GUESTBOOK  2008

meath4sam@aol.com

I’ve been looking for my GGG Grandfather origins.  He arrived in NY State in the 1830’s and ultimately settled in Washington County, Wisconsin, USA.  He came with his three sons (Thomas, James, and Patrick).  The father, James was born in 1770 in County Meath.  Thomas had his headstone marked as being born in County Meath.  The names James, Thomas, Patrick and Garrett run through the generations until the mid-1930.  One of James’ sons was Father Tom Fagan of Milwaukee, WI (headstone topped with a Celtic Cross).
After looking at your village through your website I can only hope I’ve found their home.
The pictures are wonderful, thank you.
Kris Cook
Racine, Wisconsin  kcook2@wi.rr.com

Hello,
I was directed to your website by relatives in Ireland and was delighted to see a picture of Carpenterstown School circa 1930 featuring my Aunt Eileen Shields and my Dad, Larry Shields (RIP).

I’ve got a picture of my Dad & his brothers & sisters that looks like it’s been taken at the same time as the school photo and will see if I can find out what year it was from my Aunt.

Great website. Lots of lovely old photos.

Eddie Shields      shieldse@ozemail.com.au
Sydney

Hello - I've just found your excellent website, what a fantastic community project.

I recently discovered that my gggg grandfather George Dodds was born in Finea Ireland in 1774 - I am hoping that that is somewhere near where you are based.  He left Ireland in 1797 to become a Dragoon Guard.  He left the Dragoon Guards in 1824 and was a hatter.  I don't know whether he returned home, or settled in Liverpool where my family have now lived for generations.  I found some papers on the internet naming a Francis Dodds - hatter who did a property deal in Kilgola in 1787 - I am wondering whether he could have been George's father.  George's son ( my ggg grandfather) was also called Francis. 

If you have come across any Dodds in your research I would be really grateful if you could share it with me, or if you could point me in the right direction to find out more.  My family are protestant, but may have been Catholic in previous generations.

Many thanks and keep up the good work with the website - Jane O'Sullivan    jane.osullivan3@btinternet.com

Greetings,
I am a family historian doing research on the Quakers of Oldcastle, County Meath and of Ballyhaise in County Cavan.  I am searching for: 1) information about the Oldcastle Quaker Meeting, 2) where the Quaker meeting might have been held, and 3) information about the large estate or the estate owner.  Here is what I know to date. 

During the mid-1600s to 1795 there was a Quaker Meeting (Religious Society of Friends) near Oldcastle in County Meath.  According to the records of a founding member’s grandson, the earliest meeting was located in Oldcastle “where the internment camp was located”.  I would assume that was during World War I (1914-1918).  Is the location of the WW1 internment camp known?

In 1696 the Quaker Meeting is said to have moved 4 miles west of Oldcastle to the parish of Killeagh “(Killagh or Kileag)”.  I see that Ballinacree is a townland of that parish.  According to Samuel Lewis’ Gazetteer of Ireland (1842), there was only one major estate located within that parish, being of E. Rotherham, Esq. - located at Crossdrum.

I have reviewed the on-line list of manor houses from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage for County Meath.  It stated that "Crossdrum House was the home of Edward Rotheram”.  Pictures of the manor house and the adjacent stables indicate that they are now abandoned.  The location of both the manor house and stables was given as Lower Crossdrum.  Is it possible to visit the abandoned Crossdrum House?

I will be visiting Ireland this September to research my Quaker family.  I would be interested in meeting with members of the Society while I am there.  It would helpful to know if would be possible to visit the area of the former internment camp and abandoned Crossdrum House.

Any suggestions or assistance you might provide would be graciously appreciated.

Yours Sincerely,

Steven W Morrison,
Olympia, Washington, USA   foxhallguy@comcast.net
Olympia, is the Capitol of Washington State - about 60 miles south of Seattle, on the west coast.

