6th BLOGIVERSARY!

I wonder how many of you have been with me for all these years, covering over one thousand posts and now, well over 500,000 views, which was reached on September 12, 2017.. In fact at time of writing this is now 506, 151..an extra 6,000+  in just on three weeks.

My aim for this blog has been to cover all things Irish, including the news from Clare Roots Society, which I've been part of since it's inception.

This blog consists of 12 pages.. have you explored all of them? 

There are literally thousands of transcribed BDMs, many generously donated by volunteers.. the same of newspaper clippings, covering BDMs as well as snippets of interest, including a laugh or two... once again, many of these have been donated by generous volunteers... You'll find Obituaries, Biographies, news about gatherings, reunions, meetings.. You can find great stories from the inane to the inspirational...

 The top 5 most popular posts at present are...

WANTED ... A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME...  a meme..

DESCENDANTS OF 'BRIDE SHIP' ORPHAN GIRLS SOUGHT

EJECTMENT BOOKS OF COUNTY CLARE, NATIONAL ARCHIVES...

BEHIND THE SCENES KILRUSH'S FAMINE COMMEMORATION D...

100,000 GRAVESTONE PHOTOS --FREE OF CHARGE...IRELA...

Top 5 pages... in no particular order..

BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES - TRANSCRIPTIONS

TRANSCRIPTIONS, incl. KILMURRY IBRICKANE BAPTISMAL...

IRISH CLIPS AND SNIPS

IRISH OBITUARIES

KILMALEY PARISH BAPTISMS, CO CLARE 1828-1882

You can search the entire blog, or at least those items that have been transcribed and typed, though not .jpgs, by using the search bar at the bottom of the page.

Contributions are gladly accepted ... such as notices re forthcoming events, transcriptions, family reunions, etc. so long as they have an Irish connection. 

If you have photos of gravestones that link back to Ireland, I am happy to post them on another of my blogs, Irish Graves... theywho sleep in foreign lands. 

The left hand column lists all my blogs, as well as links to a number of helpful sites...you can find my email address in About Me. 

Thank you all for your support.. let's wander through Irish history and see what else we can discover.

Muckross Abbey

(courtesy of Pixabay)

HAPPY THIRD BLOGIVERSARY!

This is the 3rd Blogiversary 

of 

AS THEY WERE

The links below are a selection of some of the most popular posts, in no particular order. Thank you to all who have visited, contributed, and made this blog a labour of love, attracting well over 160,000 views...

BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES - TRANSCRIPTIONS

IRISH ANCESTRY WEBSITE

ONE DONEGAL: MANY PASTS, ONE FUTURE

EJECTMENT BOOKS OF COUNTY CLARE, NATIONAL ARCHIVES...

WANTED ...     A FEW MOMENTS OF YOUR TIME...

CHANGES TO NSW BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES

ENNIS ABBEY REOPENED

THE FAMILIES OF KILMALEY PARISH A 200 Year review....

INVITATION TO THE UNVEILING OF FAMINE MEMORIAL IN ...

THE CURSED FAMINE.

THEY MADE THEIR MARK

FROM WHENCE THEY CAME....

IRISH OBITUARIES

IRISH CLIPS AND SNIPS

BIOGRAPHIES

BIRDS ON THE WIRES

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY BOOK LAUNCH : "A BROAD HISTORY OF A NARROW STREET"

RE MARTIN BREEN AND BUNRATTY FAMILIES

Irish family tree research societies and groups

Irish family tree research societies and groups

Courtesy of Claire Santry, Irish Genealogy News

Feel free to add your favourites in the comments below.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY’S OFFICE REGISTERED PAPERS ONLINE

February 20, 2012 @ 11:23 am | by JOHN GRENHAM

"CSORP" looks like the name of an Eastern European secret police force. In fact, it is the acronym for one of the most under-appreciated Irish historical sources, the Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers. The Chief Secretary, based in Dublin Castle, became the effective head of government in Ireland in the decades after the Act of Union in 1800. The registered papers are the records of all incoming correspondence to his Office, and cover the years 1818 to 1924. They comprise an extraordinary collection of documents: complaints, petitions, memoranda, accounts and reports on virtually every aspect of the administration of Ireland. And they have survived intact in the National Archives.

