One of the most interesting stories I have come across in my career as a reporter has been that of the farming people of Leamonaghan, in Offaly, who have not sold a drop of milk, by choice, since the 7th century.
This is a tradition stretching back to their patron saint, Manchan, who died in AD 664 at the monastery he founded in Leamonaghan with his mother and his followers. The small community was kept alive by a cow he had taken with him from Clonmacnoise. This supercow produced milk all the year round and enough to feed the monks, followers and the poor.
The tradition of giving away, rather than selling milk, remains to this day, which must be some sort of a record not only for an Irish community but for any community anywhere in Europe.
Following publication of the story in The Irish Times earlier this year, I received queries about the area from all over the world, mainly from universities and media outlets.
With a tradition dating back almost 1,400 years, the Leamonaghan people will have no bother at all coping with the millennium. Tomorrow night the millennium book of the parish of Leamonaghan, A Pilgrim People, will be launched by Dr Colm O'Reilly, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
The book traces the history of the parish back even before St Manchan and his famous cow. It tells of good times and bad times, including the Famine. It also tells of a time before Leamonaghan became a green oasis in the midland bogs and a time of full employment when the locals made brick and grew linen before the Famine struck.
The book also deals with the flora and fauna of the area, the history of sporting and cultural organisation in Leamonaghan, Ballinahown, Boher, Pullough, Bellair, Rashinagh, Doon, Kilgarvan, Oughter and Curraghbee.
It deals with the life of children and the schools they attended and, from a place with such a Christian tradition, the missionaries who went abroad to spread the faith of Manchan.
The book will have a limited print run of 500 copies and there is considerable interest in the publication already.
Entertainment at the launch tomorrow night in Pullagh Community Centre, at 8 p.m. will be supplied by the Garda Band.