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• Athlone
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• Ballyboy
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• Barcam
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• Bog of Allen
• Book
• Book of Durrow
• Boora bog
• Bracknagh
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• Clara
• Clara Bog
• Clareen
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• Clonmacnoise
• Clonony
• Clonygowan
• Coolderry
• Counties of Ireland
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• County town
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• Crinkill
• Croghan Hill
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• Daingean
• Doon, County Offaly
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• Edenderry
• England
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• Esker Riada
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• Midleton
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• Mountbolus
• Mullingar
• N52 road
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• Phoenix (mythology)
• Pollagh
• Provinces of Ireland
• R443 road
• Rahan, County Offaly
• Raheenmore Bog
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• River Brosna
• River Camcor
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• Roscore
• RTÉ Radio 1
• Rural area
• Sculptor
• Shannon Harbour
• Shannonbridge
• Shinrone
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• The New York Times
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• Transport 21
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• Urban area
• Walsh Island
• William Grant & Sons
• Wolftrap Mountain
• 
  

• 
  Arderin
  Arderin (Irish: Ard Éireann, meaning "Ireland's Height") is a mountain on the border between counties Laois and Offaly in Ireland. With a height of 527 metres (1,729 ft) it is the highest point in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the 399th highest summit in Ireland. Uniquely it is the highest point in County Laois and County Offaly.
  Coordinates: 53°02′17″N 7°39′14″W / 53.03806°N 7.65389°W / 53.03806; -7.65389
  
  wn.com/Arderin
• 
  Athlone
  Athlone (Irish: Baile Átha Luain, meaning "town of Luan's ford") is a town on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree in Ireland.
  It is on the border of counties Roscommon (province of Connacht) and Westmeath (province of Leinster). Although the River Shannon forms the historic border between Roscommon and Westmeath, the Local Government Act of 1898 designated all of Athlone (Urban) as belonging to Westmeath, including areas west of the river. Much recent growth has occurred outside the official town boundaries. Monksland for example, a suburb on the west side of the town, is not within the official town boundaries, yet it is the most populous area of County Roscommon.
  The Census of Ireland 2011 recorded the population of the town at 20,138
  The town was described by IDA Ireland as "the commercial capital of the Irish Midlands" and it is governed by an elected town council, which appoints a Mayor.
  Athlone is near the geographical centre of Ireland which is 8.85 kilometres north-northwest of the town, in the townland of Carnagh East in County Roscommon.
  
  wn.com/Athlone
• 
  Ballinagar
  Ballinagar (historically Bellanagar, from Irish: Béal Átha na gCarr) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies on the R402 regional road, roughly midway between Daingean and Tullamore.
  
  wn.com/Ballinagar
• 
  Ballyboy
  Ballyboy or Ballaboy (Irish: Baile Átha Buí, meaning "settlement of the yellow ford") is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is about two kilometres east of Kilcormac.
  Although now a small village of several houses, a pub and a primary school, it was an important and thriving hub in the Middle Ages. During this era, the town had a hat and glove factory, a large mill and even its own mint.^{[citation needed]} It also had a mill called The Jacksons mill; the mill was used for making flour grinding corn and cutting timber.^{[citation needed]} The ruins of the mill are still standing today and can be seen as one leaves the village and heads in the direction of Ballyoran. The mill, one of several in the area was powered by water from the Silver River which is a tributary of the River Brosna.
  There is also a ring fort in the village environs which legend has it is linked by underground tunnel to the Ballyboy church about 400 metres distant.^{[citation needed]} The church in Ballyboy was originally a Catholic Church but was later dedicated as a Church of Ireland (C 0 I).^{[citation needed]} It is now derelict and in ruins.
  
  wn.com/Ballyboy
• 
  Ballycumber
  Ballycumber (Irish: Béal Átha Chomair, meaning "town of the small ford") is a village located where the R436 regional road crosses the River Brosna in County Offaly, Ireland. It is 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the town of Clara, on the western edge of Clara bog. According to the Census 2006, the DED population for Ballycumber was 688 people. However, it is estimated that the population within the village boundary is approximately 260 people.
  Ballycumber is located in the Parish of Leamonaghan. Leamonaghan parish has 44 townlands. Four of these are in County Westmeath, namely Ballinahown village, Kilgarvan, Glebe and Renaun. The other forty are in County Offaly
  The parish is divided roughly into three parts, each part with its own church – Ballinahown, Boher, about six miles (10 km) east of there, and Pullough about ten miles (16 km) south-east of Ballinahown.
  The church in Boher (dedicated to St. Manchán of Lemanaghan, a local saint) was opened in 1861 – before that there was a mud-walled church in the area which has left no trace.
  
  wn.com/Ballycumber
• 
  Banagher
  Banagher (Beannchar na Sionna in Irish) is a town in Ireland, located in the midlands on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The name Banagher comes from its Irish name which translates to English as "the place of the pointed rocks on the Shannon". Banagher was a town of 3,000 people at the height of its economic growth in the mid-19th century. The current population is just over half of that figure, at about 1,600.
  Banagher held an important strategic position on the River Shannon and was one of the few crossing points between the provinces of Leinster and Connacht. It thus became a natural focus for many great historical buildings, including a 17th century Martello Tower and a number of important castles around the town, which were built in the 14th and 15th centuries.
  The town was once the focus of thriving river business and was an important stop on the Dublin to Limerick navigation. It supported a number of large industries, most notably a maltings and distillery, which are now defunct. Tourism has supplanted this to a certain extent with a modern marina providing support for river cruisers and watersports facilities and the town is an important angling centre, with particular attraction for pike anglers. Banagher is the centre of the 'callows' of the Shannon, grassy meadows which flood in winter and provide living space for myriads of waterfowl.
  
  wn.com/Banagher
• 
  Birr
  Birr (Irish: Biorra; pronounced [bʌːr]) is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. It was formerly called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. The town lies within a parish of the same name in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.
  Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town with a carefully preserved Georgian heritage. Birr itself has graceful wide streets and elegant buildings. Many of the houses in John's Place and Oxmantown Mall have exquisite fanlight windows of the Georgian period.
  The town is situated at the meeting of the Camcor and Little Brosna rivers which flow on into the River Shannon near Victoria Lock.
  Birr railway station opened on 8 March 1858, but finally closed on 1 January 1963.
  The Ormond Flying Club has been in operation at Birr Airfield for over 30 years. The area has been linked with aviation for some time - as a British Army airstrip was previously near the current field.^{[citation needed]}
  Birr lies on the N52 and N62 national secondary roads. The routes are combined as they pass through Birr. The R439, R440 and R489 regional roads also terminate in the town.
  
