SNIPPET: In the Mar-April 2002 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine, readers shared comments about visiting the "Emerald Isle." Beth COLLIER, Lusby, MD, wrote: "Last year I signed my husband I up for a two-week 'Rick Steve's bus tour of Ireland. I also started to subscribe to IOTW. As a first time traveller to Ireland, I thought your magazine made Ireland a bit too perfect-looking for tourists. I thought to myself, 'It can't possibly be that beautiful.' As our plane approached Dublin Airport, it was! Our tour group travelled from Dublin south around the whole island. It was fabulous! Great food, beautiful sights, friendly people. We were about to tour Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland, when we heard about the U. S. terrorist incidents. Our tour continued as planned. Our tour group all agreed that any travel delays we experienced were nothing compared to the suffering of families and victims. We were delayed an extra six days in Dublin. Every Irish person we ran into in the hotels, tourist sights, churches, etc., immediately offered us their condolences. Ireland has such a long connect! ion to the U. S. Even our min-bus driver on the Aran Islands had lived and worked in the U.S.A. I have so many fond and unique memories of Ireland - including listening to Evenson at Christ Church in Dublin, watching 'The Quiet Man' on televisin, great ice cream at the 'Rope Bridge Tea Room,' walking through Newgrange burial mound, and watching 'Richard III' performed at Trinity College. We had great mild weather in Ireland. Many of my photos look just like those in your magazine! ... I can now say, 'I was there!'" Bill & Jane DELAHOYDE, Manchester, NJ, shared: "We so enjoyed 'Inisheer, the littlest Aran," by Jo KERRIGAN, with photographs by Richard T. MILLS, in your Sept-Oct 2001 issue. My bride and I visited Inisheer from Doolin on our honeymoon last year. All those stone walls amazed us. We were sorry that you didn't feature the new Cultural Centre up on the hill. As it was a windy, cold day, beyond 'soft,' we stopped in the pub there for a few Irish coffees. Evidently they only had electricity from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; when we enquired as why they didn't generate power from wind generation, one replied, 'Ah sure we had that ten years ago, but they all blew down.' We subsequently discovered that they use honey instead of sugar in their Irish coffees - rather appropriate for our honeymoon!": Judy SCHILLER, NYC penned: I have been to Ireland four times and still haven't seen everything yet! So far my favourite place is the Aran Isalands. It's very magical and certainly another world for a New Yorker. I felt very at peace there. The highlight of this trip was going to two plays. The theatre in Dublin is so superior and so much less costly than here in NY. I saw 'The Lonesome West' at the Gaiety and a production of 'Of Mice and Men' by Steinbeck by the 'Sionnach Theater Company' at the New Theatre in Temple Bar. The acting was really good and you enter this small theatre through a bookstore. Another highlight was hiking to the top of Howth Hill to see all of Dublin Bay. Not only was the view dramatic the day we did it, the wind kicked up and there was a slight drizzle to add to the drama. The third highlight was finding the Irish Jewish Museum, on Victoria Street, off South Circular Road. People here are stunned there is such a museum in Dublin - the h! istory of the Jews dated back to 1660. Looking forward to my next trip! Sharon Diane ROBERTS, New Smyrna Beach, FL wrote: "You should rename your magazine Paradise magazine. Because from the picture of Bull Island at Dublin Bay, by Richard T. MILLS, in the Nov-Dec 2001 issue, that's exactly what you have ... And sandy beaches and luscious golf courses ... With the bartailed godwits, this would be more than paradise to birdwatchers, this would certainly be Heaven on Earth." David M. BOWEN, Indianapolis, IN shared: "Six members of my family and I just completed a 15-day holiday in Ireland. My wife and I were there before in 1996, so we were the tour guides on this recent trip. The improvements of the roads were quite noticeable and much appreciated. The hosts of our B&Bs were exceptional, but the highlight of our trip, believe it or not, was purchasing goods from Michael CUSACK at 'Irish Handcrafts' on Patrick Street in Limerick. We spent a hour and a half being entertained, including one hour after closing by a man who seems to have kissed the Blarney Stone more than once. Besides being entertaining, he is a master in the art of salesmanship... Another highlight was visiting the home of photographer Fergus BOURKE near Moycullen. We arrived unannounced and he was a delightful host. A photograph in your Mar-April 1999 issue prompted us to look him up. We look foward to planning our next trip to Ireland, via the information in your magaz! ine." James & Mildred WIMPY, Independence, MO, wrote: "Ireland is so special to my wife and I, that we spent our 25th wedding anniversary there. The next year we returned with ... our closest friends. We have dreamed of returning with our children. When we talk of our retirement years, our first thought is to spend at least a year castaway in many of its small towns. Our journeys have taken us throughout Europe, but for some mystical reason, Ireland is the place we always long to return to.... We were only a matter of days from purchasing our tickets when the events of September 11th unfolded. I admit that during the emotional turmoil and pain of the days immediately followng that tragedy, there were doubts about a trip... However, as the smoke has cleared from our minds, there can be no doubt. We will return to Ireland. We will return to many places that bring joy to our hearts. Travel will continue to be an important part of our life. We will not be denied the futu! re friendships, future memories, future experiences that will surely enrich our lives." --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/8/2004