Greetings everyone, what a great website you have!
The school photos have many surnames that are the same as those in my family trees.  Gaffney of Conleen tree includes Cullen, Farrell, Farrelly, Caffrey and Hussey.  Sheridan of Garrysallagh D'arcy tree includes Gillick, Gammell, Early, Flood, Fagan, Seery and Egenton.  If anyone thinks we might share the same ancestors please get in touch.
Regards to all.
Vinny Sheridan    Blackpool, Lancashire, England.   vinnysheridan@yahoo.co.uk

hello to you all and I hope you can perhaps help me .
for many years I knew that my family came from Ireland( the name is a dead giveaway is it not.)
by chance I obtained a copy of a marriage certificate of my grandfather peter Murphy and marry Jane McClelland from the ballymoney registrars office it names his father as my great grandfather James Murphy and her father as Hugh McClelland he was a farmer in drumaheglis .
peter and his father James were farm labours I think in ballynacree a friend said to me that he thought that the McClelland's worked two farms one by his brother and a river separated them.
my great grandfather and grandfather lived I think in a type of row of houses owned by James Moore my father came to Scotland Glasgow soon after the marriage as it was a registrars wedding I might assume they were of a mixed marriage and to come to Scotland might have been the option and was employed as an engineer by tennants of st rollox townhead glasgow and lived in castle street glasgow my father won the glasgow corporation medal for bravery it might be a link 75 bithday last week and have just thought how the years roll on and I would like to perhaps see a result it must be some where I do not know where else to look go in peace and love your fellow man.

Peter Murphy
lord peter of Birkenshaw     peter_murphy@blueyonder.co.uk

I recently came across your web site and was amazed to find pictures of my mother anna may nulty, her sister kathleen nulty and brother larry nulty. My mother sadly passed away in 1999 but she would of been 89 this year, i dont know how old she was in that picture but it might help you date the year. My grandfather was a farmer in ballinacree and i believe the farm was run by his youngest son john when he passed away. I reconise the church yard and himself his wife and son larry are buried there. My grandmother name was smith i believe but it has been may years since i visted the area but i do remember the farm. My mother had tree sisters kathleen,mary and delia and three brothers larry, patrick,michael and john.It would be nice to know if any family or people remain in ballinacree who remember my mothers family and have kept the photos which i will treasure. My mother left ballinacree and went to dublin to work and then england, she married my father a dublin man and they settled in england.
may thanks sandy ellis nee kenny
west sussex, england      paulebass@aol.com

Dear Ballinacree,

My name is Tristana Boylan and my sister Roisin Boylan visited your website some time ago to enquire about a boys school picture of 1946.

My father Anthony Boylan is in that picture and sadly he has very little personal possessions of his childhood in Ballinacree and I would be more than happy to purchase the photograph or even a copy of the photograph for him.

This photograph would mean the world to my father and as there seems to be less of us now on the planet and with my dad now 72 I so dearly wish to surprise him with this gift. (Well me and my three older sisters would.)  I am hoping that you view your website and that some kind person would take the time to help with this request.

I wish you all good health and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards Tristana     tristana1boylan@btinternet.com

Hello!
My name is Margaret Harrison Phillips and I live in Alabama in the USA.  I'm hoping to connect with Briody cousins, possibly living in the Slane area of County Meath.

My Great-Grandmother was Margaret Briody, born 1847 in Bryanstown, Slane, County Meath, Ireland.  She came to America before 1870 (date unknown).  She married my Great-Grandfather, William McHugh/McCue, in Jersey City, New Jersey in April 1870.  We believe that William McHugh was Catholic from County Tyrone.  Margaret and William McHugh settled in Kansas City, Kansas, where William was a blacksmith for the railroad, and where all of their 11 children were born.

We have old letters from relatives in the Slane area of County Meath, written in the 1890's, that lead us to believe that Margaret Briody had sisters named Ellen (spouse unknown), Bridget (married Michael Dillon -- Bridget and Michael both members of the constabulary, later living in County Kildare), and Anne (married Patrick Vaughey, had children Bridget, Mary, Christopher, Eleanor, Laurence, and at least one more child, born from 1876 to 1886 and later).  Ellen originally came to America with Margaret, but we are told that she returned to Ireland.  Ellen appears to have been in America at least until April 1874, when she was baptismal sponsor for one of Margaret and William's babies.  Bridget and Anne and their families both apparently stayed in Ireland. There were probably other siblings, but we have no information about them.  We don't know whether any other siblings came to America.

We have a genealogy written by Margaret Briody McHugh's youngest daughter in 1959 that stated that Margaret's parents were Michael Briody and Margaret Powderly.  We understand that Michael Briody died at some point (possibly before 1870) and Margaret Powderly Briody was left a widow, and that she owned and operated a dairy farm in the Slane area of County Meath.  The genealogy also states  that Michael Briody was educated at the College of Manooth (possibly studying for the priesthod before his marriage), and that Michael had a cousin who was a priest and was president of the college.

If any of this rings any bells with anyone, please feel free to reply to my email address: twp061847@aol.com

Thank you, and hoping to hear from you!

Margaret Harrison Phillips