SNIPPET: Readers shared their thoughts on Ireland in the March-April 1999 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine: Richard RAYMOND, Baltimore, MD: "Relative to your Nov/Dec 1998 article on Barry DOUGLAS and his identity with and commitment to Ireland, last year I had the rare opportunity of hearing this artist play the great trilogy of romantic piano concertos - the Beethoven Fifth, Brahms First and Tchaikovsky First. An added Irish dimension of these performances by the native Belfaster, who has described his musical sensibility as Irish melancholy, is that one of them coincided with the deadline of the Irish peace proposal. All the performances were infused with the pianist's attuned sense of contrast: a chiselled yet supple playing with shifts between tension and relaxation, muscle and tenderness to produce an art not only affective, but also profoundly Irish. In the tradition of the ancient Gaelic musicians, his art is not bound by clan affiliation. Its affects carry special instruction for Ireland and more general instruction for the world." Sabine HEINIGER, Oberanz, Switzerland: "I am just 21 years old and have lost my heart to Ireland. I'm not Irish, but I'm very fascinated by your green island and all the nice people. My first trip to Ireland was to Dublin in November 1997. Last summer I visited Cork. I was crying when I had to leave to go home to Switzerland. I love reading about the history, people and places of Ireland. I enjoy listening to Irish music, such as the Dubliners, The Chieftains or the Pogues ... I have found an Irish pub here in Switzerland called 'Dicey Reilly's Irish Tavern." There are live Irish bands playing folk music and it's always good fun. I can't wait to visit Ireland again and thank you for your wonderful magazine and for the friendliness of Ireland." Gordon L. DEEGAN, San Carlos, CA: "As a fourth generation Irishman I enjoy reading your magazine and rather vicariously renewing my roots as I have never had the opportunity of visiting Ireland. I have a couple requests for future issues of your magazine. Firstly it would be interesting to learn about the Irish composer, John FIELD. Secondly, I miss your articles on Irish family names. Interest in my roots leads me to wanting to know more concerning the origin of the name DEEGAN. My great grandfather Michael DEEGAN, may have come from Co. Clare or Co. Offaly sometime in the 1830s. You will be interested to know that when I have finished reading IOTW I pass each copy on to another friend of Irish ancestry, who enjoys the magazine as much as I do." (The editor replied, "Some years ago we published an article on the almost forgotten composer John FIELD; the renowned pianist John O'CONOR is a great supporter of John FIELD and has brought his music to many recitals worldwide."

LOVE OF THE HORSE With narrowed eyes they judged the field He informed, the Grey's sire, was a great mover. She remarked, The Chestnut's dam had a sweet mouth. Red, yellow, blue, racing silks of every hue, rippled in the sunlight across the flickering screen. Around the room lay tarnished trophies. Walls, a mosaic of photographs of mares and foals. Room corners holding drifts of magazines and books, listing bloodlines. Stating what sires were standing where, and for how much. The crumbling mansion, revealing that for long years past, every spare hundred was spent on Chestnuts, Greys, Roans, Bays, and they regretted not one penny. -- Barbara Diamond, "The Leitrim Guardian"

SNIPPET: Readers shared their thoughts on Ireland in the March-April 1999 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine: Heather B. RONALD, Toorak, Victoria, Australia penned: "I have been subscribing to your wonderful magazine for many years and always find it full of interest. After wanting to visit Ireland for as long as I can remember - especially the Dublin Horse Show - this was finally achieved in 1990. I have retired from active farm life now, but still enjoy taking some part in the family work with cattle and horses. How could anyone with Irish blood not love horses? Why is it that people with even slight traces of Irish blood feel the need to visit the land of their roots? I don't believe that origins in any other country in the world have the same extraordinary strength of magnetism. I am unlikely now to ever return, but travelling over the counties of Offaly and Wicklow, where my ancestors were born has given me a real sense of belonging! IOTW keeps it fresh in my mind. Long may you continue to bring such pleasure to everyone who loves Ireland." Patricia Valley, Fairhaven, MA: In June of 1996, my sister and I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting our grandmother's (Annie HIGGINS) girlhood home, Elphin, Co. Roscommon. While there, we took a side trip to Strokestown House and Famine Museum, where we witnessed the sadness, the tragedy and the remarkable courage of the Irish people during the Great Famine. I was especially pleased to read in the Sept/Oct 1998 issue, the article about Turlough O'CAROLAN and to see the picture of Strokestown house and other references to Co. Roscommon. We hope to return in June 1999 and meanwhile we'll travel via IOTW." Maureen COONEY, Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada: "I recently received your IOTW as a gift from a friend. It's gorgeous. I moved up to the Arctic over a year ago, to a land where the landscape and Inukshuks often remind me of the treeless barren Burren of Co. Clare. Also, the Inuit peoples' shy, simple and shrewd observation of their surroundings remind me of Co. Cavan, where I grew up 50 years ago. Over the past 150 years, many Irish traders came exploring and inter-married. The local radio station's signature tune is 'Hello Patsy Fagan,' among others. Your magazine is a warm comfort and all the Post Office staff ask about the colourful book from my home land. Go raibh mile maith agaibh." (The editor enjoyed her letter and sent her a copy of "Ireland from the Sea," by Andrew PHELAN).

SNIPPET: In 1996, the WESTGATE researcher (details below) was also seeking this information: Descendants of Edmondson O'LEARY, soldier, wife unknown; one daughter Kathleen Frances, born 1901, Dublin, moved to Canada, died 1935. Other children unknown. Cathy WESTGATE, Doaktown, New Brunswick, great-granddaughter. This additional surname should help to better identify this WESTGATE line. NOTE: An unusual given name of a son in better-educated and well-to-do families quite quite often revealed his mother's maiden ("nee") surname or another surname important to that family. (Perhaps, this is the case with Edmondson O'LEARY). At other times, children's name represented saints or admired "heros." A child with a first, middle and last name was most often found in families of means. I recall reading that in the 1800s (19th century) in Ireland, there were only 100 or so given names, which makes Irish genealogy particularly difficult. Names were passed down from generation to generation. Jean ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jean R." <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 1:30 PM Subject: [IGW] Matchmaking: Mayo>Canada WESTGATE/TRIMBLE/Cavan BUCHANAN > SNIPPET: Have had great success making matches from inquiries in old > genealogy magazines. More often than not, the inquiries came from > researchers who were not posting to the Internet. Cathy WESTGATE of > Doaktown, NB, Canada was attempting to find connections to her family in a > classified ad section of the 1996 #2 Issue of Cork's "Irish Roots" > magazine: > Thomas WESTGATE, b. 1800 and Mary TRIMBLE married Holy Trinity, Westport, > Co. Mayo 1822, children George, Elizabeth, Maria, Jane, Jarvis (b. 1834 > Castlebar). Moved to Canada 1836. BUCHANAN: Mary b. 1836 Co. Cavan of > Mary (LOVE?) and William became wife of Jarvis WESTGATE. Hope this > provides > just the right clue for a WESTGATE researcher.

SNIPPET: Per Olive SHARKEY in the 1996 #2 issue of "Irish Roots" magazine published in Cork -- St. Brigid's feast day, February the first, has always been celebrated in Ireland, and still is in some homes. It appears to be the christianisation of one of the focal points of the agricultural year: the first day of spring and the farming year, marked in olden times not only by the fashioning of St. Brigid's crosses, but also by the 'turning of the sod' - the first piece of earth to be turned over in anticipation of the ploughing, a ritualistic occasion on many farms. Armed with a spade and accompanied by his family, the farmer went out to the field with due solemnity and turned the first sod. Prayers generally accompanied ritual, and the ploughing itself often commenced forthwith, weather permitting. In the home St. Brigid's Day eve was an important day for the children. When they arrived in from helping on the land, or from school, they immediately launched themselves in cross-making. This was a skill handed down from parent to child, and varied little from household to household within a district, though there were regional variations. The crosses were fashioned from green rushes collected from fields where they sometimes flourished in abundance, or from freshwater sources. Crosses varied in design from the standard, widely known four-legged specimen adopted by RTE, Ireland's national broadcasting service, as its emblem back in the 1960s, to lozenge-(diamond) shaped, and even three-legged varieties. (In the magazine she draws six variations). Ms. SHARKEY mentions that on a visit to Minsk (capital of Byelorussia) some years earlier, she was amazed to see a replicated St. Brigid's Cross pattern one one of the sidewalks and wasn't sure of it was one of their traditional symbols or not.. Some historians tend to refer to the standard cross as a swastika, but it lacks the essential element of the swastika, that of the sharp bends on the arms. The three-legged cross was widely known in the NW of Ireland, and in most parts of Ulster, and always reminded Olive of the Isle of Man symbol. A much more complicated cross was known in a few parts of Connaught, also in Munster and parts of Ulster, fashioned by interlacing strands of straw, rushes or reed in a criss-cross type pattern. It has been recorded that where all the different types were known, they were used in different ways. The lozenge cross was hung in the house, the standard form in the cow-byre, and the interlaced variety in the stable. Each of them was sprinkled with water taken from the nearest well dedicated to St. Brigid, a gesture which ensured the safety of the occupants of the bulding in question be they animal or human. Crosses were fashioned within a plaited ring in parts of south Munster, whilst in Galway three crosses, presumably representing the Trinity, 'grew' out of a large plaited ring. Also in Galway, as in most other areas, the residue of cut rushes were not thrown out but were put to good use. Rush lights were fashioned from them (the spongy central stem of the rush was drawn through fat dozens of time until it became a limp candle of sorts, giving off a mere ten watt strength of light when set alight, but in the days of no electricity such a feature was welcomed. These lights were then set alight on St. Brigid's eve in honour of the saint. In homes where the crosses were fashioned from straw, the residue of that, too, was pressed into other use. Traditionally, such straw had curative powers. Strands of it were preserved, then placed about a child's head in the event of illness. The St. Brigid's cross has largely survived in one form or another, and is still be found sticking out from behind the Sacred Heart picture in many Irish kitchens. However, the "Brideog" has largely disappeared. Thsi was another symbol of St. Brigid, an effigy, also fashioned from straw, but dressed up as a doll might be. In later times, where the tradition survived, a doll was used. Whilst some communities were careful to make their Brideogs look attractive, others deliberately veered towards the grotesque. At the height of its popularity as a custom, the Brideog was carried from house to house by unmarried young women only, who presented the head of each household with a specially made St. Brigid's cross. Olive states that in her own county an unmarried maiden dressed up in white, and instead of carrying an effigy, represented the saint herself. (For more information about Ms. SHARKEY and her books, you can key her name into your browser). Derry-born contemporary poet Seamus HEANEY writes in his collection of verses called "Crossings" -- "On St. Brigid's Day the new life could be entered/By going through her girdle of straw rope/The proper way for men was right leg first/Then right arm and right shoulder, head, then left/Shoulder, arm and leg. Women drew it down/Over the body and stepped out of it/The open they came into by these moves/Stood opener, hoops came off the world/They could feel the February air/Still soft above their heads and imagine/The limp rope fray and flare like wind-born gleanings/Or an unhindered goldfinch over ploughland." Nowadays, per the author, some children hear of St. Brigid's Day celebrations in their school, but few are introduced to the old traditions at home. Olive remarks that in some ways it is good to see young people consigning many of the old ways to history, but in others "it is a great shame to see them lose so much of the sweetness and innocence of those less enlightened days."

A BRIGID'S GIRDLE Last time I wrote I wrote from a rustic table Under magnolias in South Carolina As blossoms fell on me, and a white gable As cleaned-lined as the prow of a white liner Bisected sunlight in the sunlit yard. I was glad of the early heat and the first quiet I'd had for weeks. I heard the mocking bird And a delicious, articulate Flight of small plinkings from a dulcimer Like feminine rhymes migrating to the north Where you faced the music and the ache of summer And earth's foreknowledge gathered in the earth. Now it's St. Brigid's Day and the first snowdrop In County Wicklow, and this is a Brigid's Girdle I'm plaiting for you, an airy fairy hoop (Like one of those old crinolines they'd trindle), Twisted straw that's lifted in a circle To handsel and to heal, a rite of spring As strange and lightsome and traditional As the motions you go through going through the thing. -- Seamus Heaney

CHANGES As you came with me in silence to the pump in the long grass. I heard much that you could not hear: the bite of the spade that sank it, the slithering and grumble as the mason mixed his mortar, and women coming with white buckets like flashes on their ruffled wings. The cast-iron rims of the lid clinked as I uncovered it, something stirred in its mouth. I had a bird's eye view of a bird, finch-green, speckly white, nesting on dry leaves, flattened, still, suffering the light. So I roofed the citadel as gently as I could, and told you and you gently unroofed it but where was the bird now? There was a single egg, pebbly white, and in the rusted bend of the spout tail feathers splayed and sat tight. So tender, I said, 'Remember this. It will be good for you to retrace this path when you have grown away and stand at last at the very centre of the empty city.' -- Seamus Heaney

SNIPPET: Born in Co. Longford, Michael DOYLE has become a priest, ministering in Camden, NJ. His book, written some years ago, is entitled, "It's a Terrible Day, Thanks Be to God." His grandmother, Mary McKenna CREEGAN died in the townland of Drumkeeran, near Cloone, in Co. Leitrim, July 18, 1944. She passed away in her home where she had lived for nearly 60 years, ever since Michael CREEGAN took her as a bride of 23 over the few small fields the separated her family's farm from his own. Together they raised their 13 children - five daughters and eight sons: Matthew, John Francis, Patrick, Michael, Mary Ann, Hugh, Kate, Jimmy, Bridget, Rosetta, Peter, Elizabeth and Terence, between 1886 and 1906. Rosetta, born in 1901, was Michael DOYLE's mother. Mary also tended to hens and chickens, cows, calves, and sows, while her husband worked the land, and his elderly father Hugh helped with the children. Mary hung her pots of potatoes and porridge on the iron crook that swung like a gate over the hearth fire. Her hands kneaded loaf after loaf of bread and churned the milk of cows into butter . She tattered and carded the fleece from the sheeps' back and her spinning wheel whirred softly .. as the little ones slept, she eased out the wool she would knit to clothe them. Michael DOYLE remembers his grandmother saying she had been the happiest when baking, using a hundred pounds or more of flour a week. She was a woman of prayer and ingenuity, with her stories and her laughter, and the sorrow, too, that had its place in her heart . Before her twins were born in 1903, her firstborn, Matthew, was on a ship leaving Ireland for Ellis Island. He was just the first of eight children who would leave for the U. S. - three returned to stay, three she never saw again, and two she saw only once. Fortunately, she was able to tend to her daughters as they gave birth to her own children. Michael DOYLE wrote in 1994, "Today, as I think of her slipping from this world in a birth to a new, I feel grateful that she was there with her hands and her kindly wisdom when I first saw the light of day." Soft-headed then I slithered on to linen sheets Beneath the dripping roof of thatch My grandmother there with soothing words Knowing well herself, the pain and sweat-wet joy of birth Her own baker 's dozen up and out Five heads of hair she plaited in her time Eight sons she washed and fed There now to welcome me and lend a holy hand She cleaned the wrappings from my face And found the traces of her own. Michael's cousin from home, Maggie CURRAN, who worked in Katie O'Brien's, a restaurant five miles from Camden, reminded Michael DOYLE that Mary "was never bet" - that is, never beaten for a plan. When there was no cradle yet for the infant son of daughter Mary Ann, Mary McKenna CREEGAN laid him on a blanket tucked safely inside a horse's collar by the fire. . -- Excerpts 2004 issue of "Leitrim Guardian" yearly periodical.