RE: Your LARKIN query -- Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) > Jean- Followed your suggestion and find Hugh Larkin was marrried in the parish of Clontuskert East Galway where another of my g-granfathers was from (Brazill). Thanks, Charlie. > > From: "Jean R." <jeanrice@cet.com> > Date: 2004/06/19 Sat PM 02:24:34 EDT > To: <cjc5@cox.net> > Subject: RE: Your LARKIN query -- Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) > > Hi Charlie - Sorry, I don't have a copy of that book or I would certainly ry to find the answer to your question. I do know that may people have read it, perhaps another lister has a copy. You might also try doing an Internet search using the KENEALLY name and LARKIN name in combination. Portions of his book or his genealogy might be found at some website. FYI - Another LARKIN, James LARKIN, labour leader, was born into an Irish working-class community in Liverpool, founder of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) in 1909.. His story was told in E. LARKIN's book, "James Larkin, 1876-1947: Irish Labour Leader," published in 1965. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <cjc5@cox.net> > To: <IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 10:49 AM > Subject: Re: [Irish-American] Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - > "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) > Jean- Do you know where Hugh Larkin was born in Ireland. My g-grandather came from County Offaly, the home of another Larkin who was one of the Manchester Martyrs. Charlie > > > > From: "Jean R." <jeanrice@cet.com> > > Date: 2004/06/19 Sat PM 01:31:03 EDT > > To: IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: [Irish-American] Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - > > "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) > > > > (snip) --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004

I have read "The Great Shame" and found it very interesting. It is a long book and does touch on various related political aspects. But as I am a history buff, I enjoyed the historical parts as well as the personal story of 'Ribbonman' Larkin. "Fatal Shores" is another long book that I found fascinating, especially excerpts from letters written by the people who were transported to Australia. Don't let the length of either book deter anyone from reading it. They can be read over a period of time. I generally have several books going at a time. -----Original Message----- From: Jean R. [mailto:jeanrice@cet.com] Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 10:31 AM To: IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [Irish-American] Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) SNIPPET: In her column, 'Australian Notebook, News about the Irish in Australia' in "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, Jennifer HARRISON of Toowong, BC Queensland, Australia critiqued popular Australian author Thomas KENEALLY's 1998 book, "The Great Shame," published by Random Harvest. Per Ms. HARRISON, "This book is a large, long one, touching on several aspects of immigration to Australia and the U. S., their causes and effects. The experiences of convict protester Hugh LARKIN influenced the author because 'Ribbonman' LARKIN was his children's gggrandfather. Recounting this story provided an opening for investigating the political activity which coincided with the great calamity, particularly that centered around other involuntary migrants to Australia and the United States, the 'Young Irelanders'. Many consider that the material could have been spread over 2-3 books. KENEALLY himself refers to the self-imposed mammoth undertaking as 'being locked in a closet with a Tyrannosaurus Rex of a project, and knowing that only one of us was getting out alive.' Understandably, several Australian readers have admitted being much more interested in the LARKIN story and skipping through the U. S. sections; no doubt some Americans have reversed this procedure ... KENEALLY deliberately chose a nonfiction approach but does that mean the only other avenue available is to have it assessed as 'serious' history? He makes no such claims. But he did immerse himself in investigations in several countries, at conferences, in discussions and with researchers. To some of his audience, the product falls short of being a great history. What were their expectations? Few have criticised the historical content of the current film 'Elizabeth,' with its blatant rewriting of the Tudor period but at the very least this intriguing topic has been introduced to milliions and is entertaining them. I commend Tom KENEALLY for 'having a go' by producing a significant contribution to an extraordinarily contentious, multi-layered and emotional subject. In the end, the book-buying public will determine its value. For those he inspires to read further on the famine and political agitation, Irish-Australian and Irish-United States history must be the ultimate winners." Perhaps you can locate a copy if the subject interests you. One could also read more on the Internet regarding what role the "Young Irelanders" and "Ribbonism" played in Ireland and emigration from Ireland in general. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004 ==== 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.

