Spring cleaning at Small-leaved Shamrock

I've been focusing lately on doing some projects that have taken me away from blogging - you could say I've caught the spring cleaning bug. It has been so long since I've written a post here that I thought I would just let readers know that yes, I am still alive and well.

I realize that this is one of the longest gaps in blog posts that I've had since I began blogging. I'm hoping to get my "house in order" and get back to spending some more time here at Small-leaved Shamrock.

In the meantime, happy spring, everyone!

A blessed Good Friday

For an interesting article on the way that the Irish have traditionally kept Good Friday see Bridget Haggerty's article Good Friday Haircuts and Seaweed for Dinner on the Irish Culture and Customs website.

Decade rosary with Penal Cross c. 18th-century. For more information about the crucifixes and other devotional objects that were made in Ireland during the period before the penal laws were enforced against Roman Catholics, see this Rosary Workshop webpage or Limerick's Hunt Museum website.

2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade of Posts!

On this St. Patrick's Day, the weather where you are might be blustery or blazing; snowy, sunny or rainy, but here in the blogosphere the weather is just right for a parade!

Welcome to the
2nd Annual
St. Patrick's Day
Parade of Posts

(otherwise known as the
12th edition of the
Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture)

St. Patrick's Day is here! It's time for the wearin' o' the green and the celebrating of all things Irish. So find yourself a spot with a good view of our parade, and prepare to have a grand old time getting to know all of this year's entries. We're glad you've joined us on this day of worldwide Irish celebration!

It is truly a worldwide celebration. Did you realize that there are more than seventy million people numbered within the Irish diaspora today? With the country's sad history of famine and hardship, the children of Ireland now reside throughout many parts of the world. For a sentimental look at "Irishness" read my article "A light in the window": The sign of welcome for 70 million cousins over at A light that shines again. You'll also learn some ways that those of you who have Irish heritage can begin to connect with your seventy million Irish "cousins" worldwide.


Let's begin our parade today with a little bit of Irish history. First, St. Patrick himself. Colleen Degnan Johnson of CMJ Office gives us some background on the patron saint of Ireland whose feast day we celebrate today. Visit St. Patrick and the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture where you can also read the story about his death and how the Irish mourned his loss.

Julie Cahill Tarr, who grew up wearing green and eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, knew little about the origin and meaning of the holiday until recently. Visit Julie's GenBlog for an answer to her question What Exactly is the Significance of St. Patrick's Day?

For another look at the background on St. Patrick's Day, visit Tipper's Blind Pig and the Acorn blog. I found particularly interesting her tip on what to do in retaliation if someone pinches you on St. Patrick's Day when you were actually wearing green.

Kathryn Kahumoku gives us a photo tour of historic St. Patrick's Well in County Leitrim, Ireland. On a trip to visit a relative's grave in the nearby cemetery, she visited the well and learned about its history, including the significance of the three rocks called "Stations of the Holy Well". The rocks are believed to have been placed there by St. Patrick to help teach the local people about the Trinity. Visit Kathryn's St. Patrick's Well in Aughavas, Co. Leitrim posted at for my ancestors to view her photos, read her story, and learn some of her plans to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year.

Another prominent figure in Irish history is the great Brian Boru, legendary King of Ireland. Paul O'Brien of The O'Brien Store and Blarney Social Club takes us back 1200 years to the time when the Vikings were settling in Ireland. Telling the story of his namesake, he writes About Brian Boru - the Brian in O’Brien. Read his article for an entertaining history lesson as well as an explanation of the origin of the use of O' and Mac in Irish surnames.

Moving up closer to our own times, Bill West has provided us with a little history lesson on one of Boston's well-known Irishmen: politician John Fitzgerald, the grandfather who gave President John Fitzgerald Kennedy his name. Read Bill's story about this legendary Irish-American politician, well-known as "Honey Fitz", over at West in New England.

Today is the feast day of St. Patrick, yet Americans celebrate all of March as Irish-American heritage month. Many others throughout the world keep up their St. Patrick's Day celebrations throughout this month also. What better way to honor St. Patrick than to focus some special effort during these thirty-one days on learning about the history of Ireland, or better yet, the history of your own Irish ancestors, if you have them.

Several of our participants are working on their Irish family trees. Read their stories for inspiration in your own family search.

On her Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay blog Dorene Paul shares images of the gravestones and tells the stories of the lives of her ancestors Daniel and Johannah Larkins. St. Patrick's Day has long been celebrated in Dorene's family. Read her article to learn about her ancestor's role in an 1844 committee which resolved to celebrate St. Patrick's Day "without any intoxicating beverages".

With a photographer in the family tree, M. Diane Rogers ended up the recipient of some beautiful family portraits of her ancestors. She shares two images of her Irish-Canadian immigrant ancestors from County Cavan at Irwin - Moffat - County Cavan, Ireland: 12th Edition, Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture posted on her CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' blog. Those of us with Irish ancestors whose faces we have never seen can't help but be green with envy this St. Patrick's Day!

For another photographic treat, take the time to visit footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed blog for a vintage cabinet card and carte-de-visite that she has shared In Honor of St. Patrick's Day. You'll enjoy footnoteMaven's perspective on these images of Irish citizens of the 19th-century, including a little background on the photographers.