SNIPPET: Have had great success making matches from inquiries in old genealogy magazines. More often than not, the inquiries came from researchers who were not posting to the Internet. Cathy WESTGATE of Doaktown, NB, Canada was attempting to find connections to her family in a classified ad section of the 1996 #2 Issue of Cork's "Irish Roots" magazine: Thomas WESTGATE, b. 1800 and Mary TRIMBLE married Holy Trinity, Westport, Co. Mayo 1822, children George, Elizabeth, Maria, Jane, Jarvis (b. 1834 Castlebar). Moved to Canada 1836. BUCHANAN: Mary b. 1836 Co. Cavan of Mary (LOVE?) and William became wife of Jarvis WESTGATE. Hope this provides just the right clue for a WESTGATE researcher.

SNIPPET: Notes of English Victorian traveller, Richard LOVETT, were first published in 1888 by the Religious Tract Society. .... "The Torc Waterfall is a fine fall, some sixty feet in height, situated in a ravine called Owengariff. It is most easily reached from Killarney by the Kenmare Road. Having enjoyed the lovely scenery of Killarney, no traveller who can spare the time should fail to visit Valentia By this trip some of the most interesting and characteristic portions of Kerry are to be seen, notably what is known as the Mountain Drive, along the shores of Dingle Bay, Glenbeagh, late of eviction notoriety, Valentia Island, and, above all, the coast with its islands, preeminent among these being the Skelligs. It is possible to go from Killarney to Killorglin by train, and thence by omnibus or car to Cahirsiveen. But the best way for any one who wishes to see typical men and things is to go by mail-car. In many parts of Ireland these most convenient conveyances run. They are not luxurious, their cushions are often hard and well-worn, they are not infrequently heavily laden with parcels-post impedimenta and other mail baggage; and he who travels by them must be prepared to rough it a little, and to be considered possibly a trifle plebeian in his tastes. But for all the things there are ample compensations. They are fast; they are cheap; each car has a driver thoroughly familiar with the country he traverses, and almost invariably civil, obliging, and communicative; the passengers are generally typical peasants, and all along the route little incidents happen, slight in themselves, but of peculiar interest oftentimes to the observant traveller, because they enable him to see the people as they are in themselves, and while engaged in their daily avocations. Just as the ordinary Norwegian steamer is a better conveyance for those who wish to study that interesting people, than the special tourist vessels that run to the North Cape, so the mail-car gives many a trait, life-study, amusing incident, or friendly chat, utterly unknown to those who journey in Ireland only by special car or by tourist-crowded coach or omnibus. But he who goes from Killarney to Valentia by mail-car has to get up early. It is timed to leave the post-office at 5:30 A.M., and does so, unless detained by the mail-train being late, a state of affairs which the writer knows by experience occasionally happens. This particular route is traversed daily by a 'long car,' that is, one that needs two horses, can carry about a dozen passengers and a heavy load of mail. The first stage is to Killorglin, about thirteen miles, and after the northern end of Lough Leane has been passed, on the left hand the Reeks present a series of exceedingly fine mountain views. From the broad expanse of morass and bog they rise rapidly and boldly, the lower slopes being rounded and massive, but the upper peaks exhibiting a series of wild and craggy pinnacles. Killorglin has nothing attractive about it, except its fine situation above the Laune, which is here crossed by a bridge leading to Milltown and Castlemaine. Beyond Killorglin the road rises by a long ascent, which gradually brings into view Dingle Bay and the range of hills along its northern shore. Six mile on a steep descent, along the valley of the Caragh, leads to Caragh Bridge, which crosses a wild mountain stream rushing down from Lough Caragh. The district does not belie its appearance; it is a noted spot for salmon and trout fishing. Passing through Glenbeagh, the road gradually ascends, and, on turning the shoulder of a hill, the face of the slope high above the sea level. The mountains of Clare on the further shore of the bay are all in full view. Perhaps the chief drawback is the singular absence of shipping, hardly a fishing-boat even being in sight. Leaving the sea, a broad valley is traversed, with mountains on either side, and crossing Carhan Bridge, Cahirsiveen comes into view. Close to the bridge is a ruined house, of which part of the walls, overgrown with ivy, remain. Her the renowned Daniel O'CONNELL was born. Cahirsiveen is a poor but apparently thriving little town. It lies embosomed in a bold mountainous country. It is 38 miles from Killarney, and few mail-car rids in Ireland so well repay the fatigue involved in their accomplishment. Valentia Island, or rather the ferry, is three miles beyond Cahirsiveen ... "