Jean- Do you know where Hugh Larkin was born in Ireland. My g-granfather came from County Offaly, the home of another Larkin who was one of the Manchester Martyrs. Charlie > > From: "Jean R." <jeanrice@cet.com> > Date: 2004/06/19 Sat PM 01:31:03 EDT > To: IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [Irish-American] Irish-Australian/Irish-American Emigration - "The Great Shame," Thos. KENEALLY (LARKIN) > > SNIPPET: In her column, 'Australian Notebook, News about the Irish in Australia' in "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, Jennifer HARRISON of Toowong, BC Queensland, Australia critiqued popular Australian author Thomas KENEALLY's 1998 book, "The Great Shame," published by Random Harvest. > > Per Ms. HARRISON, "This book is a large, long one, touching on several aspects of immigration to Australia and the U. S., their causes and effects. The experiences of convict protester Hugh LARKIN influenced the author because 'Ribbonman' LARKIN was his children's gggrandfather. Recounting this story provided an opening for investigating the political activity which coincided with the great calamity, particularly that centered around other involuntary migrants to Australia and the United States, the 'Young Irelanders'. > > Many consider that the material could have been spread over 2-3 books. KENEALLY himself refers to the self-imposed mammoth undertaking as 'being locked in a closet with a Tyrannosaurus Rex of a project, and knowing that only one of us was getting out alive.' > > Understandably, several Australian readers have admitted being much more interested in the LARKIN story and skipping through the U. S. sections; no doubt some Americans have reversed this procedure ... > > KENEALLY deliberately chose a nonfiction approach but does that mean the only other avenue available is to have it assessed as 'serious' history? He makes no such claims. But he did immerse himself in investigations in several countries, at conferences, in discussions and with researchers. To some of his audience, the product falls short of being a great history. What were their expectations? Few have criticised the historical content of the current film 'Elizabeth,' with its blatant rewriting of the Tudor period but at the very least this intriguing topic has been introduced to milliions and is entertaining them. > > I commend Tom KENEALLY for 'having a go' by producing a significant contribution to an extraordinarily contentious, multi-layered and emotional subject. In the end, the book-buying public will determine its value. For those he inspires to read further on the famine and political agitation, Irish-Australian and Irish-United States history must be the ultimate winners." > > Perhaps you can locate a copy if the subject interests you. One could also read more on the Internet regarding what role the "Young Irelanders" and "Ribbonism" played in Ireland and emigration from Ireland in general. > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004 > > > ==== 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. > >

SNIPPET: In her column, 'Australian Notebook, News about the Irish in Australia' in "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, Jennifer HARRISON of Toowong, BC Queensland, Australia critiqued popular Australian author Thomas KENEALLY's 1998 book, "The Great Shame," published by Random Harvest. Per Ms. HARRISON, "This book is a large, long one, touching on several aspects of immigration to Australia and the U. S., their causes and effects. The experiences of convict protester Hugh LARKIN influenced the author because 'Ribbonman' LARKIN was his children's gggrandfather. Recounting this story provided an opening for investigating the political activity which coincided with the great calamity, particularly that centered around other involuntary migrants to Australia and the United States, the 'Young Irelanders'. Many consider that the material could have been spread over 2-3 books. KENEALLY himself refers to the self-imposed mammoth undertaking as 'being locked in a closet with a Tyrannosaurus Rex of a project, and knowing that only one of us was getting out alive.' Understandably, several Australian readers have admitted being much more interested in the LARKIN story and skipping through the U. S. sections; no doubt some Americans have reversed this procedure ... KENEALLY deliberately chose a nonfiction approach but does that mean the only other avenue available is to have it assessed as 'serious' history? He makes no such claims. But he did immerse himself in investigations in several countries, at conferences, in discussions and with researchers. To some of his audience, the product falls short of being a great history. What were their expectations? Few have criticised the historical content of the current film 'Elizabeth,' with its blatant rewriting of the Tudor period but at the very least this intriguing topic has been introduced to milliions and is entertaining them. I commend Tom KENEALLY for 'having a go' by producing a significant contribution to an extraordinarily contentious, multi-layered and emotional subject. In the end, the book-buying public will determine its value. For those he inspires to read further on the famine and political agitation, Irish-Australian and Irish-United States history must be the ultimate winners." Perhaps you can locate a copy if the subject interests you. One could also read more on the Internet regarding what role the "Young Irelanders" and "Ribbonism" played in Ireland and emigration from Ireland in general. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004

Looking for connections of a Mary O'Connor Kelly b Ireland ca 1853. Emigrated before 1870. Married Thomas Kelly in TN, moved to Mississippi where Thomas died. Last found in 1920 census living with son John T Kelly, a railroad worker in Houston TX. Neither found in the 1930 census. She had a brother Daniel O'Connor. Other children: Charles, Daniel and William...all may also have worked for the railroad. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

THE BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD The muffled drum's sad roll has beat The soldier's last tattoo! No more on life's parade shall meet The brave and fallen few. On Fame's eternal camping ground Their silent tents are spread, And glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead. No rumor of the foe's advance Now swells upon the wind, Nor troubled thought of midnight haunts, Of loved ones left behind; No vision of the morrow's strife The warrior's dreams alarms, No braying horn or screaming fife At dawn to call to arms. Their shivered swords are red with rust, Their plum'ed heads are bowed, Their haughty banner, trailed in dust, Is now their martial shroud -- And plenteous funeral tears have washed The red stains from each brow, And the proud forms by battle gashed Are free from anguish now. The neighing troop, the flashing blade, The bugle's stirring blast, The charge -- the dreadful cannonade, The din and shout, are passed; Nor war's wild notes, nor glory's peal Shall thrill with fierce delight Those breasts that nevermore shall feel The rapture of the fight. Like the fierce Northern hurricane That sweeps the great plateau, Flushed with the triumph yet to gain, Come down the serried foe, Who heard the thunder of the fray Break o'er the field beneath, Knew the watchword of the day Was "Victory or death!" Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead, Dear is the blood you gave -- No impious footstep here shall tread The herbage of your grave. Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps, Or honor points the hallowed spot Where valor proudly sleeps. Yon marble minstrel's voiceless stone In deathless song shall tell, When many a vanquished year hath flown, The story how you fell. Nor wreck nor change, nor winter's blight, Nor time's remorseless doom, Can dim one ray of holy light That gilds your glorious tomb. -- Theodore O'Hara, from "The Best Loved Poems of the American People," ed. H. Felleman (Doubleday/NY 1936). --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004

