The Wildflowers Of Offaly by John Feehan (2006)
In 2006, Offaly County Council published a hard back A4 sized book by John Feehan, (John Feehan – Wikipedia), which details all the recorded wildflowers in Offaly and includes information about the structure of the flower and its pollination as well as medical associations and folklore.
“A revelation of Offaly’s wildflower beauty and diversity by one of Ireland’s top ecologist and communicators of nature. His up-close-and-personal portraits give each plant a vivid and distinctive presence, aided by superlative illustration – another landmark in books about our countryside.” – Michael Viney
Copies of this book can be borrowed from Offaly Library services or purchased from Offaly History, at Bury Quay Shop or online, Midlands Books, high street, Tullamore, Birr Castle and Demesne Shop and Birr Supervalue.
Wildflowers of Offaly on Offaly Heritage YouTube Channel
In 2020, John Feehan started a YouTube series featuring a range of the flowers found through the seasons in Offaly. There are now over 130 videos which you can watch (and re-watch) in your own time and get to know more about each flower. These are hosted on the Offaly Heritage YouTube channel. There are also playlists for many of the months of the year. Some samples below:
Common Chickweed with John Feehan – Uploaded the 14th May 2025
Nettle – Urtica Dioica – Uploaded 19 April 2024
Garlic Mustard – Alliaria Petiolata Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) – Uploaded 16 April 2024
A huge thank you to John and his team of volunteer camera phone recorders, Jane Feehan, Christian Feehan, Fiona Feehan, Roisin Feehan and Tina Claffey. Many others have assisted through the series and are acknowledged on specific videos.