Until now, the only access routes to their contents have been via a partial card index in the Reading Room and the original annual CSO registers. The only widely known records were the many local petitions addressed to the Office, any one of which can list hundreds of names. Now a new website, csorp.nationalarchives.ie, aims to catalogue and calendar every single document in the collection between 1818 and 1852. For the moment only the first five years, 1818 to 1822, are complete, but already the vivid weirdness of 19th century Ireland is springing to life. One example: in 1821, a Dublin merchant, George Ness, proposed allowing the admission of Catholics to the Freedom of the City. As a result, he received an anonymous letter, which he forwarded to the Chief Secretary's Office. The letter threatens that, '…if I hear another word out of your head about Papists to be made freemen of any our corporations I will have you dragged from limb to limb and your head hung on the rapper of your halldoor..'. The letter is signed 'a fellow that wd shoot a papist, as soon sir as you wd a mad dog'.

Living history, indeed.

OBITUARY PATRICK (VINCE) MURRAY

SHARED FROM THE IRISH ECHO

Patrick Vincent (Vince) Murray
1940 – 2011

Vince Murray presented Ireland Calling on Sydney's 2RDJ-FM.

Vince Murray passed away peacefully at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on Friday, December 23, 2011. He had suffered a massive stroke in early November and never recovered. He was 71.

Born in Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon, he had a younger sister Mary, who passed away in 2011 after Vince had returned to Sydney following a visit home to see his family. He is survived by one brother, Harry, who lives in Galway.

Vince suffered a very early setback in life when at the age of 16, his mother passed away.

In the early ’60s, a period of high migration from Ireland, Vince hit for England.

He worked in various jobs, from nursing to the reception desk at a major psychiatric hospital. Vince’s management skills were recognized at an early age and he became assistant manager of a rehabilitation hostel for the mentally ill in Essex.

During this period, Vince had a passion for radio and being a broadcaster. He would spend many hours making mock radio programmes.

In 1973, Vince emigrated to Australia, settling down in Sydney.

He worked at Osti’s fashion house before moving on to assistant manager for the NSW Housing Commission. He was quickly promoted to manager of the Waterloo complex in Sydney and was next transferred to the Riverwood office as property manager.

Vince’s passion for radio broadcasting continued and was very much part of his other life away from work. In 1975 he, along with three others, formed radio station 2RDJ-FM.

In the following years, after many submissions to the broadcasting authority and trial broadcasts, 2RDJ-FM acquired a licence to broadcast on community radio. Vince was up and going and soon hit the airwaves.

He was very proud of his Irish heritage and along with the author, founded the programme Ireland Calling. As the producer and presenter, Vince’s passion for Irish culture was paramount to the programme.

He was the voice of the Irish in Sydney for more than 25 years.

Vince continued to present Ireland Calling up to his retirement in 2010. During his years, he served a term as chairman and secretary of the board. In recognition of his service to 2RDJ-FM, Vince was appointed its first patron in 2010.

I would like to thank the Irish-Australian community for the support and compassion they extended to Vince in his final weeks and days. To Fr Tom Deveraux for the sacramental support and to Ken Maurer (Maurer & Bracks funeral directors) for his advice and assistance.

Thanks to the staff at Bankstown-Lidcombe for the care they extended to Vince. His family in Ireland spoke of the comfort they felt in the knowledge that Vince was not journeying alone in his final days and hours.

It was Vince’s wish to be taken back to Ireland and laid to rest with his family in Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon.

* A memorial service to celebrate the life of Vince will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Rockdale, at 7pm on January 20, 2012.

http://www.irishecho.com.au/2012/01/13/voice-of-irish-sydneysiders-goes-quiet/15069

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY REFLECTS

CLARE CHATTER CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY

From: "Clara Hoyne" <secretary@clareroots.org>

Happy New Year to all our CRS members!

To start our 2012 year, the first talk is Paul O'Brien  on

'The Family Papers of the Glynns of West Clare 1790-1980'

This takes place on Thursday the 19^th of January in the Ennis Civic offices in Drumbiggle at 8 pm.