I was looking up some of my known family information, great-grandparents, grandparents, parents on http://www.familysearch.org.. No known persons. Not bad, I gave them the information, to family tree maker = borderbund and to family ancestry. I have the records, nothing found. Very interesting. Bob Smith

Here is a good website with lots of databases if you are researching Ulster.... http://www.ulsterancestry.com/ua-free-pages.php -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton

Just to add onto this great snippet of information...there are websites for St. Patrick's Cemetery, Pollard Memorial Library and also the Univ. of Mass Centre for Lowell History (where they do have some vitals indexed online. Here are the websites. St. Patrick's Cemetery - http://www.stpatrickcemetery.com/ Pollard Memorial Library - http://www.pollardml.org/ Univ. of Mass-Centre for Lowell History - http://library.uml.edu/clh/GenRes.Html (if you scroll half way down the page you will see a link for Lowell vitals) Hope these are helpful to those of you doing research Maureen Lowell MA .........always searching for Curtin, Gorman, Gormley, Drumm, Prada, LaCourse, Reilly ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jean R." <jeanrice@cet.com> To: <IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 1:03 PM Subject: [Irish-American] Lowell, MA - "Spindle City" Textile Mills --"The Acre"/St. Pat's/"American Hide & Leather"/Resources > SNIPPET: Lowell, Massachusetts became known as Spindle City because of the amount of textile mills there from the 1820s onwards. As the home of the American Industrial Revolution, and because of its location 28 miles north of Boston, it became home to many Irish who used it either as a first stop on their travels around the U. S. or as a permanent base. > > Lowell's place in American industrial history was founded on water power and location. The Merrimack river, which was diverted into the Pawtucket canal, provided the power to the mills. The raw cotton came from the Southern states and cheap cotton material was turned out at a rate of nearly a million yards per week by 1846. Initially labour was provided mainly by women from the New England states. This was the introduction of work ouside the home for them and raised fears among parents for their well-being. These fears were lessened somewhat with the provision, by the mill bosses, of supervised boarding houses in Lowell. These were the first American homes of many Irish women and a glance at the census returns shows their origins -- mainly weat of a line from Sligo to Cork. The story of the 'mill girl' and immigrants is told in a Working People's Exhibit in Lowell. > > By the 1840s there was stiff competition from other cotton producing towns in New England which caused the mill owners in Lowell to reduce their production costs through increased productivity. This was followed by a reduction in wages - the final straw - leading to worker walk-outs. > > At this point the families of the Irish settlers who had dug the canals and built the mills, and the emigrants from famine-torn Ireland, had joined the work force. They took on the lowly jobs first and then progressed to spinning and weaving. Their reaction also to wage cuts was the same as that of the Yankees -- in 1859 Irish spinners resisted wage cuts by a walk-out and other disturbances. > > The majority of Irish families lived in the Acre - a public housing scheme which accommodated most of the mill workers. These included Poles, Armenians, Greeks, Portuguese and Italians with a minority of Russians and Jews. As well as providing accommodation, the Acre often became a battleground where tensions, often originating in the mills, was released. > > The ACW brought an end to the Golden Age of Lowell as a textile producing city. As the cotton supply from the southern states was cut off during the war the woolen mills produced the navy blue cloth worn by Union soldiers. After the war cotton production resumed on a smaller scale with the manpower once more being provided by immigrants from Europe and French Canadians. This time industrialisation diversified; as well as the cotton mils there were small wollen mills, the latter producing caroets and uopholstery material for train interiors. A range of haberdashery items (elastic, laces, thread, tapes and cords) was produced in the smaller cotton factories and a huge tannery, the American Hide and Leather, went into operation. Machinery and machine parts were also produced. By 1900, 75% of the city's population of 90 thousand were first and second generation immigrants and 42% were foreign born - showing the importance of migration labour there. > > Worker production was scant in Lowell mills, as owners co-operated to prevent labour unions becoming sufficiently organiised to work effectively on behalf of their members. As a result of labour disorganisation state regulations on working conditions were difficult to implement. > > The mills got a last boost in wartime as demand for uniforms, flags, parachute and blankets increased. The introduction of rayon in the 1930s sounded the death knell for cotton, and Lowell in the 1960s, was saved by light industry and electronics. The era of the mill was gone forever: Boott, Merrimack, Appleton, MA, and many others became mere memories. Many of them are now museums and the Pawtucket Canal transports visitors aorund the once industrial part of the city which, at one time, had more spindles and looms that any other part of the U. S. > > Because of its history, Lowell holds the stories of many Irish who worked and died there. Some resources useful in researching antecedents in Lowell include: St. Patrick's Cemetery, 1251 Gorham St., Lowell, the final resting place of many Irish. It is mainly a Catholic cemetery but since 1900 some non-Catholics have been buried there. A letter to the cemetery office may establish date of death and the cemetery office maps help locate graves within the cemetery. There are other cemeteries in and near the town which include St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, Chelmsfort, etc. > > In the Pollard Memorial Library, Merrimack St., Lowell, you will find Lowell newspapers after 1860. The library also holds runs of Lowell vital records. Once you have a date of death, the obituary notices in the Lowell papers may be checked. These often contain particulars of family members in Lowell but also indicate family memers living elsewhere in the country and sometimes even in Ireland. Such information is vital in establishing whether your research is on the "right track". > > The National Archives, New England Region, Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA, has federal records such as census, naturalization and immigration records for the years 1790-1920 (perhaps 1930, now), on microfilm in the NA Office. The census data is important to establish where peoplel lived at a particular time and the work they were engaged in. > > The MA State Archives, Columbia Point, Boston, has births, marriages and deaths 1840-1900 and a wide range of city and town maps. > > The University of MA, Centre for Lowell History, 40 French St., has a microfilmed collection of newspapers, census records, WWI draft cards, marriage records 1840-1900. There is also an excellent series of indices for census records and obits. (Please check for other area cemeteries, additions to collections in all the above respositories since 1999). > > -- Excerpts, Brid HESLIN, "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, 1999 issue #1. > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/8/2004 > > > ==== 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. > >