ON A LONELY SPRAY Under a lonely sky a lonely tree Is beautiful. All that is loneliness Is beautiful. A feather lost at sea; A staring owl; a moth; a yellow tress Of seaweed on a rock, is beautiful. The night-lit moon, wide-wandering in sky; A blue-bright spark, where ne'er a cloud is up; A wing, where no wing is, it is so high; A bee in winter, or a buttercup, Late-blown, are lonely, and are beautiful. She, whom you saw but once, and saw no more; That he, who startled you, and went away; The eye that watched you from a cottage door; The first leaf, and the last; the break of day; The mouse, the cuckoo, and the cloud, are beautiful. For all that is, is lonely; all that may Will be as lonely as is that you see; The lonely heart sings on a lonely spray, The lonely soul swings lonely in the sea, And all that loneliness is beautiful. All, all alone, and all without a part Is beautiful, for beauty is all where; Where is an eye is beauty, where an heart Is beauty, brooding out, on empty air, All that is lonely and is beautiful. -- James Stephens

SNIPPET: On my recent trip to Ireland, one of my favorite places we visited was Farmleigh, an estate of 78 acres situated in the north-west of Dublin's Phoenix Park, which was purchased from the GUINNESS family by the Irish Government in 1999 for 29.2m euros. The House has been carefully refurbished by the Office of Public Works as the premier accommodation for visiting dignitaries and guests of the nation, for high level Government meetings, and for public enjoyment. Originally a small Georgian house built in the late 18th century, Farmleigh was purchased by Edward Cecil GUINNESS (1847-1927) on his marriage to his cousin, Adelaide GUINNESS in 1873. A great-grandson of Arthur GUINNESS, founder of the brewery, Edward Cecil became the first Earl of Iveagh in 1919. The first major building programme was undertaken in 1881-84 to designs by Irish architect James Franklin FULLER (1832-1925), who extended the House to the west, refurbished the existing house, and added a third storey. In 1896 the Ballroom wing was added, designed by the Scottish architect William YOUNG (1843-1900). With the addition of a new Conservatory adjoining the Ballroom in 1901, increased planting of broadleaves and exotics in the gardens, and the construction of new farm buildings, Farmleigh had, by the early years of the 20th Century, all the requisites for gracious living and stylish entertainment. Its great charm lies in the eclecticism of its interior decoration ranging from the classical style to Jacobean, Louis XV, Louis XVI and Georgian, which still, in the 21st century, beguiles the visitor. It provided a fitting residence for the Earls of Iveagh and their families for 123 years. The young guide who showed us through was very informative. The 17th century Brussels tapestries, magnificent columns of Connemara marble, Waterford Glass and Venetian chandeliers, fine fireplaces, paintings, ceiling plasterwork, furniture, mahogany staircase, etc., were absolutely gorgeous. The Benjamin GUINNESS (1937-1992) library paneled in Austrian oak, contains an unique collection of rare books, manuscripts and first editions. The Nobel Room celebrates the achievements of the four Irish Nobel Laureates for literature. One of my favorites rooms was the magnificent glass-enclosed Conservatory with its original marble floor and exotic plants and flowers. There are many scheduled musical events for visitors and entrance to the House and Grounds is free of charge. From March to December, the House and grounds are open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 4:45 p.m. The Estate closes at 6:00 p.m. Last tour is at 4:30 p.m. There is also a Gallery, Boathouse Restaurant and the Motorhouse Cafe for your enjoyment. Ground floor of the House is fully accessible by wheelchair users. Children under 12 must be accompanied by adults. Dogs are permitted on the grounds but must be kept on a lead at all times. No photography inside the House is permitted. Website: www.farmleigh.ie

SNIPPET: "When the potato crop failed due to blight in 1846 it was obvious, in Ireland at any rate, that a major catastrophe was about to occur. The first failure in 1845 had been partial but it left the country debilitated with reserves run down, while individuals had few possessions left to sell or pawn. Members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) were amongst those who understood the seriousness of the situation and many of them reacted by setting up relief operations in their own areas. In the autumn of 1846 soup kitchens were set up by Quakers in towns such as Waterford, Enniscorthy, Limerick, Clonmel and Youghal. Any thought of setting up a more comprehensive relief programme was hampered by two drawbacks. First, the number of Quakers in Ireland was small -- a mere 3,000 or so out of a population that exceeded eight million. Second, the Quaker population was concentrated in certain areas and was almost entirely absent from the west, including Donegal, Kerry, Clare, west Cork and the whole of Connaught. Quaker relief, therefore, could not be offered directly in the areas which would suffer most. The Society of Friends had certain advantages, though, if the right method of providing relief could be found. Quakers had a well-developed network of committees which operated on a nation-wide basis to organise their own society. Through these committees and through family ties Quakers throughout Ireland were in close contact with each other and with those in Britain. Many Irish Quakers were merchants and would have had the organisational capacity to purchase goods and move them efficiently to other parts of the country. Above all, Quakers believed that God was present in everyone and this gave an understanding that the individual in distress should be helped if all possible. It was with this in mind that a number of Quakers, led by Joseph BEWLEY, organised a meeting in November 1846. The outcome was the establishment of a 21-member 'central relief committee.' To facilitate frequent meetings membership was confined to the Dublin area, while a further group of 21 would be nominated as 'corresponding members' and from the Quaker community outside Dublin. Following discussions with their Irish counterparts Quakers in London also established a relief committee. Throughout the Famine these two committees worked closely together, with the Dublin committee looking after grants of food and clothing while the London committee raised funds. The division of labour was not strict, however, and many English Quakers came to Ireland to see for themselves just how bad the situation was and to become involved directly with the giving of relief. As the work of these committees progressed they set up various subcommittees to handle specific tasks and amongst these were local committees in Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Clonmel which looked after relief operations in the south and southwest. The first and most obvious means of assisting the hungry was through direct grants of food or the money with which food could be purchased. Some of this went to Quaker relief workers in the field but the scope for this kind of aid was limited by the size and distribution of the Quaker community. A great deal more was done through assistance to non-Quakers who were running local relief efforts and through Quaker workers identifying local people who were capable of operating soup kitchens and encouraging them to become involved. In essence, the relief committees of the Society of Friends acted as intermediaries who encouraged those who had something to offer to donate it and then made these donations available to local activists. In their own words the Quaker workers provided a 'suitable channel' through which aid was brought from the donors to the recipients. Before long the committees became involved in the distribution of clothing. In the winter of 1846-47 a large proportion of the clothing donations came from English committees, mostly consisting of women. Some clothes were made by the donors and others came from factories as a result of pressure from the women's committees. A warehouse was taken in Dublin to receive donations and sort them into bundles for passing onto the destitute. In the following winter American donations were predominant and this was mostly in the form of fabrics so that employment could be generated in making clothing." -- Excerpt, Rob GOODBODY, "History Ireland" magazine w/photos, pub. Dublin, Spring 1998 issue.

Thanks for sharing, Carol (and others) - it makes our list that more interesting! Jean xx ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Morgan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [IGW] Anne SULLIVAN (Limerick Roots),Helen KELLER's "Wild Irish Rose" > The story about Helen Keller brings tears to my eyes. Last Aug we went to > the house she was raised in. It was very small and built next to her > grand parents home. It was very large and when I went into that big > dinning room I could almost most feel her presence. It is a wonderful > place to visit and you can sit in the gardens. Carol in Tn > > "Jean R." <[email protected]> wrote: SNIPPET: Remarkable Anne SULLIVAN > was to give Helen KELLER her cheerful spirit and perseverance as well as > teaching her Braille and guiding her to understandable speech. <snip>(

Hi Folks, I know over the years many people called to Canon Bertie troy at the Parochial House in Midleton tracing their roots. Canon Bertie has passed away & was buried yesterday in Midleton. He will be a huge loss to everybody interested in Genealogy. Regards Noel

On a winter's night in 1993-94 young Seamus O'Rourke left Peter Dononhue's public house in Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim. He'd take a few pints and by the time he got home his spirits were low. Sitting outside in the darkness he thought about Druminchin, his part of Leitrim, and composed a haunting poem. A carpenter by trade, O'Rourke wouldn't have dreamt of writing anything down, but for days and weeks afterward he would recall and later recite the lines which had flowed that night. His friends Philip and Sean Mcintyre from the townsland of Curraghhoy knew Druminchin well and sensed that they were hearing a man's heartfelt thoughts about his home area. A silence descended before Seamus began to recite - not the silence before a song, but the silence before something more serious. DRUMINCHIN HILLS Lie down flat you Druminchin Hills For there's damn-all for you to see And there's no one looks at your rushy sides Or your mossy bottom down at Kelly's Drain And what sod you have can go to sleep For hungry sheep would rather wait to die And young men pass by and walk on to prouder and flatter land. In parts of Cavan and up near Mullingar Aye, and I'll sit beside you now And sing songs of times gone by When young men made hay with the fork, And drank tae from a bottle and hid their joy in your drauchy camouflage. What right have you to stand so proud Among the whin and the whitethorn bush What crop did you ever yield That wasn't washed away in the autumn flood What good could your God have meant When backs were bent lifting watery spuds And cattle walked knee-deep in your daub and mud In your unsheltered fields You're as auld as the hills, Druminchin And you'll be there for ever more Crushed between Kilerrin and the walls of Newtowngore No foreigner shall ever plant his trees in your channelly ground Not a rood of your unsheltered fields shall be sold for a Government pound You're as auld as the hills. Druminchin You're my Druminchin hills. -- Seamus O'Rourke (contemp.)

SNIPPET: Eileen McGOVERN offers her view of Ireland -- "There is a peace in Ireland. It lives amongst its people. It's the slow, easy way a hand is extended to welcome you "home." No matter you weren't born there. Your father, mother or generations beyond were. And that is good enough. Not for rural Ireland the rushing from pillar to post. No mad yearning for fancy things. Bread in the press, tea in the pot, turf on the fire. An ever-open door, and no fear to squeeze it ajar, late or not, for there is always time, to stop, to sit, to talk, about days gone by and days to come. The quiet keeping of the old ways. Holding tradition. Unquestioningly. For that is the way things always were, and please God always will be. There is a natural and rugged beauty all around to please the weary eye. No skyscrapers here to pierce the sky but the soft outline of a tiny town, a bridge across the water, a swell of mountain peaks. A sleepy dog warms his belly on the road. He dozes, but doesn't dream of danger where he lies, for all that pass him will harm him not, they know he is there. Soft berries in the hedges swell, a childish hand may pull at one or two. Or maybe a soul who walked this way many years ago as that child now visits from a concrete city far away and feels the same thrill at finding that fruit. They as mothers and fathers now will press upon their children all the things that used to be. So simple, unmarred and pure. They try to paint a picture. And true to say the second generation share their love of their land and try so hard to see it as it was back then. No rattle of TV or buzz of telephone or watching of the loudly ticking clock is here. T'will get done when time is right, without worry or tightening of the heart. A spirit lives on, long after a family moves on to do "better" things. But so many return, and see, with eyes anew in the twilight of their lives, what they always had but could not see. Such a well-kept secret, this beauty is. And a heady drink to sip at for those, like me who know the speed of city life. My children too will know these things, I will make it my task to teach them. We must not let beauty go or change. Dear Ireland, a haven, a way of life which eludes so many. I dream of you on winter nights. You share that same moon and stars but are a million miles away. I wish I was there. I walk the roads and pass each house. I smell the air and hear the silence. And dream and dream of all that is you until I stand, feeling your peace, on your sacred land." -- Eileen McGovern

SNIPPET: The Jan-Feb 2006 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine included these comments by their readers: Marlene FITZPATRICK, Le Mars, IA, wrote: "My love affair with Ireland extends back to 1979, when my late husband and I made our first visit. We travelled around much the island by car and fell in love with the place. We travelled there again in 1983 and 1986 and, then, in 1988 we actually moved to Carlow for a school year, while I attended the Irish Institute of Pastoral Liturgy. In 1995, my daughter and I made a return visit, but it has taken me ten years to go back again. In May of last year I travelled to Co. Clare, where I rented a beautiful cottage by the sea on the Burren Way, north of Lisdoonvarna. I spent six glorious weeks exploring the Burren and entertaining twenty-two members of my family. Imagine my joy when I received my Sept-Oct 2005 issue and saw that you had featured the crafts of County Clare. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Burren Perfumery Centre, Brendan's Boat and the Burren Stained Glass Art shop. The cottage was furnished with a couple of the unique wooden chairs that the owner himself had crafted. Spending those six weeks in such a magical place gave me a feeling of 'coming home' and I hope to be able to repeat it soon. I thoroughly enjoy your beautiful magazine." Bonnie FRAIPSURE, Milford, KY, penned: "I recently signed up for IOTW and I do love it. The stories and the pictures are beautiful. You really do a good job of putting the magazine together. I hope to visit Ireland some day. I am a Home Health Care Provider, I live in the patient's home from Sunday night until Thursday morning. I take care of a blind ninety-six year old lady. I read your magazine to her and she enjoys it immensely ..." Michael & Carla DONOVAN, Viera, FL, shared: "Imagine our surprise when we came upon a picture of our family's ancestral castle while reading the article 'Castles of West Cork' in your May-June 2005 issue. We visited Castle Donovan during a wonderful three-week trip to Ireland in September 2000. Castle Donovan is the unidentified castle on page 39 in the upper right-hand of the page. It is located in the beautiful foothills just South of Nowen Hill near the Town of Dunmanway. Signs directing you to Castle Donovan are located in Dunmanway and also on the R-586 highway West of Dunmanway. We have a picture of Castle Donovan in our home that was taken with a beautiful fuchsia in full bloom in the foreground. Until we return to Ireland on our next visit, your lovely magazine helps keep your beautiful country in our hearts and minds." Barbara J. COLLINS, LaConner, WA, wrote: "KENNY's bookshop has a website! Our second adventure at travel abroad was to Ireland in 1978 and it was love at first sight for us. We had studied up on Irish history before going and we were told about an out-of-print book which we might enjoy, so when we reached Galway we went straight to Kenny's Bookshop. Unfortunately they didn't have this book, but they took our name and address and entered it in a spiral notebook in case one came in. We returned to Ireland in 1979, arriving again in Galway and visiting Kenny's again to ask about this book. Still nothing yet, but our name was still in the book, so we had hope. The following year a small package arrived at our door and there was our book, 'My Lady of the Chimney Corner,' a bill for six pounds and a note apologising that it had taken so long! It was unbelievable and such trust! I rushed to the bank to obtain a cheque and get it on its way as soon as possible. Our last time in Ireland was in 1985, when we attended classes at University College Dublin and then toured every little road along the southwest coast. We are in our eighties now and don't travel much, but we still love your magazine and the memories it brings. It was one of our sources for our trip in 1978 when we read about the classes at UCD. And now you have brought Kenny's to use again." (The editor replied - "Thank you for sharing your little anecdote with us; Kenny's Bookshop really was an institution but sadly they are closing their bookstore as they are going to concentrate on their online book sales.") Linda CANTRELL, Blodgett, MO, shared: "Most of us have a 'Wish List.' However, we are lucky if we are able to mark off one item on this list. This year, I have been able to mark off two items and both deal with Ireland. I have always wished for an Irish ancestor. A niece started to research my mother's ancestry and sent me a copy. Much to my delight, on one of the last pages, there it was -- Frances RILEY born in Ireland in 1692. My sixth great-grandparent made me 'A Wee Bit Irish.' Another item on my wish list was to visit Ireland and I have just returned from my first trip to The Emerald Isle. It was everything that I had ever hoped for. The colours were vivid, the people I talked to were so friendly and helpful, the historic sites were fascinating, the music was lilting, and the pubs were fun. However, my time in Ireland was too short, so I hope that I will have the chance to return to a country that fulfilled all my hopes and expectations, as I want to experience more of Ireland and I want to be a wee bit more Irish."