It is hard to decide which would be a more exciting find for a family historian - a vintage family photograph or a family letter written over a century before. Earline Bradt of Ancestral Notes has such a letter, written in the mid-1800s (five generations back) and sent from Caherciveen, Ireland to a family member living in Canada. Earline's Letter from Ireland, dated 1854, is a reminder of the struggles that families faced in making decisions to emigrate from Ireland and the loss of family ties that they suffered because of difficulty communicating across the miles during the 19th-century.

One of the things that Kathy Brady-Blake of Kathy's Genealogy Blog enjoys about having Irish heritage and doing Irish genealogical research is that she has an excuse to visit Ireland. Read Kathy's article My Favorite Thing about Irish Genealogy for the chronicle of her last trip to Ireland which she dubbed the "Library Tour of Ireland". (Her kids enjoyed another aspect of the trip: they called it the "Playground Tour of Ireland".) That won't be the last of Kathy's visits to the land of St. Patrick. As Kathy states, "the National Archives of Ireland is calling to me". She has plans for another trip in the works.

If you have plans for research in Ireland someday and want to make progress on your Irish genealogy at home first, visit Donna Moughty's Birth, Death Marriage Indexes for Ireland article and her follow-up Update on Irish Civil Registration. Donna gives us a play-by-play report of her use of these indexes, newly available on the Family Search Pilot website. Donna, who helped index the records, says, "I was really doing the happy dance when I discovered the Civil Registration Indexes of Ireland were finally posted at the FamilySearch pilot site! Check it out, but don't type in the Registration District in the 'Place' field. For some reason they decided to use the county." Donna, a professional genealogist, has many other great Irish resources highlighted on her blog. Check it out when you have lots of time for reading.

Now for a few simple ideas on how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (i.e. much smaller projects than working on Irish genealogical research!):

Janet Iles (the Researcher) shares her plans for this St. Patrick's Day with us at St. Patrick's Day is Coming. If you are in the Ontario area, you may be interested in attending the Leprechaun Luncheon in Owen Sound that Janet mentions.

For some great ideas for your St. Patrick's Day menu, try Colleen Degnan Johnson's recipes: Irish Stew the Anna Clune Finnegan Way and Irish Scones. The Irish Stew recipe has been passed down to Colleen from her grandmother.

Want some ideas for Irish-themed beverages to share this St. Patrick's Day? Kathryn Vercillo presents some that are popular in Ireland and in Irish pubs around the world within her article Best Irish Drinks for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

What would an Irish celebration be without some good Celtic music? Break out your Irish favorites this St. Patrick's Day. For some inspiration, read Kerry Dexter's ceol chairlinn: sharing music in winter at her Music Road blog, where she shares an example of how music helped to bridge gaps between people and lead to mutual understanding and friendship.

However you celebrate, don't forget to dress and decorate with at least a little bit of green. Better yet, wear an authentic Irish shamrock on your person. That was the tradition for many years during the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City. Sadly, back in 1925 the parade-goers who were anticipating their shipment of shamrocks were disappointed: a bureacratic technicality forced their eagerly awaited little boxes of green to be returned to the senders in Ireland. Read the story about St. Patrick's Day 1925 at Rachel Murphy's Irish Family History blog. Let's hope you have no such complications with your St. Patrick's Day celebrations this year!

For this St. Patrick's Day parade 2009, Tina Sansone of Gtownma's Genealogy submitted the list of surnames in her Irish family tree. Read them at My Irish Surnames: Are you Lucky? Tina didn't know it, but she was a little ahead of schedule.

The topic for the upcoming 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture is Irish Names. Read more at Our Irish heritage: What's in a name? on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog. Deadline for this upcoming edition is Sunday, May 24, 2009. Hope to see you there!

Thanks very much for joining us for this 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Many thanks to all of our contributors. If you just can't get enough St. Patrick's Day reading, make a visit over to last year's inaugural edition of the parade.

Now, as we conclude this parade, it wouldn't be right for the master of ceremonies to leave you without an Irish blessing. A wish for you on St. Patrick's Day:

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
(Ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Your St. Patrick's Day to do list, 2009

With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching, I hope you have gotten your plans in order for celebration.
Checked these off your list yet?

• Something green to wear
• Recipes and ingredients ready for a meal with Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, etc. (or plans to eat out at your favorite Irish pub)
• Info and directions to get to your nearest St. Patrick's Day parades and celebrations
• A few Irish Gaelic phrases - practiced and ready (view the short video below for a start)
  

Last but not least, don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture's 2009 St. Patrick's Day parade edition (deadline March 14)!

A little test for you before St. Patrick's Day

Get your thinking cap on under your green St. Patrick's Day hat and give these quizzes a try:

• All Things Irish quiz


• Test Your Irish I.Q.


• History of Ireland quiz

The last one is a doozy - you might want to study in advance if you're afraid to take a hit to your Irish pride with a low score. If not, go ahead and try your luck in the name of St. Patrick!

Wordless Wednesday: The Cowheys of Mount Carbon

Members of the Cowhey family,
Mount Carbon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Black and white photographic print.
Unknown date. Privately held by M.,
[address for private use]. 2009.

Click on the photograph to zoom in. Many thanks to my "cousin" who generously shared this photo.

Erin is calling: St. Patrick's Day is on its way!