Hi Jean as my family was from Lowell and worked in the textile mills I found this so interesting and will copy it for my records.... thank you for all the information you give to the list....... Ann ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jean R." <jeanrice@cet.com> To: <IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 12:03 PM Subject: [Irish-American] Lowell, MA - "Spindle City" Textile Mills --"The Acre"/St. Pat's/"American Hide & Leather"/Resources > SNIPPET: Lowell, Massachusetts became known as Spindle City because of the amount of textile mills there from the 1820s onwards. As the home of the American Industrial Revolution, and because of its location 28 miles north of Boston, it became home to many Irish who used it either as a first stop on their travels around the U. S. or as a permanent base. > > Lowell's place in American industrial history was founded on water power and location. The Merrimack river, which was diverted into the Pawtucket canal, provided the power to the mills. The raw cotton came from the Southern states and cheap cotton material was turned out at a rate of nearly a million yards per week by 1846. Initially labour was provided mainly by women from the New England states. This was the introduction of work ouside the home for them and raised fears among parents for their well-being. These fears were lessened somewhat with the provision, by the mill bosses, of supervised boarding houses in Lowell. These were the first American homes of many Irish women and a glance at the census returns shows their origins -- mainly weat of a line from Sligo to Cork. The story of the 'mill girl' and immigrants is told in a Working People's Exhibit in Lowell. > > By the 1840s there was stiff competition from other cotton producing towns in New England which caused the mill owners in Lowell to reduce their production costs through increased productivity. This was followed by a reduction in wages - the final straw - leading to worker walk-outs. > > At this point the families of the Irish settlers who had dug the canals and built the mills, and the emigrants from famine-torn Ireland, had joined the work force. They took on the lowly jobs first and then progressed to spinning and weaving. Their reaction also to wage cuts was the same as that of the Yankees -- in 1859 Irish spinners resisted wage cuts by a walk-out and other disturbances. > > The majority of Irish families lived in the Acre - a public housing scheme which accommodated most of the mill workers. These included Poles, Armenians, Greeks, Portuguese and Italians with a minority of Russians and Jews. As well as providing accommodation, the Acre often became a battleground where tensions, often originating in the mills, was released. > > The ACW brought an end to the Golden Age of Lowell as a textile producing city. As the cotton supply from the southern states was cut off during the war the woolen mills produced the navy blue cloth worn by Union soldiers. After the war cotton production resumed on a smaller scale with the manpower once more being provided by immigrants from Europe and French Canadians. This time industrialisation diversified; as well as the cotton mils there were small wollen mills, the latter producing caroets and uopholstery material for train interiors. A range of haberdashery items (elastic, laces, thread, tapes and cords) was produced in the smaller cotton factories and a huge tannery, the American Hide and Leather, went into operation. Machinery and machine parts were also produced. By 1900, 75% of the city's population of 90 thousand were first and second generation immigrants and 42% were foreign born - showing the importance of migration labour there. > > Worker production was scant in Lowell mills, as owners co-operated to prevent labour unions becoming sufficiently organiised to work effectively on behalf of their members. As a result of labour disorganisation state regulations on working conditions were difficult to implement. > > The mills got a last boost in wartime as demand for uniforms, flags, parachute and blankets increased. The introduction of rayon in the 1930s sounded the death knell for cotton, and Lowell in the 1960s, was saved by light industry and electronics. The era of the mill was gone forever: Boott, Merrimack, Appleton, MA, and many others became mere memories. Many of them are now museums and the Pawtucket Canal transports visitors aorund the once industrial part of the city which, at one time, had more spindles and looms that any other part of the U. S. > > Because of its history, Lowell holds the stories of many Irish who worked and died there. Some resources useful in researching antecedents in Lowell include: St. Patrick's Cemetery, 1251 Gorham St., Lowell, the final resting place of many Irish. It is mainly a Catholic cemetery but since 1900 some non-Catholics have been buried there. A letter to the cemetery office may establish date of death and the cemetery office maps help locate graves within the cemetery. There are other cemeteries in and near the town which include St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, Chelmsfort, etc. > > In the Pollard Memorial Library, Merrimack St., Lowell, you will find Lowell newspapers after 1860. The library also holds runs of Lowell vital records. Once you have a date of death, the obituary notices in the Lowell papers may be checked. These often contain particulars of family members in Lowell but also indicate family memers living elsewhere in the country and sometimes even in Ireland. Such information is vital in establishing whether your research is on the "right track". > > The National Archives, New England Region, Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA, has federal records such as census, naturalization and immigration records for the years 1790-1920 (perhaps 1930, now), on microfilm in the NA Office. The census data is important to establish where peoplel lived at a particular time and the work they were engaged in. > > The MA State Archives, Columbia Point, Boston, has births, marriages and deaths 1840-1900 and a wide range of city and town maps. > > The University of MA, Centre for Lowell History, 40 French St., has a microfilmed collection of newspapers, census records, WWI draft cards, marriage records 1840-1900. There is also an excellent series of indices for census records and obits. (Please check for other area cemeteries, additions to collections in all the above respositories since 1999). > > -- Excerpts, Brid HESLIN, "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, 1999 issue #1. > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/8/2004 > > > ==== 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. > >