Looking forward to seeing you then.

Remember if there are any particular topics you would like to see covered, please  let me know.

Clara

CLARE JOURNAL:1804

Transcription courtesy of Larry Brennan

Clare Journal: 1804

A short extract :( note spelling left as original article).

On 19th January we are told of the death of Mr. George Crank, at the age of
92. a very abstemious man, who lived principally on vegetables, eating very
little food, and drinking nothing but water and milk from his earliest
years.

26th January: From Corofin the death of Mrs. O' Brien, relict of William O'
Brien of Ranncen, at the age of 102.

The death of Bryan Finucan, son of Francis Finucane, Ennis. M.D.

On February 9, particulara are given of an exlipse of the sun visable in
Ennis.

The marriage is announced on the same date of Mr. James McNamara, Kilmaley,
to Miss Kelly, daughter of Con Kelly, Ballymurtough.

On 15th March at Limerick Azzizes Tobias Delmege was sentenced to death for
killing Fras Enright in a duel.

On March 22nd. John Loughnane advertised for sale the house and tanyard
occupied by himself; the house in Church Street, occupied by James
McDonnell; a store and stables in Shank's Lane, and field in Lifford.

23rd April The stamp office publishes a further notice on April 23 requiring
all persons keeping spaniels, pointers, setting dogs, hounds, or greyhounds;
or those using any gun dogs; nets or engine, for the destruction of game; or
keeping priating presses, or types for qrinting; all retailers of hats, to
take out their annual licesses under penalty.

On the same date Jer O' Connor announces the opening of new Post Office at
Kildysart.

17th May Miss. Ryan informs us of the removal of her educational
establishment to Arthur's Row, Ennis.She promises every attention to the
Morals and Quick Progress of children entrusted to her.

On 21 st May the death of Mrs. Miller of the Postmaster at Sixmilebridge is
reported.

July 12th Pat Halloran of Eanough did not seem to have a help mate in the
literal sense of the word in his wife. We find him publishing the following:
he cautioned the public against his willingness to pay again for promissory
notes previously paid and stolen from his house with the assistance of his
wife. Mrs. Patt was certainly as the Yankee says, playing the game low down.

Another errant wife is found in the person of Margaret Hill otherwise O'
Brien against crediting whom the public are warned by James Hill Coolreagh.

Another on August 30, a Anthony Moore, Lifford published a caution to the
public 'not to credit Hanna Moore, otherwise Nihill, my wife, who has
without cause separated from me, a week only after our marriag, as I
determine not to pay any debts she may have contracted with any person.
Marriage was not always a success in those days, and with poor Anthony its
glamour disappeared with remarkable expedition.

CLARE CHAMPION 1929

Transcription courtesy of Larry Brennan

 Clare Champion 1929

Heavy Christmas Mails:

Exiled Claremen Send Home: 20,000 Pounds.

The old folks at home in Clare were not forgotten this Christmas by their
exiled sons and daughters in the United States. An exceptional heavy mail
conveyed to them not merely love and good wishes but hard cash to the amount
of at least 20,000 pounds.

Exact figures, of course, are not available, but the estimate, if anything,
is conservative. In Ennis Post Office alone money orders to the value of
about 4,000 pounds were cashed. In Ennistymon the record was almost as high,
whilst in Kilrush, Miltown Malbay, etc., a similar tale is told. In places
like Labasheeda and Lissycasey, even the orders cashed were worth anything
from 300 pound to 500 pounds.

Not less than 15,000 separate letters from the States were dealth with in
Ennis on Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day.

COUNTY ROUND UP

IRISH CHATTER

Courtesy of IRISH CULTURE AND CUSTOMS

Regional round up from Antrim to Wicklow
All the news that probably won't make the national headlines. We hope you enjoy these bits and bobs from all over the country. You can read just the blurb we have here - or, if you'd like to read the story in full, click on the county name.




Antrim: St Catherine's to celebrate 300th birthday
The church in Killead will celebrate its 300th anniversary on St Catherine's Day, November 25 next year. A banquet was held to kick start a year of celebrations to be followed up by a series of other events throughout the year leading up to the anniversary.

