as the wealthy and the celebrated. The book contains a very important final chapter which focusses on these ordinary people and their time living in workhouses.

“Throughout the years and his books, Brendan has been supported by Celia and his family. Celia is originally from Longford, but she is not the only connection between Ferbane and Longford. Our Parish Priest Fr Peter Burke is one of the proud Longford men who found his way to Ferbane.”

Fr Burke said the book launch was “another significant milestone in the journey of our parish.” He spoke of the negative aspects of the Covid years, including the fear, tension and sense of isolation. By contrast, the positives for many people included reconnecting with their homeplace because they were devoting their time to walking in their area. “During their walks they connected with the flora, the fauna, the old buildings. Old buildings are the footprints of those who came before us, they are part of what remains of previous generations, of what previous generations built.

“In so many ways we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Many of our achievements of today would never have come about if it wasn't for those who came before us.

“It is important to remember those who came before us. Every parish has its own story. The least we owe the past is to tell the story. The American historian David McCullough died last year. He saw history as having a massively important function and believed that those who are indifferent to their history are intellectually impoverished.

“In this book Brendan has created an extensive corpus of work presented with great scholarship. He is someone who has a strong desire to put us in touch with our shared past and culture.

“There are nine chapters in this latest book. The chapters deal with a number of fascinating topics relating to Ferbane. One of the chapters is about the Arma Christi from Ballylin House, a replica of which is installed over the porch of Ferbane Church. The Arma Christi encapsulates something which is very important to Catholics, namely the Passion of Christ." Arma Christi is sometimes translated as “The weapons of Christ” or “The Instruments of the Passion”. The instruments depicted can include the Cross, the Crown of Thorns, the Whips, the Holy Sponge, the Holy Lance, etc.

Brendan thanked everyone for attending the launch, “who left the warmth of their home fire and the Late Late Show and ventured out into an inclement evening to come here.” He said Gallen native Ronan Healy of the Heritage Council had suffered an accident earlier in the week and couldn't attend the launch. He wished Ronan a quick recovery.

Brendan thanked a number of people for their contributions, including his son Shane who sponsored the book, and Brosna Press "who once again have produced a beautiful publication.

 “In 1994 I had just retired from teaching and I was writing A Land by the River of God. A man said to me on the street one morning, while we were chatting, that the history of Ferbane would have very few pages. This attitude struck me at the time as being very wrong. There is in fact such a rich vein of history running through our parish.

“When I was watching the movie Oppenheimer earlier in the year, which looked at scientists focussing hard on their particular subjects, I couldn't help but think of Mary Ward with her microscope studying the flora and fauna of her area, in the fields around Ferbane. Mary always attributed these works of nature to the hand of God. She wrote, 'With a suitable instrument and a little leisure time at command, how happily is the observer brought face to face with the minuter parts of God's creation and how easy it seems at once to enjoy and to learn. It is like visiting a rich, but hitherto undiscovered region, like opening a page, hitherto unread, of a treasured volume. And while we explore and study, we feel a new sense of unfailing power and infinite wisdom of the Great Creator, whose mercies are all over his works'.”

Brendan recalled his schooldays growing up in Phibsboro Dublin and the eight years he spent in St Peter's National School where he participated in the Boy Scouts and the Musical Society. Fond memories included his First Communion. Nearby was Mountjoy Prison and the Mater Hospital, “and the church where my mother and father were married in 1925.” He recalled some of the Street Rhymes which the boys learned, and which could be of a bawdy nature. One of these rhymes referred to one of their teacher's follically-challenged condition! Brendan recalled getting into trouble when the teacher in question overheard the rhyme being recited!

Brendan said he fully agreed with David McCullough's point about the importance of history. “It is very important that we value the history of our local places,” remarked Brendan, “and the more we know about our local places then the better it is for us. It is a healthy sign of a person if he has a respect for and interest in his parish, town, village. Walter Scott famously expressed this sentiment when he wrote, 'Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, / Who never to himself hath said, / This is my own, my native land'!”

Introducing Diarmuid Guinan, Creative Director of Brosna Press, Olivia pointed out that Diarmuid's father Kieran “left TE Williams in the 1960s and founded Brosna Press which was his passion. The business has been carried on for many years by his sons Diarmuid and Ciaran.”

