For those Scottish Pattons who arrived in NI at the Plantation and remained loyal, life could be rewarding. Yet many loyalists ran afoul of monarchs who wished to assert the supremacy of their Church of Ireland Continue reading
Filed under genealogy …
The Detail is Where Angels Lurk
The sense of life’s possibilities that this family history suggests is intoxicating. Continue reading
The Magic of DNA: two stories
It was deeply emotional for me to be able to tell Judy the name of her father, something she had longed for all her life. I emailed a photograph, not being able to imagine the emotion of seeing a photograph of your father for the very first time. Continue reading
Bernadette Thakur Award-Winning Book
While there is good storytelling throughout the book, in relating the story of the Hayes family, the author showed real strength and artistry with the storytelling from her research. Continue reading
My Irish Story
From Limerick and Wicklow, now with a street named after a member of the family. Continue reading
Irish-speakers at Trafalgar
The battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet, was considered an astonishin Continue reading
Julia Brien, A Fiery Orphan from Kilkenny
The tumultuous life and times of Julia Brien. Continue reading
Jane Feeney and DNA
DNA testing brings together many generations later cousins descended from a Famine orphan Jane Feeney. Continue reading
Eliza McCready: A ‘Belfast Girl’ sent to Moreton Bay
She wasn’t simply an obscure name on a family tree. Her name appeared in the archives, documents from which I could determine meaning. Continue reading
Mary McConnell, a Belfast Girl
Mary Mc Connell entered the workhouse in Belfast in July 1847 as an orphan and a pauper. Continue reading
