I would be curious to ask the few genealogically-minded in Ireland if they have noticed this loss of touch with thier American cousins by thier Irish ancestors? My family says we were all from Cork although I believe it was because it was where they left from not what county they were from but some could be and I haven't found them yet. Even the ones who I have found a given names for Walsh/Welch haven't seemed to stay in touch with thier relatives in the same city. The other question I would have for the Irish genealogist is what was the size of families in Ireland in the early-mid 1800s? In America 6-18 children were not unusual but was it the same in Ireland? Obviously there were many factors involved such as health, environment and threats to life and limb from neighbors; even if many American then didn't think of the Natives as neighbors. One great-grandmother of mine in MA had 26 children, 3 husbands and lived to over 100 but in the 1600s twins didn't survive very often, so only 7 children lived to adulthood. Can I get some ideas from those who lived, research or have researched in Ireland. I've been there twice but my wife wouldn't let me do genealogy back then. Rick Shea