George has been busy, here's an interesting article thanks to him and the Ireland Newsletter.. Sunday Independent Sun, Jul 18 04 MGM lion born in Dublin, and other curiosities THE first traffic lights in Dublin were installed at the junction of Merrion Square and Clare Street, on August 27, 1937, and the first parking meter on Wellington Quay on January 14, 1970. These facts, and many more, can be gleaned from The Little Book of Dublin, published last week. Did you know that the Union Jack, that great symbol of Britishness, was first flown not in England but over Dublin, on January 1, 1801, to celebrate the Act of Union? The Irish Rugby Football Union were so attached to it that they flew the Union Jack and not the tricolour at all matches until 1932, when the President of the Executive Council, William T Cosgrave, intervened. The weather and the cab drivers haven't changed much. According to Wakeman's Guide to Ireland (1890), a tourist asked a cab driver what the three statues on the top of the GPO represented. He was told the 12 apostles. When he inquired about the other nine he was informed, "With weather like this they only come out three at a time, takin' their turns regular." Tom Galvin also explains the mystery of the numbers of Dublin buses. They follow the system used in the days of the horse-drawn tram, which ran from the city centre outwards in a clockwise direction from south to north. The Normans were the first spec builders in Dublin, building Dublin Castle (completed in 1230) and others in Castleknock, Drimnagh, Dalkey and Clondalkin, as well as the first bridge over the Liffey, at the site of the present Fr Mathew Bridge, in 1215. While the current city fathers have problems with an estimated 3,000 roaming horses in the greater Dublin area, in medieval Dublin stray pigs were a cause of anxiety. In 1454 all Irish were banned from the walled city and those who were left colonised what became Irishtown. Dublin Zoo got its first pair of lions in 1855, and when food supplies dwindled during the 1916 Rising the lions were fed while other animals had to suffer the hunger. On March 20, 1927, the lion Cairbre was born in Dublin, and went on to international fame in the logo of MGM film studios. The famous Halfpenny Bridge opened in 1816 and continued to charge people crossing the Liffey a toll until March 25, 1919. In 1972, Dr Dermot Ryan became the first Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation to attend a service in Christ Church Cathedral. We learn that, at 205 feet, the Wellington Monument in the Phoenix Park is the tallest obelisk in Europe. And that when the Bank of Ireland built its new HQ in Baggot Street, the quantity of bronze manganese used was so great that it affected the worldwide price of the product. Dublin street names are a wealthy source of anecdote. Frederick Street was named after the eldest son of George II, the only member of the British royal family to be killed by a cricket ball. Mountjoy Square is the only real square in Dublin, measuring 600 feet in length and width. Other little-known facts to argue about are that the Boot Inn at Cloghran is the oldest pub (1593), rather than the Brazen Head (present building dated 1710); that the Dublin-born art director Cedric Gibbons designed the Oscar statuette, and that the bugle blown to launch the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade was sold by McNeill's music shop of Capel Street. 'The Little Book of Dublin' by Tom Galvin (New Island) Liam Collins -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

thanks to George of the Ireland Newsletter for passing this on.... Celebrating the Harvest by Bridget Haggerty http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACustom/Harvest.html Traditionally, August marked the beginning of the Harvest season and it was a time of great celebration in rural Ireland. The season began on the first of the month with the festival of Lughnasa, the Irish word for August. Since it was impractical to take farm folk away from their work during the week, it was generally celebrated on the first or second weekend. The weather was usually fine and it was traditional for entire communities to gather at a chosen meeting place in the hills, by a river or lake, or perhaps at a holy well. Of the four great Celtic festivals - Imbolc, Beltane and Samhaine, Lugnasa was the most joyeous because, after 'Hungry July', when stores were being rapidly depleted, farm folk could look forward to the fruits of all their hard work during the previous months. As with May Day, whose name Beltane comes from the old Celtic God, Belenos, the pre-Christian name Lugnasa comes from the god of craftsmanship and wisdom, Lugh. When christianity came to Ireland and the other Celtic nations, the festival became known as Lammas or 'first loaf' and it was customary to bake a special loaf of bread from the first corn. In medieval times, these first loaves were laid on altars as offerings, but it was also the custom to eat them at a celebratory feast which might also include the first of the newly-dug potatoes. These were boiled in a big black three-legged iron pot over an open fire and eaten with plenty of freshly churned butter, or mashed with boiled cabbage, leeks, scallions or wild garlic. Yet another welcome feature of the feast was fresh fruit. It was very common for rural folk to have currants or gooseberries in their gardens, and for those living in the hills, there was the delight of adding freshly picked and intensely flavored fraughans or wild blueberries to the menu. These were mashed with fresh cream and sugar and eaten with great relish. But, however delicious the feast was, it was not the main event. What everyone looked forward to was the traditional annual excursion to a favorite gathering place.The festivities began early in the morning so the participants could 'make a day of it'; they set out on foot, on horseback or in carts, and made sure to bring plenty of food, drink as well as musical instruments. On arrival at the meeting place, festivities began in earnest. There'd be the young men engaged in tests of skill and strength as well as sport and games. There's even historic documentation that if there was a body of water nearby, they'd hold horse swimming races! The young girls picked wild flowers and made them into garlands or nosegays. If there was a sacred standing stone in the area, it would often be decorated with garlands of flowers. And, of course, there were always the wild berries to be picked and savored on the spot or saved for dessert. Before and after the feast, there would be singing, dancing and story-telling, and as afternoon turned to dusk, bonfires would be lit and the merry-making would continue. Children engaged in games of Leap Frog and rounders which is a precursor to softball or baseball, the old ones gossiped and amused themselves watching the young folk, and all in all, it was a day of fun and frivolity for every participant. All, except perhaps, the farm animals.In some parts of Ireland, it was customary on the first Sunday in August to drive horses and cattle into a pool or river and "swim them". This was done as a health measure and was considered so important that if the farmer neglected his duty, the animal would not survive the year. This might explain the swimming races mentioned earlier! In addition to the custom of "drenching", country folk would also attempt to ward off evil by throwing a horse's bridle into the water and leaving it there. In the case of cattle, the custom was to throw in a lump of butter so that the cows would produce plenty of milk.Besides the gatherings of entire communities, there were other Lugnasa customs and traditions. This was a favorite time for "pattern days" which were when a favorite saint or patron saint was honored with a visit to their sacred well or shrine. Festivities began with devotions which consisted of "making the rounds." The faithful would walk around the shrine or well a certain number of times while reciting special prayers. If the pattern was held at a sacred well, part of the ritual included drinking the water or, if one had a sore or other affliction, washing that part of the body in the sacred stream. Many shrines and wells are famous for their cures of various ailments. In general, most pilgrims left a small token of their visit - a coin perhaps, or a piece of cloth hung up. After the devotions, the secular festivities began and these were very similar to the Harvest celebrations already mentioned.Superstitions, especially about the weather, also played a prominent role during Lughnasa. In Co. Limerick, for example, Knockfeerina Mountain was a weather portent over a wide area. If the peak looked blue and distant, a fine harvest was expected; if it appeared green and close at hand, the worst was feared. Also, it was widely believed that if floods occur in May, flooding could be expected during harvest time. In general, the many beliefs and traditions which heralded the season eveolved from its supreme importance to the lives of the people and their survival. Thus, there were offerings of fruits and flowers on Knnockfeerina Mountain as well as the garlanding with flowers of the largest pillar stone - all to ensure plenty in the coming year, and all undoubtedly, remnants of rituals that go back way before Christianity.One August event, with its attendant rites and rituals has survived to the present day, and that's the Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co. Kerry The fair is one of Ireland's oldest and longest celebrated and is held without fail on the10th,11th and 12th of August every year. There is such a wealth of material surrounding this event that it properly deserves its own article, so look for that one later in the week. What can be said about the old fairs is that August was one of the most favorite times to hold them. The biggest ones attracted kings and nobles, foreign merchants, musicians, entertainers and throngs of people, many of them looking to buy and sell livestock or hire themselves out for the coming year. One historical record states that at a major fair held in 1168, there was a traffic jam of horses and vehicles six miles long! Before we leave the celebration of the harvest, we can't overlook two other feast days that were very important in the Irish calendar - Féile Mhuire 'sa bhFomhar, The Festival of Our Lady in the Harvest. This was held on August 15th and is more commonly known as The Feast of The Assumption - a holy day of obligation. The other one is St. Bartholomew's Day on August 24, which was a holy day of obligation until 1778. The Feast of The Assumption Taking place as it did during the farmer's busiest season, and also when the weather was fair, gave a double opportunity for families to enjoy some rest and relaxation. If they lived within easy reach of the coast, it was customary to take a trip to the beach and many people believed that a bathe in the sea on this day was especially beneficial to health. People also thought that it was a good idea to drink three mouthfuls of sea water which was famed as a mild laxative. Supposedly, one could distinguish between those who were "day-trippers" and those who were staying for several days by the way visitors greeted each other. On the first day, they asked "Have you drunk it?" On subsequent days - "has it worked?" St. Bartholomew's Day This festival was somewhat of a landmark for the corn growers because the harvest should have been well advanced by this date. Traditionally, this was the day when flails were ready to thresh the harvest. High winds are injurious to ripe corn and if one came up at this time, it was said to be "Beairlí na Gaothe" - Bartholomew of the Wind" - preparing his flail to thresh the corn still standing in a laggard's fields.Note: Corn in this context is a term used to describe all four of the main cereal crops grown in Ireland - wheat, oats, barley and rye. Resources: The Year In Ireland <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=irishcultucus-20&path=tg/detail/-/1856350932/qid%3D1043933787/sr%3D1-1> by Kevin Danaher, Old Days, Old Ways <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=irishcultucus-20&path=tg/detail/-/0815602189/qid%3D1043511807/sr%3D1-1> by Olive Sharkey, and The Festive Foods of Ireland <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879373378/irishcultucus-20> by Darina Allen. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

Hi Raymond, Do you have marriages for Warrenpoint? I'm searching for the marriage of John J. McVeigh to Mary Crenney in 1878, Sr. Peter's church, Warrenpoint, Co Down, NI. Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to give. Dorothy ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Researcher" <the_researcher@btopenworld.com> To: <IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 4:38 PM Subject: [Irish-American] Newry marriages on website > I have started putting the Newry marriages on my website, they should all be completed by the weekend, the names on this section will not be picked up by the website search engine till Monday, so please go to the Mourne index page of the website and click on Newry, the information given is the husbands name, the brides maiden name, her father and her husbands fathers names, date of marriage and most of them give their ages, > Raymond > http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite.com > > > ==== IRISH-AMERICAN Mailing List ==== > The IRISH-AMERICAN Mailing List Website and Lookup Service > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/IrishAmerican/ > Use this to unsub, change your subscription, links, etc. >

I have started putting the Newry marriages on my website, they should all be completed by the weekend, the names on this section will not be picked up by the website search engine till Monday, so please go to the Mourne index page of the website and click on Newry, the information given is the husbands name, the brides maiden name, her father and her husbands fathers names, date of marriage and most of them give their ages, Raymond http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite.com

On 7/28/04 12:13 PM, "Darlene Ninko" <darli1115@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > and how much porridge or oats would that be? I use a cup of steel cut oats to two cups of water and two cups of milk. Anybody else got a better recipe? I do find the McCann's Oats to have a bit more texture than what we were served in Ireland. -- We will not forget! www.remember-9-11.com www.ciarancummings.com

and how much porridge or oats would that be?

: Soldier Boy was written in Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY in the 1960s. It Are you sure it was in the 60's, I seem to remember my father singing it earlier than that.. Will check with brother..

In a message dated 7/28/2004 9:50:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, JUDYSPHIL@aol.com writes: > I guess we will have to investigate further --- perhaps it > was taken from the traditional and arranged by someone during the 1960's I have a book my parents picked up in Ireland, "Old Favorite Irish songs" reproduced from an old Irish Song Book by Tom Sexton. The Irish Soldier Boy is not in it, but I do have wonderful memories of Rockaway Beach, and the concerts at Jones Beach. Thanks for a few moments of reminiscing, AnneMarie Dunne George searching DUNNE< MCMANUS, leonard and gallagher in ireland

We knew you meant Andy Cooney not Rooney. I only find that song listed under "traditional". I guess we will have to investigate further --- perhaps it was taken from the traditional and arranged by someone during the 1960's. Judy {who once ended an email to an overweight friend with: you go, gut! instead of you go, guy!}

Boy! Is my face red! It was Andy Cooney, not Andy Rooney. _Irishcolleen45@aol.com_ (mailto:Irishcolleen45@aol.com) writes: Hi listers, One of my favorite Irish songs is Irish Soldier Boy. I was at an Andy Rooney concert tonight and Andy said that Irish Soldier Boy was written in Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY in the 1960s. It was in the 1960s that I first heard about it but I wasn't into Irish music then. I tried a "Google" search and could not find a copyright date on the song. Does anyone have any info on that song? Thanks. Nora Hopkins FitzGerald Hopkins - Castlebar, Co. Mayo/New York City Grant - Drumboniff, Co. Down/NYC

thanks to George from the Irish Heritage newsletter... Porridge with Bailey's Irish Cream. This Porridge is so simple to make , Just add 1/2 milk and 1/2 water and bring to boil , It keeps getting thicker as it rests, so just add more milk or cream ,or water, to thin , To serve add brown sugar and a good spoon of the Baileys and more cream on top, and enjoy it -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

Hi listers, One of my favorite Irish songs is Irish Soldier Boy. I was at an Andy Rooney concert tonight and Andy said that Irish Soldier Boy was written in Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY in the 1960s. It was in the 1960s that I first heard about it but I wasn't into Irish music then. I tried a "Google" search and could not find a copyright date on the song. Does anyone have any info on that song? Thanks. Nora Hopkins FitzGerald Hopkins - Castlebar, Co. Mayo/New York City Grant - Drumboniff, Co. Down/NYC

God bless you Pat Thank you so much for all of the data you put on your web site. Diane

Thank you for the Commonwealth War Graves site it is full of information. Diane

I have completed my monthly update of the Ireland GenWeb County Tipperary website. I added a new feature which can be found on the Maps & Facts section that has links for all the County Tipperary Civil Parishes. So far, I have created new pages for Corroge, Kilshane, Tipperary, Templenoe and Kilmucklin. Each page includes all the townlands in the parish plus links to the townland page, LDS films available for the parish, surnames and links. New civil parishes will be added each month until I have them all created. If you have links, surname and of pictures for any of the new pages, please email me off list. I have added or updated the following townland pages: Nenagh, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Killenaule, Caher, Kilrush, Ninemilehouse, Templemore, Bugesbeg, Newport, Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir, Ballinderry, Ballylynch, Ballynagrana, Ballyrichard, Deerpark, Deerpark Lodge, Knocknaconnery, The Islands, Tinvan, Townparks, Brodeen, Corrogemore, Garranacanty, Rathsasseragh, Tipperary Town and Kilshane. There are now over 208 townland pages on the website. I have also updated the Surname and Links sections of the website with new links. If you have a website with any County Tipperary information and/or surnames, email me off list and I will add them with my next update. I have added the new 1766 Religious Censuses posted this past month to the CoTipperary mailing list. They are located on the Records section of the website and can be found in two forms...an index where you can lookup your surname and find the parish and by parish in the order as posted. You can find the website at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~irltip/tipperary.htm -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

_marbence2002@yahoo.com_ (mailto:marbence2002@yahoo.com) writes: Thanks Pat, I am afraid it won't help me though, my Regan's arrived in 1869 Margaret Margaret, I must have missed your posting on the Regans. Where are your Regans from in Ireland? My husband's great grandmother, Margaret Regan was from Tulla townland, Darragh Civil Parish in Limerick. Her parents were Mary Drake and James Regan who were married in Kildorrery Cork in 1832. Margaret had at least one brother, John, and two sisters Johanna (b. 1859 and Catherine b. 1856). There is a possibility that there was another brother, Michael. Margaret was born about 1843 based on census and death records. John was born before 1856. The Glenroe church records did not begin until 1856 so I don't have actual dates for Margaret and John and am limited as to knowing of any other children. Margaret married Maurice FitzGerald in 1861 at the Glenroe Church, Limerick. The Regan name was switched to O'Regan at some point before they immigrated to New York City. Thanks. Nora Hopkins FitzGerald Hopkins - Castlebar, Co. Mayo/New York City Grant - Drumboniff, Co. Down/NYC

I have spent the money to join Ancestry. I have gotten alot of information from them and will continue using them for my ancestry information. I also use other sites as well. Cyndi's list is also excellent and recommend her very highly. pstory5909@aol.com

RESOURCE: Type the words Commonwealth War Graves Commission into your browser. The database at that website has valuable information on those who perished in WWI and WWII while serving the British Commonwealth. Of note - the WWI data often gives names/addresses of next of kin.. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.725 / Virus Database: 480 - Release Date: 7/19/2004

Remember when replying to a list message, to just send the part of the message that you are replying to, rather than the whole message, especially if you are replying from a digest. Just highlight the part of the old message that doesn't apply to your message to the list and delete it. Also, if you are replying to a digest message, remember to change the subject. This is one I forget about too many times. Thanks for your cooperation. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA, list admin http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton