Hello there - I realize it has been a while since my last post. I have not been doing much traveling but there have been a few noteworthy events and one that stopped me in my tracks.
I shall not bother you with details. I'm plugging along and hope to post a review of the past week's happy things soon.
Yesterday my friend Margaret Stephens came to Moss Cottage for dinner, and we followed that up with a performance of Agnes of God, by the Bunclody-Kilmyshall drama group. This was the last performance before they set out on the festival circuit. What a powerful theme and what amazing acting. One came out truly wrung out emotionally.
Margaret stayed overnight and this morning we walked to the Mill Race hotel for a nice brunch - or rather FULL Irish breakfast. Margaret was going to her "summer" place in Rosslare to meet friends later in the day for a girls' retreat. I followed her to get the lay of the land as she has offered the use of her lovely home there, to me when Heather is visiting in early April. I believe we will have to accept - it's centrally located to some wonderful places.
I had a nice day today with the drive to Rosslare and a bit of looking around. It was raining for much of the drive down but on the way home I was in glorious sunshine and that always makes one feel better. I could see the top of Mt Leinster clearly and thought I might just drive up to the top. Well, the Irish weather had other plans. By the time I got close to Bunclody, the clouds had moved in and the top was once again invisible. You really want a clear sunny day for that drive and the views.
So - I just came back to the cottage. I think I'll make a little visit to Coolross and deliver a tasty looking cake I bought at a bakery shop in Rosslare. I hope they like it.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
An uncooperative camera on a fabulous couple of days
Since I require my phone - my go-to camera - and taking pictures drains the battery very quickly, I decided to press the little digital camera into service. Well, you have to press fast. This little piece of kit sucks batteries dry, after mere minutes of use. I'm on the 4th set of batteries since leaving home and I've taken only a few dozen photos with this little box. I've tried several brands and it enjoys consuming Duracell brand, as well as it did the Panasonic, Kirkland and another unfamiliar brand name. I think it's time to find a different device. I'm thinking maybe a spare phone battery would do the trick and be cheaper than a new camera.
So, my plan to make it easy to upload pictures from the SD card is in disarray. Ah well - that's the only problem I'm dealing with. Lucky me.
Back to yesterday. I was about to walk into town when I stopped to chat with Brian who'd been working in the garden. He said it should be a good time to go up Mt Leinster as you need a clear day. Not only does the sun make the view more spectacular, it's much safer to drive the narrow road, carved out of the side of the hill, without guardrails, when it's clear. I had visions of my trip up Cape Smoky on the Cabot Trail - following the tail lights of the car in front in order to stay on the road.
The entrance to the Mt Leinster heritage drive is just around the corner from here. The first part of the journey was easy, if narrow, and I stopped at a parking lot which I was pretty sure was not the site of the Nine Stones (http://carlowtourism.com/stones-viewing-point/). It wasn't, but the views were amazing.
Even without colourful flowers it's a lovely scene.
I've never seen this sort of twisting branched shrub - the picture doesn't quite do it justice.
Can you see the reclining lady? Her head is on the right.
The marble ball is actually floating on the water - you can give it a push
So, my plan to make it easy to upload pictures from the SD card is in disarray. Ah well - that's the only problem I'm dealing with. Lucky me.
Back to yesterday. I was about to walk into town when I stopped to chat with Brian who'd been working in the garden. He said it should be a good time to go up Mt Leinster as you need a clear day. Not only does the sun make the view more spectacular, it's much safer to drive the narrow road, carved out of the side of the hill, without guardrails, when it's clear. I had visions of my trip up Cape Smoky on the Cabot Trail - following the tail lights of the car in front in order to stay on the road.
The entrance to the Mt Leinster heritage drive is just around the corner from here. The first part of the journey was easy, if narrow, and I stopped at a parking lot which I was pretty sure was not the site of the Nine Stones (http://carlowtourism.com/stones-viewing-point/). It wasn't, but the views were amazing.
I obviously missed the sign indicating the turnoff to the road farther up - turns out to have been a good thing. Anyway, I decided to drive on, seemingly off the edge of the earth, on the road above. It kept twisting and turning (what else is new?) and kept going down. Down? Eventually I decided that what lay ahead would be worth investigating one day but that's not where I wanted to go. Back uphill to the previous parking lot.
While there, snapping more pictures (see my FB page) I asked an older gentleman if he knew where to find the Nine Stones. He was from Mayo and just visiting his son who lived in Bunclody. So I spoke to the son. He said that although it was also his plan to go up there, the warning in his car, as in mine, that the road was freezing, was enough to tell him not to go. Looking up Mt Leinster, the top was snow covered from the previous night's "meteorological activity". The road could be seen but it was in shadow. If the road surface was freezing where we were, there's no way either of us would risk the upper road. There are few spots where two cars can pass, there's no guard rail, and about 1 foot on either side where you could slide too. Not all skids are that short on black ice. OK - live to drive another day.
So, off I went to find the Sensory Garden in Carlow. Fortunately the drive did not take me to the centre of that town. I might still be there trying to find the right road to take to come back. The last part of the trip was a bit confusing as the GPS kept telling me to turn on a named street. Well, if you can find any street sign there I'll buy you dinner. Eventually I found it. It's not really a street but the entrance to a garden centre - where the sensory garden is located, down the road and around the back.
I enjoyed a lovely bowl of vegetable soup and brown bread in the cafe. Many of the staff have special needs and they do a great job keeping the cafe looking spiffy. I sat in the glassed in patio where it was almost hot from the sun. Wonderful.
Then I found my way to the admission area and paid my 5 Euro. There are 16 gardens, interconnected, and all completely accessible to wheelchairs. There are many sculptures which can be explored with your hands, in almost every one. There are many scented plants in some areas, the ever present running or splashing water and beautifully arranged spaces. The reclining woman was the prize winner at a large garden competition - possibly the Chelsea flower show. I hadn't put all the parts together when one of the gardeners pointed it out to me. There's also a marble ball floating on water and several interesting bridges and arches.
Even without colourful flowers it's a lovely scene.
I've never seen this sort of twisting branched shrub - the picture doesn't quite do it justice.
Can you see the reclining lady? Her head is on the right.
The marble ball is actually floating on the water - you can give it a push
What better use of a tree stump? This is one of many sculptures.
Today my first destination was the large cork oak tree in the cemetery of the Church of Ireland in Shillelagh. I can't tell you how often I've passed that yard but had never gone in. We have no connections to the C of I. There's a lovely book on the Heritage Trees of Ireland and I hope to see quite a few of them. One is a line of trees - on the main street in Bunclody. They are free of leaves at the moment and not too photogenic. This cork tree was worth a visit.
Then I headed to Tinahely with the hope of seeing the Adam and Eve hanging tree. En route I got enticed by the sign to Coolboy and turned off. Then I took another turn at Tomnafinoge. Lo and behold a parking lot leading to a number of walking trails. So - next nice day, which may not be for about a week, I will head there for a stroll.
I dropped in briefly at the Coolattin golf club - mostly to use the facilities- and had a nice chat with the pro. We've spoken before. Things are pretty quiet there. Today is sunny but extremely windy and there was only one player on the course - a very hardy woman. Good for her. It's too cold and windy for me to even think of playing golf today.
Back on the road to Bunclody I turned off to see the village of Clohamon, just a few kms away. Never got there - another narrow road called my name. Back in town, I drove up towards and then past the GAA field. I'd seen this impressive sports field from the heights near Clohamon.
So now I'm back in port, so to speak, I'll shortly get ready to set out for Castledermot. There's a presentation this evening on how to research your family history in that area. My Fennells and Whelans are from not far away so I'm sure to learn something.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm going with Tom Farrell to meet Ronnie Shorten. She has amazing original documents of her family's history and I know I'll learn even more from her. The weather forecast, which could include snow if it's cold enough, will be appropriate for indoor activities.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
A quiet wet and windy day
It was a good day to stay put and stay warm and dry. I spent most of it searching for the Farrell connections. No, not a new line in my own family, but that of Tom Farrell. Funny where a short conversation and a successful first search for a record can lead.
Last night after supper with the Farrells and the Hartes, Mary brought out some old photos she had brought along. Halleluia. Now I can add some pictures of the Byrnes to the collection. We talked about the photos for a bit and then Mary started talking about her parents and grandparents. Up to this point she had not shown much interest in the past, she'd rather look forward. Now that we've started the conversation I expect to hear some more stories.
The weather has not been nice enough to entice me to take any long walks. There isn't much time between showers. We did not, however, suffer much from storm Dora.