Diarmuid said he was honoured to be asked to launch Brendan's important book. He said Brosna Press has printed all of Brendan's books, going back to “The Green Fields, a history of Ferbane GAA” in 1985. “At the time it was a huge undertaking,” recalled Diarmuid. “The printing technology was slower. The text had to be set by hand using the hot metal process. It was a book which we took great pride in, as we have done with every subsequent book.

“Since then Brendan has immersed himself in Ferbane and West Offaly, the region's people and its legacy.

“He was instrumental in getting a replica made of the Arma Christi.

“In all of the books what always shines through is Brendan's love of the subject matter.”

Diarmuid also paid tribute to Brendan's old friend and fellow teacher in Ferbane's National School, Tony Holleran, who passed away in February 2022. “Both men had inquiring minds; they were fired by a curiosity about their area.

“We have much to learn from them. Nowadays we have our smartphones and knowledge is at our fingertips, and yet often these phones are merely feeding our addictive, shallow natures. They take us away from more positive states of mind such as being inspired by, and curious about, our local areas. Our minds are often locked in the shallower places of Tik Tok or Instagram. Books, by contrast, can bring us to healthier, deeper places. A book has permanence, it has texture, weight, smell. It can bring us on special journeys, journeys which are deeper than endlessly scrolling through nonsense on our phones.

“At Brosna Press we have had the privilege of working with Brendan for almost forty years. This has been a source of pride for us.

“ 'As the years I backward span' is a superb collection of writing which any historian would be proud of and it gives me great pleasure to officially launch it.

“Ferbane and west Offaly will be forever in Brendan's debt.”

 
 
 
 
 

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ACCLAIMED Ferbane author Brendan Ryan's new book was officially launched in Gallen Community School on Friday evening.

The book is called “As the years I backward span” and is beautifully produced and excellently written. It covers a variety of Ferbane subjects, including the famous scientist Mary Ward, the greatly-loved local poet John Doyle, the powerful Terence McCoghlan of Kilcolgan Court, the part played by the MacCoghlan clan in the 1641 rebellion, and the important, religious, engraved stone called the Ferbane Arma Christi.

During the launch the MC was Olivia Buckley, who said this new book adds to the considerable breadth of Brendan's published work. “This wonderful book,” said Olivia, “is a great celebration of place and is a heart-warming start to the Christmas season.” She said it was a very special evening for the community. She pointed out that the title of the book comes from a well known poem by John Doyle.

“In his works Brendan evokes a special sense of place,” she remarked. “ 'A Land by the River of God' is my favourite book by Brendan.

“It is easy to forget that Brendan is a son of Dublin and is a proud Dubliner, but of course he is very much an Offalian as well. A resident of Ballyclare he has written several books about west Offaly. We are fortunate to have him among us. Because of his presence there are few parishes in Ireland which have received such attention to their details, to their past. Imagine if Brendan hadn't written all these books? He has given us our history. He has written these books because he is inspired by what is around him. In this latest book there is a considerable focus on the ordinary people of the area. For Brendan the ordinary people are just as important as the wealthy and the celebrated. The book contains a very important final chapter which focusses on these ordinary people and their time living in workhouses.

“Throughout the years and his books, Brendan has been supported by Celia and his family. Celia is originally from Longford, but she is not the only connection between Ferbane and Longford. Our Parish Priest Fr Peter Burke is one of the proud Longford men who found his way to Ferbane.”

Fr Burke said the book launch was “another significant milestone in the journey of our parish.” He spoke of the negative aspects of the Covid years, including the fear, tension and sense of isolation. By contrast, the positives for many people included reconnecting with their homeplace because they were devoting their time to walking in their area. “During their walks they connected with the flora, the fauna, the old buildings. Old buildings are the footprints of those who came before us, they are part of what remains of previous generations, of what previous generations built.

“In so many ways we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Many of our achievements of today would never have come about if it wasn't for those who came before us.

“It is important to remember those who came before us. Every parish has its own story. The least we owe the past is to tell the story. The American historian David McCullough died last year. He saw history as having a massively important function and believed that those who are indifferent to their history are intellectually impoverished.

“In this book Brendan has created an extensive corpus of work presented with great scholarship. He is someone who has a strong desire to put us in touch with our shared past and culture.