Armagh: Local winners in schools' Anti-Bullying competition
Emily Frizell from Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry was announced as a runner-up in the Poster (Post-Primary School) category while nine-year-old Orlaith McDonnell, from St Patrick's Primary School, Cullyhanna was a runner-up in the Poster (Primary School) category.

Carlow: New Hanover town centre gets green light
Last week An Bord Pleanála gave the go-ahead to the project, which is estimated to cost in the region of €60 million. Flagships stores such as Penneys and Debenhams will take centre stage in the development.

Cavan: Social Night in Mullagh
The event will be held at the Kilian Lodge Hotel on Saturday 3rd December. Everyone who helped in any way at the Hooley in the Park is invited to attend. Music by Jammin. Draw for €1,000 and lots of other prizes will take place.

Clare: Rice College heroes receive water safety awards
Bernard Cahill and Donough Curtin who rescued Ger Rogers and his eight year-old son, Gearóid, at Spanish Point beach on July 18 were recently presented with an Irish Water Safety award at Dublin Castle.

Donegal: Burtonport group looking to transform former Cope market
As part of a major effort effort to revitalise the coastal Gaeltacht village, the group will soon be looking for volunteers to help with painting the building for its new use as a tourist information point and cultural centre.

Down: Final withdrawal in Rathfriland
It was an historic day in Rathfriland on Friday as the Northern Bank closed its doors for the last time. As the clock struck 12 noon it brought to an end over 150 years of the bank's presence in the town. The landmark building will go on the market in the new year.

Dublin: Rush couple strike it lucky with €350,000 Lotto win
The delighted duo, who wish to keep the win private, picked their lucky numbers randomly. The lucky €8 ticket was bought on the day of the draw in Eurospar, Main Street, Rush.

Fermanagh: Shauna dedicates her win to big brother Cuaran
Lisnaskea Emmetts ladies team won the All Ireland Intermediate title at the weekend with a brilliant one point win over Stabannon of Co. Louth. Speaking after the game Shauna McCrystal revealed that it was her deceased brother who inspired her to get fit for the year.

Galway: Top award for local butcher
William Morgan of Roger Finnerty & Sons Family Butchers, Oughterard and Eyre Square has been selected as the Supreme Champion at the Craft Butchers Awards, which recognises only the crème de la crème of butchers across the country.

Kerry: Scores add up for young stars
The youngsters of north and south Kerry provided two nights of great entertainment over the weekend as they took part in the Scór Na nóg Chiarraí semi finals on Saturday and Sunday. The events took place at two different venues, where huge attendances were treated to entertainment of the highest standard.

Kildare: Adding Christmas cheer in Newbridge
The Town Council is joining with local businesses in a pre-Christmas project which will add to the town's festive atmosphere and at the same time raise funds for charity. The council is purchasing a 20-foot Christmas tree from Coillte, which will be lit up along with other Christmas lighting in the town, on the evening of 8 December.

Kilkenny: Festive fillies raring to go
Preparations for the 2011 Festive Fillies Fundraiser are now in full swing. The brainchild of a group of ladies from Mullinavat, this year's event will be held in the Rising Sun, Mullinavat on Saturday, 3rd December.

Laois: Bríd helps break world record
Brid Brophy from Ballylinan was one of over 300 participants who set a Guinness Book of Records for largest grouping of Leprechauns, beating a record set by Jay Leno of America's Tonight Show earlier this year.

Leitrim: Future of Ladies Football in doubt
And that's because all but one of the current Ladies County Board officers are standing down at their AGM next Sunday and no nominations have been received.

Limerick: City's iconic floating Christmas tree will not return
The 100 feet tree, made entirely of recycled metals - some from the stand in Thomond Park - has been a fixture at Christmas, but has had its problems, including toppling over earlier this year.

Longford: 2011 Person of the Year announced
John Farrell of Newtowncashel has been named this year's Longford Person of the Year. At a special ceremony held in the Longford Arms Hotel on Friday (November 25) last, John was awarded the county's highest accolade.

