Saturday started out cloudy as far as weather was concerned, but it did get much better.
No genealogy was even attempted over the weekend. Imagine, two full days of food, fun and friends was not interrupted by searching for records. It was glorious and for a non-genealogist probably easy to imagine.
A very early start on Saturday (06:30) was a bit of a challenge. The overnight bag was packed and loaded into the trunk of my trusty rented Ford Focus. The GPS was at hand if needed. House keys and some cash were stuffed into my handbag and after a bite of a granola bar, I was off to Craanford to meet Margaret #1.
Once Margaret was safely stowed in the passenger seat, I pointed the car in the direction of Gorey and off we went. Life is always an adventure with Marg, who never runs out of good ideas and instructions. Sometimes we pay attention to her and when we do, good things happen. Her original idea was that we would take the scenic route, and I'm usually all for that, but had we spurned the motorway we might still be en route to Maynooth.
So, we took the road more traveled, and got to Maynooth in good time. Finally breakfast! We stopped at her sister Michelle's place, parked our vehicle in Michelle's spot and turned ourselves over to her capable driving skills.
First stop was The Coffee Mill for a tasty brekkie and COFFEE!. From there we drove and then walked around the campus of Maynooth University - well, around some of it. It's a very old university with beautiful stone buildings and enough places to walk to keep you going for a month. We narrowed the possibilities and walked around the Church (no admission to outsiders), seminary (where we did sneak in for a wander through a couple of corridors), and the cemetery. The best part of the cemetery was the arched trees forming a wonderful canopy that would rival The Dark Hedges of Northern Ireland, leading up to it. There was even a sprinkling of snow drops (the flowers, not flakes) along the sides of the path. Apparently we will have an opportunity to enjoy (???) snow FLAKES later this week on more than one occasion.
From there it was off to Rathfarnham to visit the Padraig Pearse museum. Quite the teacher and patriot was he. The building is furnished, if not with original desks, beds (it was a boarding school), and other furniture, then replicas or similar items were used. The description of the uniforms for the boys of this school was interesting. One of the words to describe them was 'hygienic'. The boys wore brown kilts. Hygienic? Well maybe. Airy for sure.
Leaving behind the world of academia, we headed to the world of the rich and famous. The storied K club, where for a mere 379 Euro we could have played a round of golf. There were players on the course. Conditions were, in my humble opinion, a bit short of ideal - the temperature was 5C. My lower limit is 10C. It was also windy. With a green fee of 379 Euro, I would expect to be fed, wined, dined and have a score below par. So, we decided to just have coffee and a scone instead. Oh yes, I did a wee bit of shopping in the pro shop. No, there were no bargains, but I met a vest I couldn't resist. With this week's forecast I might start wearing it right away.
My golfing dreams, well a photo op, satisfied, we headed out in another direction to Castletown. The grounds were open for walking and of course the cafe was open, but the building itself is closed until March 16. This was, and is, the largest estate home in Ireland. Built back in the day when no building could exceed Buckingham Palace in the number of windows, the owners were forced to brick up one window so that it had fewer than the Palace.
Not to be outdone by either of the preceding two stops of the day, we proceeded to Carton House - another golf resort which offers much more - a hotel, spa, training facility, reception rooms and a pro shop that was (mercifully) closed. Folks were playing golf there too. By this time it was quite sunny but still very chilly. From what I could gather online, you could play a round of golf there for just over 10% of the cost at the K club. We declined the availability of afternoon tea, and golf, and just ogled several of the reception rooms. It must have been a slow weekend - they were all vacant and available for exploring. Well, nobody stopped us anyway. One room had a wall of pipes for a pipe organ but there was no sign of an organ.
At this point we had walked miles and were a bit weary, so adjourned to Michelle's where we ordered Chinese take-out for supper. Then Margaret and I got back into the Ford and headed towards Ashford. There I left Marg in the capable hands of her son who was going to drive her home, and stay the night visiting his parents.
I drove a mile down the road to Rossanna Farm, the home of Margaret #2, where I'd spend the night. I got a warm welcome from Margaret and Eugene, a cup of herbal tea and simply could not resist a bite of dessert. And then to bed, where I slept soundly and woke up ready for another adventure.
I will add a post with photos later.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Thursday and Friday - a write-off?
Thursday was spent sneezing, blowing my nose and searching high and low (slowly) for some energy. Alas it was not to be found on the premises. I didn't even get to the Storytelling evening, partly out of consideration for the others who might attend and would not be too interested in sharing my cold. The other reason was that I went to bed early and slept for 10 hours. That was the right move.
Friday dawned and a couple of hours later I emerged from the cocoon of my duvet and rejoined the living, moving and not-sneezing part of the population.
A cup of coffee would have been just the thing to propel me into activity and productivity. Not so fast! The milk had gone off and curdled in my cup. Arrggghhh. Herbal tea just didn't cut it but it was hot.