Saturday I went over to Coolross to see the new puppies - a litter of 7 male Border Collies. Oh yeah, they're just fine and very fit. It's like watching a perpetual motion machine with parts that sometimes separate and then jump back together. They've all been given temporary names until they find forever homes where they'll keep the sheep and/or cattle in line. Anyone want a working dog?
Quite by surprise a little lamb made a very early appearance. It's just fine although smallish. I don't know if it's male or female. Mama is very protective. One of the puppies got out of their blocked off space and as it approached the new mother she started to stamp her foot. Aoife quickly swooped in and removed the pesky pup and all was well again.
This evening I'm getting a lift to another story-telling evening. Hopefully I'll find out a little more about this area from my traveling companions. It's a short drive so it might be just a start. What do people do here - aside from the hairdressers who seem to be in every second shop. If they aren't in retail or aesthetics there must be other options. It's a bit far to commute to Dublin but perhaps they drive elsewhere.
There are a number of plans for this week and I'll report after the fact. Fingers crossed that there are some breakthroughs in the near future.
Last night after supper with the Farrells and the Hartes, Mary brought out some old photos she had brought along. Halleluia. Now I can add some pictures of the Byrnes to the collection. We talked about the photos for a bit and then Mary started talking about her parents and grandparents. Up to this point she had not shown much interest in the past, she'd rather look forward. Now that we've started the conversation I expect to hear some more stories.
The weather has not been nice enough to entice me to take any long walks. There isn't much time between showers. We did not, however, suffer much from storm Dora.
Saturday I went over to Coolross to see the new puppies - a litter of 7 male Border Collies. Oh yeah, they're just fine and very fit. It's like watching a perpetual motion machine with parts that sometimes separate and then jump back together. They've all been given temporary names until they find forever homes where they'll keep the sheep and/or cattle in line. Anyone want a working dog?
Quite by surprise a little lamb made a very early appearance. It's just fine although smallish. I don't know if it's male or female. Mama is very protective. One of the puppies got out of their blocked off space and as it approached the new mother she started to stamp her foot. Aoife quickly swooped in and removed the pesky pup and all was well again.
This evening I'm getting a lift to another story-telling evening. Hopefully I'll find out a little more about this area from my traveling companions. It's a short drive so it might be just a start. What do people do here - aside from the hairdressers who seem to be in every second shop. If they aren't in retail or aesthetics there must be other options. It's a bit far to commute to Dublin but perhaps they drive elsewhere.
There are a number of plans for this week and I'll report after the fact. Fingers crossed that there are some breakthroughs in the near future.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Storytelling in Bunclody
Well tonight was the first chance I got to attend a story-telling evening. And it was right down the street - yes down. The trip home was UP of course. The event was at St Aiden's parish hall which I've been passing, on every trip into town. It was built in 1916 - it says so in stone on the exterior. I've noticed that a few buildings in town have their construction date in stone, somewhere on the facade. So far the earliest I've seen is 1870 but I'll keep looking.
I chanced to pick up a brochure at the public library earlier in the week, about story-telling evenings in Wexford. Well ta-da, there was one tonight. Happily I had got the info in time. I phoned one of the people who were listed to see if one had to register to attend. Nope - come on in anytime.
As it happened, it was Andy Doyle. He was one of the two men who provided so much entertainment at Egan's pub a few weeks ago. Again this evening he entertained with two recitations - one was a repeat from Egan's, but equally as entertaining as it was the first time. He was one of many who contributed.
I had no idea what to expect by way of "stories". Well - there were no stories, as I would have defined them. There were a few musicians (3 accordionists and one guitar player) which I hadn't expected. Apparently the cold windy weather kept folks away because there are usually more folks there.
Andy seemed to be the main host, and first holder of "the stick". It looked like a long cane - or shillelagh. The stick was passed and the recipient either sang or told a "story". For story, read "joke", usually lengthy although not necessarily. The musicians accompanied most of the songs although some were sung a capella. The stories were all funny although I admit to struggling with the accent of some of the tellers.
About half way through there was a break for tea and goodies. I had a coffee and a conversation. I expect to be up all night. It's after 1 am and I'm still bright eyed and bushy tailed. The tail will be dragging in the morning - or should I say later this morning.
This evening's crowd was mainly comprised of the "silver hair society" of which I'm now a charter member. There were however, a couple of young boys, maybe early teens. One even told two jokes. It's nice to know that this tradition is being passed along.
