Just finished this book. I also have read "Gotham" and have watched anything and everthing on TV about the New York Irish. I have one ancestor who joined up during the draft riots. Plus all my ancestors are from the lower East side of Manhattan and originally from Ireland.All were there in the 1860's. I am left wondering how did they manage to survive? Between the most incredible poverty, disease and violence of the time, it amazes me that I'm here to ask that question. I never heard stories from my parents or grandparents that might have been passed down about the hardships of those days.I have to guess that they just dealt with the struggles of their everyday lives and did the best they could without complaints. They are all Heroes to me.
I know as the granddaughter of a widow at a very early age and daughter of a widow at 34 left with two living children and one on the way, we were not allowed to pity ourselves as there just was no time. If you were sick, go to bed--no whining or else get doing what you had to do. ----- Original Message ----- From: <LLBART@aol.com> To: <IRISH-NEW-YORK-CITY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 12:10 PM Subject: [IRISH-NYC] "The Banished Children of Eve" > Just finished this book. I also have read "Gotham" and have watched anything > and everthing on TV about the New York Irish. I have one ancestor who joined > up during the draft riots. Plus all my ancestors are from the lower East side > of Manhattan and originally from Ireland.All were there in the 1860's. I am > left wondering how did they manage to survive? Between the most incredible > poverty, disease and violence of the time, it amazes me that I'm here to ask > that question. I never heard stories from my parents or grandparents that > might have been passed down about the hardships of those days.I have to guess > that they just dealt with the struggles of their everyday lives and did the > best they could without complaints. They are all Heroes to me. > > > ==== IRISH-NEW-YORK-CITY Mailing List ==== > List Administrators: > Tracy Cassidy GaelEire@aol.com > Jim McCarthy SPAGHETTICOWBOY@cs.com > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >