Roscrea People was founded

Hundreds of townspeople bought shares in the co-op at £1 each. The first issue, Vol 1 No 1, appeared in November 1974; 28 pages of tabloid size, cost 15p. Nine issues followed up to December 1975, Vol 1 No 10 which completed volume 1.

It then appeared infrequently: Vol 2 No 1, April 1976 (price
30p); Vol 2 No 2, December 1976 (price 50p); Vol 2 No 3
February 1978 (price 50p); Vol 2 No 4, December 1984
(price 80p – this was edited by Dr John Feehan, the only
issue of the 35 to date not edited by George Cunningham).
The share capital in the co-op (which was never registered)
was used in the early 1990s to buy books for local schools.

Following his retirement from teaching in 1987, George
Cunningham edited and published Roscrea People in A4
magazine format in December of that year – Vol 3. To date it
has been published annually in that format since. The 2009
edition was Vol 25. Carmel Cunningham is the assistant editor and
all RP publications have been printed at Walsh Printers, Roscrea.

Along with publishing the annual magazine, Roscrea People runs the Roscrea People of the Year Awards, donates collectio ns of books
yearly to schools, the public library, worthy causes to raise funds and St Cronan’s Centre, plants trees in the area, runs the biannual
Roscrea conferences at Mount St Joseph Abbey and publishes books, pamphlets and ephemera of local interest.