St. Patrick's Day blog carnival: two weeks away!

Just two weeks left to get ready for the St. Patrick's Day 2008 edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, our 4th edition to date.

Now your's chance to join us, whether you have Irish heritage or not. An appreciation of any and all things Irish is the only prerequisite for entry. Here are the details:

March is Irish heritage month in many places, thanks to the feast day of St. Patrick, beloved saint of Ireland. Our topic for this month will be anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture.

Posts about St. Patrick will be appreciated, but posts related to any meaningful aspect of Ireland's heritage are welcomed. To borrow an idea from Bill West's genealogy parade, we'll have our very own virtual St. Patrick's Day parade!

The deadline is March 14, 2008. Submit your entry here. Then come join us for the celebration on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008.

On the feast of St. Patrick, everyone likes to be Irish, at least for one day. Hope to see you wearing your green!

Update March 17: The carnival has been posted at A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts!

Image of the shamrocks courtesy of Karen's Whimsy.

November 1892: PA train explosion makes NYC headlines

I thought I had found all the newspaper accounts of the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania train accident that killed my great-great-grandfather. But I'd never thought to look as far as the New York Times.

Thanks to a heads-up from Colleen of the The Oracle of OMcHodoy and thanks to GenDisasters transcriber Linda Horton, I learned that the fateful explosion that took the life of William Cowhey and four other men that day made news as far away as New York City.

GenDisasters, a site started last October, is a forum for sharing and finding newspaper articles on "events that touched our ancestors' lives". The site has a handy search feature and can also be browsed by state (or Canadian province), year or type of disaster. You can also add comments or more information to the articles posted.

Check out the transcription of the New York Times article on the November 14, 1892 train explosion that took William Cowhey's life at the GenDisasters' webpage Pottsville, PA Locomotive Boiler Explosion, Nov 1892. Here is the text of the article:

FIVE KILLED BY AN EXPLOSION.

ENGINE ON THE READING RAILROAD TORN TO PIECES.

POTTSVILLE, Penn., Nov. 14.---On the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad at 2 o'clock this morning, at Conner's Crossing, a short distance north of Schuylkill Haven, the boiler of Mogul Engine No. 563 exploded, killing five men and probably fatally injuring another.

The killed are:
HENRY C. ALLISON, engineer, residing at Palo Alto; leaves wife.
WILLIAM MACKEY, fireman, Port Carbon; leaves wife and one child.
WILLIAM COWHEY, an engineer, on way home to Mount Carbon; leaves wife and ten children.
WILLIAM KENDRICK, conductor, of Port Carbon; leaves wife and four children.
WILLIAM MOYER, Cowhey's fireman, Palo Alto; single.
Michael Dobbins of Mount Carbon, a brakeman of Engineer Cowhey's crew, was badly scalded, and will probably die.

Engine No. 563 was north bound with a heavy train of empty cars. William Cowhey with his crew had brought up a train of empties, and, after running them into the Cressona yards, boarded Engine No. 563 at the Mine Hill Crossing with the intention of reaching their homes in that way, and as is customary took possession of the cab. Dobbins, who escaped instant death, was sitting on the tender.

The men had been on the engine barely two minutes when, without any warning, the terrible explosion occurred. The boiler and firebox were blown off the tracks, and the tracks were so badly damaged that traffic was considerably delayed. The north and south bound midnight Buffalo trains were compelled to run via the Little Schuylkill branch from Tamaqua to Port Clinton.

It is learned that the train had come to a standstill because of the lowness of steam and the blower had been on. It was during this process that the boiler exploded.

Company officials thoroughly examined into the cause of the accident, and this was made plain this afternoon when they loaded up the crown sheet and sent it to Palo Alto. On the crown sheet is unmistakable evidence that the explosion was caused by low water, as the iron is badly burned a deep blue color and the marks show just how high the water was. All railroad men after seeing this acknowledged that there was no other cause.

The New York Times, New York, NY 15 Nov 1892

I've posted the following on the GenDisasters page using the comments feature:

William Cowhey, the engineer on his way home at the time of the November 14, 1892 explosion mentioned in this New York Times article, was my great-great-grandfather from Mount Carbon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. A Union veteran of the Civil War active in the Grand Army of the Republic's Gowen Post, his tragic loss must have been greatly mourned by his wife Margaret (Foley) Cowhey, his many children and the citizens of Mount Carbon and Pottsville.

