If your ancestors were from Offaly you may be interested in a new book The diary of an Offaly Schoolboy, 1858-59, written by William Davis (and edited by Sandra Robinson).
Some 190 pages long, it chronicles the life in a rural household in Eglish, near Birr, brought low by the early death of the writer's father. This is the story of two years in the life of William Davis (1842-1921), an intelligent and rather serious boy in his late teens, trying to make sense of his world.
It is a personal journey which is the richer for the author’s growing self-awareness and for the insights which it affords the reader.
Copies of the book are available at €15 softback/€25 hardback through the Offaly Historical & Archaeological Society at info@offalyhistory.com or through international online bookseller Amazon.