Louth: Festival will light up Boyne
Drogheda is to stage its most thrilling Christmas festival yet. A huge crowd is expected onto the streets on Wednesday November 30th from 5.30pm to 8.30pm to help the Local Heroes team 'Light Up Drogheda on the Boyne'.

Mayo: Castlebar Gospel Choir Christmas Concert
The evening of Friday, 2nd December will see Castlebar Gospel Choir sharing their own take on some festive favourites and much more during their Christmas Concert in Ballintubber Abbey at 8pm. Admission is €10 on the door with children, students and OAPs free.

Meath: Schoolgirls complete golf introductory programme
Students from O'Carolan College, Nobber, recently completed the First Tee Golf Programme, which aims to introduce more people to the sport of golf and the life skills associated with the sport.

Monaghan: Young people attend Dail Na Og
Five young people from the county travelled to Croke Park recently to participate in the annual Dáil na nÓg. The young people were selected by Co Monaghan Comhairle na nÓg – the county's Youth Council – to represent the views of the young people of Monaghan.

Offaly: Christmas lights switched on in Tullamore
Santa arrived at 5.30pm and then the lights were officially switched on by Rebecca Colsh in O'Connor Square on Sunday evening, November 27. St Colmcille's Pipe Band and the Tullamore Town Band also performed.

Roscommon: Elphin Community Centre Christmas fundraising concert
Country gospel singer James Kilbane will bring his seasonal Christmas concert to Elphin on Sunday December 11th at 8p.m. in support of the ongoing work and fundraising for the refurbishment of the centre.

Sligo: Aussie ambassador has a g'day in Sligo
His Excellency Bruce Davis was on his first visit to Sligo this week attending a series of lectures at Sligo IT as part of Science Week and taking time out of his busy schedule to experience some of Sligo's key tourism attractions and get a real sense of the county and its people.

Tipperary: Nenagh Community Garden Set To Bloom
A new project is to be launched in Nenagh town over the next couple of weeks following the signing of a six-year lease between Nenagh Community Garden Project and Maureen Meagher of Cudville, Nenagh.

Tyrone: Grandparents go back to school!
The Primary 6 pupils at Blessed Patrick O'Loughran PS Castlecaulfield have been involved in an Intergenerational Project funded by the Live & Learn Project, National Museums, Northern Ireland.

Waterford: The Freeze On The Quays
the Christmas ice rink trend has arrived in Waterford in spectacular fashion. The new ice rink which will be located alongside Flowers by Lucy on Merchants Quay, will be open from December 1 through January 8.

Wexford: Island Bar tops in rural quiz
The quiz team from the Island Bar in Our Lady's Island proved they have a great grasp of general knowledge when they won the Guinness Rural Pub Quiz recently.

Wicklow: Mysterious sightings on Wicklow beaches
After the recent rain and stormy weather the Marine institute have recieved numerous calls and e-mails from beach walkers after the discovery of logs and trees, that have been washed up covered in small sea creatures. 

IRISH CHATTER

Irish Water Safety honours for teenage surfers who saved boy

The Irish Times - Wednesday, November 23, 2011
CÍAN NIHILL
"LUCKY TO be alive" was how the father of nine-year-old Gearóid Rogers from Killaloe, Co Clare, described his son, who yesterday watched as two teenage surfers who dramatically saved him from drowning earlier this year were among recipients of Irish Water Safety Awards in Dublin Castle.
Bernard Cahill (17) and Donough Cronin (16), both from Ennis, were wading into shore after surfing at Spanish Point in July when they noticed Gearóid's mother Roz on the beach waving for help. When her son had been swept out by a rip current, Roz's husband Ger swam to save his son before becoming stranded himself.
For the full story, go to    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1123/1224307999902.html

A POIGNANT STORY

IRISH CHATTER

From Clara Hoyne, Secretary Clare Roots Society Nov 21 2011

A picture with a poignant story from today's Irish Times.

A HISTORY OF IRELAND IN 100 OBJECTS

IRISH CHATTER

The Irish Times is running a great series of articles entitled "A History of Ireland in 100 Objects"

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1112/1224307441228.html

You can follow the series from the link above, but this is just a small excerpt I hope you find it as interesting as I do.