For more on William Cowhey and the history of his family see my blog Small-leaved Shamrock. For more specifics about the fateful accident, including similar articles about the disaster in Schuylkill County newspapers, see the post entitled Riding the Rails.

I know that train accidents at the time were nothing new, and these men were certainly not celebrities. Was it just a slow news day that caused the New York Times to post this article back in November of 1892?

Whatever the reason, the article provided some new information on this sad day in the history of my family. I'm thankful to have found it.

Source: Linda Horton, “Pottsville, PA Locomotive Boiler Explosion, Nov 1892,” transcribed February 1, 2008, Gendisasters: Events That Touched Our Ancestors’ Lives (Gendisasters, 2008) [“Five Killed by an Explosion: Engine on the Reading Railroad Torn to Pieces,” from The New York Times, November 15, 1892], <http://www3.gendisasters.com/pennsylvania/5006/pottsville,-pa-locomotive-boiler-explosion,-nov-1892>, accessed February 26, 2008.

Tragedy & miracles in the coal mines: December 1907

It was known by Pennsylvania mining families as "the dreaded month". According to the current director of mines for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, December 1907 was the "darkest month in mining history in the country". Although mining was always fraught with risks and the nation had seen many mining disasters, never before had there been so many casualities in the same month. Even today, December 1907 still holds the infamous record. By its end, more than 3,200 miners had lost their lives in American mine accidents. In Pennsylvania, 1,400 miners died that year: 708 in the anthracite and 806 in the bituminous mines.

One of the catastrophes of that month still rates as the single worst mining disaster in the history of America: the explosion of the Darr Mine southeast of Pittsburgh. Two-hundred and thirty-nine men lost their lives that day, most of them Hungarian miners.

To hear the story of the tragedy and learn about the effort to preserve the history of the event and the memory of the men whose lives were lost, view the WQED Pittsburgh video on the Darr Mine Disaster.

It is a story of sadness and suffering, but also of joy and thanksgiving thanks to a miracle which saved the lives of many would-be victims of the disaster. More than 200 Carpatho-Rusyn miners refused to go to work on December 19, 1907 in order to observe the Orthodox feast day of St. Nicholas, their patron saint. They were in the midst of the liturgy praying for God's protection and invoking the prayers of St. Nicholas when they heard the explosion and left to go assist their co-workers in the mine. According to the video, it was the second such miracle to occur that month: a similar one had occured on the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Nicholas earlier in the month at another mine.

In the end, only one mineworker on duty at the Darr Mine was spared that day. Mining remains a dangerous occupation, but thankfully the mining industry saw many changes shortly after 1907, partly as a result of the horrific tragedies of that year.

For more on the history of the Darr Mine and its disaster in 1907, see the American Hungarian Federation's webpage on the Darr Mine Disaster Commemoration or Ray Washlaski's webpages on the Darr Mine at the Virtual Museum of Coal Mining in Western Pennsylvania website.

Schuylkill County: a place that calls you back

"Had a vision in my sleep one night that I'd return there someday..."

Those words are part of the chorus of Lester Hirsh's eight-minute-long musical tribute to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania: Pottsville and surrounding towns, the rivers Schuylkill and Susquehanna, and so many of the sights in the area.

The stanza that mentions the "brewery on the hill" refers to the famous Yuengling Brewery, America's oldest (since 1829).

Warning: you may not be able to watch this video without wanting to go for a visit. The history and beauty of Schuylkill County make it a magical place.



Thanks very much to Barbara Joly of Our Carroll Family Genealogy for finding and sharing this video.

Ready for battle: history for kids

I contacted one of my cousins a few months back to let him know that I was writing a blog about our shared family history. In the process of our correspondence via email, he told me about his young sons' interest in his wife's Revolutionary War heritage. The boys often played "war" and acted out what they knew about their family's involvement in the conflict that resulted in the birth of our nation.

Eager to compete with his wife's pedigree, my cousin asked me: "Do we have anything like that on our side of the family?" I was happy to be able to tell him of my discovery of the part that William & Thomas Cowhey played in another defining conflict in our nation's history: the Civil War.