There is another such evening in Rathoe on Sunday and I might just make my way there. It would be hard to beat the two traditional Irish evenings I've enjoyed so far. In Scotland I tried sticky toffee pudding at every opportunity, looking for the best one. Here in Ireland I'll try as many story-telling evenings as I can to decide which is the best.
And now I'll lay me down and try to sleep.
I chanced to pick up a brochure at the public library earlier in the week, about story-telling evenings in Wexford. Well ta-da, there was one tonight. Happily I had got the info in time. I phoned one of the people who were listed to see if one had to register to attend. Nope - come on in anytime.
As it happened, it was Andy Doyle. He was one of the two men who provided so much entertainment at Egan's pub a few weeks ago. Again this evening he entertained with two recitations - one was a repeat from Egan's, but equally as entertaining as it was the first time. He was one of many who contributed.
I had no idea what to expect by way of "stories". Well - there were no stories, as I would have defined them. There were a few musicians (3 accordionists and one guitar player) which I hadn't expected. Apparently the cold windy weather kept folks away because there are usually more folks there.
Andy seemed to be the main host, and first holder of "the stick". It looked like a long cane - or shillelagh. The stick was passed and the recipient either sang or told a "story". For story, read "joke", usually lengthy although not necessarily. The musicians accompanied most of the songs although some were sung a capella. The stories were all funny although I admit to struggling with the accent of some of the tellers.
About half way through there was a break for tea and goodies. I had a coffee and a conversation. I expect to be up all night. It's after 1 am and I'm still bright eyed and bushy tailed. The tail will be dragging in the morning - or should I say later this morning.
This evening's crowd was mainly comprised of the "silver hair society" of which I'm now a charter member. There were however, a couple of young boys, maybe early teens. One even told two jokes. It's nice to know that this tradition is being passed along.
There is another such evening in Rathoe on Sunday and I might just make my way there. It would be hard to beat the two traditional Irish evenings I've enjoyed so far. In Scotland I tried sticky toffee pudding at every opportunity, looking for the best one. Here in Ireland I'll try as many story-telling evenings as I can to decide which is the best.
And now I'll lay me down and try to sleep.
Photos - post #2
Here are some more that I haven't been able to post before
With Danuta at Quarry Bank cotton mill - thanks for the hat and mitts D - would have frozen without them.
The cholera monument that I passed daily en route to the Sheffield Archives
Tudor building is The Howard pub where I indulged in fish and chips
The view from my B&B room - pretty much all homes seem to be this colour - and many are huge
My Stockport hosts and friends Dominic and Iona at the Elizabeth Haskell home - worth a visit
The Corn Exchange in Leeds - excellent town centre for walking around
The middle of town in Leeds - lots of pedestrian areas, loved the mural and the architecture
I don't think the Blue Rinse set really shops at this boutique
Outside of the market building - or part of it
Fresh fish and seafood anyone?
You can buy anything here - the terms 'tacky', 'motley' and 'flotsam and jetsam' come to mind
The interior of the Kirkgate market is spectacular - the photos don'e do it justice
and when you walk through that entrance you arrive here - and it just goes on
With Danuta at Quarry Bank cotton mill - thanks for the hat and mitts D - would have frozen without them.
Walking down the final flight to the Sheffield train station
The cholera monument that I passed daily en route to the Sheffield Archives
Tudor building is The Howard pub where I indulged in fish and chips
The view from my B&B room - pretty much all homes seem to be this colour - and many are huge
My Stockport hosts and friends Dominic and Iona at the Elizabeth Haskell home - worth a visit
The Corn Exchange in Leeds - excellent town centre for walking around
The middle of town in Leeds - lots of pedestrian areas, loved the mural and the architecture
I don't think the Blue Rinse set really shops at this boutique
Outside of the market building - or part of it
Fresh fish and seafood anyone?
You can buy anything here - the terms 'tacky', 'motley' and 'flotsam and jetsam' come to mind
The interior of the Kirkgate market is spectacular - the photos don'e do it justice
still inside the market building
the other - or another - entrance to the same market - could spend the day inside
Loved this pub entrance
The Photo Edition
This is the first of a couple of pictorial entries to catch up on what I've had to leave out
Ruins of the Fennell home at Barrowhouse; full size of house is indicated by the bit of remaining wall see to the left of the bushes. Believed to be the home of Michael and Bridget (Whelan) Fennell and his parents Nicholas and Ann.
