Australian Local and Family History Bloggers. Family History Month August 2022. Part Two.

MONTHLY CHALLENGE

WEEK 2: Travel, Part Two — IRELAND

IRELAND -- First we visited Northern Ireland/Ulster.
Belfast: We had deliberately booked in at the Titanic Quarter, Premier Inn, just over the road from PRONI. So handy.

PRONI. Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast

We obtained our ID cards there and spent the next couple of days searching, microfilm, books, and of course the PRONI catalogue. Very helpful staff allowed us to spread table size maps out to discover land holdings and our course. Found a will and quite a lot of info. To relax we enjoyed Irish pub food and music for dinner at the oldest pub in Belfast.

Co Down: 
Mum's Grandmother Eliza/beth Shanks was 25 years old

when she emigrated to Australia on the passenger ship 'Ocean Monarch'. The ship left England in 1855 but was stalled for four months in Rio Janeiro for repairs after being dismasted. Seven months it took to reach Australian soil, I imagine Eliza witnessed some frightening storms. Originally the surname was Cruikshanks or Crookshanks, and earlier the family probably sailed over to Ireland from Scotland. Eliza had five other sisters who also came to Australia. Two brothers stayed home and one sister went to America. 

Other family names were Allen, Graham and Johnson who lived around the Poyntzpass area. 

With the mud map I had drawn at PRONI from table-sized land grant maps, we came across Bann Road, Lisnabrague, just outside Poyntzpass. Managed to pinpoint the Shanks brothers' farms and mill location. We discovered that a Shanks family still lived on one of the farms. So to my joy, I met a 4th cousin there, and we have communicated online ever since, making great discoveries, and linking up other  related families around the world. 

Original stone farm sheds at Shanks' farm, Bann Rd Lisnabrague, Co Down.

Samuel & Margaret Shanks, my GG Grandparents.
Grandson George & son Samuel Shanks.
Headstone, Poyntzpass Presbyterian Church

And then three graves at the Fourtowns Presbyterian graveyard. The old-time parishioners secretly met nearby at a rock during 'the troubles'. 

Alfred and May SHANKS, Fourtowns Church

Rockmeeting road 

At Rices' Pub in town, a great meeting place for the locals, Gavin the proprietor kindly gave us some local family history group magazines to read.

A page in one of the Poyntzpass magazines showing the early days Friday Market

Rice's hotel, Poyntzpass, Co Down

It was time to head to Dublin. Taking the back road through Newry we admired the Mourne mountains. A granite mountain range including the highest peak of Northern Ireland — 'Slieve Donard'. We strayed of course to the Abbey Monasterboice to see the old 5th Century ruins and graves in Louth, north of Drogheda. Amazing tall Celtic crosses, towers and remains of the monastic settlement.

'Muiredach's Cross' c. 521 at Monasterboice, Louth

At Skerries, we saw the watermill, the four sail and five sail windmills, bakery and associated mill races, pond and wetlands. Flour has been milled there since the 12th century and shows how wind and water energies were harnessed by our ancestors. A lovely little coastal village.

Five Sail Windmill, Skerries

IRELAND -- NRI 
Dublin: We visited the National Library of Ireland (NLI) where a researcher helped us and then we progressed on to the National Archives Office of Ireland (NAOI). The archivist sorted our ID cards where we checked the 'Outrage Papers of 1848' for Waterford re: convict crimes. It was a large set of papers we handled with white gloves and the archivist supervised. No Flynn, but plenty of reports describing the excitement, nervousness, and violence of the upsurgings and a request for a steamship to sit in port for support. Will books were also scoured. We lunched in 'The Swan Inn' which showed off its pockmarked front masonry from artillery attacks when the republicans barricaded in there. A noisy night with the celebrating of the Hurling and Gaelic football finals.

Bullet marks at the 'Swan Inn'

The next day we joined a 'Hop on Hop off' bus and toured around Dublin streets with the lovely old Georgian buildings, then out to Phoenix Park, with roaming deer in the large green parks. A statue of the Duke of Wellington (1817) towered over us. Two large houses there for the US Ambassador and President of Ireland. Back to town past the Guinness Brewery and acres of property, then the Jameson Irish Whisky Distillery. At Trinity College, we admired the 'Book of Kells' and the library 'Long Room'. Amazing.

The Long Room, library. Trinity College

Co Waterford -- In Waterford we were met by the town's artistic celebration of their early Vikings.

Viking mural on bridge in Waterford, Ire.

Carrignagower near Lismore, was where the Flynn family had lived. We drove past the big Lismore Castle and wound up the hills at the back about 5 km, passing some trout fishermen in the river trying their luck.

River Blackwater at Lismore, Co Waterford.

Finding the area the Flynns worked was on the side of the steep hill. It was not that different from the hillside in the Huon where they eventually settled in Tasmania. Nice for John to be standing on the townland of his ancestral family. We realised how far Mary walked into town, and later visiting the men, when they were first locked up. And then traipse back up the steep hill home! Discovered some Lyons graves at St Carthages RC church.

One of the barely legible Lyons family grave

St Carthages Cathedral, Lismore, Co Waterford

In Dungarvan local studies building, we attended a lecture by Genealogist, Tony Hennessy. He presented information on Irish BDMs and Burials. It was very informative, and he was a fun lecturer. We took copious notes. 

Tony Hennessy lecture, Dungarvan

The Archivist was extremely helpful too, assisting with searching microfilm, as well as Applotments and Tenant's Agreements. Schools had not yet been set up. Found what we think could be John's ancestors' rental and his GGGrandparents marriage record and children's baptisms, just as our eyes were going blurry. We were advised to check the Devonshire Estate (Landlord) Records held at Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire Dales, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire belonged to the Cavendish family since 1549.

Baptism: Maria Flynn to Laurence and Maria Flynn, 04 Mar 1835
Cappoquin Parish, Co Waterford 

Co Cork: – From Cork, we drove to Cobh in the pouring rain.

A  lovely village  port built on a very steep hill. Unfortunate Irish passengers boarded the Titanic here.  

Cobh. 'Up the hill for the best fish and chips!'

The next day, we ferried over to Spike Island where John's GGGrandfather Laurence Flynn was imprisoned as a convict for 2 years before being sent to Van Diemen's Land. We were lucky there was a 'Back To' for families who were ex-residents of the island, and we could join in a tour of the buildings, cells, etc. of the convict station. Very sad and touching to walk the land he walked and see the place he was jailed in -- to imagine him along with the others working all those rocks -- making walls, bridges and building houses, etc. It is amazing that any of them survived. (These skills though, would come in handy once in Tasmania, when Laurence and sons did bridge building.)

Farming implements used by the prisoners at Spike Island

A cell window at the Spike Island prison

At Kanturk, home to Duggan, Reardon and Mulcahy families, we searched the RC graveyard to no avail but were able to look inside the church and admire it. It was a pretty little village with its two rivers and rapids.

 

Our next port of call was the 'Cliffs of Moher', a very picturesque place, even with the mist and rain that day. 

The Cliffs of Moher, Burren region of Co Clare

We took the ferry across the Shannon River, a tranquil trip in the mist. Sadly not a good day for seals or dolphins. Followed the Burren along to Ennis.

Co Clare: Ennis and Killaloe, were original locations for the Sheehan, Reidy and Brazil families. Spent quite a lot of time in the Clare County local studies centre having heard so much about it, and it certainly was a fantastic resource. We were so appreciative of Peter who provided a resources list and guided us through a process of research:
1.parish, 2.townland, 3.names, 4.original applotment and 5.tenancy books.
What a busy place with people coming and going all the time. We found lots of info to assist us in finding out more about the Sheehans and Reidys -- the Irish side of Grandma Flynn's family. Had to buy another exercise book to put all the information in! 

Leaving here, we went up through the Midlands back to Belfast, to return the rental car. Off to Kelly's Cellars to enjoy the Irish jamming and craic, before moving back to Scotland.

Our Scottish trail in Part Three is now ready to read, and after that I continue England's trail for Part Four.