Shannonbridge: A History of Raghra c.1600 – c.1900

By Brendan Ryan and Laura Price

This is the story of a small Shannonside village in the west of Offaly. The story starts with the demise of the old Gaelic order and the rise of the planter and settler class in west Offaly. The building of the bridge, which gave the village its name, and from whence grew the new settlement is detailed and the fate of the Great Inn of Raghra is told. Its nearness to the monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise assured its educational continuance. It is a story of good and stirring times; of famine and persecution; of crime, law and order and justice. It includes a short biography of every priest and parson from Penal times to the present day. There is also an in-depth history of every premises in the village and the destiny of its inhabitants from the 19th centruy and earlier.