Childhood Connections Staying Current

August 17:   Eleanor, Siobhan and Martina came over for lunch and to spend the afternoon together.

We all went to St Mary's National School in Stranorlar from preschool through age 11-12 years.   There is a picture from the past that  I must dig it out and look at it again. We are all in it with our fresh eager little faces!  More mature now but still as lively as ever, always ready for adventures, we had good fun hanging out, chatting and reminiscing. Eleanor, Martina and I went to the Finn Colasite also. So we had more stories about the tender teen years and the boys and girls we knew!   My time at the Finn College was short lived when I was pulled out to follow my mothers footsteps and  be sent to a boarding school in Dublin, Loreto Abbey, Dalkey.  That was the end of "our together" le ceile  playful school years as we went separate ways.

It is a good thing to see the connectiveness and closure points of life's journey.  To celebrate how where we are at any time is rich with experiences that connect and bind us, past and present!   


The thought that has come to mind for me are the words from the Creation story in scripture ..."it was good".  It is a creative act to live a connected life. It is a good thing.

Unknown to us at the time, Martina attended the same teachers college in England as I did, only several years after me.  When I qualified, I headed for a year to the US, to Kansas. When she qualified,  she went on to teach in Strabane in County Tyrone during some of the very tough "troubles years" of the 1970's.  Later she received a Fulbright to teach for a year in Denver, Colorado.  Now in a phased retirement, she teaches part-time and lives outside Ballybofey with her partner Patrick who she met in Colorado.  Eleanor's husband, Declan,  is a retired Commandant from the Irish Army who served in overseas assignments and they spent several years in Brussels with the EU.  Declan is the current president of the Donegal Historical Society.  He is doing an amazingly organized job ...just the fresh blood they needed in the DHS.  Siobhan, the oldest member of the group, lives in Ballybofey.  She has been diagnosed with Parkensons.  Several years ago, when she retired as a hair stylist, she built a small one person beauty station in her brand new house so she could keep her favorite customers coming.  Siobhan is not unlike Fran, Jon's mother, in that she has such a keen interest in all things going on and staying young at heart.

Travelling Back and Blueberry Picking Weekend

August 14 and 15:  The early morning drive across the Midlands on Saturday took Maeve and I  four hours.  Lashing rain for the first hour or so slowed us down but not Maeve she chit chatted about the past few days. We waved goodbye to some familiar sites as we flew by ...the wistful Gaelic Chieftain standing watch looking out over the Curlew Mountains and Lough Arrow and Lough Gill,  the goodbye "slan go foill" wave to Lough Key Forest Park, and on into Roscommon.   A little over mid-point, we stopped in Mullingar at Genesis for a stroll through their shop and a morning break in their sweet little coffee shop.  We ordered freshly baked fruit scones, raspberry jam and cream ....just right to keep us going.  The rest of the way to Belpatrick was steady going mostly on the faster motorway into Dublin and around the link road to pick up the N2 to Slane and Collon.

It is so special to spend time alone with a grandchild. The mix and wisdom of the two generations plants seeds of hope and blessing.  It is also a reaping time,  a reminder that the fruits of parenting lies in the next generation.  Our sons Chris, Matt and Jeff, each following their own paths have become wonderful caring parents for our six grandchildren.

On Sunday,  Matt and Kristin had planned a special trip down to Derryvilla Farm in  County Offaly to pick blueberries ....http://ireland-guide.com/article/blueberries.8834.html

HISTORY:
The Derryvilla Blueberry Farm is owned by John Seager and managed by Nuala O’Donoghue. Blueberry farming is labour intensive; at the start of each year the bushes are hand pruned and the grasses cut. They then flower in May and by mid-July, weather permitting, handpicking begins.

They’re closely related to the native Irish fraughan or bilberry, a fruit associated with celebration, feasting and fertility, and the much bigger cultivated berry is a juicy, versatile fruit that can be used in the same ways, fresh or in baking, desserts, preserves and drinks.

The history of Derryvilla Blueberry Farm involves a number of dedicated farming pioneers including, for the last five years, Nuala O’Donoghue who has been involved, in particular, with development of the innovative Blueberry Tonic and delicious blueberry preserves – both of which are out-sourced to other well-known artisan food producers such as Con Traas of The Apple Farm in Clonmel and Ciara Morris of Slieve Bloom Foods.
No pesticides are used at Derryvilla and most of their delicious, naturally grown berries and the products made with them – a tangy blueberry tonic and preserves - are supplied directly to fruit traders and selected retailers, or sold at Farmleigh Food Market (www.farmleigh.ie.) 

A Special Trip to Sligo

August 11:   Up early to catch the 7:09 a.m. train for the roundtrip journey to pick Maeve up at Connolly Station in Dublin, and come back to Sligo for her summer adventure with Mamo.  It is for sure that she is awake and rearing to go.  Last night all her bags were packed.  She is off to Sligo for a few days visit with Mamo by herself.  Mamo is excited too!

Matt, Maeve and I met up at Connolly Station.  They had taken the Luas to get over from Matt's work on Parnell Square. Our train back over to Sligo was on one of Ireland's new trains - made for a great 3 hour  ride back. Looks like it will be busy the next few days with little time or no time for blogging .....

August 13:  It is just 9:00 p.m.  Maeve is down fast asleep. I am ready to hit the hay too ....zzzzz.
We head back to Belpatrick tomorrow.  What a busy fun time we have had these past three days - this is very special for a Mamo to be able to spent this time together just the two of us.

The trip would not have been complete without going to Strandhill, for climbing sand dunes, and building sand castles - we brought so much sand home to Collooney with us in our shoes, pants, pockets, and anything else that would carry sand!  Yesterday, a trip to see Toy Story 3 brought back memories of seeing it with Caitlin and Christian earlier this summer in DC.  Grandchildren are the best!

We even had a visitor.  Taking a break from golf, Terence came for dinner last night and a game of snakes and ladders afterwards.  He taught Maeve a few tricks about getting forward which she used and then promptly beat the two of us easily.

My camera was broken so no pictures of the beach.  We made a side trip to buy a new camera - it had to be charged and of course the manual read so I could get it working.

Here are some pictures from today when we went over to Lough Key for a picnic lunch and adventure park.
HISTORY:   Lough Key Forest Park is located in an area of great historical interest and is comprised of vast woodland and numerous islands. There is reference to Castle Island in the annals of Lough Ce as early as 1184. During this time the park was called Moylurg and the Kings of Moylurg were the McDermotts.

The McDermott's official residence was on The Rock, now called Castle Island . As space was limited on this small island they had another residence on the mainland where the Moylurg Tower stands today. The McDermotts ruled this area until the 17th century when it was granted to the King family from England under the Cromwellian settlement.

On the way stopped at the Gaelic Chieftain sculpture just off the N-4.   The sculpture itself commemorates the Battle of the Curlew Mountains in 1599 - which was the beginning of the demise of the Gaelic chieftains ending tragically with their ultimate defeat by the English at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601.

It was an outdoors day with lots of fresh air, just perfect for coming home to enjoy a pasta dinner (Maeve's favorite), getting into "jammies" and playing playdough games.

We will leave the packing till the morning!

Smarmore Castle and the Taaffe Family

Interesting connection with Matt and Kristin's part of the world in Louth....that Smarmore Castle (see history below) belonged to the Taaffe Family.  Here is the story of Smarmore Castle down the road form Matt and Kristin, Maeve and Connor and their home in Belpatrick, Smarmore....This is the same Taaffe family linked to great-great-great-great grandmother Bridgid Taaffe who eloped with George Mac Donagh in the early 1700's.  Will need to see about staying here at Smarmore ...and see what ghosts may emerge!!!

HISTORY Smarmore Castle has the distinction of being one of the longest continuously inhabited Ireland castle. Records show that William Taaffe had his seat at the castle in 1320 after his family arrived in Ireland from Wales at the turn of the twelfth century. The Taaffes were one of the most famous families in this part of Ireland. Successive generations of Taaffes continued to make Smarmore Castle their main residence in Ireland until the mid 1980s when the property was sold. Smarmore Castle is a very striking building. It is divided into three distinct sections comprising an early 14th century castle-keep with extensions on either side built around 1720 and 1760 respectively. The castle is built of local stone and its walls are eight foot thick. The 18th century courtyard behind the castle was the main stables for the estate in bygone days. The Taaffe family led a very colourful and influential life down through the centuries. They owned many castles throughout Ireland as well as on the continent. They held a variety of different titles and one of them, Eduard Franz Josef Taaffe was the Prime Minister of Austria between 1881 and 1895. Each bedroom is different and represents a different perspective on the Castle's history. The names on the doors such as "the Knights Room", "the Court's Room" and the "Viscounts Room" give a flavour of the castle's illustrious former residents. The area of Smarmore itself played an important part in Ireland's legendary past long before the castle was built. Like many other parts of county Louth the Smarmore area derives its name from the most ancient epic of any European language namely the Táin Bo Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley). It was written in this epic legend that Smarmore was the sight at which Cuchulainn prepared a great bath of marrow as directed by custom, so that the wounds of his warrior friend Cethern, who had come to help him in battle and had been grievously wounded, might be healed. Thus the word Smior for marrow and Umar for bath have been Anglicised to the current form Smarmore. Later, Smarmore was the site of a monastic school attended by foreign students. The Smarmore slates, currently in the National Museum of Ireland, were uncovered at Smarmore in 1959. Most of these slates were inscribed by students in Latin and English in the early 15th century. They contained ecclesiastical notes, writing practise, medical and veterinary prescriptions and some musical notation.

A Day at the Library in Sligo - Stories from the Past

August 9:  Today, we went to the Sligo Library of Local History where the MacDonagh papers are lodged. In 2005, I had spend some time going through them - finding out for example about the location of Killoran where grandparents, great grandparents and great-great grandparents are buried.  It was great to go through more papers with Terence there - we bounced back and forth with each discovery.  Because of the meticulous work completed by our father we were easily able to trace out these roots back to the 1700's.

The source of the Sligo MacDonagh family (Tirerril and Corran) springs from one of the three sons, Innechlach son of Muirdhach of the Broad Crown in 702 AD.  Muiredhach had three sons: Conway, Innechlach, and Cathar.  The O Connors and all its allied families such as the MacDermots, MacDonaghs, O Beirnes, and O Flanagans came from this source.  From Muirdheach of Connaught there can be traced an unbroken line back to an Ri Feredach the Just in 75 AD - the "sun, moon and stars" king.

Closer to home! around 1700
George and Bridget Taaffe MacDonagh (great-great-great-great grandfather/mother). George trained as a doctor during the Penal days and forbidden by law to practice served as a tutor to the Taffee family of Strokestown - he eloped with and married daughter of the family Bridget Taaffe.   The couple eloped to Sligo and settled at Lisserlough in the parish of Killoran. The people in the parish being in sore need of a doctor built a home for George and his new wife.  Some time past, and a peddler called Billy Lee brought the news about the couple back to the Taffee family in Strokestown.  Though the Taaffes never saw their daughter again, they sent to her an annual allowance of 100 pounds.  Bridget was fabled in the baronry for her hospitality.  Children born to George and Bridget were Patrick and George.  Patrick lived to be over 80 when he died in 1826.  George studied for the priesthood for a time period, His studies were cut short when he was home on holidays, had an injury imparing his speech (hit on the nose by a snowball) and was unable to continue his studies.

Patrick and Mary Carty Mac Donagh (great-great-great grandfather) born in 1746.  He had 22 acres and tenants. He married Mary Carty and had four children:  Margaret, Peggy, Marie, and James (born 1782).  It was said that his first wife was not his social equal and is blamed for the family misfortunes! Widowed, he later married a Miss Mularkey, she was the sister of Doctor Mullarkey of Coolaney.  They resided in Lisseralough. They had no children.  They held four townlands known as Lloyds four quarters.


James and Elizabeth (Betty) Carty MacDonagh (great-great grandfather/mother) born in 1782. James married Elizabeth Carty of Carrickbauagher (6/22/1815) on the "eve of the bonfire night of the year of the Battle of Waterloo." They had nine children.
Their children: Catherine, Patrick, Mary, Rebecca, Owen, James, Andrew, John (married Maria Clarke),  and Anne.
Emigrating to US:  Rebecca, Owen, James, Andrew, and Anne
Emigrating to England: Mary

Patrick and Catherine McHugh MacDonagh of Carrowdoonen (great grandfather/mother). Patrick was born in 1819 and died in 1904 at the age of 85. He married Catherine McHugh (11/3/1866) daughter of Pat McHugh.  They had three children:
James of Carrowcloover born 1869, married Bridget Flynn
Michael of Coolaney born 1871 married Catherine McCarrick
 Eugene of Ballymote  born 1873 married Anne Hayden

Eugene and Anne Hayden MacDonagh of Ballymote (grandfather/mother).  Eugene born in 1873 married Anne Hayden. He was an agent for the W.H. Ryan Co, Ormond Quay, Dublin.  They had seven children:  Patrick (who dies at 10 months), James Stephen (Chris), Vincent, Mary, Margaret, Eugene, and Elizabeth. Eugene died in 1924 and Anne in 1942.

My father/mother:  James Stephen (Chris)and Betty Blackledge MacDonagh. Chris was born in 1905 Educated at St Nathy's B'dreen, and University College Galway, 1928. Betty was born in Cork in 1917, daughter of Ralph and Etta Doyle Blackledge.  Betty was educated at Loreto Abbey Dalkey.  In 1941, Chris married Betty Blackledge.  Chris died in 1960, and Betty in 2003.  Their children are: Eoghan (b 1942), Etta (b 1946), Terence (b 1952), and Fiona (b 1959).

Donegal Historical Society Meeting

August 8:   Road trip to Dooey to meet up with members of the Donegal Historical Society for their August field trip to the ice house and surroundings at Dooey in NW Donegal.




The icehouse was built by the English overlords in Dooey who used to visit their lands in this remote part of Donegal for hunting and fishing. They quickly discovered the rivers and streams were filled with salmon and other fish.  Using the lessons learned from Sir Francis Bacon about chilling food, they built a sturdy ice house with two foot thick stone walls.  

Revisiting Sites - Killoran and Ballymote

August 7:   Terence, my younger brother, is here visiting this weekend.
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).