Today, he wanted to visit Killoran graveyard where our grandparents Eugene and Anne), great grandparents Patrick and Catherine, and great-great grandparents James and Betty are buried "under the O Hara Alcove in the church ruins". We plowed our way through five feet tall nettles and briars to get to the far end of the graveyard and the site of the O Hara alcove. If anything, the site has become even more overgrown than before when I visited there in 2005. Terence's boots leaked as we plowed through the wet ground. This was not a good sign on the first stop of the day! I had more hiking plans for him!From Killoran, we drove across the South Sligo countryside over to Ballymote (Baile an Mhota) where our father Chris (James Stephen MacDonagh) grew up as a boy (1905 - 1925). We pulled into the parking lot of the Church of the Immaculate Conception build in 1857. Keeping true to my custom of lighting a candle for special intentions, I lit one for Terence praying that all the spirits of the past would surround him and work to bring him comfort. He and I walked across the road to the see the ruins of the MacDonagh castle.
From out of the ordinary, wonderful extraordinary can occur. Terence with wet feet from his visit to Killoran stopped in a shop on Gaol Street to buy some dry socks. The shopkeeper mentioned that Jerry Cassidy across the street knew the history of everyone in the town, and if we were interested in learning about the Mac Donaghs, we ought to talk to Jerry! While Terence parked the car, I knocked on the Jerry's front door. A man in his late sixties, early seventies answered the door.
"Are ye Jerry Cassidy" I asked.
"I am indeed" He says. Looking at him, I said to him "I hear you are the man that knows the history
of the town, and that you might be able to help my brother and myself learn about the MacDonaghs who lived on Goal Street". "Aye, indeed" he says "come on in, will you?"
"Yes" I said, thinking to myself, can I believe what is happening!
Staying open, the pilgrim in me is fearless and open. What a gift!
An hour late, cups of tea, and friendly talk taking us all over the place, Jerry, his wife Esther (yes, Esther - my name too), Terence and I have jumped in conversation back and forth across generations of Mac Donaghs. Esther tells me the person to talk to is Mrs Cryan who lives up the street in the big white house, next to the old cinema. She is 84 years old, and will have stories and knowledge about the Mac Donaghs. Esther goes to the front door and comes back to tell us that Mrs Cryan is away today. Her son has the shop across the street - communication is as instant as a mobile!
As it turns out, Jerry and Esther were next door neigbours to Vincent (Vinnie) Mac Donagh, my Dad's younger brother, a bit of a "boyo". Jerry remembered Daddy and knew about his death and the Donegal Historical Society. From these conversations Terence and I were able to nail down the house where our father had lived in while growing up in Ballymote. Esther and Jerry have been married 49 years, have 8 children and 13 grandchildren. Their home on the main street is over 200 years old ...narrow hallway leading in from the front door down to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. We sat in the kitchen drinkng tea (with chocolate biscuits brought out on a plate for us).