The weather was not wonderful so aside from a brief shopping trip to Aldi, for milk, I can't point to any accomplishments. Well, aside from the milk I did add to the supplies for the chocolate decadence event planned for shortly after my return home. If you don't know about this event, my apologies but you'll never find out. If you do know about it, everything is on track.
Friday dawned and a couple of hours later I emerged from the cocoon of my duvet and rejoined the living, moving and not-sneezing part of the population.
A cup of coffee would have been just the thing to propel me into activity and productivity. Not so fast! The milk had gone off and curdled in my cup. Arrggghhh. Herbal tea just didn't cut it but it was hot.
The weather was not wonderful so aside from a brief shopping trip to Aldi, for milk, I can't point to any accomplishments. Well, aside from the milk I did add to the supplies for the chocolate decadence event planned for shortly after my return home. If you don't know about this event, my apologies but you'll never find out. If you do know about it, everything is on track.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Non-genealogists need not bother reading today
Today after I got up, I went to the computer to check email and got a message that set the tone and activities for the rest of the day. There was a message from the genealogist at Carlow library. She had replied to my query about assistance with local searches, with examples of the specific names I was looking for.
Surprise! it was Bernie from Back to our Past - the conference in Belfast. She works at the Carlow and Gorey genealogy centres. We had spoken at some length last weekend. I now have an appointment for a consultation next Tuesday and this is why...
Bernie sent me transcriptions from Dunleckney parish records with the baptisms of most of the Mcdonald offspring that I've been seeking. Some of the names were new to me (yay!) and others confirmed what I'd already found (yay again). Of course, since some of the offspring had baptism records and were not found in Canada two decades later, I still have to find what became of Bridget and John.
So far the parents marriages are elusive but they might be found in another parish where the wife lived before the marriage. So, what parish might that be? One is obvious as it is adjacent. The townlands are just a few miles apart. Some discoveries were made and possibly I now have the names of one more generation back. At this point, in my excitement, I had to remind myself that matching names in nearby areas does not necessarily mean you've found the right family members. But, it's a start.
This information dealt with, after corroboration of some of it on ancestry.com, I let my fingers wander to open my Facebook page. Ta-da - a post on a genealogy page from someone with a surname matching an in-law family, who was from the same townland as my Byrnes. More correspondence was exchanged. I was able to share some records and point to others. Now we both have fingers and toes crossed for more progress.
Still waiting to hear again from my local DNA match.
This evening I decided I simply had to go out, so I went to a local drama group's production at a nearby school auditorium. The play was a Neil Simon farce, Rumours. It was well done and was a great way to spend the evening. I didn't see anyone there that I knew at all.
Tomorrow, if the rain don't fall and the crick don't rise, I'll do a bit of driving around. Actually, I will likely go only as far as Altamont Gardens and hope that the carpet of snowdrops of all varieties are still showing off. That was snow DROPS not flakes. Flowers not frost. The camera and my legs are in need of a workout.
In the evening the storytelling session starts at 7 pm in the local library. For reasons unknown to me, it was moved up in time from 8 to 7 pm and to a different location than usual. But it's bound to be just as entertaining as ever.
Surprise! it was Bernie from Back to our Past - the conference in Belfast. She works at the Carlow and Gorey genealogy centres. We had spoken at some length last weekend. I now have an appointment for a consultation next Tuesday and this is why...
Bernie sent me transcriptions from Dunleckney parish records with the baptisms of most of the Mcdonald offspring that I've been seeking. Some of the names were new to me (yay!) and others confirmed what I'd already found (yay again). Of course, since some of the offspring had baptism records and were not found in Canada two decades later, I still have to find what became of Bridget and John.
So far the parents marriages are elusive but they might be found in another parish where the wife lived before the marriage. So, what parish might that be? One is obvious as it is adjacent. The townlands are just a few miles apart. Some discoveries were made and possibly I now have the names of one more generation back. At this point, in my excitement, I had to remind myself that matching names in nearby areas does not necessarily mean you've found the right family members. But, it's a start.
This information dealt with, after corroboration of some of it on ancestry.com, I let my fingers wander to open my Facebook page. Ta-da - a post on a genealogy page from someone with a surname matching an in-law family, who was from the same townland as my Byrnes. More correspondence was exchanged. I was able to share some records and point to others. Now we both have fingers and toes crossed for more progress.
Still waiting to hear again from my local DNA match.
This evening I decided I simply had to go out, so I went to a local drama group's production at a nearby school auditorium. The play was a Neil Simon farce, Rumours. It was well done and was a great way to spend the evening. I didn't see anyone there that I knew at all.
Tomorrow, if the rain don't fall and the crick don't rise, I'll do a bit of driving around. Actually, I will likely go only as far as Altamont Gardens and hope that the carpet of snowdrops of all varieties are still showing off. That was snow DROPS not flakes. Flowers not frost. The camera and my legs are in need of a workout.
