Wow, we go from little activity to a lot of activity very quickly on this list....just a few comments; Ray Marshall mentioned the Ireland Reaching Out program.....it's not a new program but has been refined since its inception in 2011. The original idea was to seek out descendants of immigrants from particular parishes in Ireland and once found to invite them back to the parish or townland of their ancestors with a "Week of Welcomes". The program started in Galway in 2011 and had a few more Weeks of Welcome in different parts of Ireland in 2012( including North Kerry)...this year many of the activities are being done in conjunction with the Gathering but next year the IRO program will be on its own again hopefully with more weeks being planned in different counties. The program is still in its infancy but is growing through the use of volunteers both within Ireland itself and outside of Ireland as well. I am speaking both as a participant in the initial week of welcomes in Galway in 2011 and as a participant last year in North Kerry. I am also now an international volunteer for the program because I think it is such an important program for those with interests in Ireland. [1]www.irelandxo.com Many from Kerry settled in Holyoke... with those who have interests in both Kerry and in Holyoke check out the following: [2]www.holyokehistory.blogspot.com And to Rod O"Donoghue's question about immigrants from Listowel and Causeway......many of my Barrett family from Listowel settled in Holyoke; my Donoghue family from near Causeway settled there as well.....there were at least a few other separate Donoghue families there too....Rod, it wouldn't hurt to check around that area.... Ed O'Connor Hudson,MA formerly of Holyoke, birthplace of Volleyball and me References 1. http://www.irelandxo.com/ 2. http://www.holyokehistory.blogspot.com/