Hello all, I am happy to report that we have 10 subscribers between the list and digest versions of KIRWIN! It is my hope that we will really be able to use this list to get to know each other and to help each other. For the heck of it, here is what I know of the background of the name. In Irish, the name is O Ciardubhain. I have a book that claims to trace our line back to Japeth, son of Noah.... The family is one of the nine Tribes of Galway, second only to the Lynches as leading family in the area. They first arrived in Ireland at Louth but made the name known in the Galway area beginning in the 15th century. Now, I would like to share with you the story of my Patrick. Our Patrick listed his birthdate as 17 March 1801 in Dublin. His naturalization papers say he emigrated to New York 17 August 1848. For the first few years, he may have worked the railroads. He married Martha Jane Mills 4 July 1835 in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana. Martha is supposed to be from North Carolins, but we haven't found her family yet either. There are unsubstantiated family stories that suggest he may have had a sister in Chicago who married a Carter or that his mother's name may have been Mary Carter and his father's name John. Though we have all descendency info, we have yet to place Patrick back with his family in Ieland. This is what we are looking to do. There is a family ballad written by Aunt Lou Kirwin, Neodesha, Kansas about Patrick's life. You can read that on my website http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/2275/index.html under the link at the bottom to Patrick Kirwin You can also see our more recent lines posted there. I look forward to seeing who we are all as Kirwin/Kirwan/Kerwin/Curwans!! Jana Black Listowner, KIRWIN-L