In the evening the storytelling session starts at 7 pm in the local library. For reasons unknown to me, it was moved up in time from 8 to 7 pm and to a different location than usual. But it's bound to be just as entertaining as ever.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Today I was the stationary genealogist
Not having slept much last night, I wasn't exactly raring to go today. It was a shame really - the sun was bright, there were very few clouds and the chill in the air was quite bracing.
I managed a load of laundry which got hung on the clothesline for some freshening, and a walk into town for a haircut. The proof of whether the latter was successful will come tomorrow when I wash my hair again. That darn hill isn't getting any easier to climb to come home.
There was also a trip to Aldi for a few protein selections to sit on the dinner plate beside the veggies which are already on hand. I'm quite looking forward to the organic salmon, the duck breast stuffed pancakes (well, more like tortillas), the trout and the salmon cakes. Hmmm - I see a fishy trend.
Not to be totally focused on the healthy options, I decided to begin purchasing the selections for a chocolate decadence experience with close friends when I get home. Yes, Flowers, that means you! There is a remarkable selection and not being able to decide I chose the three different chocolate bars that are marked as suitable for pairing with wine - notably Riesling, Malbec and Penusco. The last one is new to me. I added a small box of Rose Creams and Violet Creams. Never having eaten roses or violets I'm not sure we'll be able to tell if the flavours are authentic. But how bad could they be? For good measure I purchased duplicates. It's possible the Sirens might have to help out in this endeavour. Start fasting now ladies.
This evening as I enjoyed the comfort of the sofa, there were a couple of back to back tv shows about places in Ireland I'd never been. Some I'd never heard of. Historical context was included and they were quite compelling. Perhaps they will lead to a couple of new destinations on the GPS at some future date. I definitely want to go to Castletown and in fact it might just be on the agenda for Saturday.
From having no plans at noon and wondering where to go for little adventures, I now have a quite full social calendar. Note to self - make sure Monday has no engagements. Friday evening will be spent visiting with family at Coolross. I drove there and back last night with not the slightest hesitation about directions. This is a possible first.
Saturday will have an early start. Off to Craanford by 8 am to collect Margaret G., then off to Maynooth to meet with her sister who will take over as tour guide. Apparently we're going to take the 'long way' not the main roads to get there. With me at the wheel that probably means the 'wrong' way. Once there, we're off to explore the environs and I believe Castletown is quite close. I hope it's not too late a night.
Sunday morning I'm to be in Ashford at Rossanna Farm by 10:30 and then off to Co Meath with the other Margaret, to step waaaaay back in time at Loughcrew. Depending on how fatigued I am by the end of the day, I might just bring an overnight bag in case I have to impose on the Stephens' hospitality.
Now - to genealogy land. You have been warned.
I did a bit of re-research this afternoon, to look over some records I'd previously found. My Walsh (2), McMahon and Mcdonald ancestors are from the parish of Dunleckney, in Co Carlow. I'm not sure if they were from the townland of that same name, but I believe so. It's very nearby so I'll go exploring in the morning. More sun in the forecast. One must remain optimistic, that in a local pub at the destination, there just might be someone who is well versed in family history of the area and knows if any descendants still live thereabouts. From what I've read, there is a cemetery that is just begging me to look for those names on the headstones too.
Also today I exchanged some correspondence with another cousin, alerted by a DNA match on Ancestry. He was able to verify and add to the line on which we are connected. He lives in Florida and the family in question once lived in NY - Brooklyn I think.
So, in winding down the day, I'm hoping for a good and long sleep to prepare me for the tomorrow's exploring.
I managed a load of laundry which got hung on the clothesline for some freshening, and a walk into town for a haircut. The proof of whether the latter was successful will come tomorrow when I wash my hair again. That darn hill isn't getting any easier to climb to come home.
There was also a trip to Aldi for a few protein selections to sit on the dinner plate beside the veggies which are already on hand. I'm quite looking forward to the organic salmon, the duck breast stuffed pancakes (well, more like tortillas), the trout and the salmon cakes. Hmmm - I see a fishy trend.
Not to be totally focused on the healthy options, I decided to begin purchasing the selections for a chocolate decadence experience with close friends when I get home. Yes, Flowers, that means you! There is a remarkable selection and not being able to decide I chose the three different chocolate bars that are marked as suitable for pairing with wine - notably Riesling, Malbec and Penusco. The last one is new to me. I added a small box of Rose Creams and Violet Creams. Never having eaten roses or violets I'm not sure we'll be able to tell if the flavours are authentic. But how bad could they be? For good measure I purchased duplicates. It's possible the Sirens might have to help out in this endeavour. Start fasting now ladies.
This evening as I enjoyed the comfort of the sofa, there were a couple of back to back tv shows about places in Ireland I'd never been. Some I'd never heard of. Historical context was included and they were quite compelling. Perhaps they will lead to a couple of new destinations on the GPS at some future date. I definitely want to go to Castletown and in fact it might just be on the agenda for Saturday.
From having no plans at noon and wondering where to go for little adventures, I now have a quite full social calendar. Note to self - make sure Monday has no engagements. Friday evening will be spent visiting with family at Coolross. I drove there and back last night with not the slightest hesitation about directions. This is a possible first.