A history of Ireland in 100 objects 


The Irish Times - Saturday, September 24, 2011 FINTAN O'TOOLE Moylough Belt Shrine, eighth century

Objects such as the Ardagh Chalice or the Derrynaflan Paten are obviously very special. They belonged to a social and ecclesiastical elite. They were used rarely, if at all. But what was ordinary religion like? How did most people interact with the world of the saints? This unique shrine gives us some sense of popular faith and ritual.

Discovered by turfcutters in a bog in Co Sligo, the shrine is made up of four hinged copper-alloy plates, each enclosing a fragment of a simple leather belt. The belt clear- ly belonged to a popular early saint. The bog at Moylough, where it was found, is not far from the site of an early monastery at Carrowntemple, so there may well be a con- nection to this holy place.

The shrine is itself in the form of a belt: the two front plates form a false "buckle" whose frames are decorated with bird and animal heads and end in elaborate glass pieces. The overall impression is somewhat dulled now: originally, the belt would have been a riot of colour, with shiny silver panels, blue and white glass studs, and red and yellow enamel borders.

What's particularly interesting about the shrine, though, is that it was not kept in some monastic treasury, away from the ordinary believers. The patterns of wear on its surfaces show that it was much used. And what was it used for? Miracles and blessings.

There is something very intimate in the way this relic was deployed. The hinges and the wear and tear show that it was actually placed around the bodies of devotees.

Monks themselves regarded the belts of their holy predecessors as a form of spiritual protection. One Irish monk in Austria wrote that "the girdle of Finnan" protected him "against disease, against anxiety, against the charms of foolish women". Presumably, the devotee hoped to gain this same protection, at least against the first of these evils.

Saints' belts even acquired a frankly magical aura. In a Scots Gaelic legend, the hero MacUalraig uses the "magic belt of Saint Fillan" to capture a water nymph.

The Moylough Belt Shrine was probably placed around the bodies of supplicants who came with all sorts of illnesses, wounds and deformities.

But there is a particularly strong early-mediaeval tradition in western Europe of the belts or girdles of saints being placed around the waist of a woman undergoing a dif- ficult childbirth. There are later records of the purported girdles of Sts Joseph, Mar- garet of Antioch, Brigid and many others being used in this way.

The elaborate nature of the Moylough Belt Shrine makes it highly unlikely that it was actually used for women in labour, but it most probably was placed on pregnant women as a blessing to ensure safe childbirth.

It reminds us that, for all the sophistication of early Irish Christianity, for most people religion still functioned as it always had, as a way of trying to control an unpre- dictable and often frightening world.

Thanks to Raghnall Ó Floinn

Where to see it The Treasury, National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, 01-6777444, museum.ie

CLARE CHATTER

ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY

IGP Archives have just added the RIC men who enlisted in 1842 and who were from Clare.

The names are:
BARRY, John
CUNNEEN, John
DOOLIN, Michael
HUDSON, Richard
KEOGH, Michael
LOFTUS, Edward
MALONE, John
McHUGO, Edward
MORONY, Thomas
WOODS, James

If you are interested in seeing more go to:

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/

Click on CLARE and then Military & Constabulary

More details on site above...including other years...

 courtesy of Christina Hunt

IRISH PLACENAMES -JOHN GRENHAM

IRISH CHATTER

Can't find that placename you are looking for? This may help...

Thanks, Clara

http://www.logainm.ie/

IRISH CHATTER

       

Courtesy of

 

