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

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].

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

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.

The Maynooth Local Studies Series, recent issues, the Offaly volumes and the entire series listed here. Sources for Offaly History and Society, number 10.

The current issue of Irish Historical Studies (no. 165, May 2020) has a featured review of five issues from the Maynooth Local Studies series published in 2019. That brought the number issued to 144. We attach the list to 144 for your convenience and we bring to your attention the latest batch of four. Raymond Gillespie is the quiet man behind the series and who has acted as general editor since its inception in 1995. The reviewer in IHS, Maura Cronin, reminds of his characterising local history as being ‘primarily about people in places over time’. Place is described as the bedrock of local history, but it must be seen in the context of the actions of people and the pivotal role of historical research  is looking for the forces of disruption and of cohesion. What brought people together and what drove them apart.

The four new issues of 2020

Four new volumes have been published in the Maynooth Studies in Local History series (general editor Professor Raymond Gillespie). The volumes by Denis Casey, Emma Lyons, Brendan Scott and Jonathan Wright and can be ordered via Offaly History Centre.

MacCoghlans, De Renzy and West Offaly Castles.

So it’s Heritage Week and Saturday 25 August 2018 was given over to a tour of the West Offaly castles in the company of Kieran Keenaghan and James Scully. It was a full day starting at the lovely Crank House, Banagher at 10. a.m. This house is a tourist facility and a community endeavour from a community co-operative society. Banagher needs all the support it can get in the form of incentives and tax relief schemes to bring the older houses, including the Shannon Hotel, back into use.