Saturday will have an early start. Off to Craanford by 8 am to collect Margaret G., then off to Maynooth to meet with her sister who will take over as tour guide. Apparently we're going to take the 'long way' not the main roads to get there. With me at the wheel that probably means the 'wrong' way. Once there, we're off to explore the environs and I believe Castletown is quite close. I hope it's not too late a night.
Sunday morning I'm to be in Ashford at Rossanna Farm by 10:30 and then off to Co Meath with the other Margaret, to step waaaaay back in time at Loughcrew. Depending on how fatigued I am by the end of the day, I might just bring an overnight bag in case I have to impose on the Stephens' hospitality.
Now - to genealogy land. You have been warned.
I did a bit of re-research this afternoon, to look over some records I'd previously found. My Walsh (2), McMahon and Mcdonald ancestors are from the parish of Dunleckney, in Co Carlow. I'm not sure if they were from the townland of that same name, but I believe so. It's very nearby so I'll go exploring in the morning. More sun in the forecast. One must remain optimistic, that in a local pub at the destination, there just might be someone who is well versed in family history of the area and knows if any descendants still live thereabouts. From what I've read, there is a cemetery that is just begging me to look for those names on the headstones too.
Also today I exchanged some correspondence with another cousin, alerted by a DNA match on Ancestry. He was able to verify and add to the line on which we are connected. He lives in Florida and the family in question once lived in NY - Brooklyn I think.
So, in winding down the day, I'm hoping for a good and long sleep to prepare me for the tomorrow's exploring.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Sunday in the rain and Monday in the sun
Leaving Belfast it seemed only right to take the coastal route to see the Mountains of Mourne. Apparently on a day with sun, or at least no rain, one actually sees some very impressive mountains. We, however, did not. There were signposts guiding the journey so the GPS was a mere added extra. One sign pointed to an upper loop higher up on the mountain side. It was shrouded in fog. Having been in fog on other precarious routes, we opted not to bother. Photo-ops would have totalled zero. As it was they totalled almost zero. The one exception was the photo I posted on Facebook of a sign that said: A balanced diet consists in having a glass of wine in each hand. Hardly worth posting here as it's on FB.
Now the longest part of the journey, Belfast to near Dublin airport, was good, if you don't count the endless rain and inability to see any scenery beyond a couple of hundred yards. The real excitement began when trying to get to John's hotel near the airport - the Clayton. I've stayed there in the past and knew it was on the "other" side of the motorway from the airport. If you have been on the motorway near Dublin airport you'll know of the lovely roundabouts, multiple choice exits and heavy traffic. The combination was, well, daunting. We saw a few of the roundabouts several times, experimenting with various exits. We ended up south of the airport, north of the airport and seemingly stuck in a time warp on the airport side of the motorway. Frustrating - not half! And the GPS was chatting madly about all directions.
Eventually we found the hotel, and leaving the car in a taxi zone, with me waiting inside in case of "approach of the Garda", John checked in. Then it was off to arrange a few details of the car rental with Hertz.
Having circled the airport a few times already it seemed like a straightforward and short trip back some of the ways we had come. Well, it was shorter but not without a couple of wrong turns once more. Eventually we got to Hertz and settled the details.
There was no further need for a second driver which was pretty easy to sort out. However, I was not happy with the car. It was a Renault, Capital - sort of an SUV that felt much bigger than it measured. I sat quite low despite being told it was higher than a sedan. Besides, you can't find stuff in a Renault. I'm sure there was a clock on the dash someplace but after a week we had still not located it. I'd come to loathe the vehicle and wanted something with a smaller feel, but still automatic.
I was offered an Audi - an upgrade but offered because the VW Golf I wanted was unavailable. The transaction was almost complete when the Hertz man said, by the way it takes petrol not diesel. Diesel is cheaper and gets better mileage. Oops. Then he offered me a Ford Focus and brought the smile back to my face.
Now I have a nice vehicle, with a clock, with easily found accessories like lights and wipers, and it's a diesel. Life is good.
After dropping John back at the hotel I had a moment of doubt that the GPS would get me through the maze of the "near the airport" traffic obstacles, but it was unwarranted. I managed to follow directions completely and was back at Moss Cottage in about 90 minutes. It was still raining.
This morning however, after a reasonable night's sleep, was sunny and mild - in a word, glorious. I'd guess it came close to 10C today. I did a couple of loads of laundry and if the clothes dry overnight, I'll be all set to face the world in clean clothing once again. I chatted for a bit with Brian who showed me some of the flowers in his fantastic garden. I'd be more than happy to identify them should I ever remember to ask him again what they are called. One is a double and the other is not - both are lovely. And it's FEBRUARY!!
The old building is the Fever Hospital after which this street is named - Hospital Hill. Can only see it when the leaves are scarce on the trees.
