I found this really interesting. My husbands paternal ancestors were from the Palatinate.(they arrived in 1739) I knew that some of them went to the Netherlands, Switzerland and on to America.......but I had never read about some going to Ireland! I wonder if they Irished their names (is that a word?lol) "The scene was set for a mass migration. At the invitation of Queen Anne in the spring of 1709, about 7 000 harassed Palatines sailed down the Rhine to Rotterdam. From there, about 3000 were dispatched to America, either directly or via England, under the auspices of William Penn. The remaining 4 000 were sent via England to Ireland to strengthen the protestant interest. Although the Palatines were scattered as agricultural settlers over much of Ireland, major accumulations were found in Counties Limerick and Tipperary. As the years progressed and dissatisfactions increased, many of these folk seized opportunities to join their compatriots in Pennsylvania, or to go to newly-opened settlements in Canada. " ____________________________________________________________ Groupon.com Official Site 1 huge daily deal on the best stuff to do in your city. Try it today! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4d8ed8c8dc56339bc04st06duc