“There are nine chapters in this latest book. The chapters deal with a number of fascinating topics relating to Ferbane. One of the chapters is about the Arma Christi from Ballylin House, a replica of which is installed over the porch of Ferbane Church. The Arma Christi encapsulates something which is very important to Catholics, namely the Passion of Christ." Arma Christi is sometimes translated as “The weapons of Christ” or “The Instruments of the Passion”. The instruments depicted can include the Cross, the Crown of Thorns, the Whips, the Holy Sponge, the Holy Lance, etc.

Brendan thanked everyone for attending the launch, “who left the warmth of their home fire and the Late Late Show and ventured out into an inclement evening to come here.” He said Gallen native Ronan Healy of the Heritage Council had suffered an accident earlier in the week and couldn't attend the launch. He wished Ronan a quick recovery.

Brendan thanked a number of people for their contributions, including his son Shane who sponsored the book, and Brosna Press "who once again have produced a beautiful publication.

 “In 1994 I had just retired from teaching and I was writing A Land by the River of God. A man said to me on the street one morning, while we were chatting, that the history of Ferbane would have very few pages. This attitude struck me at the time as being very wrong. There is in fact such a rich vein of history running through our parish.

“When I was watching the movie Oppenheimer earlier in the year, which looked at scientists focussing hard on their particular subjects, I couldn't help but think of Mary Ward with her microscope studying the flora and fauna of her area, in the fields around Ferbane. Mary always attributed these works of nature to the hand of God. She wrote, 'With a suitable instrument and a little leisure time at command, how happily is the observer brought face to face with the minuter parts of God's creation and how easy it seems at once to enjoy and to learn. It is like visiting a rich, but hitherto undiscovered region, like opening a page, hitherto unread, of a treasured volume. And while we explore and study, we feel a new sense of unfailing power and infinite wisdom of the Great Creator, whose mercies are all over his works'.”

Brendan recalled his schooldays growing up in Phibsboro Dublin and the eight years he spent in St Peter's National School where he participated in the Boy Scouts and the Musical Society. Fond memories included his First Communion. Nearby was Mountjoy Prison and the Mater Hospital, “and the church where my mother and father were married in 1925.” He recalled some of the Street Rhymes which the boys learned, and which could be of a bawdy nature. One of these rhymes referred to one of their teacher's follically-challenged condition! Brendan recalled getting into trouble when the teacher in question overheard the rhyme being recited!

Brendan said he fully agreed with David McCullough's point about the importance of history. “It is very important that we value the history of our local places,” remarked Brendan, “and the more we know about our local places then the better it is for us. It is a healthy sign of a person if he has a respect for and interest in his parish, town, village. Walter Scott famously expressed this sentiment when he wrote, 'Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, / Who never to himself hath said, / This is my own, my native land'!”

Introducing Diarmuid Guinan, Creative Director of Brosna Press, Olivia pointed out that Diarmuid's father Kieran “left TE Williams in the 1960s and founded Brosna Press which was his passion. The business has been carried on for many years by his sons Diarmuid and Ciaran.”

Diarmuid said he was honoured to be asked to launch Brendan's important book. He said Brosna Press has printed all of Brendan's books, going back to “The Green Fields, a history of Ferbane GAA” in 1985. “At the time it was a huge undertaking,” recalled Diarmuid. “The printing technology was slower. The text had to be set by hand using the hot metal process. It was a book which we took great pride in, as we have done with every subsequent book.

“Since then Brendan has immersed himself in Ferbane and West Offaly, the region's people and its legacy.

“He was instrumental in getting a replica made of the Arma Christi.

“In all of the books what always shines through is Brendan's love of the subject matter.”

Diarmuid also paid tribute to Brendan's old friend and fellow teacher in Ferbane's National School, Tony Holleran, who passed away in February 2022. “Both men had inquiring minds; they were fired by a curiosity about their area.

“We have much to learn from them. Nowadays we have our smartphones and knowledge is at our fingertips, and yet often these phones are merely feeding our addictive, shallow natures. They take us away from more positive states of mind such as being inspired by, and curious about, our local areas. Our minds are often locked in the shallower places of Tik Tok or Instagram. Books, by contrast, can bring us to healthier, deeper places. A book has permanence, it has texture, weight, smell. It can bring us on special journeys, journeys which are deeper than endlessly scrolling through nonsense on our phones.

“At Brosna Press we have had the privilege of working with Brendan for almost forty years. This has been a source of pride for us.

“ 'As the years I backward span' is a superb collection of writing which any historian would be proud of and it gives me great pleasure to officially launch it.

“Ferbane and west Offaly will be forever in Brendan's debt.”