With less than two weeks left until St. Patrick's Day, it's time to get your plans in order!


First: Be sure to have some green ready and waiting.

Second: Find yourself a local city or neighborhood St. Patrick's Day parade to attend. Visit the site that bills itself as "the largest Irish parade website in the world" to find the date, time and location of one close to you.

Last, but certainly not least: Make plans to join us for our online St. Patrick's Day "parade" - the 12th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture! Last year's event was so much fun. Don't miss out on joining us this year. No Irish bloodline is required - just a love for Ireland and the Irish. Share your articles on anything and everything Irish for our carnival by the deadline: March 14, 2009. On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, we'll all gather together here at Small-leaved Shamrock for the big celebration! Hope to see you there!

My take on the madness: The banning of vintage children's books

As a children's book lover myself and a mother of children who love to read, I am appalled by the recent events occurring in response to a ridiculous portion of a recent law: the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) and its ban on children's books printed before 1985. Supposedly a health concern to children because of the lead content in their ink, these books are being taken out of circulation (by libraries, used book sellers, etc.) in response to CPSIA. (The law took effect on February 10, 2009.)

Personally, my library is filled with these very items and I have often been on the lookout for more treasures like them. I am a junkie for used book sales at local libraries. My shelves are pretty much filled at this time, but I was making plans to soon part with some of my old treasures and purchase new ones. Now it looks like there will be no market for these books, and I will be hard-pressed to find "new" used ones to purchase, with the exception of those that now command a higher price and are marketed as "adult collectibles".

I was saddened this week when I visited my local library's book sale room to browse the children's used book section only to read the following sign: "We will no longer accept children's books." Sure enough, the former children's shelves (which my children had often enjoyed browsing) were now occupied with popular fiction. Sadly, the library's booksellers decided that it would be too difficult to separate the pre-1985 and post-1985 children's books, and therefore decided to avoid selling any books for children.

As a personal response to these new developments (which appear to be happening nationwide), I've chosen to participate in an "illegal book meme" and am posting the list below: a handful of the many books I own that have suddenly become contraband. (I'll add photos when I have the chance to photograph the covers.) My collection of pre-1985 children's books includes many covering various topics: fiction and nonfiction, picture books and novels, classics and just plain fun reading.

I've chosen here to include a few books that are actually personal family heirlooms. Yes, they could certainly fall under the "adult collectible" category, but one of the joys of owning them is to see my children turning the pages of these books just as one of their ancestors did when she was a girl.

Lead content, bahhh!

What are the proponents of this law worried about? Brain damage?

I personally have never been injured by the reading of a good book - certainly not because of the ink in which it is was printed. In fact, more damage can be done to children's brains by taking these literary treasures out of their reach.

Here is a tiny sampling of my suddenly "illegal" book collection, all owned at one time by Anna Cowhey:

The Bobbsey Twins in the Country
by Laura Lee Hope
published 1907 by Chatterton-Peck Company

The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island
by Laura Lee Hope
published 1917 by Grosset & Dunlap

The Blythe Girls Three on a Vacation (or) The Mystery at Peach Farm
by Laura Lee Hope
published 1925 by Grosset & Dunlap

The Little Maid of Naragansett Bay
by Alice Turner Curtis
(title page missing)

Heidi
by Johanna Spyri
published by Saalfield Publishing Company
(title page missing)

As Walter Olson of Overlawyered wrote so eloquently in his article for City Journal:

"...ours will be a poorer world if we begin to lose (or 'sequester' from children) the millions of books published before our own era. They serve as a path into history, literature, and imagination for kids everywhere. They link the generations by enabling parents to pass on the stories and discoveries in which they delighted as children. Their illustrations open up worlds far removed from what kids are likely to see on the video or TV screen. Could we really be on the verge of losing all of this? And if this is what government protection of our kids means, shouldn’t we be thinking instead about protecting our kids from the government?"

For an brief overview of CPSIA visit The New Book Banning: Children's books burn, courtesy of the federal government or Warning! Eating books could seriously damage your health. For more current news related to CPSIA visit the American Library Association website or Overlawyered. (By the way, don't trust Snopes for details on this issue.)

To view the "illegal" children's books in others' collections, visit this Flickr group.

The best of 2008: Small-leaved Shamrock iGene Awards

It's that time of year again...time for the second annual Academy of Genealogy and Family History iGene Awards at the Carnival of Genealogy! Chosen by the author from the blog articles published over the past year, I have awarded "prizes" for the following categories:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on this blog

Best Screen Play - The family story that would make the best movie

Best Documentary - The best informational article about a place, thing, or event involving my family's history

Best Biography - The best biographical article

Best Comedy - The best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video

Special Mention - Other articles of note

Best Picture Award

Little light of the Cowhey household, 1915

"What a beautiful proverb and a beautiful picture of your ancestor! Thanks for sharing." ~ Taylortales-Genealogy

This little babe has a very special place in my heart and I'm so thankful to have a copy of this portrait of her as an infant. Little Anne Cowhey must have been a true joy to her parents.

Best Picture Runner-up

Crossing the Potomac with William: a soldier’s story

Not a photograph, but an image of the actual handwritten account that my great-great-grandfather's brother wrote about an experience during their time as Union soldiers in the Civil War, this is a true treasure. I was so happy to discover this document amidst the pension file for William Cowhey. His brother Thomas tells in his own words and his own handwriting (with lots of creative spelling) about their suffering as they crossed the Potomac River, crossed back over again, and spent a miserable night in wet clothing.

