Yesterday the light rain didn't stop me from setting out to Bagenalstown to the library. Nobody answered the phone when I called for information, so I decided to just drive over (30 mins) and check out their collection of local resources. So I did.
It took precisely no time to find the local resources. There aren't any. Everything is in Carlow library - except one large book on the history of Co Carlow. Drat. However, a chat with the librarian pointed me in the direction of the parish house where all church records are kept. My answers may lie there. The online registers are quite hard to read although I have gathered quite a lot of baptisms and the occasional marriage that could be the people I am seeking.
When I say "the librarian pointed me in the direction" it was loosely correct. I did walk to the corner, cross the street and walk up in the direction she indicated. As you gaze up the street (there's always a hill, even a little one), there is a solid row of attached buildings on both sides. I was to walk until I came to the second big house on the left - I couldn't miss it. Well, of course I could. I did find a house that had a sign "St Josephs" so I rang the bell. The parish church is St Andrews so this was a long shot. And wrong.
Around the corner of the house came a nice lady who informed me that was just the name of her house. She had recently moved and was grateful to St Joseph for prayers answered, so she named it in his honour. And then we chatted. Conversations always break out when you meet someone new here.
She was recently acquainted with long lost relatives so was sympathetic to my plight. She also pointed out that the directions I had received had missed a vital piece of information. After walking up the street I had to take the first street on the left, and then it would be the second big house on the left. Aha! When the librarian had said "It's on the left" she knew about that turn but that piece of information didn't quite make it into her directions. Perhaps when she emphasized it was 'on the left' she thought I might actually turn left at the next corner. But I didn't.
Ah well, I walked back, turned at the right place and found the rectory. Nobody answered the doorbell despite the sign saying they were open 9 to 5. It was 12:30. So I found a little cafe and had bowl of soup and brown bread, assuming they were out for lunch.
This time I used Google to find the phone number of the rectory and I called. It was now after 1. Of course, lunch is from 1 to 2. But the phone rang through to the priest who said that mere mortals like myself cannot access the records directly and then quoted some sort of law or statement of "the reasons". I do understand and would have been surprised actually to have been allowed to put my little paws on ancient records. The problem I believe, is that the records go right up to the present day and those are private. [Those are also of little interest to me. My folks left circa 1850. I'm looking for Walsh and McDonald families. Those names are still used in the area around Bagenalstown, including I'm told, in the townland of Bohermore which is my specific target.]
But - he said the administrator would do a search if I let her know what it was I was looking for. I would email her when I got home.
First though, a stop at Aldi to increase the supply of those lovely Aldi chocolate bars. More accurately, the boxes with individually wrapped portions that are in a box that looks like a chocolate bar. Friends are waiting for these samples at home. My local Aldi doesn't have as good a selection. Mission accomplished. Some varieties are still missing from the collection. Now I have a new mission - visit every Aldi shop I come across.
So, ready to head home, and setting the GPS for Moss Cottage I trusted it to get me out of town and on the right road. Silly - why should this time be different? We did start out on the right road and as soon as it looked familiar, I should have turned the thing off. Instead I let Bossy Pants (BP) tell me where to go. She did fine for a while. Sneaky devil.
Some intersections are not straight through. They involve a turn and then another immediate turn in the opposite direction. I'm used to that. When BP said turn left and then turn right, I did so. And that's what led to some amazing views on a lovely road I'd never travelled. I thought I knew where it was leading - it wasn't. Then it got narrower. And the centre line disappeared. The hedges got closer together, or seemed to.
When there is no longer a centre line, you just know that there will be oncoming traffic. Well not traffic exactly, as that implies a flow of vehicles. This is more like intermittent surprises coming at you. I have now determined, albeit not scientifically, that you will have to pass an oncoming car: a) at the narrowest part of the road surface which does vary depending on the geography; b) on a one lane stone bridge with limited visibility of what is coming at you; or c) on a curve. Fortunately, it was only cars and a small van yesterday. Tractors pulling all manner of 'accessories', and large trucks, use those roads too, but not where I was yesterday.
Anyway, despite the grey skies and frequent showers, the views were tremendous. The dash cam was safe and dry in Moss Cottage, not on the inside of the windshield. Next time!
I did get back to the N80 eventually and instead of returning directly to the cottage, I turned off BP and turned in the other direction for Tullow. At the Tesco I found the sort of socks I was looking for. The ladies crew socks I had bought at Aldi were too short and refused to stay up. I found some small size men's socks in navy, black and grey and very inexpensive - 5 prs to a pack. Perfect. I can attest this morning that they are exactly what I needed.
I had packed socks, only a few pairs, thinking I'd just wash them out in the evening. Silly me. Hand wash when there is a washing machine? I needed to increase the supply to meet my needs and have now done so - for the second time.
And there on another shelf was a nice bottle of Merlot with my name on it whispering to be picked up, so I am now providing a good, if temporary, home for it.
I dispatched an email to the lady at the parish and before long she had replied indicating she would be happy to help me if I sent what I had and what I'm looking for. Later I prepared a document of what I have, and a couple of screen images of records that might (or not) be the right folks.
Sending that bloody email was something else. My Mac mail app is intermittently friendly/unfriendly towards gmail accounts. I happily sent off the message last night and went to bed. Guess what - it was still in the unsent folder this morning. After several attempts and opening and closing the Mail app, my information finally left the Outbox and hopefully landed in Eleanor's Inbox.
And that's when I saw it! A mouse - scurrying along the wall behind my dining table, and then in and out around the stove and recycling bin. Arggghh. I don't care for mice - at all - ever - anywhere. I've searched the laundry area in the shed below and found no traps. I've now left a voice message for Mary and Brian to see if they have any traps on hand.
Don't go all mushy on me and say don't kill it. That mouse is doomed. I plan to make use of the cheese in the fridge in a way not thought of when purchased. Or maybe I'll use some peanut butter, but it's the natural kind and very runny, so probably the cheese is the better bait. Hopefully there will be multiple traps which I'll set downstairs as well. The little rodent is upstairs with me - not downstairs where he probably got in. Very soon this place will be full of traps. When I catch the prey, I hope Brian is prepared to dispose of it. That's not my strong suit.
Today it was quite clear when I got up around 7:30 but now at almost 9:30 and one cup of coffee later the forecast of rain and wind seems to be looming. No problem there - I have no plans to leave the nest. Of course, I'm not happy about sharing it with Mickey Mouse - or maybe Minnie - but I'll be vigilant and ready to leap onto a chair if need be.
Brian has just arrived with two traps, now ready for action upon the return of the wee mousie. He's also setting out a different solution in the bedrooms below, on the ground floor. They have to have gotten in down there and I never thought I'd see one here upstairs.
Now - to get on with today. The wind is picking up and the rain is not far off. An adventure is planned for Sunday. Details as things unfold, or rather, after they have unfolded.
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