Ormond Historical Society returns with Portumna Workhouse lecture

As usual, the Ormond Historical Society lecture season resumes in November.

The first talk in the upcoming season - 'Finding Ogle: The Mystery of the Disappearing Workhouse Master' by David Broderick - looks at the intriguing story of Henry Ogle, who disappeared in 1865 along with a sizable sum of money intended for the running of Portumna Workhouse. Ogle was employed as Master of the Workhouse by Portumna Board of Guardians in 1850.

The talk looks at the reasons behind Ogle's disappearance and traces what became of the man following his flight from Portumna. The disappearance of Henry Ogle was the subject of a recent two-part documentary on Galway Bay FM radio and is also the subject of a recently published book. All the facts concerning Ogle's disappearance will be revealed on Monday, November 4th, at 8pm in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh.

David Broderick, our speaker and author of a book on Henry Ogle, is a native of Lorrha. David studied local history at NUI Maynooth and has contributed to the Tipperary Historical Journal. He is co-editor of The Lamp, journal of the Lorrha and Dorrha Historical Society. David is a volunteer researcher and guide at The Irish Workhouse Centre Portumna and also conducts tours of the Lorrha Monastic site.

OHS is always delighted to welcome new members and if you have an interest in local history, now is the ideal time to join, as our new lecture season gets underway. Just come along to any of our monthly lectures - individual membership costs just €20 and family membership €25.

If you'd like to 'try before you buy', you can pay €5 admission to a talk and subsequently offset this against your membership if you join. Members have free admission to all lectures and field trips organised by the Society. The committee would like to remind all existing members that subscriptions for 2019-20 are now due and can be paid at the next lecture.