Back to the 'old sod'

as my Dad used to say.

It's true - Bob and I are going back to Ireland the end of this month. I'll be leaving the 26th, a few days before Bob, to do some research in Dublin, then he'll will meet me in Dublin on Friday, Sept. 30th, and we'll head off for Moynalty the next morning, just in time for Saturday Mass at the Church of the Assumption (where Patrick and Bridget were married). We'll stay with Margaret Flanagan as we usually do, for a few days and then head down to Kilkenny for three nights, Cork for a week and will be back home October 16.

Margaret Flanagan lives just outside Moynalty, down the Skearke road from the McKenna-Lynch cottage where we believe Bridget lived when she and Patrick were married. Margaret's husband (now deceased) is the great grandson of Sally McKenna - a cousin? or sister? of Bridget.

But I wanted to let folks know that I was going in case anyone has a particular question or something you'd like me to look into. I plan to spend a day at the National Archives, and a good part of another in the National Library snooping around, reading old newspapers and reports and census records to try to get a better feel for what life was like in Bridget and Patrick's time, and see if what else I might find. There are famine reports from Moynalty that look pretty interesting. Usually there's been something we uncover that brings it just a little closer.

So give me a holler. I'll try to write in here at least once while I'm on the other side of the Atlantic, and for sure when I return.

Lois' Irish Soda Bread

I had a few requests for this recipe, so here it is - enjoy!
~ with thanks to a great but sadly out of print cookbook, "Breadcraft"

For two loaves - eat one now, freeze one for later

4 C flour
2/3 C sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 C raisins
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 lightly beaten eggs
1 1/3 C buttermilk
2 Tablespoons melted butter (use real butter)

Put some good Irish music on and heat up the oven to 350 degrees. Butter up a couple of pie pans or a baking sheet.

Sift or mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add raisins and caraway seeds. In separate bowl beat egg and add buttermilk and melted butter (be sure butter has cooled). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. It will be a sticky mess, so after you mix it as best you can, put it on a wooden board and knead lightly with your hands - not too much, but until everything is mixed together. Add flour if you need to. It should hold together into a big loaf. Cut this loaf in two, shape both halves into round loaves. Cut a cross on top of each loaf (this lets the fairies out). Put loaves in buttered pie pans or on your baking sheet, and bake for approximately 35 minutes. Take out and test by thumping on bottom or inserting a knife - knife should come out mostly clean - you don't want it too dry, but you don't want it mushy in the middle.

Eat warm with butter or without - the baker gets the first slice (to test, you know?)

family mysteries

Some questions:

1. Who is Rosemary Farley Maher?? Steve gave me a copy of several family photos a few years ago, and one of them is of a little girl, maybe 2 years old? named Rosemary Farley Maher. The photo was taken in Portland Oregon. The fact that it's in our family leads me to belive she's a relative - is she the daughter of one of Patrick brothers? or of a child of one of his brothers? Does anybody know anything about Rosemary?

2. Do we know the first names of any of the McPherson family? I googled McPherson, Nebraska and goodness, there's a lot there! There's a Fort McPherson, and a McPherson ranch and campground, near or in Platte County. I'll try doing a little more on Ancestry on this, but any additional info would be great. It would be great to know more about the ranch where George worked.

welcome to the new family blog

Hi Family!

I've just created this blog to replace the one on the reunion website, which didn't allow comments. So now we're liberated - comment away!

I'll work hard to post things in a somewhat regular way :) and welcome any family history questions or family news you send my way.

Our backyard seems so lonely right now, just me, Bob and a bunny or two (just for you, Simon!).

Hope you all had a splendid 4th of July!

Lois