Garden at Burtown House, Kildare; home of a different Fennell family.
I've never seen a tree with green branches with red tips, which I suppose is the new growth
At Moone near the high cross - I love views through windows especially without glass
This horse is in a field near my cottage. Anyone know the breed?
With all the beautiful buildings I couldn't resist this tacky one - it's a B&B
Johnstown Castle in Wexford - excellent displays; looking forward to interior being decorated in 2018.
If you want to move peat from a bog you need an appropriate 'sled' that won't get stuck
Camping might be fun in one of these - belonged to a tin selling tinker
Fortunately I just go to the store for my butter; note height of the doorway in this famine cabin replica
And this is how much the ancestors got to eat every day - before the blight
Fabulous quilt, made in 1847 and donated by a descendant; note the stuffing - I wonder was it cosy?
Tools of the carpenter and wheelwright - as Art Byrne was in Ireland and Canada
This quilt is a reproduction - very ornate - every stitch by hand; but this is a new one and probably not stuffed with paper
Courtyard of Johnstown Castle - homes of staff like the Groomsman; see the peacock?
Daniel, our guide at the Irish Heritage Park; neolithic temporary "tent"
Entry to the ring fort at the Heritage Park
reproduction celtic cross
Should have opened with this one
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
I'm Baaaack
Internet problems have been resolved after a few weeks of intermittent service. Seems it was the modem/router. That problem was easily fixed but the service provider came late to the party. A service person finally came around and now everything is fine.
So - several days have passed since my last update. What has happened? Well, I discovered among other things, that I had simply bought a series of dud batteries for the camera. I got some Duracells today and it's working fine. That will save my phone battery and also make it easier to upload pictures. Because my phone and laptop speak different languages, despite having a "translation" app, I can't directly copy pictures to the blog. Once finished this post I'm going to upload a bunch of photos and either post a link or create a pictorial post.
Monday was the day I got a real car. No more little CITGONE. It's gone. I drove to Wexford town with a friend and happily made the exchange. I'm now enjoying the VW Golf diesel, It actually moves when I step on the gas and the needle has hardly moved on the gas guage.
So, once in motion we headed through the edges of town to Johnstown Castle. What a delightful place. The castle was at one time privately owned and it has been well maintained. The grounds are lovely - with a river and a lake and their very own peacock strutting about. He strutted right up to the top of the castle and stayed there. Unfortunately I didn't witness that journey. He flew of course and that would have been fun to see.
There are some wonderful displays of antique farm equipment, but what I found most charming was the Great Famine Exhibit. I suppose that calling it charming sounds rather cavalier. There was nothing charming about the famine. However, they have re-created (indoors) a house that would have been typical of the time and have audio explanations and a number of posters to guide you along.
One display showed the typical day's food consumption for children, women and men. All potatoes - but different quantities. Another showed a quilt which has been donated. It was sewn in 1847 and through the tattered fabric you can see it was stuffed with newspapers. It was a large quilt with many tiny hexagonal pieces and every stitch was done by hand. Awesome, really, and it good shape considering the age.
There was a street of shops illustrating the tools of various trades. I found the shop of the carpenter and wheelwright of particular interest as great great great grandpa Art Byrne was a carpenter and wagon maker. He would have used similar tools to ply his trade - on both sides of the Atlantic.
We enjoyed a cup of tea and a scone in the cafe and then walked around the complex and did a circuit around the lake. The sun did not make even a momentary appearance, but fortunately neither did the rain. The pictures came out brighter than expected. It was a bit mucky underfoot but that's why we wore old shoes.
From there we drove to the Irish Heritage Centre and went back in time - to before the pyramids. Ireland has a very complex and very long history and it's amazingly well represented at this place. The tour guide was a young fellow with long legs and a quick stride. He moved from site to site so fast that none of us could keep up. He had plenty of time to compose himself before the small group of followers caught up for the next lot of information.
Everything there is a re-creation. Even the Dolman. It would have been some effort to lift the ten ton stone onto the top when it was done a few years ago. Cranes were available for the purpose. Just how it was done a few thousand years ago is beyond my comprehension. They were obviously resourceful. There are quite a few Dolmans around Ireland, although I've only seen one other myself. This was a pretty impressive sort of mini-cemetery in its day. Cremated remains would be put into pots of some sort and placed in the interior of the Dolman. Most likely it was just the leaders of society who got such a burial spot.