Best Screen Play Award

November 1892: PA train explosion makes NYC headlines

(for more of the story see Riding the rails: The life and death of William Cowhey, The 1892 Pottsville train explosion: How and why?, The New York Times - November 15, 1892, and Reading engine no. 563: The lone survivor?)

"Not only is the story of Lisa’s 2nd great-grandfather’s untimely death interesting, but her post reminds us of alternate sources of information we can use to learn more about the lives (and deaths) of our ancestors." ~ Donna Pointkouski, What's Past is Prologue, Donna's Picks Week of February 24, 2008

The story of the life and death of my great-great-grandfather William Cowhey is made for the movies. A man shaped by his times, he was a Union Civil War veteran who had worked his way up to Engineer for the Reading Railroad. Riding another engineer's train home from his shift one night, he died because of a violent engine explosion, leaving his wife and twelve children behind. These articles tell the story of the accident that took his life in 1892, which sadly, occured only a few years before major changes were made in railroad safety.

Best Screen Play Runner-up

Three-generation-old questions about a coal miner’s life and The brothers Donnelly: Tragedy in the Pennsylvania coal mines

"Great post... I guess we all may find a black sheep in our lines." ~ Colleen McHugh, Orations of OMcHodoy

Many questions remain regarding the life of my great-great-grandfather John Donnelly. Was he truly the John who died in this horrible boiler explosion at the Bear Ridge Colliery mine in 1893? Is he linked with the infamous Mollie Maguires of Schuylkill County? More research remains to be done, but the story as I've unearthed it so far has the potential to make quite an exciting movie - a tragedy that speaks of the sufferings and risks that late 19th-century miners and their families faced every day.

Best Documentary Award

Black cats, lucky pennies and troublesome fairy folk

"As always, fascinating post and great links to read. Thanks. I recently freaked when my youngest tried to open an umbrella inside. LOL" ~ Colleen Johnson, CMJ Office Blog

In this article, I've introduced to you the complicated system of superstitious beliefs long held by the Irish people. "Earning a daily wage and putting bread on the table were hard for the Irish people for centuries. Added to that was the difficulty of having to avoid actions, places and dates that held superstitious warning. Don't forget the work of the fairy folk. They seemed to always be causing trouble." Want to introduce yourself to the lot of superstitions - both warnings and good luck charms - that originated in Irish tradition? This is a good place to start.

Best Documentary Special Mentions

The Celtic blessing: Food for the soul

"I am quite overwhelmed by John O'Donohue's wisdom. Yes, take some time to slow down and enjoy the beauty of life." ~ Barbara, Our Carroll Family Genealogy

The real Annie Moore remembered at last

"What an achingly beautiful tribute. It is so moving - thank you for sharing this story. This is one of the reasons why I love your blog. It is visually inviting and full of information everything Irish." ~ Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski, In My Life

Irish women in America: our grandmothers’ stories

"Thank you for dedicating this post to the women of Erin." ~ Barbara, Our Carroll Family Genealogy

Cóbh: The last goodbye to Ireland

"I am one of those who has not yet pinpointed where and when my ancestor left Eire. But, this center is symbolic for all of us. A must for my eventual first trip over to Ireland." ~ Barbara, Our Carroll Family Genealogy

Ready for battle: history for kids

Hard black coal and a lady in white

Best Biography Award

A look back at Schuylkill County, 1908

"Great post, Lisa. Both sets of my ancestral grandparents were born in...the anthracite coal region." ~ Colleen McHugh, Orations of OMcHodoy

Not so much a personal biography as it is a biography of a place and a family, this article is a reminiscense of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania one hundred years ago and the many descendants of William Cowhey who lived their lives there.

Best Comedy Award: Story

The provenance of a hairbrush: Thievery and the family historian

"I died laughing. So funny!" ~ footnoteMaven, Shades of the Departed

"I love it. I can see a whole new book: 'Evidence Explained for the Rest of Us'.... 'Story obtained by Aunt Mary, who told it under the condition that Uncle Joe never find out the true circumstances surrounding Grandpop's death.' LOL" ~ Donna Pointkouski, What's Past is Prologue

We all have our collection of family treasures. This article tells the story of how I acquired a beautiful set that once belonged to my great-grandmother - and the struggles I faced trying to write a source citation for the items because of the way in which I had "proactively inherited" them from my mother's bathroom. This is a must-read for every treasure-seeking family history collector like myself.

Best Comedy Award: Poetry

A limerick for the love of Ireland and
A poem for Patrick

"Lisa, you do Pat Cowhey a great service with your lovely poem." ~ Janice Brown, Cow Hampshire

What would the Small-leaved Shamrock iGene Awards be without a little bit of poetry? Just for fun I responded to Terry Thornton's limerick challenge last year and wrote a few of my own: one to represent myself as the author of Small-leaved Shamrock and one to honor Patrick Cowhey, the patriarch of the Cowhey family.

Special Mentions

To be born Irish

"Very lovely Lisa. Being Irish is also something that I could not relate to 100%. With my family also, we were proud, but no one seemed to want to pass anything down to us. That makes that down the line, a part of me wants to return and discover something of my family in Ireland one day. To bridge a liitle bit this gap." ~ Barbara, Our Carroll Family Genealogy

A personal essay on my feelings about learning of my Irish heritage, this article looks at the perspective that various generations in my family may have had regarding their "Irishness". My concluding thought: "My hope is that I have inherited at least a small portion of [my ancestors'] stubborn tenacity, their undaunting hope and the joy in the very simple things in life that got them through the obstacles that they faced because God had ordained that they were to be born Irish."

Signed "Your Cousin"

"That is beautiful. I know the feeling, having found a branch last year. It is one of the rewards for a genealogist." ~ Barbara, Our Carroll Family Genealogy

A look at the joy of finding a new cousin in the family tree - particularly one who shares the joy of the genealogical search! Part "thank you", part pondering the discoveries of genealogy, this article is something that many family historians can relate to, or wish they could.

Special thanks to Jasia of Creative Gene for hosting the iGene Awards at the Carnival of Genealogy. Also, thank you to footnoteMaven for a the awards poster and a little inspiration in my presentation. See you at next year's event!

Have a green St. Valentine's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner... Time to get your green in order.

In the meantime, Happy St. Valentine's Day!


Vintage postcard thanks to St. Patrick's Day History blog.

Six little girls on a summer day, 1922

In the midst of summer, June 18, 1922, six little girls posed for a photograph in Mount Carbon, Pennsylvania. All dressed in their finery for their big day, they were the first class of First Communicants in their new parish of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.

St. Francis de Sales First Communion girls photograph,

ca. 1922; privately held by Lisa, [address for private use], 2009.

Included in this photograph are two children of John Joseph and Frances (Owens) Cowhey: eight-year-old Ann Cowhey, top left, and her sister seven-year-old Frances Cowhey, bottom middle. The girls' seven-year-old cousin Anne Cowhey (daughter of Charles & Agnes Cowhey) is also pictured at the top right. I have yet to confirm the identities of the other three girls, but I have some guesses. If you can identify them, please contact me.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, of the little girls in the photograph have since passed away.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church

49 Main Street, Mount Carbon, Pennsylvania

This past year St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church experienced its own passing, so to speak. One of thirty-two churches of the Diocese of Allentown in Schuylkill County to be closed because of a local shortage of priests, St. Francis de Sales was consolidated into St. Patrick's Church in Pottsville on July 15, 2008.

In a way it had come full circle: Mount Carbon's Catholic residents originally attended St. Patrick's before St. Francis de Sales was founded in 1921.

A small parish at its closing with two-hundred seats and seventy-five members, St. Francis de Sales had been presided over for the past nineteen years by Fr. Edward Connolly who is also pastor of St. Patrick's in Pottsville.

This little Catholic church of Mount Carbon has a very special place in my heart. It was the focal point for many a sacramental moment for my family members throughout its eighty-six year lifespan.

I can't help but wonder if the church sometimes longs for the days it once knew: when little girls in white dresses graced its steps on their First Communion day.

For more information on church closings in the Diocese of Allentown see the diocese website's announcement of June 1, 2008 entitled Initial Parish Restructuring Plans Announced or read the Republican Herald's articles: Catholics Mourn loss of 32 churches in Schuylkill County and St. Francis de Sales, Mount Carbon.

This article has been submitted to the 10th edition of the I Smile for the Camera Carnival whose theme is "Costume". For more portraits of those dressed up for all sorts of occasions, visit footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed.

Sources:

"Catholics mourn loss of 32 churches in Schuylkill County." Republican Herald 01 Jun 2008 http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2008/06/01/news/local_news/pr_republican.20080601.a.pg1.pr01churches_s1.1717568_top2.txt : accessed 10 Feb 2009.

Kerr, Matt. "Initial Parish Restructuring Plans Announced." Diocese of Allentown 01 Jun 2008 http://www.allentowndiocese.org/news/nr060108a.html : accessed 10 Feb 2009.

"St. Francis De Sales, Mount Carbon." Republican Herald 16 Jun 2008 http://www.republicanherald.com/articles/2009/02/10/church_closings/south_schuylkill/region_1/pr_republican.20080615.a.pg3.pr15stfrancisdesales_s1.1747174_loc.txt : accessed 10 Feb 2009.

Zerbey, J.H., newspapers, Inc, and Joseph Henry Zerbey. Joseph Henry Zerbey History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County. Pennsylvania. [Pottsville]: "Republican"-"Morning paper" print, 1934.

Growing the family tree: In both directions

Many take up the hobby of genealogy when their children grow up and leave home or when they retire. Me, on the other hand, I couldn't wait so long. My interest in history has always been such a part of me, I can't imagine not digging into the story of my family. This has led to a type of balancing act for me - growing the family tree backwards at the same time as I'm "growing" the next generation of the tree: my children.

Photograph privately held by Lisa, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]. 2009.

Lots of benefits have come from this type of arrangement, of course. Starting earlier has allowed me to know what types of questions to ask my older relatives before they've passed away. (Although you can never start early enough on this one - there are so many relatives I wish I'd sat down and talked with when I'd had the chance.)

Another benefit of tracing the family tree with young children around is the fact that you are never at a lack for good stories to share with them. How much more meaningful a story is when you can tell your child that it was true and happened to their own ancestor!

I'm hoping that my children's proximity to me as I work to uncover our family's stories will give each of them a desire to become genealogists themselves and carry on the work that I've begun, or at least appreciate and be good caretakers of what I've uncovered myself. After all, if they grow up with a mother who fits genealogy into their lives from day one it wouldn't be right not to include it in their own children's lives one day.

Being the genealogist-Mommy has had its challenges. Finding time to fit genealogy into my family's life has often been a struggle. I find that the wee hours of the night or morning are often my best time to make progress on family history projects. Days are often hectic and it is hard to find time to complete most projects, no matter how small. On the evenings when I've discovered something new about our ancestors, it has been fun to greet them in the morning with a, "Guess what I found out about our family tree last night?"

Spending time on the phone is never easy, but I've sometimes made an effort to make a genealogical-phone-call-a-day when I've been working on a particular project that requires direct contact with archives or libraries. Many a call has found me closely covering one ear with the phone and one ear with my other hand while I tuned out a distracting child in the background who had suddenly forgotten that I had asked for the house to be "as quiet as possible for a few minutes while Mommy is on the phone".

Not every genealogical library or archive happily welcomes children. I had to ask for special permission to take my eleven-year-old daughter into the National Archives with me, but what a memorable experience it was for both of us. She received her own personal photo ID and was able to enter the reading room with me to view her great-great-great-great-uncle's Civil War pension file.

I have often squeaked in research when I had the chance. One evening at the local library my older children were in a nearby room at an activity while my toddler was asleep on my lap. I decided to take the opportunity to sit at the computer and spend time on the library's Ancestry subscription. Moments later I discovered a real find: the ship passenger list for the immigrant ancestor of the Cowhey family. It was a moment of triumph - after having heard the family story of Patrick Cowhey's arrival about 1820 as a young teenager, I had found proof that he made his way to New York in 1823. I was so happy I could have shouted aloud or done a happy Irish jig, but that was not quite possible in this particular setting and with the little angel dozing on my lap. I had to settle for beaming widely and sharing my excitement with my family later.

I'm sure that my children have sometimes wondered why I enjoy the genealogical pursuit so much.

Did they understand the tears in my eyes when I read the story of my great-great-grandfather's demise on the railroad in a train explosion and realized how his wife and children must have suffered?

Do they fully understand my stories of the struggles that our ancestors endured, such as their great-great-grandmothers' trans-Atlantic crossings: one with several children and a baby and one with an ill child who was detained at the Ellis Island hospital on arrival?

Did my children wonder why I left them all at the dinner table suddenly one evening after the delivery truck had left a thick package from the National Archives that I had eagerly been waiting for?

Photograph privately held by Lisa, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]. 2009.

Even if they haven't completely understood, they have certainly seemed to enjoy our genealogy work together, and at the very least they will have some unique stories to share about their mother when inevitably the next generation will ask them about the family tree.

Postscript: After reading this article, one of my children was concerned that what I wrote here might be misconstrued. She wanted me to assure readers that she and her siblings very much enjoy learning about their family history. She, in fact, has contributed much to our family history blogs, including sharing pictures she has taken and assisting me with writing quite a few articles. You can be assured that our family’s history will be in very good hands for coming generations!

Small-leaved Shamrock makes "Best" list

Special thanks to Best University for highlighting Small-leaved Shamrock as one of their Top 100 Fascinating Celtic Culture, Language and Lit Blogs. They've listed blogs in many areas including sports, music, theater, literature, digital culture, genealogy/heritage, art, spirituality, travel, crafts, politics, culture, and local interest. There are many good starting points on their list for all topics Celtic. Small-leaved Shamrock is one of four genealogy and heritage blogs that they've recommended. Visit their list for lots of good reading material!

The key to Ireland: Genealogists seek out their Irish roots

Welcome to the 11th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This edition will take us on a tour through Ireland and, perhaps even more importantly, through the research processes of a number of genealogists who are working to trace their roots back to specific counties and villages in Ireland. My hope is that through reading the stories of the discoveries of others, we would all be inspired to continue our efforts toward discovering the specific details of our Irish heritage.

A special feature of this edition is the interactive map created by Thomas MacEntee of Destination Austin Family. He has embedded links to each of our contributors' ancestral counties and/or villages within a Google Maps map of Ireland. Use the map below right now to find an area of Ireland that interests you, or come back to the map after you've read through the carnival's submissions for a visual summary of this edition.

My Key to Ireland Map

11th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture


View Larger Map

If you have trouble viewing this interactive map here for some reason, you can use this direct link to the carnival's My Key to Ireland map on the Google Maps website.

Special thanks to Thomas for creating this map. If you want to know how he did it, visit Thomas' article at the Facebook Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers blog entitled Google Maps and Carnival Posts. Two of this edition's contributors, Donna and Julie, have also written about similar ways to use Google Maps.

Now, for the stories of our carnival's contributors... Enjoy your tour of Ireland!

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Brian of Ancestors at Rest has written us a chronicle detailing the story of the discovery of his roots in Ireland. It is quite a page-turner of a blog story. In The Search for My Irish Roots, Part 1 (The Beginning) Brian tells the story of how he is surprised to learn that his family was Irish. Part 2 (We're Irish???) explains how thirty years of "flailing around" searching for the Irish origins of his Massey family finally begin to pay off. Part 3 (Then I got lucky) is about his discovery of his immigrant ancestor's origins in County Wicklow and the story of a very generous fellow researcher he meets online. In Part 4 (Sometimes you don't find the next clue, it finds you) Brian finds more clues pointing him to the village of his immigrant ancestor, but has no definitive evidence yet. In Brian's final installment of this series, Part 5 (The kindness of strangers), he explains what finally answered his questions. One of my favorite parts of his story is his explanation of his joy as a genealogist at finally learning the info that he had been seeking for so long: "I was so happy. For about 10 minutes. Then like a true genealogist I started to think about what I still did not know, and I realized my search will never be over..." You'll surely relate to this wonderful progression of stories as Brian shares his search for Irish roots. You might also enjoy visiting his genealogy website on which he includes an Ireland page with many helpful links.

Professional genealogist Donna Moughty can be found at Donna's Genealogy Blog. Her article My First Trip to Ireland details the story of she and her daughter's visit to Ireland and search for Moughty family records. In humorous fashion, she tells of her struggles with getting acquainted with Ireland, driving roundabouts, and spending two hours to get a "reader card" only to learn that she would not be able to find the records she was looking for at the National Library of Ireland but would have to go elsewhere. Her story is a reminder to all of us that we must "do our homework" before we can have success in Irish genealogy. It is also a reminder that details are important: the village she thought her family hailed from was only six miles away from the correct village (Aughnaboy in County Westmeath), but was actually in a different civil parish, registration district, and barony. Visit Donna's blog for encouragement in your search and for some Irish genealogy links to assist you in your efforts.

Geniaus shared the story of how a priest and a post office clerk in the tiny Irish villages of Ballyfoyle and Muckalee in County Kilkenny were able to give her access to family records and also directions to her ancestral home. Read My Key to Ireland to learn her story and view a photo of the home that is still in the family after over two-hundred years, complete with a table made by her great-great-grandfather.

Olive Tree Genealogy Blog is one of the online homes of Lorine McGinnis Schulze. In her article Carnival of Irish Heritage: My Key to Ireland, Lorine describes her quest for her McGinnis family and how she narrowed down her ancestral village to Katesbridge in County Down thanks to her brother's DNA test and the handwriting on the back of a family photograph. For more details on Lorine's Irish family tree, you might also enjoy reading Tracking the Elusive Fanny Downey McGinnis.

Not new to genealogy, but new to the search for the Irish roots in her family, Cindy of Everything's Relative found the 1911 British Census records (newly placed online) were a help in tracing her ancestors back to their Irish birthplaces in counties Fermanagh and Mayo, and the town of Drogheda in County Louth. Visit Where in the world is Drogheda? for a glimpse at Cindy's discoveries about her 3rd-great-grandparents using the census and the Family Search website.

Kathy Brady-Blake of Kathy's Genealogy Blog has many branches of her family with Irish roots. In My Keys to Ireland she details how she discovered her Bestick, McSorley, Whelan, Markey and Brady family origins in Counties Kilkenny, Longford, Meath, Tyrone and possibly Mayo, and the steps she has taken to confirm these findings with evidence. I especially liked the description one of Kathy's cousins gave to her regarding the ancestral village of her Whelan branch: "County Meath near the River Boyne, five miles from the sea." Wouldn't it be fun to go hunt down that little village?

The Educated Genealogist Sheri Fenley tells us the story of her 3rd-great-grandfather and her search for he and his wife's origins in Ireland at Daniel Derondo Delaney and My Key to Ireland. She discovered that they hailed from County Kerry and County Cork. Interestingly enough, after searching elsewhere for the information, Sheri finally found that Daniel's birth and marriage data were already residing in her files, and were written in Daniel's own handwriting! Read Sheri's article for the story of how she found her family's ancestral village of Buttevant, County Cork. You'll also enjoy the saga of Daniel's shortlived career as a Union soldier.

Since Colleen Degnan Johnson's heritage is almost purely Irish, she has much to talk about when it comes to Irish roots. In My Keys to Ireland at CMJ Office Blog she writes about her Degnan, Galvin, Finnegan/Finegan, Clune and Donahue ancestors from Counties Longford, Cork, Clare, Monaghan and Mayo. Close to her heart is the childhood home of her grandmother, which Colleen was able to visit, just down the road from the cliffs of Moher and Lahinch in Clouna, Russa and Cullenagh. A tip from Colleen for discovering clues to your family's ancestral homes in Ireland: she highly recommends ship and naturalization records. They have played a large role in her research.

Kathryn Kahumoku resides online at the blog entitled For My Ancestors. Kathryn's father was born and raised in County Leitrim and only emigrated after his daughter was born, so Kathryn had much verbal family history to get her started on her quest for her ancestors. In her article My Key to Ireland, she details the counties and parishes where she has found records for her ancestors, including the parishes of Aughavas and Cloone-Clonmaicne in County Leitrim (her Kiernan family), and the parishes of Abbeyleix, Aghaboe, Durrow and Mountmellick in County Laois (Nolan, Muldowney, Horan and Connor families). You'll enjoy viewing the maps that Kathryn has created highlighting the location of each of her families' parishes. Kathryn reminds us not to forget reading local histories. She made a fascinating discovery about her grandfather and his brother (and their time as prisoners in 1921) by reading one such book. Kathryn thinks that she has exhausted all the records available to her (without making a trip to Dublin, that is) and is hoping for more records to be made available online or through her local Family History Library. While you're visiting For My Ancestors, check out Kathryn's list of online Irish resources on her links page.

As is appropriate for a Graveyard Rabbit, M. Diane Rogers has told the story of her ancestors using photos and information about a gravemarker on her blog The Graveyard Rabbit of British Columbia, Canada. Diane began her search for Irish roots after a trip to Ireland where she and her mother made "an obligatory wave to the family roots" without much knowledge about them. Once back home she began her research into her Irwin and Moffat families and eventually found roots in County Cavan, instead of County Armagh, which she had originally thought in error. Visit Irwin and Moffat: County Cavan for Diane's story about her search for Irish roots and her discovery of the grave of James and Mary Jane Moffatt Irwin in Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada. Diane's tip for Irish researchers: "Always look for collateral relatives, especially brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors."

Sharing wonderful portraits of her great-great-grandparents that many of us will envy, Paula Ausmus Moore tells about the Irish roots in her family tree at her blog A Passage in Time. With family hailing from Counties Cork (her Kirwin line) and Roscommon (her Noonan family - or is it Noon?), Paula plans to continue her search for the origins of her Irish ancestors who immigrated to Chicago, Illinois in the mid-19th-century. Read more at Paula's My Key to Ireland.

Julie Cahill Tarr has found two of her family ancestral counties in Ireland (Kilkenny and Tipperary), but still has more work to do to find specific locations. Read Finding My Irish Roots at GenBlog for details about how Julie found those counties and her plans for further Irish research.

In My Key to Ireland: Unlocking Family Mysteries Thomas MacEntee of Destination Austin Family introduces us to the area in Ireland where cousins tell him that his family hails from: County Monaghan. Like many of us, he has more research to do in order to get further details about his family. Read Thomas' blog for an introduction to the McEntee/MacEntee surname and his family's Irish roots.

Bill West of West in New England writes out his detailed plans to search for information about his two great-grandfathers with probable Irish heritage. Using city employment records, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority records, and Boston Archdiocese Archives records he hopes to find the keys to "open the door" to his Irish roots. Visit Bill's article: My Keys to Ireland.

Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal describes her discovery of a Scottish birth certificate that gave information about the previous generations' birthplaces in Ballymena, County Antrim. On her blog she explains her plans to seek out information about her Scotch-Irish great-grandfather's family at My Scotch-Irish Ancestors: My Key To Ireland?.

I've shared my personal discovery of my great-great-grandfather's birth in County Tipperary on my blog A light that shines again. After celebrating my Irish heritage for as long as I can remember, it was a happy moment to finally be able to pinpoint Tipperary as the place of my ancestral roots. At In search of Irish roots: A long and winding road I explain what finally led me to Patrick Tierney's birthplace and list the other branches of the family that need my attention before I can make that long-awaited trip to Ireland.

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I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture and that it has inspired you to dig further into your own Irish roots. Ireland is not a large country, but it can seem daunting to the son or daughter of an immigrant (particularly several generations down) who desperately wants to find their ancestral village but whose research is at a standstill in Canadian, American or Australian records.

For help with getting started finding your own Irish roots, you might enjoy Getting to the roots of your Irish family tree, Part 1 here at Small-leaved Shamrock. This first installment focuses on finding the county of your ancestors in Ireland. The second part, Getting to the roots of your Irish family tree, Part 2, focuses on searching for more specific information: villages, parishes and townlands in Ireland. You might also benefit from a refresher course in Irish geography. Visit Irish Geography 101 over at A light that shines again for a little review (or an introduction if you're new to research within the Emerald Isle).

Join us for the parade!

No matter how your Irish research is going (or even if you have no Irish roots to speak of), please plan to join us for the upcoming 12th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This will be our 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day parade edition and if last year's is any indication, it will be loads of fun. Come one, come all - Irish roots or not! All you need is an appreciation of Ireland and its culture. Read details at the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog: Join us for a St. Patrick's Day online parade!

Image thanks to kaboodle.

Five days left: Tell us your "key to Ireland"

You have five days left to submit your article for the next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This edition will focus on the theme: My key to Ireland and will be dedicated to the stories of genealogists tracing their Irish family trees.

If you have found your ancestral county or village in Ireland, just how did you find your way there? What resources led you to learn the original county or townland or your ancestors? Tell us how you did it and what your feelings were when you made the exciting discovery.

If you have not yet found the area where your ancestors made their homes in Ireland, tell us about the resources that you hope to use to find out. What records and documents do you hope will lead you to that information? How do you plan to go about the search?

If you have always known the place or places where your family hailed from, tell us about them. What draws you there and what else have you learned throughout your search for family history?

Share with us your Irish genealogy success story or your plans to "get back to Ireland" within the upcoming 11th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Deadline for submissions to the My key to Ireland edition is Sunday, January 18, 2009. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. See you there!

Never participated in a blog carnival before? For a step-by-step tutorial, see Miriam Robbins Midkiff's How to Submit a Post to a Carnival on the Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers blog.

Image thanks to kaboodle.