  wn.com/Birr
• 
  Bog of Allen
  The Bog of Allen (Móin Alúine in Irish) is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon.
  The bog's 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Laois, and County Westmeath. Peat is mechanically harvested on a large scale by Bórd na Móna,^{[citation needed]} the government-owned peat production industry. The area has miles of narrow gauge industrial railways for transporting turf to processing plants and turf powered power plants. In addition, the cutover portions are used as area for grazing. The bog is crossed by the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal.
  The Irish Peatland Conservation Council describes the bog as "an important area of peatland, as much a part of Irish natural heritage as the Book of Kells." The bog is much reduced after centuries of agricultural exploitation and recent encroachments by development.^{[citation needed]} Efforts are underway to preserve sections of it.
  The peatlands of the Bog of Allen contain a valuable part of the archaeological record. Due to the special preservation conditions within peat, many kinds of artefact which do not normally survive are preserved; these include for instance wooden structures and objects. In many parts of the Bog of Allen industrial milling has uncovered archaeological remains such as trackways. These trackways are wooden walkways constructed through prehistory and into the medieval period which allowed people and animals to cross the extensive areas of peatland, which can give us an insight into the economy and way of life of the societies that existed around the bog. The preservation conditions in bogs also preserve a range of palaeoenvironmental evidence such as pollen and plant macrofossils which are often studied alongside the archaeological evidence to inform about the environment on and around the bog.
  
  wn.com/Bog_of_Allen
• 
  Bracknagh
  Bracknagh or Bracnagh (Irish: Breacánach) is a small village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is at the junction of the R442 and R419 regional roads, half way between Portarlington and Rathangan (8 km from both).
  It is thought that the settlement began with a small cluster of homes built around the road junction. Expansion along connected roads includes addition of two housing developments by Offaly County Council and Bord na Mona.
  Due to the nearest international post office being in Kildare, Bracknagh is listed as being in Kildare on addresses it is in fact in county Offaly. It also has the Laois area phone numbers.It has a population of approx 2000 and hosts a GAA club which was founded in 1973 and were the first team to win the offaly gaa intermediate title, in 1978 captained by Seamus Comerford, this was then followed up by 2 more titles in 1983 and 2000 captained by jimmy storan and Aidan Dempsey respectivaly. at underage young people play with the parish team of clonbullogue walsh island and bracknagh known as St Broughans.
  
  wn.com/Bracknagh
• 
  Cadamstown
  Cadamstown, historically called Ballymacadam (Irish: Baile Mhic Ádaim, meaning "MacAdam's town"), is a small village in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies on the R421 regional road, just north of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. It is about 20 km from Tullamore and 6 km from Kinnitty.
  The village is divided by the gorge of the Silver River, which is crossed by the R421. The road forms the Main Street of the village. The plan is predominantly linear, centred on the bridge over the Silver River and comprises a Church, public house and approximately 20 houses, with a population of approximately 60 people. The Mill is to the west and the Ardara Masonry Bridge (which has been taken into National care) is to the north.
  
  wn.com/Cadamstown
• Capppancur
  Capppancur is a populated place in County Offaly, Ireland.
  Coordinates: 53°16′12″N 007°25′54″W / 53.27°N 7.43167°W / 53.27; -7.43167
  
  wn.com/Capppancur
• 
  Charleville Castle
  Coordinates: 53°15′25″N 7°31′36″W / 53.257000°N 7.526780°W / 53.257000; -7.526780
  Charleville Forest Castle is a Gothic-style castle located in Co. Offaly, Ireland, bordering the town of Tullamore, near the Shannon River. It is considered one of the finest of its type in the country.
  The castle is situated in Ireland's most ancient primordial oak woods, once the haunting grounds of Ireland's druids.
  In the 6th century it was part of the ancient monastic site of Lynally, which itself was in the ancient Durrow monastic settlement.
  Later, in the early days of Ireland's colonization, when the city of Dublin felt threatened by the wild tribes of the West, these lands became the focal point for the first Marian, and later more violent Elizabethan, plantations.
  By the mid-fifteen hundreds, the lands that were originally ruled by the O'Moore clan were securely "planted". From this point on a dynasty was established which endured into the late nineteenth century.
  Charleville Castle grew from paper doodles in early 1798 to grandiose plans by the end of that very eventful year in Ireland. It was built by Charles Bury, 1st Earl of Charleville. It was designed by Francis Johnston, who also designed the GPO in Dublin, one of the leading architects of the day.
  
  wn.com/Charleville_Castle
• 
  Clara
  Clara (Clóirtheach or An Clárach in Irish) is a town on the River Brosna in County Offaly and is the 10th largest town in the midlands of Ireland. The town has a population of 3001 (2006 census), however a number of well populated housing estates lie outside the town boundary making the actual population higher. Clara has plenty of local services including churches, banks, credit union, schools, supermarkets, shops, garages, pubs, nightclubs and restaurants. It has its own Garda(police) and fire station while the Midlands regional hospital is located just seven miles away in Tullamore. Clara has a strong association with sport. The successful GAA club looks after Gaelic football and hurling from under 8 to senior level. Clara also has a successful junior soccer club. The town has two swimming pools and a successful pitch and putt club. Clara's power lifting club has won a number of national and international awards. A golf driving range is located in the town also with the Esker Hills golf club located just outside the town. There is a local equestrian centre and sports centre also.
  
  wn.com/Clara
• Clara Bog
  Clara Bog is one of the largest relatively intact raised bogs remaining in Ireland. It lies southeast of the R436 regional road between the village of Ballycumber and the town of Clara, in County Offaly. Much of the bog is state-owned and managed as a nature reserve covering some 460 ha. A Special Area of Conservation covers 836 ha.
  Clara Bog came to public attention in the 1980s when requests were being made to the Irish Government to preserve the area by a number of international naturalists, David Bellamy among them. The area was secured for preservation following the intervention of the Dutch Government who bought the land and donated it to the Irish State.
  Clara Bog has been a nature reserve since 1987 and its development since the last ice age, flora, hydrology, have all been extensively studied. In 1988 it was designated a Ramsar Site. Clara Bog and Raheenmore Bog (also in County Offaly) have been twinned with Bargerveen Nature Reserve, a Dutch Ramsar Site, under the Eurosite twinning programme.
  