En route back Marg suggested stopping at her daughter's home and that was fine with me. What I had not counted on was the spectacular views on the little road that took us there - hilly with lots of turns. Even more hills and turns than usual. Mountainous really. Margaret took a little video out the car window so now I can actually see the terrain. At the time I was really only seeing the road ahead.
Her daughter, also Margaret, has offered to drive us up to the top of Sliabh Bhui (sleeve we) - sounds just as it's spelled. From there you can see to the coast and have a 360 degree view. The road is narrow and there are few places that cars can pass when going in opposite directions. I'll be happy to let her do the driving. We're waiting for a clear sunny day that isn't hazy so the view can be enjoyed to best advantage.
Genealogy alert:
If you're not mired in the past you can shut this down now.
With finally a stable internet connection, I was doing a bit of online searching and came upon a site that had a link that led me to a possible distant cousin in the US. We are pursuing what could be the same family. I am looking for Fennells and he is looking for Finnells - all from the same general area. Spelling is creative in the old records - totally dependent on the writer. The power of the pen ruled supreme. I can blame the priests and other scribes for choosing how they thought names should be spelled. Makes for a longer period of research than when everything is uniformly spelled. Legible writing would have been helpful also.
Anyway after comparing notes by exchanging messages, I've tracked down a bunch more records and treating them like puzzle pieces. Some seem to fit. The odd tombstone inscription pops up that also seems to fit. But my Bloodline CSI pursuit continues. I'm fussy about having enough evidence to make a match.
I went back to a website I had not checked in years: from-ireland.net. I also checked out the various county websites to get to the main libraries. Naturally the Fennells not only used creative spelling, but they lived on a county border. Land records are in Queen's (now Laois (leash)) where they lived and church records are in Kildare where they fulfilled their religious obligations. Civil records are only available for the time after they had left for North America so of no use at this stage. I will return to those for the years between when mine left and when some of the family - I think it's the same family - were found in the 1901 census.
This has made me more determined to go back and find the Tankardstown old graveyard that I couldn't locate on the weekend. Turns out I did have good directions but they lacked a tiny but vital bit of information. The lane where I drove up to the gate, and then rejected, leads to the Tankardstown Vet. There are signs everywhere to make sure you can find the vet. If only Mr Burke had thought to mention that fact on Saturday.
On one of the county websites, I happened upon a "what's on" column and found there is to be a presentation next Tuesday evening in Castledermot which is relevant, perhaps, to finding my Fennells. Castledermot has many ancient sites worth visiting, most mentioned in my copy of Ireland's Ancient East. So - it will be a day long visit. Who knows, maybe I'll meet a local person who has done their family history and it's full of their Fennells and Whelans who also happen to be mine. Why not - lots of other good things have happened.
Tomorrow evening is a story-telling evening at a hall just down the street so I'll walk over and give a listen. Details later.
So - several days have passed since my last update. What has happened? Well, I discovered among other things, that I had simply bought a series of dud batteries for the camera. I got some Duracells today and it's working fine. That will save my phone battery and also make it easier to upload pictures. Because my phone and laptop speak different languages, despite having a "translation" app, I can't directly copy pictures to the blog. Once finished this post I'm going to upload a bunch of photos and either post a link or create a pictorial post.
Monday was the day I got a real car. No more little CITGONE. It's gone. I drove to Wexford town with a friend and happily made the exchange. I'm now enjoying the VW Golf diesel, It actually moves when I step on the gas and the needle has hardly moved on the gas guage.
So, once in motion we headed through the edges of town to Johnstown Castle. What a delightful place. The castle was at one time privately owned and it has been well maintained. The grounds are lovely - with a river and a lake and their very own peacock strutting about. He strutted right up to the top of the castle and stayed there. Unfortunately I didn't witness that journey. He flew of course and that would have been fun to see.
There are some wonderful displays of antique farm equipment, but what I found most charming was the Great Famine Exhibit. I suppose that calling it charming sounds rather cavalier. There was nothing charming about the famine. However, they have re-created (indoors) a house that would have been typical of the time and have audio explanations and a number of posters to guide you along.
