About The Society

 

Some history of the Society

On the 23 January 1979 at a meeting in St Joseph’s Hall (Old Boys School) Edenderry Historical Society was formed.

Elected as officers on this occasion were Tom Ryan as chairman (currently Treasurer), May Patterson vice chairperson, Michael Moore Hon. Secretary; Hubert Merrick as treasurer and Michael Collins as P.R.O. and Archdeacon Finney as the Patron of the society. The meeting decided that where and when possible research would be carried out by its members into the various aspects of Edenderry’s past, which included the workhouse, the Quakers, the Grand Canal, Monasteroris Friary and the Downshire connection.

Over the years the society has been very active and from 1983-86 were involved in reading the headstones in the graveyards at Drumcooley, Ballinakill, Ballymacwilliam, Castro Petre, the Society of Friends and Shean. In 1991 a publication ‘Edenderry Then and Now’ listed all the graves that the society had recorded, a valuable source for genealogy and those looking to trace information about ancestors. The society has always received requests for information from people with Edenderry connections, indeed even in the past twelve months requests have come from Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand.

In 1989 Sean McBride, winner of the Noble Peace Prize unveiled a monument to the Wexford rebels, Rev Mogue Kearns and Col Anthony Perry at the site of the execution in Blundell Wood in 1798. The highlight for the members of the historical society during the past thirty years came in 1998 when the bi- centenary of the 98’Rebellion was celebrated with a weekend of activity in July, including a commemorative pageant and a parade to Monasteroris graveyard. Numerous publications since have filled in the blanks and the history of Edenderry is well documented by members of the society.

Mairead Evans, a former school teacher has traced the history of the Grand Canal in her book Safe Harbour, while Mairead with the late Noel Whelan, Librarian, wrote the history of Edenderry, a pamphlet in 2000 which outlines some of the major events at Edenderry and which proved to be a useful starting point for other research. The contribution of the late Noel Whelan is one which the members of the society are acutely aware of as he done sterling work in the short years that we were all blessed to share with him.

Recently Ciaran Reilly, a Masters graduate of NUI Maynooth has written two books, Edenderry county Offaly and the Downshire estate 1790-1800 and Edenderry 1820-1920: popular politics and Downshire rule which have filled in the blanks about the involvement of the Downshire family, owners of Edenderry from 1786-1922.

Current projects include furthering the recording of the graveyards, those not featured in the 1991 edition which is being carried out by Therese Abbott and Mary Fay, and which will be called Carved in Stone. The society is also currently undertaking to have published a collection of old photographs of Edenderry and the surrounding area from the 20th Century. This book it is hoped to have released in March 2009.

For many the highlight of the year over the past few years has been the annual trip which takes place on the May Bank Holiday weekend. Places visited so far and under the brilliant guide of Hugh Smyth include Cork, Mayo, Derry, Donegal.

Lectures usually are delivered to the society by historians from all across the country monthly during the months September to April. The society welcomes speakers or those willing to give a lecture.