Wednesday 28 May 2014

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY AND PAPAL ARMY PROJECT...





One of the most interesting projects that the 

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY

 has been involved in, and there have have been numerous, 
is to do with the contributions collected to support the Papal Army.
The concentration is for 1860, with so many names being transcribed 
by the diaspora world wide.

 This will prove to be invaluable for those researching ancestors, 
as to where they were, what their status was and what parish.

Once this project is completed, you will be able to read about it's launch here. 

It will be available to all online thanks to the efforts of the volunteers, 
Clare Roots Society and friends,  and the Clare Library.

 Thanks to Irish Roots and Clara Hoyne, secretary of CRS,
 for the article below.






GOOD NEWS RE BOOK OF KELLS

TRINITY COLLEGE WONT MOVE BOOK OF KELLS TO A WET BASEMENT

Plans to move the priceless Book of Kells from its current home to a basement location in the nearby Berkeley have been scraped after a furious response from Trinity staff.

The Book of Kells

A letter to the Trinity Provost Dr. Paddy Prendergast outlined staff concerns about the project:

'The master plan proposes the relocation of the Book of Kells to the Berkeley Library basement. This area is liable to serious flooding and is unsafe as a location for the country's greatest treasure. The plan seems irresponsible and a recipe for extremely adverse publicity.'

Trinity College is undergoing a major tourism reboot as it seeks to expand its income from its fantastic location in the very heart of Dublin City. Already the Book of Kells is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country but the new plans will expand the tourist experience in the grounds of the College, which was established in 1592. 


 Courtesy of Michael Green

Ireland-Information

Tuesday 27 May 2014

AGE BARRIER IS NON EXISTENT FOR MANY



THE AGE OF WISDOM...

courtesy of The Irish Times


 So many great organisations are working hard to ensure that our elders are well occupied and are able to share their great fonts of knowledge with all. 

How have you benefited from all that is available to the over Y generation? 

Have you started a new career?
Do you volunteer?
Are you looking after the younger or older generation? 
What advice would you like to give to those about to retire to ensure they have a fulfilling life?


Happy to have you share your story.





IRISH FAMINE TRIGGERED MENTAL ILLNESS IN FUTURE GENERATIONS OF IRISH... says historian





Irish Famine triggered mental illness in future generations of Irish, says historian

\"An
An illustration of Ireland's Great Hunger Photo by: Google Images
Irish historian Oonagh Walsh believes that the Great Hunger triggered a higher rate of mental illness among later generations, including both those who stayed in Ireland and those who emigrated.
Walsh said at a Science Week event at IT Sligo that the severe nutritional deprivation between 1845 and 1850 caused "epigenetic change." Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression. These do not necessarily involve changes to the genetic code, but the effects may persist for several generations. Walsh estimated that the impact from epigenetic change from the Great Hunger lasted for a century and a half.
Walsh's research is still at an early stage, but she expects to see a correlation between the high rates of mental illness and the effects of maternal starvation. She also thinks there may be a connection between the Great Hunger and cardiovascular and other diseases.
Part of her argument examines the increase of patients in asylums after the famine. According to the 1841 census there were 1,600 patients in district asylums, plus 1,500 in jails and workhouses of Ireland's total population of eight million.
By 1900, fifty years after, the Irish population had been halved, but the number in asylums had increased. There were 17,000 in district asylums and a further 8,000 "lunatics at large."
Walsh did note that not all the patients checked into asylums were mentally ill.
She told the Irish Times that the Dangerous Lunatic Act, which permitted persons perceived as being mentally deranged and intending to commit a crime to be held in a jail or asylum, was "abused on a staggering scale."
Emigrating families who did not want to bring along a relative who would be an economic burden would commit their family member to an asylum instead. Possibly some families who were not emigrating also did this. She rebuffed the idea that there were also high rates of asylum admissions among Irish emigrants in Australia and Canada.
Walsh's most recent book, "Insanity, Power and Politics in Nineteenth Century Ireland: The Connaught District Lunatic Asylum" was published in 2013. She has written several book chapters and articles on medical history, particularly psychiatry and gender history. Walsh is a founding member of the Consortium for Medical Humanities and she works in research and funding initiatives with colleagues from the University of Limerick, Queen's University Belfast, University College Cork and the National Archives of Ireland.
The potato blight that triggered the Great Hunger was brought by ship from the eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States. Many Irish had grown dependent on the potato because it produced a high yield on their small plots and had great nutritional value. A series of crop failures left many Irish with few places to turn for help.
For the full story, please go to

Thursday 22 May 2014

PAPAL ARMY INFORMATION REQUEST

Papal Army..can you help ? Clare Roots Society is looking for further information on the involvement of Clare citizens in the Papal Army. For full details, please read the article below...