One display showed the typical day's food consumption for children, women and men. All potatoes - but different quantities. Another showed a quilt which has been donated. It was sewn in 1847 and through the tattered fabric you can see it was stuffed with newspapers. It was a large quilt with many tiny hexagonal pieces and every stitch was done by hand. Awesome, really, and it good shape considering the age.
There was a street of shops illustrating the tools of various trades. I found the shop of the carpenter and wheelwright of particular interest as great great great grandpa Art Byrne was a carpenter and wagon maker. He would have used similar tools to ply his trade - on both sides of the Atlantic.
We enjoyed a cup of tea and a scone in the cafe and then walked around the complex and did a circuit around the lake. The sun did not make even a momentary appearance, but fortunately neither did the rain. The pictures came out brighter than expected. It was a bit mucky underfoot but that's why we wore old shoes.
From there we drove to the Irish Heritage Centre and went back in time - to before the pyramids. Ireland has a very complex and very long history and it's amazingly well represented at this place. The tour guide was a young fellow with long legs and a quick stride. He moved from site to site so fast that none of us could keep up. He had plenty of time to compose himself before the small group of followers caught up for the next lot of information.
Everything there is a re-creation. Even the Dolman. It would have been some effort to lift the ten ton stone onto the top when it was done a few years ago. Cranes were available for the purpose. Just how it was done a few thousand years ago is beyond my comprehension. They were obviously resourceful. There are quite a few Dolmans around Ireland, although I've only seen one other myself. This was a pretty impressive sort of mini-cemetery in its day. Cremated remains would be put into pots of some sort and placed in the interior of the Dolman. Most likely it was just the leaders of society who got such a burial spot.
En route back Marg suggested stopping at her daughter's home and that was fine with me. What I had not counted on was the spectacular views on the little road that took us there - hilly with lots of turns. Even more hills and turns than usual. Mountainous really. Margaret took a little video out the car window so now I can actually see the terrain. At the time I was really only seeing the road ahead.
Her daughter, also Margaret, has offered to drive us up to the top of Sliabh Bhui (sleeve we) - sounds just as it's spelled. From there you can see to the coast and have a 360 degree view. The road is narrow and there are few places that cars can pass when going in opposite directions. I'll be happy to let her do the driving. We're waiting for a clear sunny day that isn't hazy so the view can be enjoyed to best advantage.
Genealogy alert:
If you're not mired in the past you can shut this down now.
With finally a stable internet connection, I was doing a bit of online searching and came upon a site that had a link that led me to a possible distant cousin in the US. We are pursuing what could be the same family. I am looking for Fennells and he is looking for Finnells - all from the same general area. Spelling is creative in the old records - totally dependent on the writer. The power of the pen ruled supreme. I can blame the priests and other scribes for choosing how they thought names should be spelled. Makes for a longer period of research than when everything is uniformly spelled. Legible writing would have been helpful also.
Anyway after comparing notes by exchanging messages, I've tracked down a bunch more records and treating them like puzzle pieces. Some seem to fit. The odd tombstone inscription pops up that also seems to fit. But my Bloodline CSI pursuit continues. I'm fussy about having enough evidence to make a match.
I went back to a website I had not checked in years: from-ireland.net. I also checked out the various county websites to get to the main libraries. Naturally the Fennells not only used creative spelling, but they lived on a county border. Land records are in Queen's (now Laois (leash)) where they lived and church records are in Kildare where they fulfilled their religious obligations. Civil records are only available for the time after they had left for North America so of no use at this stage. I will return to those for the years between when mine left and when some of the family - I think it's the same family - were found in the 1901 census.
This has made me more determined to go back and find the Tankardstown old graveyard that I couldn't locate on the weekend. Turns out I did have good directions but they lacked a tiny but vital bit of information. The lane where I drove up to the gate, and then rejected, leads to the Tankardstown Vet. There are signs everywhere to make sure you can find the vet. If only Mr Burke had thought to mention that fact on Saturday.
On one of the county websites, I happened upon a "what's on" column and found there is to be a presentation next Tuesday evening in Castledermot which is relevant, perhaps, to finding my Fennells. Castledermot has many ancient sites worth visiting, most mentioned in my copy of Ireland's Ancient East. So - it will be a day long visit. Who knows, maybe I'll meet a local person who has done their family history and it's full of their Fennells and Whelans who also happen to be mine. Why not - lots of other good things have happened.
Tomorrow evening is a story-telling evening at a hall just down the street so I'll walk over and give a listen. Details later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)