Later I walked into town and briefly stopped in the tourist office. I never did that last year. As it happens, there is a play on Tues-Wed and Thur nights at the local high school. It's a production by the drama group that won the All-Ireland competition last year so you can be sure I'll go to one of the shows Tues or Wed. On Thursday it's story-telling night, relocated to the library this time. I believe I'll drive as it's a bit far to walk home at night. Usually it's at St Aiden's hall about 300 yds from my door.
And that, dear readers, brings you up to the minute except for a genealogy alert. Should you have no interest in my family line, do stop now.
While in Belfast at the conference I did speak with a few people who offered some suggestions on my Northern Ireland connection. One variation on a surname has not led to any new discoveries. However, a passing thought over the past couple of years, has led me to start pursuing someone who is possibly the brother of a three times great grandfather and from that maybe, just maybe, I will find more of the guy I'm really looking for.
Today, checking my latest DNA results at ancestry.com, I found a connection to the Sewards. Yay! They were in NY, Brooklyn area, and I've found very little about them. Fingers crossed that my message brings a reply.
Sometime before Christmas I'd made a DNA connection on a maternal line - likely McGrath but maybe Maher. The person I'm related to lives in Enniscorthy, about 15 miles away. We've corresponded but I obviously forgot to mention that I'd be in Belfast on the weekend. He stopped by the cottage. Now it seems the phone number he provided probably has a digit switched, so I sent off another email. Fingers crossed.
Also potentially a route to cover in the next two weeks, is the trail of a Walsh gg grandparent, and maybe a Mcdonald. Both come from an area about 15 miles in another direction near Bagnelstown. I'll have to make a few notes before heading madly off in that direction to see if there might be any evidence to be found there.
Now the longest part of the journey, Belfast to near Dublin airport, was good, if you don't count the endless rain and inability to see any scenery beyond a couple of hundred yards. The real excitement began when trying to get to John's hotel near the airport - the Clayton. I've stayed there in the past and knew it was on the "other" side of the motorway from the airport. If you have been on the motorway near Dublin airport you'll know of the lovely roundabouts, multiple choice exits and heavy traffic. The combination was, well, daunting. We saw a few of the roundabouts several times, experimenting with various exits. We ended up south of the airport, north of the airport and seemingly stuck in a time warp on the airport side of the motorway. Frustrating - not half! And the GPS was chatting madly about all directions.
Eventually we found the hotel, and leaving the car in a taxi zone, with me waiting inside in case of "approach of the Garda", John checked in. Then it was off to arrange a few details of the car rental with Hertz.
Having circled the airport a few times already it seemed like a straightforward and short trip back some of the ways we had come. Well, it was shorter but not without a couple of wrong turns once more. Eventually we got to Hertz and settled the details.
There was no further need for a second driver which was pretty easy to sort out. However, I was not happy with the car. It was a Renault, Capital - sort of an SUV that felt much bigger than it measured. I sat quite low despite being told it was higher than a sedan. Besides, you can't find stuff in a Renault. I'm sure there was a clock on the dash someplace but after a week we had still not located it. I'd come to loathe the vehicle and wanted something with a smaller feel, but still automatic.
I was offered an Audi - an upgrade but offered because the VW Golf I wanted was unavailable. The transaction was almost complete when the Hertz man said, by the way it takes petrol not diesel. Diesel is cheaper and gets better mileage. Oops. Then he offered me a Ford Focus and brought the smile back to my face.
Now I have a nice vehicle, with a clock, with easily found accessories like lights and wipers, and it's a diesel. Life is good.
After dropping John back at the hotel I had a moment of doubt that the GPS would get me through the maze of the "near the airport" traffic obstacles, but it was unwarranted. I managed to follow directions completely and was back at Moss Cottage in about 90 minutes. It was still raining.
This morning however, after a reasonable night's sleep, was sunny and mild - in a word, glorious. I'd guess it came close to 10C today. I did a couple of loads of laundry and if the clothes dry overnight, I'll be all set to face the world in clean clothing once again. I chatted for a bit with Brian who showed me some of the flowers in his fantastic garden. I'd be more than happy to identify them should I ever remember to ask him again what they are called. One is a double and the other is not - both are lovely. And it's FEBRUARY!!
The old building is the Fever Hospital after which this street is named - Hospital Hill. Can only see it when the leaves are scarce on the trees.
Later I walked into town and briefly stopped in the tourist office. I never did that last year. As it happens, there is a play on Tues-Wed and Thur nights at the local high school. It's a production by the drama group that won the All-Ireland competition last year so you can be sure I'll go to one of the shows Tues or Wed. On Thursday it's story-telling night, relocated to the library this time. I believe I'll drive as it's a bit far to walk home at night. Usually it's at St Aiden's hall about 300 yds from my door.
And that, dear readers, brings you up to the minute except for a genealogy alert. Should you have no interest in my family line, do stop now.
While in Belfast at the conference I did speak with a few people who offered some suggestions on my Northern Ireland connection. One variation on a surname has not led to any new discoveries. However, a passing thought over the past couple of years, has led me to start pursuing someone who is possibly the brother of a three times great grandfather and from that maybe, just maybe, I will find more of the guy I'm really looking for.