  wn.com/Clara_Bog
• 
  Clareen
  Clareen (Irish: An Cláirín) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is located 8 km west of Birr on the R421 regional road.
  The village is situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
  The local Catholic church, St. Kieran's, was built in 1900.
  
  wn.com/Clareen
• 
  Clonbollogue
  Clonbulloge (Irish: Cluain Bolg) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. Bolg was the Celtic sun-god and this was probably a field where followers of Bolg assembled for worship.^{[citation needed]} The common pronunciation of the village up to recent times was 'Clon Bolg', which endorses this interpretation.^{[citation needed]} It has been voted the tidiest town in County Offaly every year since 1978.^{[citation needed]}
  The village is located at the junction of the R401 and R442 regional roads. The Figile River runs through the village under the R442 near its confluence with the Philipstown River.
  Between the village and Edenderry, 11 km to the north, lies the Bog of Allen.
  Clonbullogue is located near the point where three counties—Offaly, Laois and Kildare meet. The village is on an island of pasture land in the bog of Allen. The population of the village is 442, which has remained almost unchanged for over a century.
  The area is marked on the Cottonian map 1653 of Leix & Offaly as Clanbolg. In the 1659 Census, Robert Shallcross was listed as the titled person in the area. In 1679, Charles II granted this area to the Purefoy family and for a time the village was called Purefoy's Place.^{[citation needed]} In 1798, the village was burned—the only part of Offaly to suffer this fate during the Rebellion. Two of the Wexford leaders, Colonel Anthony Perry and Father Mogue Kearns were captured here and were later hanged at Edenderry for their part in the 1798 Rebellion.
  
  wn.com/Clonbollogue
• 
  Clonmacnoise
  The monastery of Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós", or perhaps, albeit less likely, Cluain Muccu Nóis "Meadow of the Pigs of Nós") is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone.
  Clonmacnoise was founded sometime between 545 and 548 by Ciarán Mac a tSaor, a young man from Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht. The strategic location of the monastery helped it become a major centre of religion, learning, craftsmanship and trade by the 9th century and together with Clonard it was the most famous in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe. From the ninth until the eleventh century it was allied with the kings of Meath. Many of the high kings of Tara and Connacht were buried here.
  Shortly after his arrival with seven companions - at the point where the major east-west land route through the bogs of central Ireland along the Eiscir Riada, an esker left by the receding glaciers of the last ice age crossed the River Shannon - Saint Ciarán met Diarmait Uí Cerbaill who helped him build the first church at the site. This was a small wooden structure and the first of many small churches to be clustered on the site. Diarmuid was to be the first man to be crowned High King of Ireland while a practising Christian. Ciarán died less than one year later of the yellow fever (Justinian Plague) and was reportedly buried under the original wooden church, now the site of the 9th century stone oratory, Temple Ciarán. Annals record that he died at the age of 33, one of the many coincidences recorded between Ciarán's life and that of Jesus Christ.
  
  wn.com/Clonmacnoise
• 
  Clonony
  Clonony (Irish: Cluain Damhna) is a hamlet in County Offaly, Ireland, on the R357 regional road. Located between the River Brosna and the Grand Canal, it is noted for its Norman style tower house of the same name, which was built in 1500.
  Clonony Castle is a Tudor castle built by the MacCoughlan clan, and ceded to Henry VIII by Jon Og MacCoghlan, then to Thomas Boleyn when Henry wanted to marry his daughter Anne. Mary and Elizabeth Boleyn, cousins to Queen Elizabeth I, lived out their lives in this castle and their tombstone still stands on the castle grounds.
  The castle was occupied for a time, after the plantation of the area in the early 17th century, by Matthew de Renzi (1577–1634), a London cloth merchant originally from Cologne, who created the first English-Irish dictionary, according to his tombstone in Athlone.
  The fifty-foot tower, an Irish National Monument, is surrounded by gardens and a moat. The castle is a few miles from Clonmacnoise, an ancient seat of Irish learning. Shannon Harbour and the towns of Banagher and Shannonbridge are close by. The castle is currently being restored, and is open to the public at no cost, and although there are no specific hours, the owners try to keep the castle open and encourage tours.
  
  wn.com/Clonony
• 
  Clonygowan
  Clonygowan (Irish: Cluain na nGamhan) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, on the R420 regional road between Tullamore to Portarlington road.
  Coordinates: 53°11.21′N 7°16.8′W / 53.18683°N 7.28°W / 53.18683; -7.28
  
  wn.com/Clonygowan
• 
  Coolderry
  Coolderry (Irish: Cúl Doire) is a small roadside village in southern County Offaly, Ireland. It is located 8 kilometres north of Roscrea and 11 kilometres south of Birr. The village lies close to the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
  Coolderry contains a number of facilities including a Roman Catholic Church, Coolderry National School, a Community Hall and a GAA Facility.
  In the 2006 Census Ettagh, the electoral division which Coolderry is within had a listed population of 433. Coolderry village has a population of around 80, while the surrounding area has about 20.
  Coolderry is perhaps best known for being the home of Coolderry GAA, the most successful hurling side in Offaly with 29 Offaly Senior Hurling Championship titles and 1 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship title.
  
  wn.com/Coolderry
• 
  County Cork
  County Cork (Irish: Contae Chorcaí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork (Irish: Corcaigh). Cork County Council is the local authority for the county.
  There are two local authorities whose remit collectively encompasses the geographic area of the county and city of Cork. The county, excluding Cork city, is administered by Cork County Council while the city is administered separately by Cork City Council. Both city and county are part of the South-West Region. For standardized European statistical purposes, both Cork County Council and Cork City Council rank equally as first level local administrative units of the NUTS 3 South-West Region. There are 34 such LAU 1 entities in the Republic of Ireland.
  Both local authorities are responsible for certain local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, the collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing.
  The county is part of the South constituency for the purposes of European elections. For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county is divided into five constituencies - Cork East, Cork North–Central, Cork North–West, Cork South–Central and Cork South–West. Together they return 19 deputies (TDs) to the Dáil.
  