SNIPPET: The beautiful Cathedral of Saint Laserian lies in the small village of Old Leighlin, Co. Carlow, Ireland. The village, now peaceful and tranquil, was plundered repeatedly and later totally destroyed by fire in 1060. Each time a benefactor came forward to aid in rebuilding and redevelopment. In 1399, when Richard Rocomb was Bishop, there were 86 burgesses or city councillors in the town. The present Cathedral in Old Leighlin was begun by Bishop Donatus of Leighlin and completed by the end of the 13th century. One of the oldest items in the Cathedral is an 11th century font. A grand wind organ was installed under the tower in 1800 and moved to its present location in an alcove. A fine timber ceiling in the Chancel was installed in 1890. The elegant entrance gateway to the Cathedral of St. Laserian was built in the early 18th century. One of the lights in the east window by Catherine O'Brien is of St. Laserian and dedicated to the memory of one of the Vigors family whose history is interwoven with the cathedral. The east window behind the altar features panels of Irish saints and there is a wonderful feeling of warmth with the honey-colored oak pews and the wooden ceiling of 1899. Plaques and memorials include: Under lies the body of Mrs. Christian Nicholas, late wife To yet Honourable Colonel James Nicholas who departed this life ye 2nd day of Feb. anno dom 1706/7 in the 31 year of her age. The date may have been written in that manner because of the year in which Pope Gregory XIII decreed that January 1st and not March 25th was New Year's Day, although it remains a matter for speculation. Another reads (by my interpretation): This Cathedral was repaired and beautified, A.D. 1843, Honb. R. B. Bernard, Dean, Rev. James Bredin, A. M. Precentor, Rev. James Wilson, D.D. Chancellor, Rev. Wm. Brandon, A. B. Treasurer, Hon. H. S. Stopford, Archdeacon. Rev. Arthur St. George, Rev. John Frith, Rev. Rob. Fishbourne, Rev. J. M. Stubbs, Prebendaries. Rev. James Bredin, Economist The Vigors family of Burgess in Leighlinbridge is identified strongly with this church with 32 memorials including a floor monument dated 1718 to Urban Vigors, High Sheriff, Co. Carlow. Succeeding generations lived on the large family estate nearby and a number held high offices of state, church or pursued military careers. Nicholas Aylward Vigors who died in 1840 had a lifelong interest in science. With Sir Stamford Raffles he founded the Zoological Society of London. Colonel Philip Doyne Vigors, JP, served in the 11th Devonshire and 19th Princess of Wales Regiments, was VP of the Royal Historical & Archaeological Association, IR, and established the "Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland" to record many faded tombstones in cemeteries; subsequent published Annual Reports today are sought after by family researchers. A timber lectern in the Cathedral in the form of a eagle was presented in memory of Thomas Vigors (1800-1881) and wife Sophie (d. age 38, Nov. 5, 1865) by sons Charles, Thomas, Urban and Cliffe. Charles served in the Ceylon Civil Service, Cliffe was awarded an OBE for service in the Royal Irish Regiment, Urban was Advocate Gen. of W. Australia. Thomas succeeded his father as rector of Powerstown Parish in Kilkenny. Did you know that at one time there was a Window Tax based upon the number of windows in a building; this did not apply to churches. Beautiful photos of the interior of the Cathedral and more information on the history behind the Cathedral can be found in Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine (Mar-April 2000).

SNIPPET: In the city center, the old city walls of Derry, built 1613-1618 and still intact except for wider gates to handle modern vehicles, hold an almost mythical place in Irish history. It was here in 1688 that a group of brave apprentice boys, many of whom had been shipped to Londonderry as orphans after the great fire of London in 1666, took their stand. They slammed the city gates shut in the face of the approaching Catholic forces of deposed KING JAMES II. With this act, the boys galvanized the city's indecisive Protestant defenders inside the walls. Months of negotiations and a grinding 105-day siege followed, during which a third of the 20,000 refugees and defenders crammed into the city perished. The siege was finally broken in 1689, when supply ships broke through a boom stretched across the Foyle River. The sacrifice and defiant survival of the city turned the tide in favor of newly crowned Protestant KING WILLIAM of ORANGE, who arrived in Ireland soon after and defeated JAMES at the pivotal Battle of the Boyne. To fully appreciate the walls, take a walk on top of them (free and open from dawn to dusk). Almost 20 feet high and at least as thick, the walls form a mile-long oval loop that you can cover in less than an hours walking. At the corner of Society Street is the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall (built 1873) which houses the private lodge and meeting rooms of this all-male Protestant organization dedicated to the memory of the original 13 apprentice boys. The end of the siege is celebrated each year with a controversial march atop the walls by the modern-day Apprentice Boys Society on the Saturday closest to the August 12 anniversary date. These walls are considered sacred ground for devout Unionists, who claim that many who died during the famous siege were buried within the battered walls for lack of space. A few more steps take you past the small Anglican St. Augustine Chapel, set in a pretty graveyard, where some believe the original 6th-century monastery of St. Colmcille stood. -- Excerpts, "Rick Steves' Ireland 2005" guide book (Avalon Travel)..