Offaly

Names prominent in this county include: Adair, Allen, Bannan, Beary, Behan, Bergin, Breen, Brohan, Caherny, Carey, Caroll, Carrol, Carroll, Coghlan, Colgan, Collier, Condron, Connor, Connorr, Conor, Coolahan, Corcoran, Cuneen, Cunneen, Delahunt, Dempsey, Dooly, Dullahanty, Dunn, Flanagan, Flattery, Fox, Gilfoyle, Gill, Holohan, Kearney, Lestrange, MacCoghlan, MacCorcoran, MacGilfoyle, Malone, McCoghlan, McCorcoran, McGilfoyle, Molloy, Moloy, Mooney, Mulvany, O'Bannon, O'Bergin, O'Breen, O'Caherny, O'Carroll, O'Conor, O'Coolahan, O'Cunneen, O'Dempsey, O'Dooly, O'Dullahanty, O'Flanagan, O'Flattery, O'Harl, O'Holohan, O'Malone, O'Molloy, O'Mooney, O'Rigney, Rigney, Warren

Bordered on the west by the Shannon River and threaded by several smaller rivers, Offaly is --today-- a peaceful agricultural county. However, Offaly has a complicated --and long-- history. Home to some of the oldest sites of human occupation in Ireland, Offaly has probably been inhabited for at least eight thousand years. In the Bronze Age raths --fortified enclosures-- dotted Offaly. Much later, in the sixth century B.C., Offaly was home to some of the first monasteries in Ireland and the heart of the Kingdom of Offaly. - notes by Sarah Nagle

One of a series of Irish District tartans designed (and copyrighted) by Polly Wittering of the House of Edgar in 1995. This is not an 'officially sanctioned' District tartan but has proven popular.