I can only imagine the decision-making process of these two little boys now when faced with some free time to play. I would love to be there to hear their "historical" discussions. To play "Civil War" or "Revolutionary War"? How to decide?

One of the joys of discovering my family history and sharing it (through this blog and through other avenues) is the knowledge that the lives and stories of our ancestors will not be lost but will be passed down further through the generations. It is important to me that my children, nieces, nephews, second cousins, etc., etc. know and take pride in the story of their heritage, and have an appreciation for the sacrifices of those who lived before them.

I appreciate books and other resources that work to bring history alive to young people. On the Related Reading sidebars here at Small-leaved Shamrock and over at A Light That Shines Again and 100 Years in America I've included not only books that adults would find interesting to read, but also an assortment of children's books on related subjects.

There are so many amazing books related to Pennsylvania, the railroads, coal mining, the Civil War, and of course, all things Irish. Picture books like Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story, S is for Shamrock, Look What Came From Ireland and Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato can be enjoyed by all ages. Chapter books great for relatively new readers include the Magic Tree House series' Civil War on Sunday and Viking Ships at Sunrise. More advanced young readers will enjoy the Bantry Bay series, Twenty Tales of Irish Saints or the classic Across Five Aprils. Students of Pennsylvania history will enjoy the photographs and true stories in Growing Up in Coal Country. And what lover of Irish heritage (no matter their age) could resist Color Your Own Book of Kells?

Websites that are designed to introduce children to various aspects of history and culture are always appealing to me. I've enjoyed the Pennsylvania State Archives' Doc Heritage website. The site uses images of actual historical documents to give students a perspective on the timeline of Pennsylvania history. In the Industrial Ascendancy segment of the site, for example, young readers are given glimpses into railroad riots, the struggle for women's suffrage, the plight of the Mollie Maguires, and the Great Depression, all through actual primary sources.

The Library of Congress' America's Story from America's Library is a great starting place (for those of all ages) to gain an understanding of our nation's history. Young websurfers can click on a state of their choice for a little history lesson in story form. Pennsylvania's includes a segment on the Civil War along with a link to an image of the earliest known draft of Lincoln's famous Gettyburg address. New Jersey's gives a look into how Irish heritage plays a role in the state via "pipers piping" Irish tunes. New York's section has a page focusing on early 20th-century immigrant life in New York City.

So many great history resources for kids - so little time.

How to choose?

Maybe the best place to start is just to get down on the floor with them, prepare for battle and then ask the question:

"Who wants to be the general?"

Image of Civil War lithograph "Battle of Lookout Mountain" courtesy of Towne Square Antique Mall.

On "poor Pat" and his emigration from Ireland

You may have read about my recent discovery of the passenger list of the ship William on which Patrick Cowhey traveled to America from Ireland. I was thrilled to find that document and receive a little glimpse into the travels of my 15-year-old immigrant ancestor back in 1823.

How surprised I was shortly after that to find a poem/song entitled "Poor Pat Must Emigrate". Published by A.W. Auner in Philadelphia (date unknown), the song details the sorrows and struggles of "poor Irish Pat" as he makes plans to emigrate from his native Ireland.

Here's a small excerpt:

Where is the nation or the land
that reared such men as Paddy's land?

Where is the man more noble
than they call poor Irish Pat?

...

But why should we be so oppressed
in the land of St. Patrick blessed.

The land from which we have the best,
poor Paddy must emigrate.

Part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, "Poor Pat Must Emigrate" is only one of a handful of vintage songs and poems on their website written by and about the Irish of the 19th century. Check out their Poor Pat Must Emigrate: 19th-Century Irish Immigration webpages for more on the history of the Irish in the commonwealth, where Pat Cowhey finally made his home. Chances are he faced similar trials and pains as "poor Irish Pat" did, though he left the old country a few decades earlier.

A little Pennsylvania Irish Valentine tribute

I've been enjoying the Irish Family History blog's Valentine focus this week. I was interested to learn that I'd done four unlucky things the day of my own wedding (I'm so glad I had two lucky ones on the list!). I've also enjoyed the posts on matchmaking and Irish weddings.

