even if you never had an interest in Irish History and you couldn't give a sugar as to who he was......and you're only interested in Genealogy as per the strict definition of the word - well, this man wrote something that should be of interest to every person who ever has done or will do Irish Genealogy and something that I have seen many a person ask about on every mail list I am subscribed to.......... T.W. Rolleston said: "the finest qualities of the population that inhabit this island seemed to be combined in him, developed to their highest power, and coloured deeply with whatever it is in character and temperament that makes the Irish one of the most separate of races" Thomas Francis Meagher said, in an oration at Conciliation Hall, Burgh Quay, Dublin: "In the day of victory, to which he had so often looked with a panting heart and a glowing soul, they will beckon us to the grave, bid us pluck a laurel from the nation's brow, and place it on his tomb." Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, described him as "the most notable Irishman of the generation to which he belonged" In the report on his funeral the 'Nation' wrote: "Irish soil holds no more precious dust than his. ......Souls like his never die, but make a part of the history and the heart of their country forever." Seventy years after his death, Arthur Griffiths of the 1916 rising said of him "The prophet I followed throughout my life, the man whose words and teachings I tried to translate into practise in politics, the man whom I revered above all Irish patriots was......." and yet - when I search the web I find little or nothing about this man - his name, an bit here and there mentioning that he was a founder of the Nation, a few of his poems........ so I've put a few things about him on the web - just a few :-) including that article which should be of interest to every person who ever has had an interest of any sort in Irish genealogy...........only it's a case of 'seek and ye shall find' Jane :-) http://www.from-ireland.net/history/thomasdavis.htm and netscape viewers go here: http://www.from-ireland.net/netscapeviewers/History/thomasdavisnet.htm