THE HISTORY OF THE IRISH CHIPPER ================================= 

 It is a well known fact in Ireland that the majority of chippers are run not by the Irish but by Italians! The first of his countrymen to set up in Ireland was Giuseppe Cervi who arrived in Dublin late in the 1880s. He worked as a labourer until he had saved enough to buy a hand-cart and cooker on which he could prepare and sell chips to the many locals leaving pubs at night. With his wife he established the first ever Dublin chipper on Pearse Street and is even credited with being the originator of the famous Dublin saying: 'a one and one' (meaning 1 fish and 1 chips portion). By the year 1909 there were 20 fish and chip shops in Dublin alone. This new industry was certainly not confined to Ireland with the north of England having many more chippers than Dublin. Scotland became the undisputed centre of the trade with thousands of Italian chippers operating there by the time of the first war. Immigration from Scotland into Ireland and especially in to Ulster had continued during the eighteenth century and of course the Italian chippers arrived with them. It should be noted that the most famous chipper in Ireland, Beshoffs, was set up by the Ukranaian Ivan Beshov who arrived in Ireland in the 1940s, and who was originally arrested upon suspicion of being a German spy! He proved his innocence of that charge and in a salt and vinegar covered irony his first chipper was destroyed by the German Luftwaffe who accidentally bombed the North Strand area of Fairview in Dublin in 1941. He relocated to the city centre and became a Dublin institution!  

 =============== MY FINEST HOUR by Pat Watson =============== 

 In the nineteen-forties cutting the turf was one of the most important tasks of the year for most families. Without turf there would be no cooking or heating in the homes of Ireland. Considerable planning went into the week on the bog as this usually involved all hands, that is the entire family, from the baby in the horses collar to the daddy on the 'slane'. In between were the little girls for looking after the fire, the cooking and the baby, the middle boy for catching the sods and filling the barrows, the older boy and the mother for wheeling the barrow loads out the bog. The bogs were divided in stripes about fifty yards wide so there were several families within sight of each other. Whatever anybody did, everyone knew. In the Shannon valley, Roscommon, Westmeath, Offaly, when the 'slanesman' threw up the sods a boy caught them and placed them on the barrow in well ordered symmetric double rows. Each row had twelve sods and weighed nearly a hundred weight. Barrow-men usually complained if more than two rows were loaded on the barrow, as the terrain was rough with clumps of caoibh and heather. In other parts of the country, the 'slanesman' just threw the sods up on the bank and somebody loaded the barrow with a pitchfork in a somewhat higgledy-piggledy fashion. This was how we found things east of the Sliabh Bloom Mountains near Mountrath at the end of the forties. My uncle had bought a farm there and come April he employed a barrow-man and brought me as the turf catcher. When I started catching the sods, work ceased on every bank and a crowd gathered. 'Could I try that?' said a much older boy but the sods slipped from his grasp. You could not be up to the Connaught men, was the general consensus. This was my finest hour. Imagine a ten-year-old boy being the envy of the whole bog. Could things ever get better? 'My Finest Hour ' is one of sixty lyrical yarns from 'Original Irish Stories' by Pat Watson, Creagh, Bealnamulla, Athlone, Ireland. First published in May 2006. Visit: http://www.myirishstories.com or you can email the author here: pjwatson@utvinternet.com 

 

GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH

 PHRASE: Ta suil agam go bhfuil tu i mbarr na slainte 

PRONOUNCED: taw su-ill ah-gum guh will tu ih marr nah slawn-che 

MEANING: I hope you are in the best of health 

PHRASE: Ni raibh am agam scriobh go dti seo 

PRONOUNCED: knee rouh omm ah-gum skreevh guh dee shuh 

MEANING: I hadn't time to write until now 

PHRASE: Scriobh chugam go luath 

PRONOUNCED: skreevh coo-gum guh lu-ah 

MEANING: write to me soon

 

 View the archive of phrases here:

http://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.htm

For full newsletter, go to http://www.ireland-information.com

IRISH MENTIONS + AUSTRALIAN TOWN & COUNTRY JOURNAL 1870- 1907

Yet another great source of Irish information within Australia. The Australian Town & Country Journal has been added to the numerous digitisation of newspapers, journals and magazines, to name a few, on the TROVE site...

This is a great source provided by The National Library of Australia. Try this link, then change the search request from Irish to Ireland or Irish immigration... or whatever you wish...lots of treasures to be found.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/result?q=%22Town+and+Country+Journal%22+%2B+Irish


Do remember that this is digitised by OCR, Optical Character Recognition and as such, can often need correcting re transcriptions. You are welcome to do so in the left hand column. My routine is to payback by doing at least one correction of an article for every one or two articles I read.

Please help support this great source.