In honor of St. Valentine's Day today I thought I would remember some of the married couples in the Cowhey and related family trees whose wedding dates I know (and some I don't).

Here's to all the loving couples in this extended family (several generations back). Without them there would be no family tree!

Patrick and Anne Cowhey

William and Margaret (Foley) Cowhey
Married February 23, 1878 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Pottsville, PA

Robert & Mary (Cowhey) Warden

Alec & Elizabeth (Cowhey) Brown

Thomas & Bess (Hossler) Cowhey

William & Clara (Cowhey) Rodgers

Charles and Agnes (Donnelly) Cowhey
Married September 30, 1913 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Pottsville, PA

John & Blanche (Cowhey) Mokelar

Patrick & Margaret (Graham) Foley

John & Mary (McGonigal) Donnelly
Married May 20, 1886 in St. Clair, PA

John & Anna (Cowhey) McGinley
Married June 1895

John & Frances (Owens) Cowhey

Valentine image thanks to Richard August Neubert Antique Valentine Collection.

Fifteen and off to America

It was April 1823. Patrick Cowhey was fifteen years old and saying his last goodbye to his native Ireland by way of Queenstown in County Cork. Accompanied by twenty-year-old Ellen Cowhey (more than likely his sister), this young man was setting off via the ship William on a course that would change his life forever.

I was thrilled to finally be able to find this ship registry from the Pennsylvania Cowhey family's immigrant ancestor's journey to the new world. It might have been the spelling of his surname that had stumped me earlier (it was listed Cowhy). Whatever the reason, I am happy to have finally found the document recording his journey to America.

Below is the actual passenger list. You can see Ellen and Patrick Cowhy listed fifth and sixth on the list.


What an incredible adventure for a young man of fifteen...

Source: Manifest, Ship William, 26 April 1823, line 5, Ellen Cowhy, 20 and line 6, Patrick Cowhy, 15; “Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897,” National Archives, Washington, D.C., Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36, National Archives Microfilm Publication M237_4, 675 rolls, list 153; digital images, Ancestry.com New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (http://www.ancestry.com): accessed 13 February 2008).

A poem for Patrick

It was in 1823 that Patrick Cowhey, a young man, arrived in New York from Ireland. Earlier than the swell of Irish immigrants that came as a result of the famine of the 1840's, Patrick found himself in a new country, not yet a century old. He settled in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania (pronounced skool-kill) and many of his descendants remain there today.

In honor of the limerick challenge created by Terry Thornton, I've written a poem about the patriarch of the Cowhey family. I have not yet confirmed his original home address in Ireland, but he was either from Cork or Limerick, both places well-known for a love of poetry. He departed from Ireland via Queenstown's port (now known as Cóbh) in County Cork.

Here is my verse dedicated to Patrick and all his descendants:

Pat Cowhey found to his dismay
Green Ireland's prospects were grey.
He set out from Cork,
Made his way to New York,
Then settled in Schuylkill, PA.

A century plus since he came
They'd hardly remembered his name.
Now from ancestral fog
He's emerged, and this blog,
Small-leaved Shamrock, has given him fame.

A limerick for the love of Ireland

With the knowledge that the Irish are born with a love of poetry (myself included) and that the Cowhey family has a connection to Limerick, how could I resist Terry Thornton's limerick-writing challenge?

Here's my little ditty. It's not the best poetry I've ever written, but it was fun to put together.

That Lisa, she never does tire;
Keeps writing for the love of Eire.
In case you've not seen
Her blog's Kelly green.
She's inspired by St. Brigid's fire.

Image of the shamrock courtesy of Karen's Whimsy.

More good stuff on Irish genealogy

If you've exhausted the good ideas on Irish family history research that were posted on January 1st, 2008 as part of our 2nd edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, here's another suggestion for you:

Check out the March 2008 issue of Family Tree Magazine for a nice assortment of tips, resources and links to aid you in your Irish family history research. Sharon DeBartolo Carmack's article, entitled "Irish Blessings", is a well-researched guide any Irish family historian will find valuable. It is complete with a map of Irish counties, a timeline of Irish history, a boatload of weblinks, and a 7-step guide to tracing your Irish genealogy. If you're the type of Irish genealogist who is in it for the long haul, you won't want to miss this one.

Happy reading!

Crossing the Potomac with William: a soldier's story

The year was 1889. Thomas Cowey was recalling he and his older brother William's experiences during their time as volunteers in the Civil War twenty-eight years earlier. Thomas had been asked to aid William's application for pension by providing a statement in his own handwriting explaining how his brother had been disabled during his time in the military.

The result is a treasure of a document for the Cowhey family history collection. In his own words and his own handwriting, Thomas told about he and his brother's march to Williamsport, Maryland with volunteer Company I-16. There they had faced the Potomac River, finding themselves in water "up to [their necks]". Forced back by the enemy, they waded back across the river a second time. That wasn't the worst of it for the men of 1-16, notably poor William. The night found them having to sleep uncomfortably in their wet clothing. To add insult to injury, the company found themselves having to cross the river again the following day.

According to Thomas' statement, William did not take the discomforts of military life too easily. Troubled by the night in damp clothing and the trials of Civil War life, he found himself diagnosed with rheumatism by the "regimental doctor". According to Thomas, he never was the same again.

You can read Thomas' entire statement in the document below (click on the image to view it up close). If you have trouble reading that, see my transcription below. I have included Thomas' many mispellings as is. His errors in this full-page statement (which is actually only written as one very, very long sentence) make it even more enjoyable to read the story of he and his brother's uncomfortable night near the Potomac.

Pottsville, Pa.
December 6, 1889
to the Commissioner of Pensions I make this statement of how William Cowhey contracted the Rheumatism while in the service with me in company I. 16 Pa volunteers we left Harrissburg and Marched from thare to Williamsport Maryland and thare we had to cross the Potomac we had to ford it and the water was up to our neck and when we got to the virginia side we was driven Back by the Enemy and we had to wade Back and then sleep in our wet close all Night and then we got reinforced by doubles Battery and we waded Acrosed again and when we got to A small town called Bunker Hill near Martinsburg William Cowehy comenced to complain of his limbs hurting him and the Next day he could scarsely walk and the Regimental Doctor treated him for Rheumatism and after he was mustered out and came home and went bact to his work Railroading he could scarsely get on and of the cars and to my Knowlege he often had to lay of for months he was that lame from the affects of this same Rheumatism.

Thomas Cowey

Pancakes, candlelight and Irish family history

I've been enjoying reading a new blog whose focus and title is Irish Family History. Begun just last month, the authors of this blog have faithfully written a post a day and covered everything from holidays (like Shrove/Pancake Tuesday, Candlemas and St. Brigid's Day), to Irish naming patterns, to reviews of websites, to how to make a successful genealogical visit to a cemetery.

Stop by today to brush up on your knowledge of Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the season of Lent begins, and get a little headstart on some ideas for what to give up during the Lenten season.

One thing I don't plan to give up is reading this new blog's informative posts.

Welcome to the web, Irish Family History authors!

Off to Ireland!

Come along with us here on a journey at the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture! We'll be traveling to Irish places - some in Ireland and some outside of Ireland.

Today, February 1st, is the feast day of St. Brigid, second only to St. Patrick (if at all) in the hearts of the Irish. Brigid was a 5th-century saint well-known for her piety and compassion for others. Among her many titles, including the "Mary of the Gael", is the "Patron Saint of Poets". In the opinion of this poetry lover, that alone is a very good reason to make a warm place in your heart for her. What better day to take a virtual tour to the country she loved and whose people continue to love and honor her?

If you have Irish ancestors, or just love the Irish land and culture, this carnival is for you. So get on your virtual traveling clothes and let's go.

At the start of our journey it might make sense to do a little review of the geography of Ireland itself. Over at A Light That Shines Again I've posted a quiz on Irish counties that might be challenging, but its worth a try for those of us serious about Ireland. Take the quiz which a university professor used with his students at Can you make a passing grade in Irish geography?
Now off to Ireland with Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire. One of the millions of us with Irish heritage who do not live in Ireland, Janice fondly remembers the trip that she and her husband took several years ago. They "left their hearts behind" and took back many special memories on the return trip home. Janice's post provides us with some interesting Irish trivia which she learned on her trip and offers some good links for further reading. Check out A New Hampshirite's Irish Surprise to learn whether or not she actually kissed the famous stone at Blarney Castle.

Janice, myself and many of you reading are part of what is sometimes referred to as the "Irish diaspora" - the descendants of those who emigrated from Ireland. The stories of many of our immigrant ancestors have been lost to history. If only more of us could have the experience of one American man who a few decades ago found a family treasure in his parents' attic. The discovery touched him deeply and he wrote a song about it. To read more about his find and the song which he wrote and named after his family's ancestral village in Ireland, visit A Light That Shines Again for my post Touching letters from a "strong & feisty" old Irishman to his son.

Anyone with a name like Thomas MacEntee is sure to be asked once or twice where in Ireland his family hails from. One such Thomas, known to us through his blog Destination: Austin Family, has trouble answering that question. His post explains his research thus far on his great-grandparents' origins in Ireland. Like many of us, however, the few facts he knows leave him with even more questions. Read Thomas' post entitled Irish Places: Belfast? County Armagh? to get a well-documented idea of his research thus far. (Take note, footnote Maven!)

Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal has similar questions about her family's history. Happily, she has found a record linking her great-great-grandparents to the town of Ballymena in County Antrim. Read more of her story and her family's Scotland connection in her post Antrim County, Ireland.

Like Jessica, Miriam Midkiff of AnceStories has an interest in Scotland as well as Ireland. Her Scots-Irish family members spent some time in Letterkenny, County Donegal before moving on to Canada way back in the 1830's. Read more about their travels in Miriam's post Locations of my (Scots) Irish Ancestors.

Many of those who emigrated from Ireland began their sea journey at what was formerly called the port of Queenstown in County Cork (now called Cóbh). I've written about this place where millions took their sad leave of Ireland at my post Cóbh: The last goodbye to Ireland here at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Moving across the Atlantic, we find a lot of Ireland in Massachusetts, where Bill West makes his home. Celtic music at the opening of Patriots' football games, a Red Sox pitcher dancing an Irish jig, the home of the New England Irish Cultural Center, St. Patrick's Day parades, and frequent customers coming into his shop speaking with an Irish accent... Though Bill has never visited Ireland, he experiences a little bit it of it in Massachusetts almost daily. Read more at West in New England's A Bit of Ireland in New England.

For more on the history of Boston's Irish and the not-so-warm welcome that they received when settling there in the 19th-century, read my post entitled "The city where a century ago he came unwanted, he has made his own..." Modern-day Boston would not be the same without its Irish character, but a lot has changed in the past few generations. With the help of several well-researched historians, I take a look at the struggles of the Boston Irish over at A Light That Shines Again.

Barbara Joly decided to take us to a fictitious Irish place with her post about Tara of Gone With the Wind fame. Barbara's post at Our Carroll Family Genealogy describes the plantation's connection to Ireland via its name, which was also the name of the ancient Irish capitol.

Concluding our tour of Irish places, you may be interested in bringing a little bit of old Ireland into your home by learning how to churn your own butter. Terry Thornton's post Making Butter in the Hill Country explains the Irish Gaelic origin of the southern term "clabber" along with a very detailed description of butter-making and everything related to it. Visit Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi and write to let us know if your efforts taste like the butter you remember your Irish grandmother making.

Thanks for joining us on this traveling carnival. My hope is that something you've read here will spark your interest in Ireland even further, perhaps encouraging a real trip to Ireland or a place with Irish heritage.

Whether you go traveling or not, plan to take a trip with us on the next Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: the 4th edition.

Here's the scoop:

March is Irish heritage month in many places, thanks to the feast day of St. Patrick, beloved saint of Ireland. Our topic for this month will be anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture. Posts about St. Patrick will be appreciated, but posts related to any meaningful aspect of Ireland's heritage are welcomed. To borrow an idea from Bill West's genealogy parade, we'll have our very own virtual St. Patrick's Day parade!

The deadline is March 14, 2008. Submit your parade entry here. Then come join us for the parade on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008. On the feast of St. Patrick, everyone likes to be Irish, at least for one day. Hope to see you at the parade wearing your green!

In the meantime, happy travels...

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat!

May the road rise to meet you!

Image of St. Brigid's cross thanks to Irish Indeed!

Image of the ruins of Nendrum Abbey courtesy of Jordan McClements.