If you can help in any way, it would be very much appreciated.

CONGRATULATIONS TO IGP... 60,000 HEADSTONE PHOTOS





IGP Archives Headstone Project has gone over 60,000 headstones. 

 What a fantastic achievement and all thanks to numerous volunteers...
Wander over and have a look at just what many willing hands can do. 
There are all manner of records there, not just headstones. 
Make yourself a cuppa and plan to stay awhile.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Two for one...ENNIS AT WORK IN THE 19TH CENTURY BY LUCILLE ELLIS & WATERPARK HOUSE

Two books for one 
ENNIS AT WORK IN THE 19TH CENTURY BY LUCILLE ELLIS & WATERPARK HOUSE.
For those who purchase Ennis at Work in the 19th Century they will also receive a free copy of Water Park House from the Big House to Council Chamber. This book, compiled by Clare Roots Society committee members Larry Brennan and Declan Barron, with the assistance of one of our diaspora members, Katrina Pilkington Vincent, covers the genealogies of the families for whom Waterpark House was a private residence, as well as the more recent role of the building, as a seat of local government. This book will only be available on the launch night, as Ennis Town Council have issued a limited number of copies for distribution to Clare Roots Society members. Waterpark book will not be available in the shops.

The Waterpark book is only available on the night of the launch. Ennis at work costs €10.

Courtesy of Clara Hoyne.

Sunday 11 May 2014

WATERPARK HOUSE BOOK LAUNCH



The Kilrush & District Historical Society May lecture will take place on Tuesday, 27 May, at 8p.m. in the Teach Ceoil, Grace Street, Kilrush.

Katrina Pilkington Vincent, all the way from Australia, will talk about "200 years of Pilkingtons in Clare and Australia from Family Letters and Diaries". Katrina has recently contributed to a Clare Roots Society publication on "Waterpark House, Drumbiggle, Ennis, County Clare: From the Big House to Council Chamber", due to be launched in early May to mark the abolition of Ennis Town Council. In the 19th century, the Pilkington family divided their time between Waterpark and Kiltrellig, and the family archive contains fascinating first hand accounts of life in Kilbaha up to a century and a half ago.

Admission free for KDHS members, EUR5 for non-members. New members welcome.







This extended Pilkington family group photograph was taken at Kiltrellig in 1871 and includes 3 generations of the family. 




ENNIS TOWN COUNCIL .. AFTER 401 years, set to change.




After 401 years, Ennis is about to experience quite a change.
The Ennis Town Council will be no more, rather it will be replaced by the 
Ennis Municipal District Committee.








                                            A LINK WITH THE PAST AND THE FUTURE







Saturday 10 May 2014

IRISH PARISH RECORDS


LOOKING FOR PARISH RECORDS?


 We sometimes forget to return to sites we've searched previously. With new records coming on line constantly, it can pay to return...

There are just a few suggestions from some of the busiest...... there are numerous other paid and free sites. These are just meant as suggestions to start you on your way.

CLARE LIBRARY

http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm

**************************


IRISH TIMES GENEALOGY

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/index.htm


LOOKING FOR CIVIL PARISH MAPS...


http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/counties/civilmaps/


 R.C. MAPS

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/counties/rcmaps/

POOR LAW UNIONS (1851)

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/counties/plumaps/index.cfm?UserID=


PLACE NAMES SEARCH

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/placenames/


If you go to Browse, and then select a county, as in Clare, then you can search via parish, for example..

ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH REGISTERS


All known copies for Drumclift

(excluding originals in local custody)

 Baptisms

Marriages

Burials

Where?

Reference

Status

1841 - 19001837 - 1900www.ennisparish.com/genealogy/Open for public research
1841 - 1900Not specifiedClare HGCTranscript online (€)
Mar 19 1841 - Oct 1 1879Apr 3 1837 - Dec 1 1880NLIPos. 2472Open for public research
      






*********************************
FAMILY SEARCH IRISH CATHOLIC CHURCH RECORDS

http://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ireland_Catholic_Church_Records


FAMILY SEARCH CHURCH OF IRELAND RECORDS

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Church_of_Ireland_Records


There are several other denominations also available on Family Search.


Tuesday 6 May 2014

BOOK LAUNCH ...ENNIS AT WORK IN THE 19TH CENTURY BY LUCILLE ELLIS.


Transcription below...


From: Clare Roots Society
On: Ennis At Work in the 19th Century by Lucille Ellis.
Issued By: John Bradley P.R.O. Clare Roots Society.
 Thursday Night the 15th May at 8.00 p.m. in the Old Ground Hotel Clare Roots Society will launch its latest book "Ennis at Work in the 19th Century". The book will be launched by CIlr. Mary Coote Ryan, Mayor, Ennis Town Council, The book looks at the trades and occupations of milling, building and printing, the drapers and grocers and wine merchants, and the doctors and lawyers, as they developed and changed throughout the course of the 19th century.  Researched and edited by Lucille Ellis, the book looks at the trades through the lives of certain families who were prominent in these areas, and their stories tell of life as it was lived in Ennis.  Families researched include Bannatyne, Carroll, Cullinan, Gallery, Gibson, Knox, McBeath, O'Brien, Parsons, Russell and Shaw. To those who walk old Drumcliff these names will be familiar and linked to a number of family tombs.
Ennis was large enough to have its own milling business and because it was the capital of the County, there was a demand for infrastructure and public building as well as private housing. These trades serviced a fairly large and populous hinterland so both the shopkeepers and the professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, had a wide clientele. In addition the population of the county was sufficiently educated and literate to support at least two local newspapers throughout the century.
A thread common to all of the families that are written about is their involvement in the civic life of the town. All at some stage in their lives were members of the Poor Law Guardians, the Town Commissioners or Committees for local charitable groups. They were also usually involved with their Church, be it Catholic or Church of Ireland. We also learn how a number of these families coped after bankrupcy.
In her research Lucille has matched with examples for each trade one or two prominent families and woven their personal histories into the history of their given occupations.  When it comes to the printing trades we read about the Knox and Parsons families who were the clear leaders in their field.
The final chapter in her book takes us back to an evening in June 1868 when a huge part of the population of Ennis attended a musical evening on the River Fergus with up to 20 boats taking part.
The research includes the standard building blocks in family research, state birth, marriage and death records and the parallel church records, the Griffith's land valuation records along with the Valuation books which document the ownership of the land records up to the mid-twentieth century. Use was also made of the 1901 and 1911 censuses. She has also drawn on some new sources such as leases of lands, and marriage settlements. Some of the best sources of information came from the newspapers of the day.
The book is illustrated throughout with old photographs, contemporary maps and newspaper advertisements.
Lucile Ellis was born and is living in Dublin but has two grandparents from Clare. Twenty years of family history research have established that related families are still living in West Clare and East Clare on the same lands, since the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries respectively, with one branch having Ennis connections.
While teaching the senior classes in primary school, she was fortunate that the curriculum encouraged involvement in local history, in her case, the Dún Laoghaire/Dalkey area. When she retired she decided to combine the two interests of family and local history and did a local history course at NUI Maynooth, writing the final paper on some business families in Ennis (this paper is in the Local Studies Centre). Then with the backing and encouragement of the Clare Roots Society, and in particular Larry Brennan and Eric Shaw, this paper developed into the book "Ennis at Work in the 19th Century".
In the early 1970s when she did her degree in History researching primary sources wasn't the norm; now this is encouraged, even at primary school level. The past can really come alive to us now through old newspapers, photographs and maps, many of which can be accessed online or in places like the Clare Library Local Studies Centre which is a treasure trove of the past. Ennis is fortunate in having so many people, both in the Local Authorities and in the general population, who have a deep interest in the history of their town and wish to retain and record as much of it as possible. Lucille hopes that this book adds a little more to this effort, and she hopes to continue researching the past of this wonderful town.