Despite a bit of a slow start on my part, when I opened the blinds I saw that the day was sunny and bright, if somewhat cool. I thought of going for a walk up Strawberry Hill, as yet unexplored. However, I decided to call a contact regarding my Fennell-Whelan ancestors on the border of Laois and Kildare. She gave me some suggestions, including having a chat with Frank, the owner of O'Brien's pub in Athy. A little more investigating indicated that a day trip was in order.
The road from here to there, unlike other routes I've taken and have yet to take, was pretty straightforward and easy to find. So, with the computer packed up ready for action I put pedal to the metal and headed north-ish. Turned out I never used it, but best to be prepared.
Unfortunately I have no photos of the scenery along the way. I kept thinking that one of those cameras used for Google Street View would have been ideal. I did steal a few glances left and right and everywhere I peeked was beautiful. It's a bit hilly around Bunclody but as I drove, the ground got somewhat flatter.
This was no prairie drive though. Off in the distance were hills, snow-covered and magnificent. On the way up to Athy I couldn't identify them. Well, surprise Ann, what could you identify around here? On the way back though, I'm pretty certain I was looking at Mt Leinster, the highest peak in this part of the country. It was clear most of the way up the slopes but cloud sat on top like a hat. Gorgeous. The sunset only enhanced the views. Still no photos - and I decided I need a navigator who's handy with a camera. Don't have one. Darn.
My trusty GPS led me directly to the town square in Athy where I quickly found a place to park and dutifully fed the "pay and display" machine. Turns out if I had driven about 30 yards farther along it would have cost much less than the 1.50 Euro per hour. However, in my opinion it was well worth the expense.
I popped into O'Briens first but Frank was not yet in the pub so his daughter Judith pointed me across the street to J-one Cafe where I enjoyed a toasted chicken panini with a salad. The food was great, but as the door opened just about four feet from where I'd found a seat, it was more than a tad chilly. The place was full of school kids, on a lunch break I assume. Their chips looked good but I didn't fall prey to their tempting smell. All I wanted to do was fortify myself for some history.
Genealogy alert. You may not be interested in the rest of this unless family history is your thing. The people I'm in pursuit of are connections to my ggg grandparents: Michael Fennell and Bridget Whelan who emigrated to Canada circa 1850. Their daughter Annie Fennell married Patrick Fitzpatrick in Brockville in 1852. Of course that was during a gap in the church records. Sometimes I think the ancestors timed noteworthy events like marriages and baptisms for times when nothing would be recorded. Now back to Athy...
After lunch I fed the meter again and headed into the Athy Museum where I had a lovely chat with the lady and gentleman at the information desk. We had a great chat and I filled out a form that will be given to Clem Roach, a local genealogist. He'll be in touch and will help to see if more information can be found on the Fennell-Whelan bunch. There was a lovely little gift shop and the museum looks interesting too, so I'll be back there for sure.
While waiting for O'Brien's to re-open after noting the sign "Back in 5 minutes", I wandered around back of the museum. In the same building is the local library. Goldmine is more like it. I chatted with two librarians who may just have opened the floodgates.
I didn't have time to explore all of their resources and references, but they told me of Frank Taaffe who writes a weekly column for the Kildare Nationalist, the local paper. I bought a copy later and will sift through this evening. As it happens it was a story that he had written that I came upon some time ago. A "Miss Fennell" donated land for a Church (St Mary's) and school in Barrowhouse, the townland I'm looking for. Could there be a connection? Can one assume that on a given townland, there is only one family with a certain name? Well, no, of course not. Think of Coolross and all the unrelated Byrne families. Anyway - it's a ray of light.
I have Frank's contact information and once I've read his column for this week will try to compose a message to him. Apparently if the trail is interesting it could be featured in a column. I don't really need to have a newspaper article, but this could lead to discoveries of interest. He has a lot of knowledge of local history and obviously the investigative instincts to find out more.
I have put Athy library on top of the list of where to return! I really have to have a look at what they've got by way of local history. The centre of town is a one-stop shopping excursion. Everything I want to see is in the one place. I got directions to Barrowhouse and will make that the first stop next time I'm back. Little hope of finding an old house still standing but I believe that St Mary's church and school which date back to 1830, are still there.
To get to Barrowhouse, I would turn left at the other end of the square and go over two bridges, take the next left turn, and when I pass three cottages I'm at Barrowhouse. There is a small church there, St Mary's. If I stop at a pub between the two bridges I'm likely to find someone named Doyle with a lot of knowledge of folks on THAT side of the bridge. Frank O'Brien specializes on the Athy side.
I popped back over to O'Briens to see if Frank was there. He was. We had a lovely chat and he told me a wonderful story of a lady from the U.S. who was there on vacation, looking around the old stomping grounds of her family who had emigrated two generations earlier. She said there were no living relatives who had not emigrated. Well, she was wrong, one had been left behind. And, she was at that moment sitting on the seat beside the bar that was locally known as his place. The gentleman (I forget his name) had passed away but his son was living. Frank was able to introduce them and a new family connection was made and apparently has flourished.
Dare I hope for such a think with our Fennels and/or Whelans?
Stay tuned.
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