> Hi- > I am new to the list. I have a ggrandmother who was > born in Drumshanbo, Ellen O'Connor, who was a Quaker. > As far as I know, she became a Quaker in Ireland. She > is the daughter of Michael O'Connor and she had a > half-sister, Catherine. They emigrated to the US (I > believe New Hampshire first and then to Salem, Mass. > USA) - anyway, they moved in the mid 1880's. I was > curious about this "Quaker" business and whether the > Drumshanbo area was a place with other fundamentalist > sorts of religions. The rest of my Irish ancestors > came from Southwest Ireland and were true believers in > the Roman Catholic church. Anyone with information - > I'd love to know more about this subject! > Thanks, > Mary Ellen Oh, my! With regard to your interest in the Quakers of Ireland... When I was growing up, I had an icky neighbor who was a Quaker. He was peculiar and mean. Therefore, my thoughts about the Quakers was not a positive one. However, in the past 5 years I have learned how many lives these good, peaceful people saved during the Starvation of the 1850s in Ireland. Though they had nothing to gain (other peoples saw the Starvation ("Famine") as a just punishment for the idol worshipers, the Roman Catholic Papists. There are several short texts/monographs (?) on the subject which helped me to appreciate their true Christian virtues. Perhaps the Irish Press? I was so happy to learn that my feelings towards the Quakers were skewed by my childhood perceptions of just one cranky neighbor. I am so grateful to these good women and men who cared for the bodies and lives of our people whose bodies were being punished by an act of God that was attributed to His punishment. The Book of Job was not a part of the Biblical knowledge of the British at that time. Have to run. Or I'd go on!!! Regards, Jane in RI