  wn.com/County_Cork
• 
  County Offaly
  County Offaly (Irish: Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 76,806 according to the 2011 census.
  Offaly is the 18th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties by area and the 23rd largest in terms of population. It is the fifth largest of Leinster’s 12 counties by size and the 9th largest by population. It is the largest county by area and the second largest by population in the Midlands.
  Tullamore is the county town and largest town in Offaly and is the 30th largest in Ireland. Offaly borders seven counties, the second most of any county after Tipperary, which borders eight. Offaly is bordered by Galway, Roscommon, Tipperary, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare and Meath. The Slieve Bloom Mountains are in the southern part of the county on the border with Laois. Offaly has the 24th highest county peak in Ireland. The highest point is Arderin (Irish: Ard Éireann) in the Slieve Blooms at 527 metres (1,729 ft). The Slieve Bloom Mountains contain the county's highest points including Stillbrook Hill and Wolftrap Mountain which are the county's second and third highest peaks. Croghan Hill rises from the Bog of Allen and is located in northern Offaly. Although only 234 metres high, it is known for its view over the surrounding area and it stands out by itself.
  
  wn.com/County_Offaly
• 
  County Westmeath
  County Westmeath (/wɛstˈmiːð/; Irish: Contae na hIarmhí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide (meaning "middle") following the division of the Kingdom. Westmeath County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 85,961 according to the 2011 census.
  Westmeath is the 20th largest of Ireland's 32 counties by area and the 22nd largest in terms of population. It is the sixth largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and eighth largest in terms of population. It was named after the historic kingdom and province of Mide, of which the county was the most western part. Westmeath was shired under The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1543. The Hill of Uisneach in the barony of Moycashel is sometimes regarded as the notional geographical centre of Ireland although the actual geographic centre of Ireland lies in neighbouring County Roscommon.
  The head office of Westmeath County Council is located in Mullingar. There are currently 22 councillors. The five electoral areas of Westmeath are Athlone (7 seats), Coole (3 seats), Kilbeggan (3 seats), Mullingar East (4 seats) and Mullingar West (5 seats). The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, provided the framework for the establishment of County Councils throughout Ireland. The first meeting of Westmeath County Council was held on 22 April 1899.
  
  wn.com/County_Westmeath
• Crinkill
  Crinkle (Irish: Críonchoill) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, close to Birr.
  The village originally grew up around a British Army military barracks, Crinkill Barracks, which was constructed around 1805. However, the barracks was abandoned by the British army around the time of Irish independence, and was burnt down in July 1922 as a result of the civil war that followed. Today only the ruins of the outer wall remain. In 2005, the Regimental Association of the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) began discussions locally about designing a suitable memorial to commemorate the regiment's strong linkages with the area. There is a military cemetery in Crinkill.
  
  
  In 1805, Lord Rosse of Parsonstown (Birr) received letters about the need for a Barracks in Birr. The British had begun a building fortification program around the country at the height of the Napoleonic wars. Birr was chosen because of its proximity to the river Shannon (2.5 hours march). Fortifications were built along the Shannon - Martello towers at Banagher, Meelick, Shannonbridge and Keelog to prevent any foreign army from crossing the Shannon and into the east of the country.
  
  wn.com/Crinkill
• 
  Croghan Hill
  Croghan Hill is the remains of an extinct volcano and rises from the Bog of Allen in the midlands of Ireland in County Offaly. Though only 234 m high it commands extensive views of the surrounding midland counties, across the flat, low-lying expanse of the Bog of Allen. The village of Croghan is located on the southern slope of the hill.
  The mound at the summit is thought to be a bronze age burial place. It is believed that a Bishop MacCaille had his church there and lived around the time of St Patrick in the fifth century. The area also has strong associations with St. Bridget, who is said to have been born near Croghan hill. In pre-Christian times, Brigid as Brig, Bree or Bri was also associated with the Hill, and the inside believed to be a magic underworld called Bri Ele . Seen from Uisnech, the pointed summit coincides with the midwinter sunrise.
  The O'Connors of Offaly, the old Gaelic rulers before colonisation and plantation in the sixteenth century, had one of their main residences here, and it was also the place of inauguration of their chiefs. Just north of the hill is a holy well dedicated to St. Patrick (sign posted). The late Frank Mitchell, the celebrated geologist, preferred to give the distinction of the "navel of Ireland" not to the hill of Uisneach (26 km north-east of Athlone) but to the isolated hill, Croghan, which he described as a mass of volcanic rock. While accepting that Croghan Hill was not at the geographical centre of Ireland, Mitchell chose Croghan Hill because it lies in the heartland of the great raised bogs of the midlands. The cooling towers of at least four peat-fired generating stations (when they were operational) could be seen from the summit.
  
  wn.com/Croghan_Hill
• 
  Cushina
  Cushina is a hamlet in County Offaly on the Cushina River at the junction of the R400 and R419 regional roads.
  It is 4 km north of Portarlington.
  Coordinates: 53°12′N 7°10′W / 53.2°N 7.167°W / 53.2; -7.167
  
  
  
  wn.com/Cushina
• 
  Daingean
  Daingean ( /ˈdæŋɡən/; Irish: An Daingean, meaning "the fort" or Daingean Ua bhFáilghe), formerly Philipstown, is a small town in east County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated midway between the towns of Tullamore and Edenderry on the R402 regional road. The town or townland of Daingean has a population (2002) of 777 while the District Electoral Division (DED) has a total population of 1168. It is the principal town of the Daingean Catholic Parish. The other main poles of this parish are Ballycommon, Kilclonfert and Cappincur.
  Daingean was originally named Philipstown in 1556 when it was established as the county town in the land that was planted by Queen Mary I in the newly shired King’s County. The town and the county was so named after her husband and co-monarch, King Philip.
  The town was once the seat of the O’Connor clan, who were chieftains of the surrounding area of Offaly. Its current name ‘Daingean’ from Daingean Ua bhFáilghe means fortress of the Uí Fáilghe clan, a name that it derived from the medieval island fortress of O'Connor Faly. In 1883 Tullamore replaced Daingean as the focal point of the county. As a result Philipstown was demoted from capital town to village and as a result lost most of its political status. It was in 1922, with the foundation of the Free State, that the village was renamed Daingean, at the same time as County Offaly replaced the old King's County.
  
