Hi Loretta, I was reading your passage from your book and think your family must have traveled from County Down, or Louth area to have gone Newry to Emyvale to Aughnacloy. Are you looking for them in Donegal or just for a portage area? It doesn't sound from what you read that they are from Donegal. Judy In a message dated 10/24/2008 6:08:58 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, lynneage@house-of-lynn.com writes: Thank you Paul. It's been many years since I read the book I have, so I went back to take a look and discovered I had somehow forgotten an earlier, very important sentence in the passage I had in mind. Relevant portions of the passage are as follows: "Steamships, railroads, telegraphs and telephones were not then dreamed of ... With eyes dimmed by tears, and hands trembling with emotion, farewell is said and the lumbering car conveying them to Londonderry, seventy-five miles away, moves creaking and jolting over the rough country roads. The church spires of Newry, Emyvale and Aughnacloy, one by one, disappear in the distance ... At last the old city made immortal by its memorable siege, and surrounded by its high and wide walls, looms up on the horizon ... Soon the hero of our story, with wife and little ones, is seen climbing the gangplank of the vessel which is to carry them three thousand miles across the turbulent billows of the stormy Atlantic." Having forgotten the writer's observation concerning railroads, etc., I pictured the "lumbering car" as a railroad car. I suppose at one time a carriage was sometimes called a car. In any event, the family did get the ship in Londonderry to come to America in 1788. Thank you for setting me straight about the railroad. Loretta -----Original Message----- From: irl-co-donegal-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:irl-co-donegal-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Paul Hockie Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 12:01 To: irl-co-donegal@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [IRL-CO-DONEGAL] Question on port Loretta, Either 1788 is wrong or Hugh was perhaps embellishing the tale. The first railway did not arrive in Derry until 1847 and went no further than Strabane until 1852. I bet it's a good tale though. Paul ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to IRL-CO-DONEGAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message **************Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir= http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)