Correction - In the paragraph of today's note on Spindle City that begins with "Worker production was scant in Lowell mills, as owners co-operated to prevent labour unions becoming sufficiently organized to work effectively on behalf of their members...." It should have read that WORKER PROTECTION was scant in Lowell mills... In the sentence about woolen mills, it should read they produced CARPETS and UPHOLSTERY for train interiors - an interesting tidbit.. Author Brid HESLIN (Bridget?) has been a regular contributor to "Irish Roots" magazine published in Cork, i.e. articles such as "The Famine in South Leitrim," etc., etc., and MAY have written some books, which you can look for on the Internet under the name Brid Heslin. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/8/2004

SNIPPET: Lowell, Massachusetts became known as Spindle City because of the amount of textile mills there from the 1820s onwards. As the home of the American Industrial Revolution, and because of its location 28 miles north of Boston, it became home to many Irish who used it either as a first stop on their travels around the U. S. or as a permanent base. Lowell's place in American industrial history was founded on water power and location. The Merrimack river, which was diverted into the Pawtucket canal, provided the power to the mills. The raw cotton came from the Southern states and cheap cotton material was turned out at a rate of nearly a million yards per week by 1846. Initially labour was provided mainly by women from the New England states. This was the introduction of work ouside the home for them and raised fears among parents for their well-being. These fears were lessened somewhat with the provision, by the mill bosses, of supervised boarding houses in Lowell. These were the first American homes of many Irish women and a glance at the census returns shows their origins -- mainly weat of a line from Sligo to Cork. The story of the 'mill girl' and immigrants is told in a Working People's Exhibit in Lowell. By the 1840s there was stiff competition from other cotton producing towns in New England which caused the mill owners in Lowell to reduce their production costs through increased productivity. This was followed by a reduction in wages - the final straw - leading to worker walk-outs. At this point the families of the Irish settlers who had dug the canals and built the mills, and the emigrants from famine-torn Ireland, had joined the work force. They took on the lowly jobs first and then progressed to spinning and weaving. Their reaction also to wage cuts was the same as that of the Yankees -- in 1859 Irish spinners resisted wage cuts by a walk-out and other disturbances. The majority of Irish families lived in the Acre - a public housing scheme which accommodated most of the mill workers. These included Poles, Armenians, Greeks, Portuguese and Italians with a minority of Russians and Jews. As well as providing accommodation, the Acre often became a battleground where tensions, often originating in the mills, was released. The ACW brought an end to the Golden Age of Lowell as a textile producing city. As the cotton supply from the southern states was cut off during the war the woolen mills produced the navy blue cloth worn by Union soldiers. After the war cotton production resumed on a smaller scale with the manpower once more being provided by immigrants from Europe and French Canadians. This time industrialisation diversified; as well as the cotton mils there were small wollen mills, the latter producing caroets and uopholstery material for train interiors. A range of haberdashery items (elastic, laces, thread, tapes and cords) was produced in the smaller cotton factories and a huge tannery, the American Hide and Leather, went into operation. Machinery and machine parts were also produced. By 1900, 75% of the city's population of 90 thousand were first and second generation immigrants and 42% were foreign born - showing the importance of migration labour there. Worker production was scant in Lowell mills, as owners co-operated to prevent labour unions becoming sufficiently organiised to work effectively on behalf of their members. As a result of labour disorganisation state regulations on working conditions were difficult to implement. The mills got a last boost in wartime as demand for uniforms, flags, parachute and blankets increased. The introduction of rayon in the 1930s sounded the death knell for cotton, and Lowell in the 1960s, was saved by light industry and electronics. The era of the mill was gone forever: Boott, Merrimack, Appleton, MA, and many others became mere memories. Many of them are now museums and the Pawtucket Canal transports visitors aorund the once industrial part of the city which, at one time, had more spindles and looms that any other part of the U. S. Because of its history, Lowell holds the stories of many Irish who worked and died there. Some resources useful in researching antecedents in Lowell include: St. Patrick's Cemetery, 1251 Gorham St., Lowell, the final resting place of many Irish. It is mainly a Catholic cemetery but since 1900 some non-Catholics have been buried there. A letter to the cemetery office may establish date of death and the cemetery office maps help locate graves within the cemetery. There are other cemeteries in and near the town which include St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, Chelmsfort, etc. In the Pollard Memorial Library, Merrimack St., Lowell, you will find Lowell newspapers after 1860. The library also holds runs of Lowell vital records. Once you have a date of death, the obituary notices in the Lowell papers may be checked. These often contain particulars of family members in Lowell but also indicate family memers living elsewhere in the country and sometimes even in Ireland. Such information is vital in establishing whether your research is on the "right track". The National Archives, New England Region, Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA, has federal records such as census, naturalization and immigration records for the years 1790-1920 (perhaps 1930, now), on microfilm in the NA Office. The census data is important to establish where peoplel lived at a particular time and the work they were engaged in. The MA State Archives, Columbia Point, Boston, has births, marriages and deaths 1840-1900 and a wide range of city and town maps. The University of MA, Centre for Lowell History, 40 French St., has a microfilmed collection of newspapers, census records, WWI draft cards, marriage records 1840-1900. There is also an excellent series of indices for census records and obits. (Please check for other area cemeteries, additions to collections in all the above respositories since 1999). -- Excerpts, Brid HESLIN, "Irish Roots" genealogy magazine published in Cork, 1999 issue #1. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/8/2004

I have put the Kilkeel marriages and births on my website, also the Dromore, Newcastle and Banbridge sections are all updated. Raymond http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite.com

For those interested in free Irish languages classes in the New York / Long Island area, please see notice below: GERRY TOBIN IRISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL CELEBRATES PUBLICATION OF "THE MAD POET" The Gerry Tobin Irish Language School invites all interested in Irish poetry and in learning Irish to its summer party on Thursday, June 24 at 7:45PM at the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall, 27 Locust Avenue, Babylon, Long Island. The party kicks off a new semester of free weekly Irish language classes at all levels and will include readings from An File Ar Buile (The Mad Poet) - Poems From America, a book signing by its author Séamas Ó Neachtain, and traditional Irish music by Na Buachaillí Dána - all free. An File Ar Buile (The Mad Poet) is the first book of Irish Gaelic poetry written in the U.S. in living memory. Its author is Long Island-born and bred and a teacher at the Gerry Tobin School, which has just finished celebrating fifteen years of teaching the Irish language and spreading its use as a living language. Open to all, the School provides one of the most extensive programs of Irish language instruction in North America, advanced workshops and research in Ir! ish Gaelic literature and culture, and a Virtual Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) throughout the world on the internet. For more information, call Jerry Kelly at 516-679-0465.

SNIPPET: Between 1846 and 1851, more than a million Irish, almost all destitute and downtrodden, crossed the Atlantic, and even after the blight lifted, huge numbers kept coming. Most of them weathered the Atlantic crossing in steerage - inferior, often wretched accommodations reserved for the lowest-paying passengers. For $50 dollars, no small sum for an impoverished immigrant, passengers were crammed into a cargo ship with as many as 900 others, allotted only as much space as their bodies took up, their possessions tightly rolled up by their sides. Worse, filth and human excrement was everywhere. And cholera and other fatal illnesses, often brought on board by diseased immigrants, stalked the ship like a stowaway. Stephen de VERE, a wealthy Irishman so curious about steerage conditions that he decided to experience them first-hand, set down his impressions in his "Journal," quoted in Terry COLEMAN's "Going to America." -- "Before the emigrant has been a week at sea he is an altered man. How can it be otherwise? Hundreds of poor people, men, women, and children, of all ages, from the drivelling idiot of ninety to the babe just born , huddled together without light, without air, wallowing in filth and breathing a fetid atmosphere, sick in body, dispirited in heart, the fevered patient lying ... in sleeping places so narrow as almost to deny them the power of indulging, by a change of position, the natural restlessness of their diseases; by the agnonized raving disturbing those around, and predisposing them through the effects of the imagination, to imbibe the contagion; living without food or medicine ... dying without the voice of spiritual consolation, and burying in the deep without the rites of the church." Scores of similar accounts survive, each describing a nightmare that lasted from one to three months. Although the American and English governments enacted laws meant to improve conditions, it was difficult to enforce them, and steerage passengers traveled at the mercy of captain, crew, and each other. Forced to share berths, men and women had little or no privacy. The standard meal consisted of rough grain, served as a hardened lump. Crew members cursed passengers and sometimes physically abused them. By the end of one 1853 voyage that began with 200 passengers, between 37 and 41 had died en route. Their corpses were heaved overboard. On the whole, though, immigrants arrived safely; death claimed on the average of about one out of two hundred passengers, decidedly better odds than those posed by the Great Famine. In one respect the burden of traveling steerage was eased: The cost of the voyage was often shouldered by existing communities of Irish North Americans who financed the emigration of relatives through organizations such as Boston's "Pilot" newspaper and New York's Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. And in 1871 an international postal money-order agreement, signed by the American and British governments, aided the transfer of funds between nations. From 1848 to 1900 Irish North American sent an annual average of $5 million to Ireland, 90 percent of it from the United States. The vast majority of 19th-century Irish Catholic immigrants soon discovered, however, that conditions in America were little better than those they had escaped, particularly in the cities. In contrast with other newcomers - Scandinavians and Germans, for instance - the Irish seldom lit out for the unpopulated frontier. One reason was that the land had been a source of anguish in Ireland, especially after the recent crop failures. In addition, most Irish farmers had experience growing only one crop, potatoes, and were ill-equipped to try their hands at others. Finally, Irish were reluctant to venture into isolated areas barren of churches and other places where they were used to congregating. Huge numbers of Irish immigrants were thus lumped together in industrial and port cities. In the mid-19th century four states - MA, NY, PA, and IL, contained more than half the total Irish American population. Penniless and unskilled, these refugees from a land racked by starvati! on took whatever jobs they could find, for any wage. In the 1830s unskilled laborers received about one dollar per working day. A decade later, even as business boomed, wages dropped to less than 75 cents for a 10 to 12-hour working day. -- Excerpts, "The Peoples of North American: The Irish Americans," Jim F. Watts (USA/1988) -- --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/2004