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  Dublin
  Dublin ( /ˈdʌblɨn/; locally /ˈdʊbᵊlən/; Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "town of the hurdled ford", pronounced [blʲaˈklʲiə] or Áth Cliath, [aː klʲiə], occasionally Duibhlinn) is the capital and most populous city of Ireland. The English name for the city is derived from the Irish name Dubhlinn, meaning "black pool". Dublin is situated near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and the centre of the Dublin Region.
  Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's principal city following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century; it was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire and the fifth largest in Europe. Dublin entered a period of stagnation following the Act of Union of 1800, but it remained the economic centre for most of the island. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, the new parliament, the Oireachtas, was located in Leinster House. Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State and later the Republic of Ireland.
  
  wn.com/Dublin
• Dunkerrin
  Dunkerrin is a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located in County Offaly, Ireland on the main N7 road from Dublin to Limerick. The parish has 300 inhabitants as of the 2006 census.
  Coordinates: 52°55′N 7°55′W / 52.917°N 7.917°W / 52.917; -7.917
  
  
  
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  Edenderry
  Edenderry (Irish: Eadán Doire, meaning "hill-brow of the oak wood") is a town in north County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal runs along the south of Edenderry, through the Bog of Allen, and there is a short spur to the town centre.
  The R401 road from Kinnegad to the north and the R402 from Enfield to the east meet at the northeastern end of the Main Street. At the Grand Canal they split, with the R402 continuing westwards towards Tullamore and the R401 heads south to Rathangan and Kildare Town.
  Edenderry is near the peat-burning Edenderry Power Station - the first Independent Power Producer (I.P.P) in Ireland - which is in Clonbullogue, a few kilometres to the south.
  In the 16th century, it had the name of Coolestown, after the family of Cooley or Cowley, who had a castle here, defended in 1599 against the Earl of Tyrone's rebellion. This subsequently passed by marriage to the Blundell family and was sacked in 1691 by the army of James II.
  
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  England
  England ⁱ/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
  The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.
  
  wn.com/England
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  Farbreague
  Farbreague (Irish: Fear Bréige, meaning "False Man") is a mountain in Offaly, Ireland. It is a popular walking destination in Offaly. At 430 metres (1,411 ft) high making it the sixth highest mountain in Offaly, the eighth highest mountain in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the 688th highest summit in Ireland.
  mountainviews.ie
  Coordinates: 53°01′N 7°42′W / 53.017°N 7.7°W / 53.017; -7.7
  
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  Ferbane
  Ferbane (Irish: Féar Bán, meaning "white grass") is a small town on the north bank of the River Brosna in County Offaly, Ireland, between Birr and Athlone at the junction of the N62 National secondary road and the R436 regional road. The name of the town is said to come from the white bog cotton which grows abundantly in the surrounding Bog Of Allen. Ireland's first milled-peat fired power station was commissioned by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) at Ferbane in 1957. Since the station's closure in 2001, the Shannon Development agency and the ESB have invested €1.4 million in the development of a new Business & Technology Park which opened in 2005. A new playschool was also built on the site which opened in September 2006.
  Ferbane Business and Technology Park Ltd is a non profit making company with charitable status owned by the community. Phase one was ready in January 2005
  Since its establishment, Ferbane Enterprise Group has worked non-stop to develop a unique Business & Technology Park in its region. That work is now bearing fruit in terms of jobs, investment and increased profile for the West Offaly town.
  
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  Geashill
  Geashill (Irish: Géisill) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated between the towns of Tullamore and Portarlington on the R420 regional road. Geashill has a Church of Ireland church, a shop, a petrol station, post office, primary (national) school, a Gaelic Athletic Association and two pubs, (Carruther's - the third closed in September 2011).
  The name Geashill is an anglicisation of the Irish name Géisill. Older anglicisations include Geashil, Geshill, Geshell, Geisshell and Gessill.
  An Anglo-Norman settlement was built here between 1185 and 1204 by the first Baron of Offaly, Gerald Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, an ancestor of the Earls of Kildare. Originally of motte-and-bailey design, it was a timber castle on an earthen mound, nearby were located the church and tenant dwellings. In the 15th century the wooded fortress was replaced by a stone tower house. Today, only the west wall of the castle remains.
  In 1598, Lettice Fitzgerald, daughter and heir of Gerald, the Lord Offaly of the time, married a Robert Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire, who was brother of the 1st Earl of Bristol and whose son was created Ist Baron Digby of Geashill in 1620.
  
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  Horseleap
  Horseleap (Irish: Baile Átha an Urchair) is a town situated upon the Offaly, Westmeath county border in Ireland, along the R446, formerly the main Dublin to Galway road. The village itself possesses a church, primary school, a garden centre, a pub, and a petrol station. Horseleap dates back to the 12th century and is steeped in Ui Neill, Geoghegan history.
  The village's Irish name (Baile Átha an Urchair or Áth an Urchair) was historically anglicised as Ballanurcher, Athnurcher and Ardnurcher. The name probably derives from the legend that Conchobar mac Nessa was killed here.
  According to tradition, the English name - Horseleap - originated in an incident in which a member of the De Lacy family was forced to flee on horseback from the Mac Geoghegans. On approaching his castle and discovering that the drawbridge was raised, he jumped the castle's moat on horseback.
  The battle of Ardnocher took place here in 1329 between the forces of Thomas Butler and William Mac Geoghegan. Mac Geoghegan forces won and Butler and many of his soldiers were killed.
  
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  Kilcormac
  Kilcormac (Irish: Cill Chormaic) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, located on the N52 at its junction with the R437 regional road, between the towns of Tullamore and Birr.
  Kilcormac used to be called Frankford. The name Kilcormac comes from the Irish Cill Chormaic. This name is based on the local patron saint - St Cormac. It is a small town whose local population were predominantly employed by Bord na Móna to work the local peat bogs. Kilcormac is in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The Silver River flows through the village.
  The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kilcormac is the home of the beautiful Kilcormac Pieta which dates from the 16th century.
  The Pieta is a statue of Our Lady holding the body of Jesus after he had been taken from the Cross. The scene was a very popular subject for sculptors in the Middle Ages in Europe and the most famous one that exists to this day is by Michelangelo in St. Peter’s. But the Kilcormac “Pieta” is different, being carved from a block of solid oak and measuring five feet by three. It is a very beautiful carving and is believed to be the only one of its kind and era in Ireland. It is a subject of great devotion in the area and the wonderful story of its survival, which was passed on by word of mouth for generations, was finally written down by the former parish priest of Kilcormac, the late Father Andrew Shaw.
  
  wn.com/Kilcormac
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  Killeigh
  Killeigh (Irish: Cill Aichidh; (meaning 'Church of the field')) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, located 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Tullamore on the N80 national secondary road. The Slieve Bloom Mountains lie a similar distance further south.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Killeigh
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  Killoughey
  Killoughey, officially Killoughy and historically "Killaghy" or "Killahy "(Irish: Cill Achaidh, meaning "church of the field"), is the name of a townland and civil parish south-west of Tullamore in County Offaly, Ireland.
  Before 1784 there were two distinct parishes of Killoughey and Ballyboy. The two parishes were united in 1784 and today form one parish of Kilcormac and Killoughy of the diocese of Meath.
  The two main villages in the Killoughy end of the Parish are Blue Ball and Mount Bolus.
  Coordinates: 53°10′47″N 7°34′54″W / 53.17972°N 7.58167°W / 53.17972; -7.58167
  
  
  
  wn.com/Killoughey
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  Kinnitty
  Kinnitty (Irish: Cionn Eitigh) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is located 13 km east of Birr on the R440 and R421 regional roads.
  The village derives its name from the myth that the head of an ancient princess is buried beneath the village, Ceann being Irish for head and Eitigh being the name of the princess. The village is situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the ancient kingdom of Éile, and is served by two pubs (Slieve Bloom Bar & Clendennen's), two churches, a post office and some shops.
  Uniquely there is a pyramid shaped tomb in the grounds of the town's Church of Ireland church. The pyramid was built by the Bernard family who resided in Kinnitty Castle, which they built on the site of St. Finnians monastery, the high cross of which is still situated on the site. From 1955 to 1985, Kinnitty Castle hosted a Forestry Training College.
  Rex Ingram, the Hollywood director, and his brother, Colonel Francis Clere Hitchcock MC spent most of their early life here where their father was the parish rector. (The "Old Rectory" is on the Roscrea Road opposite the Church of Ireland church).
  
  wn.com/Kinnitty
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  Leinster
  Leinster (/ˈlɛnstər/ — Irish: Laighin / Cúige Laighean — pronounced [ˈl̪ˠaːjɪnʲ]) is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled both, thereby forming the present-day province of Leinster. The ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties. In modern times, clusters of counties have been attributed to certain provinces but these clusters have no legal status. The province itself, while enjoying common usage and forming a strong part of local identity, has no official function for local government purposes. The population of Leinster is 2,501,208 according to the 2006 census, making it the most populous province in the country. The traditional flag of Leinster features a golden harp on a green background.
  
  wn.com/Leinster
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  Midleton
  Midleton, historically Middleton (Irish: Mainistir na Corann), is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellite town of Cork City, Midleton is part of Metropolitan Cork. It is the central hub of business for the East Cork Area.
  In the 1180s advancing Normans led by Barry Fitz Gerald established an abbey at a weir on the river to be populated by Cistercian Monks from Burgundy. The abbey became known as “Chore Abbey” and “Castrum Chor”, taking its name from the Irish word cora (weir), although some say that “Chor” comes from “Choir” or “Choral”. The abbey is commemorated in the Irish name for Midleton, Mainistir na Corann, or “Monastery at the Weir”, and of the local river Owenacurra or Abhainn na Cora meaning "River of the Weirs". St John the Baptist's Church, belonging to the Church of Ireland was erected in 1825 and today still stands on the site of the abbey.
  
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  Moneygall
  Moneygall (Irish: Muine Gall, meaning "foreigners' thicket") is a small village on the border of counties Offaly and North Tipperary, in Ireland. It is situated on the R445 road between Dublin and Limerick. The village had a population of 298 in the 2006 census. Moneygall has a Catholic church, five shops, a post office, a national school, a Garda station and two pubs. The nearest Church of Ireland church, Borrisnafarney, is 2 km from the village beside the former Loughton Demense.
  While most of the village is located in County Offaly, the Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) playing field is located in County Tipperary, and Moneygall GAA play in the Tipperary Hurling Championship. It was part of the Tipperary North constituency in the 2011 general election.
  Moneygall is on the R445 regional road and close to the M7 motorway where Junction 23 provides access to the village.
  The Bus Éireann route 12 between Limerick and Dublin passes through Moneygall. Regular services run each hour so the town is well served. Additional bus services are provided by JJ Kavanagh and Sons. There is no train station in the town but the nearest stations are in Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea, all on the Ballybrophy to Limerick line, a feeder service to the main Cork to Dublin line, operated by Iarnród Éireann. There are two airstrips nearby one of which is Moneygall Aerodrome The closest airport with scheduled passenger services is Shannon Airport in County Clare. Dublin Airport is easily accessible with direct Bus Éireann services.
  
  
  
  
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• Mountbolus
  Mountbolus (Irish: Cnocán Bhólais) is a small village in the parish of Killoughey situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Offaly, Ireland. It has a Church, a National School, a Shop/Post Office and two public houses. It also has a small GAA club called Kilcormac-Killoughey. When Offaly won the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship the goalkeeper on the team was Stephen Byrne from the club.
  Coordinates: 53°11′N 7°37′W / 53.183°N 7.617°W / 53.183; -7.617
  
  
  
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  Mullingar
  Mullingar (Irish: An Muileann gCearr, meaning "the left-handed mill") is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act ( Henry VIII 34 ) of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath (which then included Longford which separated in 1586) a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath. The town was originally named Maelblatha, and takes its modern name from a mill noted in the legend of Colman of Mullingar.
  The town had a tradition of cattle-trading up until 2003, when its cattle market was closed for development of a mixed commercial and residential scheme called the Market Point. Mullingar is famous for the neighbouring lakes, Lough Owel, Lough Ennell and Lough Derravaragh which attract many anglers. Lough Derravaragh is best known for its connection with the Irish legend of the Children of Lir. The town of Mullingar is linked to Lough Ennell via Lacy's Canal and the River Brosna.
  One of Mullingar's major exports are items of pewterware produced by the firm of Mullingar Pewter located near the town. Genesis fine art is also produced locally and sold worldwide – one of its sculptures of the "Pilgrims" dominates the dispensary house at Austin Friars St where once there was an Augustinian Friary. The town is the largest town in the Irish Midlands. The town, as of 2006, is officially the most populated town in the midlands due in part to its increasing popularity as a commuter town.
  
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  Pollagh
  There is also a Pollagh on Achill Island, County Mayo
  Pollagh also spelled Pullough (Irish: Pollach) is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland. The name Pollagh comes from the Irish Poll ach, literally meaning expansive hole, but practically meaning "broad expanse of shallow water". It is a rural village on the Grand Canal and lies between Ferbane and Tullamore. Much of the surrounding area is bogland, and is used to produce fossil fuels such as peat turf. The River Brosna flows close to the village. The Grand Canal was used for transporting peat and bricks produced in the area. Pollagh benefited from the canal in earlier years when it brought investment and employment from Bord na Móna, and it is now an important part of the tourist attraction. Pollagh is known for its church, particularly its bog oak altar and stained glass windows, designed by the Harry Clarke Studios and the yearly Pig Race which happens at the Pollagh Pig Race stadium which in the past has drawn crowds of over 7 people including Mary and her daughter Mary (famed for moving to Dublin).
  
  wn.com/Pollagh
• Raheenmore Bog
  Raheenmore Bog is a raised bog north-west of Daingean, County Offaly, in the Republic of Ireland. Since the 1980s the greater part of the bog has been maintained as a 162 hectare Nature Reserve, which is currently managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A Special Area of Conservation covers 182 ha, including some land in private ownership.
  Since the last Ice Age Raheenmore Bog has developed in a small basin in the catchment of two major river systems, the Brosna and the Boyne. With a depth of 15 meters it forms the deepest raised bog known in Ireland.
  The bog was purchased in 1970 by Bord na Móna to mark European Conservation Year. It was later donated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It was designated a Ramsar Site in 1988. Along with Clara Bog, another raised bog in County Offaly, Raheenmore bog has been twinned with Bargerveen, a Dutch Ramsar Site which required restoration after peat digging was stopped in the 1990s. Active management has been undertaken at Raheenmore because hydrological investigation showed that the bog was drying out. Peat dams were built to stop water loss. The progress of this is being monitored for the possibility of using it on other conservation projects.
  
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  Republic of Ireland
  Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
  Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
  The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
  
  wn.com/Republic_of_Ireland
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  River Brosna
  The River Brosna (Irish: An Bhrosnach) is a river in Ireland, flowing through County Westmeath and County Offaly.
  The river rises in Lough Owel north of Mullingar and is a tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon at Shannon Harbour.
  The Brosna begins as a small river, flowing from Lough Owel in a south-south-westerly direction through Mullingar, into Lough Ennell. From Lough Ennell, the river Brosna flows into Kilbeggan, where it still powers the mill at Kilbeggan Distillery. The Brosna continues flowing southwest through Clara. East of Ferbane it is joined by the Silver River. From Ferbane it heads to Shannon Harbour, north of Banagher, where it joins the Shannon.
  The river Brosna is popular for fly fishing and has stocks of brown trout as well as some salmon and grilse. However it has, in recent years, suffered somewhat from pollution problems due to its poor assimilative capacity and the discharge of untreated sewage in the Mullingar area during storm conditions. There have also been discharges of pollutants, whether accidental or otherwise, such as one filmed at the bridge of Clonmore industrial estate in Mullingar.
  
  wn.com/River_Brosna
• River Camcor
  The River Camcor is a tributary of the River Little Brosna in central Ireland. It joins the Little Brosna at the town of Birr in County Offaly which in turn joins the River Shannon close to Victoria Lock at Meelick.
  Coordinates: 53°5′29″N 7°54′48″W / 53.09139°N 7.91333°W / 53.09139; -7.91333
  
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  Shannon Harbour
  Shannon Harbour has the (Irish: Caladh na Sionainne) older/regional name Cluain Uaine Bheag meaning 'Clononey Beg' or 'little Clononey' after the distance and population and low laying land of the area in comparison to the other side of a stream off the River Brosna, this townsland is called Cluain Uaine Mhor/ Clononey Mor/ 'Big Clononey' ). It is a small village on the banks of the Grand Canal of Ireland. There are facilities for boats to park up on the edge of the canal. There are two pubs in the village, McIntyre's and the Canal Bar. The Canal Bar opens annually for the Shannon Harbour boat rally in which one of the village families asemble their amusement rides for the fairground. In recent years the village has seen a turnover- it has gotten a new road, footpaths, a childrens' playground, showering facilities for boaters and a community hall.
  Th Shannon Harbour area lies between Griffith Bridge, a sharp hump-back twist over the Grand Canal and the Railway Bridge, a loop - around bridge over a hidden, derelict, railway.
  
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  Shannonbridge
  Shannonbridge (Irish: Droichead na Sionainne) is a village located on the River Shannon, at the junction of the R444 and R357 regional roads in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Raghra (Irish: Reachra), at the borders of counties Offaly, Galway and Roscommon, with the majority of the population living east of the bridge in County Offaly. It has a population of approximately 650, and is predominantly low rise and low-density. It contains a number of different building styles, with two housing estates situated within the village. Its location along Ireland’s largest river and its proximity to Clonmacnoise have contributed to tourism being a key factor in its local economy. It is rich in heritage and the village is flanked by an important nature conservation area – the Shannon Callows. The physical environment consists of the River Shannon, callows, boglands and the Esker Riada (a major routeway in the 18th century). The village has one of the oldest bridges still in use over the River Shannon, completed in 1757.
  
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  Shinrone
  Shinrone (Irish: Suí an Róin, meaning "seat of the seal") is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies at the junction of the R491 regional road between Cloughjordan and Roscrea where it is joined by the R492. According to the 2006 census the population is 591 persons.
  American President Barack Obama's earliest known relative Joseph Kearney, whose family subsequently moved to Moneygall who would be the Presidents 7th great-grandfather was from Shinrone where the Kearney family lived and died for four generations. Research from Trinity college show this to be the Presidents earliest known relatives.
  Whilst there are other buildings of architectural interest in and around Shinrone, the following are featured on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website
  Arlo Guthrie's visit to Shinrone is mentioned in Tim Winton's novel The Riders - shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1995. A character in the novel overhears locals in the small Irish town of Shinrone, recount the night Arlo Guthrie came to play. The actual event occurred in February 1988, when Arlo played the local gymnasium in Shinrone, County Offaly. The concert was organised by a local postman, Tom Stapleton.
  
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  Tullamore
  Tullamore (Irish: Tulach Mhór, meaning "great mound") is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the county.
  Tullamore was designated a 'gateway' town in late 2003 by the Irish Government, making it eligible for increased infrastructural investment. The town was bestowed a bronze medal in the government's National Tidy Towns Competition in 2004 and also played host to the 'World Sheep Dog Trials' in 2005 which attracted international interest in the region. The Tullamore Show is held near the town every year.
  The town's most famous export is Tullamore Dew - an Irish whiskey formerly distilled by Tullamore Distillery - that can be traced back to 1829. The distillery shut in the 1950s but its traces are still visible in the town. Tullamore Dew is now produced by William_Grant_&_Sons in Midleton, County Cork, but the owners have announced plan to invest in a new pot still whiskey and malt whiskey distillery, bringing whiskey production back to the town.
  
  wn.com/Tullamore
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  Walsh Island
  Walsh Island (Irish: Inis na mBreatnach) is a small village in Offaly, Ireland. It takes its name from the surrounding hinterland which is a fertile area of land on a hill (104m) located in a vast area of bogland known as the Bog of Allen, (hence, "island"). The village is one kilometre west of the R400 regional road which runs through the bog below.
  Walsh Island is known throughout the country for its achievements in Gaelic Athletic Association. The small village has produced two All-Ireland winning football captains in Willie Bryan and Richie Connor. Walsh Island's Matt Connor was also selected in 1999 as a member of the GAA Millennium Football team. Matt was also the subject of a Lochra Gael television programme on TG4. The team in 2006 was also featured on the RTÉ programme ParkLive.
  The local soccer team Walsh Island Shamrocks had been very successful during its 20-year history. The team plays its home games at Carty Park. They play in the C.C.F.L League (for Teams from Counties Offaly, Laois, Westmeath and Longford)
  
  wn.com/Walsh_Island
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  Wolftrap Mountain
  Wolftrap Mountain is a mountain in Offaly, Ireland. The mountain is 514 metres (1,686 ft) high making it the third highest summit in Offaly, the fourth highest mountain in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the 495th highest summit in Ireland. It is the most northerly summit of the Slieve Bloom range.
  [1]
  Coordinates: 53°06′N 7°35′W / 53.1°N 7.583°W / 53.1; -7.583
  
  wn.com/Wolftrap_Mountain

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  Brian Cowen
  Brian Cowen (born 10 January 1960) is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.
  Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May 2008 until 22 January 2011, when he resigned under political pressure after a failed and highly controversial attempt at a cabinet reshuffle.
  He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois–Offaly constituency from 1984 to 2011. He previously served as Minister for Labour (1992–93), Minister for Energy (1993), Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (1993–94), Minister for Health (1997–2000), Minister for Foreign Affairs (2000–04) and Minister for Finance (2004–08) and also as Tánaiste (2007–08). He became leader of Fianna Fáil on the resignation of Bertie Ahern. On 7 May 2008, following the resignation of Ahern as Taoiseach, Cowen was nominated by Dáil Éireann to replace him and was appointed by the President later that day.
  
  wn.com/Brian_Cowen
• Joel Mokyr
  Joel Mokyr (PhD Yale, 1974) is an American economic historian. He is the Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University.
  He holds a joint appointment in economics as well as a Sackler Professorial Fellow at the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at the University of Tel Aviv. He is particularly interested in the economic history of technology and population, but considers himself a general-purpose economic historian. A former editor of the Journal of Economic History, he served as the editor in chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History, and continues to be editor in chief of a book series published by Princeton University Press, The Princeton University Press Economic History of the Western World. A former chair of the Economics Department and President of the Economic History Association, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a number of comparable institutions in Europe.
  Books:
  Mokyr is married to Margalit Mokyr and they have two daughters.
  
  wn.com/Joel_Mokyr
• John Joseph Lee
  John Joseph Lee (born 9 July 1942) is an Irish historian and former senator. He is currently Professor of History and Glucksman Professor for Irish Studies and Director of Glucksman Ireland House, at New York University.
  Born in Tralee, Co Kerry, he spent his early years in Castlegregory in the same county.
  He graduated in 1962 from University College Dublin with first-class honours in History and Economics. He completed his MA some years later on the history of the railways in nineteenth-century Ireland. He was also a graduate student of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
  In 1973, he published The Modernisation of Irish Society, 1848-1918. The following year he moved back to Ireland to become Professor of Modern History at University College Cork, succeeding Oliver McDonagh. He held the chair until 2002.
  His 1989 Ireland 1912-1985 - Politics and Society won the Irish Independent/Irish Life Prize for History in 1991; and both the Aer Lingus/Irish Times Prize for Literature and the J.S. Donnelly, Snr. Prize for History and Social Sciences in 1992.
  
  wn.com/John_Joseph_Lee
• 
  Maurice Harron
  Maurice Harron (born 1946) is a Northern Irish sculptor.
  Harron was born and grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland. He studied sculpture at the Ulster College of Art and Design in Belfast.
  Much of his work is public art sculpture and he has works sited in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Two of his most acclaimed commissions are Reconcilition/Hands Across the Divide in Carlisle Square, Derry, overlooking the Craigavon Bridge crossing the River Foyle, and the Gaelic Chieftain, arguably his most experimental and impressive piece sited in the Curlew Mountains, County Roscommon. This statue overlooks the site of the Battle of Curlew Pass, fought in August 1599, when a Gaelic Irish force under Hugh Roe O'Donnell defeated an English column during the Nine Years War.
  His work Let the Dance Begin, dating from 2000, is sited near the Lifford Bridge in Strabane, County Tyrone and was commissioned by the Strabane Lifford Development Commission. It features 5 semi-abstract figures (a fiddler, a flautist, a drummer and two dancers) on the theme of music and dance, each 4 metres high and is made of stainless steel, bronze and ceramic tile mosaic. It is one of the largest pieces of public art in Ireland.
  
  wn.com/Maurice_Harron

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