Welcome (Céad Míle Fáilte!) to Small-leaved Shamrock

Tuesday, February 12, 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.

1 comment:

Janice said...

Lisa,

You do Pat Cowhey a great service with your lovely poem. Unfortunately some of us do not have that writing talent....

Lisa of Small-Leafed is green in all places,
Because of the topic her blog site embraces.
Of leprechauns, shamrocks, and rich Irish laces
May the road rise to meet you is one of her wishes
You'd best do what she says, else she starts throwing her dishes
Just kidding! I don't want to fall out of this lady's good graces

Janice

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