Today, checking my latest DNA results at ancestry.com, I found a connection to the Sewards. Yay! They were in NY, Brooklyn area, and I've found very little about them. Fingers crossed that my message brings a reply.
Sometime before Christmas I'd made a DNA connection on a maternal line - likely McGrath but maybe Maher. The person I'm related to lives in Enniscorthy, about 15 miles away. We've corresponded but I obviously forgot to mention that I'd be in Belfast on the weekend. He stopped by the cottage. Now it seems the phone number he provided probably has a digit switched, so I sent off another email. Fingers crossed.
Also potentially a route to cover in the next two weeks, is the trail of a Walsh gg grandparent, and maybe a Mcdonald. Both come from an area about 15 miles in another direction near Bagnelstown. I'll have to make a few notes before heading madly off in that direction to see if there might be any evidence to be found there.
Where do I begin after 3 days away
Well Friday was spent mostly in the car. Given the distance from Bunclody to Belfast one might guess that trip took longer than the drive from Titanic Belfast, where the Conference took place, to the hotel which was only a couple of miles away. I suppose the long drive took more actual time, but it was totally uneventful and without a single episode of getting lost.
Not so the short journey from Titanic Belfast to the Radisson Blu hotel. Bear in mind that it was 5 pm, that the entire population of the city was in cars, on our route. Remember also that the road system in Belfast was devised either by a sick mind or someone whose hobby was designing mazes and got all of that experience from arranging street layouts.
We had a GPS and it was very bossy. However, turns were sometimes not very evident and so close together that there was not sufficient time for warning of the change in direction. I was not actually watching the time but my best guess of how long the 2-3 mile drive took was almost an hour. Of course it was dark by the time we arrived, and for much of the drive, so I'm unable to describe what we passed by way of landmarks. I believe we passed some of them multiple times. In fact, we were practically on top of the hotel but the sign is on the roof of the building and we were on the ground and didn't see it at the end of a dead end street. I think it was on our second 'visit' to the area that we happened upon the destination. Alleluia!
Anyway, the conference sessions were very good and my knowledge of DNA in genealogy has been expanded greatly. It was a gathering of so many great minds I was humbled by the company. Saturday's sessions were equally as good.
The assembled group included: Maurice Gleeson, Debbie Kennett, Katherine Borges, John Cleary, Brad Larkin, Michelle Leonard and to the others go my apologies for a poor memory.
Both days, fortified by substantial breakfasts, we sailed past lunch with only a chance to snatch a morsel from the table offerings of the exhibitors. There was no scheduled lunch break and we didn't want to miss any sessions.
Dinner on Saturday was a great time, at McHugh's pub, not far from the conference site. We drove and after a certain amount of circling city blocks, none of them square, we found a place to abandon the car, facing the wrong way. Parking that way is very common. You see a spot, you go for it no matter which way you were driving. Substantial revenue would be generated in Canada by fining that sort of parking.
The history of this bar is fascinating. It's the oldest standing building in Belfast, dating to the early 18th century. If you click the link, scroll down the page to read the history. I think we were in the Lucan room.
Shortly after our group of about 20 trickled in, we discovered, without moving, that there was a third floor and the occupants were engaged in Irish dancing. For a moment it felt like them might suddenly join us! There was music in the background but we were so busily engaged in conversation that for the most part we took little notice. Food was excellent and I must say the Guinness was up to scratch.
Being in the land of Game of Thrones, there were tours and adventures the days before and after the conference itself. Alas, having watched not a single episode, we declined to participate. Some wore GOT costumes and were most impressive. None of the speakers was paid, nor did they have expenses covered. This is one dedicated group of DNA genealogists. There was a general genealogy stream but I'm unable to comment, having not attended any of those sessions.
When on a staircase, when you are half way up you are neither up nor down. This is the reproduction of the grand staircase on the Titanic. Fortunately this one is on land with little danger of sinking. No icebergs have been noted in the vicinity of Belfast. Sadly, we were unable to capitalize on being at that site and did not explore it - not even the gift shop! I have been there before although didn't have time to do it justice.
Not so the short journey from Titanic Belfast to the Radisson Blu hotel. Bear in mind that it was 5 pm, that the entire population of the city was in cars, on our route. Remember also that the road system in Belfast was devised either by a sick mind or someone whose hobby was designing mazes and got all of that experience from arranging street layouts.
We had a GPS and it was very bossy. However, turns were sometimes not very evident and so close together that there was not sufficient time for warning of the change in direction. I was not actually watching the time but my best guess of how long the 2-3 mile drive took was almost an hour. Of course it was dark by the time we arrived, and for much of the drive, so I'm unable to describe what we passed by way of landmarks. I believe we passed some of them multiple times. In fact, we were practically on top of the hotel but the sign is on the roof of the building and we were on the ground and didn't see it at the end of a dead end street. I think it was on our second 'visit' to the area that we happened upon the destination. Alleluia!
Anyway, the conference sessions were very good and my knowledge of DNA in genealogy has been expanded greatly. It was a gathering of so many great minds I was humbled by the company. Saturday's sessions were equally as good.
The assembled group included: Maurice Gleeson, Debbie Kennett, Katherine Borges, John Cleary, Brad Larkin, Michelle Leonard and to the others go my apologies for a poor memory.
Both days, fortified by substantial breakfasts, we sailed past lunch with only a chance to snatch a morsel from the table offerings of the exhibitors. There was no scheduled lunch break and we didn't want to miss any sessions.
Dinner on Saturday was a great time, at McHugh's pub, not far from the conference site. We drove and after a certain amount of circling city blocks, none of them square, we found a place to abandon the car, facing the wrong way. Parking that way is very common. You see a spot, you go for it no matter which way you were driving. Substantial revenue would be generated in Canada by fining that sort of parking.
Shortly after our group of about 20 trickled in, we discovered, without moving, that there was a third floor and the occupants were engaged in Irish dancing. For a moment it felt like them might suddenly join us! There was music in the background but we were so busily engaged in conversation that for the most part we took little notice. Food was excellent and I must say the Guinness was up to scratch.
Being in the land of Game of Thrones, there were tours and adventures the days before and after the conference itself. Alas, having watched not a single episode, we declined to participate. Some wore GOT costumes and were most impressive. None of the speakers was paid, nor did they have expenses covered. This is one dedicated group of DNA genealogists. There was a general genealogy stream but I'm unable to comment, having not attended any of those sessions.When on a staircase, when you are half way up you are neither up nor down. This is the reproduction of the grand staircase on the Titanic. Fortunately this one is on land with little danger of sinking. No icebergs have been noted in the vicinity of Belfast. Sadly, we were unable to capitalize on being at that site and did not explore it - not even the gift shop! I have been there before although didn't have time to do it justice.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Off to Kilkenny City, but a cave got in our way
Sunny! OK - touring is on the schedule. Where to? Why, the medieval city of Kilkenny of course. I never tire of wandering and touring in this wonderful place. Driving there, however, is not something I particularly love, on the narrow twisting two-way streets. I always meet a bus or huge truck coming at me.
Not to be deterred by those thoughts, the car was pointed in the direction of Kilkenny and it was smooth sailing most of the way. Suddenly it got cloudy and started raining. Well, having done a little homework on what was in the area, a visit to the Dunmore Cave seemed like a good place to get out of the rain. So, we took the third exit from the roundabout instead of the first and soon found ourselves at the visitor centre.
Beginning with a nice educational video, having obtained senior rate tickets without even asking (should we have been offended or just grateful?), we paid little notice to the verbal notification that there were in excess of 700 steps. Well, that's going and coming back. Guess which way meant climbing up. Yep!
So down we went into the largest cave in Ireland and were met by Eamer, who for a lack of crowds, essentially became our private guide. There is something to be said for winter visits to Ireland and the lack of crowds.
I can't begin to remember every detail so numbers might be a bit off. It seems that in 978 there might have been a massacre. Bodies of women and children were found in one part of the cave. Were they trying to hide from the Vikings? Were they kidnapped and housed there? How about DNA examination of the bones? Well it seems the bones made a trip to Dublin and one way or another, got lost. They are probably around but mixed in with other similar 'artifacts' and it is not on anyone's radar to make figuring it out a priority.
We saw one lone bat flying around. The cave is home to roughly 1000 bats during the winter. Fortunately they prefer an area that's quite remote and hard to access and they mostly stay there just hanging around upside down. When an interior passage was pointed out, I wondered what skinny two year old was put through and told to go exploring and count bats. I was told that the passage is bigger than it looks, but simply requires crawling for a forgotten number of yards (50?) on hands and knees. Gee, sure wish that had been me. NOT.
Eventually we successfully made the exit climb and I swear my halo was glowing from the accomplishment. So, where to next? It was equidistant to Castlecomer where I remembered a nice cafe from last year, and Kilkenny and those narrow streets.
OK - Wicklow Gap it is, via Castlecomer, after a nice lunch at The Coffee House Cafe. I have been over the Wicklow Gap and the Sally Gap - its neighbour - and in my experience, once at the top, it was a lovely drive down the other side to Glendalough, another favourite destination. So, we set the Google Maps GPS for Wicklow Gap. Bad decision.
The drive took us over a lovely winding road, a long bridge and then on to some lovely twisting boreens. Those are roads so narrow and little used that grass grows in the middle. Nice! Fortunately we encountered only one car going the other way. In the middle of nowhere the GPS app told us we had arrived at our destination. What? No road intersecting the one from Sally Gap? No sign pointing to Glendalough? We had done a loop which eventually took us back to the town of Blessington, which we'd passed through and from where we made the turn off to the gap.
I'm not sure where I lodge a complaint that there should only be one Wicklow Gap. We did see an evergreen with Christmas decorations, as I had seen last year at Sally Gap. Who goes there with shiny coloured decorations and hangs them on a tree that only lost tourists will ever see? Never mind - it did look kind of festive and cute. We didn't stop - road was too narrow and someone could have been headed our way.
From Blessington we followed instructions and took the N81. With a slight side trip that took us off and then back on the N81, for reasons not apparent, we drove through Tullow and back to the N80 which goes right through Bunclody. Now home and enjoying a cup of tea, we're in for the evening.
Tomorrow there will be an early start as we want to be in Belfast for noon. Somewhere en route I want to exchange my old English pounds, which were perfectly good in Sheffield last year, for new English pounds which is all that is accepted now. I found out at Heathrow that I was in possession of antique bills and change. Luckily when I paid for lunch I did have among the paper and coins, enough that was acceptable. Northern Ireland uses pounds not euros, so somewhere along the way once we've crossed the border, a bank will have to be visited.
It's unlikely there will be a post until Monday night. I'm not taking the laptop along and the thought of typing on my phone or tablet is not appealing.
So I shall dig up a couple of pictures from today and sign off until next week.
Not to be deterred by those thoughts, the car was pointed in the direction of Kilkenny and it was smooth sailing most of the way. Suddenly it got cloudy and started raining. Well, having done a little homework on what was in the area, a visit to the Dunmore Cave seemed like a good place to get out of the rain. So, we took the third exit from the roundabout instead of the first and soon found ourselves at the visitor centre.
Beginning with a nice educational video, having obtained senior rate tickets without even asking (should we have been offended or just grateful?), we paid little notice to the verbal notification that there were in excess of 700 steps. Well, that's going and coming back. Guess which way meant climbing up. Yep!
So down we went into the largest cave in Ireland and were met by Eamer, who for a lack of crowds, essentially became our private guide. There is something to be said for winter visits to Ireland and the lack of crowds.
I can't begin to remember every detail so numbers might be a bit off. It seems that in 978 there might have been a massacre. Bodies of women and children were found in one part of the cave. Were they trying to hide from the Vikings? Were they kidnapped and housed there? How about DNA examination of the bones? Well it seems the bones made a trip to Dublin and one way or another, got lost. They are probably around but mixed in with other similar 'artifacts' and it is not on anyone's radar to make figuring it out a priority.
We saw one lone bat flying around. The cave is home to roughly 1000 bats during the winter. Fortunately they prefer an area that's quite remote and hard to access and they mostly stay there just hanging around upside down. When an interior passage was pointed out, I wondered what skinny two year old was put through and told to go exploring and count bats. I was told that the passage is bigger than it looks, but simply requires crawling for a forgotten number of yards (50?) on hands and knees. Gee, sure wish that had been me. NOT.Eventually we successfully made the exit climb and I swear my halo was glowing from the accomplishment. So, where to next? It was equidistant to Castlecomer where I remembered a nice cafe from last year, and Kilkenny and those narrow streets.
OK - Wicklow Gap it is, via Castlecomer, after a nice lunch at The Coffee House Cafe. I have been over the Wicklow Gap and the Sally Gap - its neighbour - and in my experience, once at the top, it was a lovely drive down the other side to Glendalough, another favourite destination. So, we set the Google Maps GPS for Wicklow Gap. Bad decision.
The drive took us over a lovely winding road, a long bridge and then on to some lovely twisting boreens. Those are roads so narrow and little used that grass grows in the middle. Nice! Fortunately we encountered only one car going the other way. In the middle of nowhere the GPS app told us we had arrived at our destination. What? No road intersecting the one from Sally Gap? No sign pointing to Glendalough? We had done a loop which eventually took us back to the town of Blessington, which we'd passed through and from where we made the turn off to the gap.
I'm not sure where I lodge a complaint that there should only be one Wicklow Gap. We did see an evergreen with Christmas decorations, as I had seen last year at Sally Gap. Who goes there with shiny coloured decorations and hangs them on a tree that only lost tourists will ever see? Never mind - it did look kind of festive and cute. We didn't stop - road was too narrow and someone could have been headed our way.
From Blessington we followed instructions and took the N81. With a slight side trip that took us off and then back on the N81, for reasons not apparent, we drove through Tullow and back to the N80 which goes right through Bunclody. Now home and enjoying a cup of tea, we're in for the evening.
Tomorrow there will be an early start as we want to be in Belfast for noon. Somewhere en route I want to exchange my old English pounds, which were perfectly good in Sheffield last year, for new English pounds which is all that is accepted now. I found out at Heathrow that I was in possession of antique bills and change. Luckily when I paid for lunch I did have among the paper and coins, enough that was acceptable. Northern Ireland uses pounds not euros, so somewhere along the way once we've crossed the border, a bank will have to be visited.
It's unlikely there will be a post until Monday night. I'm not taking the laptop along and the thought of typing on my phone or tablet is not appealing.
So I shall dig up a couple of pictures from today and sign off until next week.
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