From The Irish Times http://www.ireland.com/ Begin forwarded message: > > Bodies of murdered Irish rail workers to be exhumed in US > (Seán O'Driscoll in New York) >   > A Pennsylvania coroner and district attorney are standing by for the > exhumation of 57 Irish railroad workers believed to have been murdered > by 19th century anti-immigrant vigilantes. > > The Pennsylvania Emerald Society, an organisation of Irish-American > police officers, has agreed to pay for memorial signs at the burial > site > and is negotiating with the US national railroad company, Amtrak, to > allow for more tests on the land before the exhumation. > > Under Pennsylvania law, a coroner and district attorney's office must > be > contacted in suspicious death cases, even alleged murders dating back > to > 1832. > > Two history professors at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania, Prof > William Watson and Prof John Ahtes, are organising the exhumation in > Malvern, in the south-east of the state, and believe that a now-defunct > railroad corporation hid files on the deaths to stop the truth from > emerging. > > Prof Watson said that the 57 were most likely single men, possibly > Gaelic-speaking and many might not have been accustomed to a money > economy. "They were in a very vulnerable position and were easily > forgotten," he said. > The men are officially listed as cholera victims, but, according to > Prof > Watson, the railroad corporation hid the records for decades. The two > professors have made an extensive search of state and national records > to uncover the men's identities. > > A Pennsylvania cemetery has volunteered individual graveyard spaces for > all the men when their bodies are exhumed, and the research team has > employed Irish graduate students to help research emigration and census > records. According to Prof Watson, anti-Irish feeling was very strong > at > the time and the Irish were widely blamed for spreading cholera. A > group > of vigilantes was roaming Pennsylvania looking for Irish to attack, > particularly when the fear of cholera gripped the wider public in 1832. > > He believed the Pennsylvania and Columbia Railroad Company covered up > the deaths to stop bad publicity and to ensure that Irish immigrants > were not frightened away from railroad construction projects. The two > professors believe they have uncovered the identity of Phillip Duffy, > the men's foreman, who appeared to care little for the fate of his men. > > "We believe that Phillip Duffy is from Tipperary," said Prof Watson. > "We > have a document saying that a Philip Duffy came in [to the US] after > the > war of 1812 and we believe this is our man," he said.

On vacation. I'll be back in a few weeks. Maureen N

Hi There were lots of coal mines in Lancashire, Wales, Yorkshire and Newcastle districts. Val Ashcroft ----- Original Message ----- From: "Valerie Kuhn" <vkuhn@sbcglobal.net> To: <IRISH-AMERICAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 4:42 AM Subject: Re: [Irish-American] Good Ireland map site... > Hi, > > I see you post a lot of Irish info on the web. Can you give me a guess as to where in England people leaving Cork, Ireland most likely would settle? My ancestors went from Ireland to England (by 1856) and on to the US by 1867. I have no idea where in England they may have settled, but Mathias BARRY was a coal miner. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx. > > Valerie Kuhn > > > Here is a good site with ca 1880s maps of Ireland...by county. > http://www.londonancestor.com/maps/maps-ireland.htm > > -- > Pat Connors, Sacramento CA > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com > All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton > > > > > > > ==== 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. > > > > ==== 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. > > >

> > >My ancestors went from Ireland to England (by 1856) and on to the US by 1867 > I believe there was a 1861 UK census, have you checked it out? Since Liverpool was port where many stopped, many Irish settled their. Many ships went to US from Ireland via Liverpool. There is a new list (Irish-in-UK) which I am the admin, you may want to join. It is not busy but there are people on it from the UK who may be able to answer your questions better than I. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton