It's still July!

Well, this is a bit better..............I had intended to post every couple of days, but this last month or so have just been so busy or I've not been well! The latest hurdle to get over was conor's 10th birthday party............all up there were 10 children aged 9 or 10 years old, running around our little cottage................it was a good day though! I had the party time set for between 1 and 4 pm...............the last of the kids left at 4:30pm and I collapsed on the couch - I didn't wake up until almost 10pm!!
Now thats over, I can concentrate on more of the Donegal research. Today I was checking on the status of some books I've ordered - I use EBay, Amazon.com, ABE.com and Alibris to do a periodical search on any new or old books which have become available and which I can afford! Occassionally the price is just too high, which is when I resort to the library for an inter library loan - I can then have the book for a month and scan the sections I want from it.............that was the case with 'In Praise of Ulster' which I've just finished scanning. Sometimes people have copies of books I am after and although they won't part with them, they offer to copy/scan the book so I can have a copy until I do find one to buy. Colleen did that today with one book I've been after for ages - yay!
I seem to be stuck on Killaghtee parish these last 2 weeks..............not stuck, as in don't know what to do next - stuck in that whatever I do, I always wind up back doing something on Killaghtee! I completely stumbled across Brid Ward's excellent book on St John's Point, then I had some email queries about different families from that parish.............then I was learning and playing some tunes from 'A Dossan of Heather' - Irish traditional music from Packie Manus Byrne..........it comes with a cd, so where I can't read the score well enough to get the tune, I can listen to it on the cd! I have Packie's book 'Recollections of a Donegal Man' so, I thought I'd have the cd playing, while I read some of it again..............it sarts with an Introduction and the 4th paragraph says that Packie was born in Corkermore, 'in the parish of Killybegs, ten miles or so inland from that picturesque fishing port'...........hmmmm, Corkermore...........Corker More? I drag out the maps and consult my townlands database.............yes, there it is - Corker More, Killaghtee Parish! It is right where it's shown to be in the book, but it is part of Killaghtee Parish. THIS is what I mean about being stuck on Killaghtee parish, and no doubt, I will soon have more emails for other Killaghtee families, or I will be doing something totally unconnected to Killaghtee - and end up right back there again. I DO have alot I should be working on for Killaghtee - there's graveyards (inscriptions and photos) to add, and more beside that.
Well, I will make a start and link Packie Manus to a place on my main Killaghtee page - under people to start with, with a link to Roger Millington Publishing, which has a website dedicated to Packie and his works in both stories and music.
Before that, I need to see to an email...........it's the kind that make me go 'grrrrrr' and not many things can do that. Its along the lines of 'I saw you have my great grandparents names on your website. You may link my name to them.' and 'I'm researching Gallagher from Donegal', or 'John Gallagher and Mary Sweeney are my ancestors.' No please, thankyous and really, I'm not even told exactly what they want me to do! These emails are short, one line emails, without any clue for me to know who the heck they're talking about or even the parish involved - sometimes not even the names of the ancestors..........ho hummmm...........
Never a dull moment!

What an interesting month.............

Not! Everyone (except me, for a change) managed to get a cold, so there were runny noses and the misery of sniffles and temperatures for me to see to. I don't think there was a day for a fortnight that I didn't have one or other of my boys under foot all day - but they were all good patients at least! Then the inevitable - they all got well and returned to work and school, while I have been laid low with a doozy of a cold! And who is here to look after me?? Hmmm - well, they did point out that by NOT being here, they were in a way 'helping' - and they are right! At least when they were all out of the house, I could rest for a while - no dramas to see to for Liam, no questions to answer for Conor, and no dogs let out or doors left open by my husband.
It did mean that I have fallen way behind with all the updates and projects I have for my website, and emails are piling up............I will get to them soon though - just need my get up and go to show up!
I have enjoyed collecting a few new books these past weeks, and I've spent some time on the dog licence registers too. One thing about them - I find it amazing that anyone in Donegal, in the 1850s and 60s, could have kept a Newfoundland! I expected to see terriers, collies, and curs, but Mastiffs and Newfoundlands were a surprise! In 1866 in Seaview, Ardara, John Hamilton kept one, as did Rev John McAuley over in Kilross, Rev Richard Smyth at the Killea Rectory, William McCormick Esq of Mason Lodge, Pat Glackin of Ballyhaskey, and Thomas Barry of Grange, to name a few..............there were also half breed Newfoundlands - Thomas Magee of Aghasheil being just one.
Newfoundlands were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in the Dominion of Newfoundland, now part of Canada. They are known for their giant size, tremendous strength, calm dispositions, and loyalty. Newfoundland dogs excel at water rescue/lifesaving due to their muscular build, thick double coat, webbed feet, and innate swimming abilities. They weigh about 160 pounds and can stand 30 inches tall!
Well, there will be more tomorrow - hopefully i'm back on track with the blog now!!