Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture

The Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture goes on holiday

2010-09-02T01:59:00.008-04:00

After twenty editions of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, I've decided to send the carnival on a little sabbatical. The 21st edition was in the works, but due to lack of publicity on my part and the busy lives of other bloggers, it neglected to get off the ground. (Apologies to you, Jennifer, Frances and Geniaus! Your stories will be highlighted in an upcoming edition.)

After going back and forth with the idea for awhile, I have decided that the carnival needs to go on a little holiday while I wait for my life to slow down a little bit. I know that it will. The wee one who is taking up much of my time now is not my first (so I know he will grow up). Since he is not my first, his siblings are also keeping my life very busy (so blogging has been placed beyond the back burner lately). I have hope that life will return to a slower pace in the very near future.

Please plan to join us when the carnival revives itself with the real 21st edition (not a false start!). While you're waiting, take some time to read some back issues of the carnival, which began back in 2007 (read its birth announcement here). Our annual St. Patrick's Day blog "parades" are a great place to get started reading. They include the largest variety of Irish heritage topics together in one edition. You can find them here, here and here.

In the meantime, I'll be doing a little housekeeping here behind the scenes of this carnival and my family history blogs and I hope you'll be working on your Irish genealogy and taking time to celebrate some Irish culture in your life!

Thanks to Stowing Away for the "on sabbatical" photograph.

Upcoming 21st edition: Small-leaved Shamrock celebrates the gift of gab!

2010-06-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

The 1st edition of our Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, published at Small-leaved Shamrock on November 22, 2007, was entitled Everyone Loves a Good Irish Story. That edition gave us an upside-down traffic light (with the green on the top of course), an Irish love story, paddy-whacking, Civil War regiments that flew the Irish flag for America, and more. What fun we had starting out as a carnival!

Now, twenty editions later, we'll be revisiting that same theme: Irish Stories. Everyone loves a good story. Got an Irish one that you can share with us for the carnival? Show us that you've got the gift of gab - tell us a good story! Here are the details:

Of all of the colorful Irish characters that you've learned about throughout your search for family history or your study of Irish heritage in general, surely you've come across some good stories. Share your favorite one about an Irish ancestor or other Irishman or Irishwoman with us for the 21st edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture.

Deadline for submissions to the Irish Stories 21st edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture is Sunday, August 22, 2010. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock. See you there!

Upcoming 20th edition: "I Speak From Experience"

2010-04-29T16:51:00.000-04:00

For the upcoming 20th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture we will again dive back into genealogy. This edition, entitled "I Speak From Experience" will focus on tips and suggestions for those of us researching our Irish ancestors. Here are the details:

The search for our Irish ancestors, like many a worthwhile pursuit, is made easier with experience. For the 20th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, let's share tips and tricks that we've learned from our own experience in the genealogical search.

Have a time-saving suggestion that helped you blaze ahead in your Irish research? Let us know how you did it. Have some personal failures you can share with us to save other researchers the same fate? We'll be grateful to hear your story. Want to recommend a particular type of record to shed insight on the Irish family tree? A certain repository or library, or way to organize your research? Let us know - tell us the tip and give us the story behind it. How did it help (or not help) you and why do you recommend (or not recommend) it?

Deadline for submissions to the "I Speak From Experience" 20th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture is Sunday, June 27, 2010. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Upcoming 19th edition: Small-leaved Shamrock Poetry Party

2010-03-17T12:12:00.012-04:00

The upcoming 19th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, in honor of U.S. National Poetry Month 2010, will be a celebration of Irish verse. Come join us for the Small-leaved Shamrock Poetry Party! Here are the details:

The Irish have long been known for the "gift of gab". They have a creative way with words that ranges from the beautifully touching ballad to the belly-laugh limerick. In honor of U.S. National Poetry Month this April 2010, Small-leaved Shamrock will host a Poetry Party.

Have a bit of Irish verse that has touched your soul? Know a hilarious limerick that you'd like to share (in good taste, of course)? How about your favorite Irish blessing? Share a poem in the Irish tradition on your blog, and submit it to the poetry carnival. Can't find something that fits with the theme of your blog? Write a poem of your own and share it with us.

Deadline for submissions to the Small-leaved Shamrock Poetry Party edition of the carnival is Monday, April 26, 2010. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock on Poem in Your Pocket Day, Thursday, April 29, 2010.

U.S. National Poetry Month 2010 poster

Upcoming 18th Edition: Our 3rd annual St. Patrick's Day parade!

2010-01-08T09:39:00.006-05:00

For the past two St. Patrick's Days (2008 and 2009) Small-leaved Shamrock has hosted a St. Patrick's Day parade - in the blogosphere, that is. Each one was great fun and we're planning to do it again.

As you probably know, March is Irish heritage month in many places, thanks to the March 17 celebration of the life of St. Patrick, beloved patron of Ireland. Our "parade", also the 18th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, will be open to anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture. Articles about St. Patrick will be appreciated, but articles related to any meaningful aspect of Ireland's heritage are welcomed. Important note: No Irish heritage is required to participate!

The deadline is Sunday, March 14, 2009. Submit your parade entry here. Then come join us for the parade on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2009. 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!

17th edition: "Show and tell" - Irish genealogical treasures

2010-01-07T09:58:00.001-05:00

The 17th edition of the carnival has been posted. You can find "Show and tell": Irish genealogical treasures over at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Don't forget to join us for the upcoming 18th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, also known as the 3rd annual Small-leaved Shamrock St. Patrick's Day Parade of Posts. The topic is anything and everything Irish, so come join in the fun whether or not you have Irish roots! The deadline is Sunday, March 14, 2009. The carnival will be published on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. For more details, visit Upcoming 18th Edition: Our 3rd annual St. Patrick's Day parade! See you there!

Calling all "Irish genealogy treasure" carnival entries!

2010-01-04T10:10:00.002-05:00

Several of us have experienced difficulty with the Blog Carnival website over the last few days. If you have had similar trouble (or you are just plain late!), please email your submissions directly to me for inclusion in the carnival. My email can be found on my profile page.

Look for the 17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture to be posted this Thursday, January 7. See you there!

Upcoming 17th edition: Genealogy treasure "show and tell"

2009-11-04T20:08:00.015-05:00

The upcoming 17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will be a Genealogy treasure "show and tell". Here are the details:

Genealogists are treasure hunters of a different kind. Instead of searching for riches, we dig for information. Instead of prizing gold, we value documents - the visual proof of the life stories of families that have passed before us.

Share with us the image of and the story behind a document (or documents) that have been valuable to you during your search for an Irish branch of your family. How and where did you find these documents? What are their significance to your research and/or why are they special to you? Here's your chance to show off some of your genealogical "loot" at our online "show and tell".

Deadline for submissions to the Genealogy treasure "show and tell" edition of the carnival is Sunday, January 3, 2010. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock on Thursday, January 7, 2010 .

Genealogists - get ready to show us your stuff at the upcoming show and tell carnival!

16th edition: Irish portraits - An "album" of stories

2009-11-04T20:07:00.006-05:00

The 16th edition of the carnival has been posted. You can find Irish portraits: An "album" of stories over at Small-leaved Shamrock.
Also please plan to join us for the upcoming 17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. The topic will be Genealogy treasure "show and tell". For details visit Upcoming 17th edition: Genealogy treasure "show and tell" here on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog. Deadline for this upcoming edition is January 3, 2010. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming 16th edition: Irish Portraits

2009-09-05T05:10:00.001-04:00

The upcoming 16th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will be entitled Irish Portraits. Here are the details:

Share with us a story about an Irishman or Irishwoman within your family tree. If you have a photograph of the ancestor, share it along with the story of their life (or a small and interesting portion of their life story). If you don't have a family member to write about, choose someone with Irish heritage and share their story.

Deadline for submissions to the Irish Portraits edition of the carnival is Sunday, November 1, 2009. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 .

Looking forward to reading your stories at the next carnival!

15th edition: A few new books on good "ould Ireland"

2009-09-05T05:01:00.005-04:00

The 15th edition of the carnival has been posted. You can find A few new books on good "ould Ireland" over at Small-leaved Shamrock. It's short and sweet compared to last year's edition of the Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge, but includes some very good book recommendations for you to place on your reading pile. Be sure to take some time to read this edition, which focuses heavily on popular Irish history books.

Also plan to join us for the upcoming edition 16th of the carnival: Irish Portraits (deadline November 1, 2009). I'm looking forward to reading your story about an Irishman or Irishwoman at our next carnival!

Reading challenge extended - Come join us!

2009-08-31T12:13:00.005-04:00

The deadline for the Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge (the 15th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture) has been extended to Wednesday, September 2 due to a little glitch with the submission feature for the carnival.

Submissions have been much lighter than usual. I'm not sure whether that is due to my recent lack of time in the blogosphere (I haven't sent out as many reminders as I usually do) or due to the problem with the submission feature for this edition. Either way, there is still time for you to join us by submitting your entry.

Re-read the details or just send in your submission. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming 15th edition: 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge

2009-05-28T08:11:00.018-04:00

Ireland has a long tradition of literature, both in the Irish and English languages. In fact, after Greek and Latin, the Irish language itself has the oldest literature in Europe. The land is known for both its ancient bards and its more modern poetry and epic works of fiction. Today there are also innumerable non-fiction books touching on subjects related to Irish history and culture.

In the hope that you have some time on your hands this summer to do a little reading, here is a challenge for you:

Read a book of Irish fiction, a selection of Irish poetry or a work of non-fiction about Irish history and/or culture, and share it with us for the 15th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: the 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge. Submissions are due Sunday, August 30, 2009. The carnival will be published Wednesday, September 2, 2009.

If you don't have a blog of your own, read along with us and share your "book reviews" by leaving a comment.

If you'd like to get some ideas for reading material, check out the carnival resulting from our first Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge last year: Looking into the heart of Ireland.

Hope you'll join us! Better get off to the bookstore or the library and make your summer reading selections right away!

Don't forget: While you're getting started on your reading for the 15th edition, don't forget to join us for the 14th edition of the carnival on Irish Vacations. The deadline for that edition has been changed to Sunday, July 26, 2009. Details can be found at Upcoming 14th edition: Let's go to Ireland! Irish Vacations here on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog.

14th edition: Irish Vacations

2009-05-28T08:11:00.017-04:00

The 14th edition of the carnival has been posted by Colleen Degnan Johnson over at CMJ Office. You can find it at The Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, 14th Edition, Vacations. Thanks very much to Colleen for hosting this edition during the busy summer travel season. Take a trip on over for some good reading!

Upcoming 14th edition: Let's go to Ireland! Irish Vacations

2009-05-28T07:49:00.015-04:00

The 14th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will feature Irish vacations. Here are the details:

Summer is the time for vacations – going on adventures and visiting new places. The upcoming edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will focus on Irish vacations. Share with us vacation spots you’ve visited (in Ireland or places with an Irish flavor) and your photos and memories from those vacations. If you don’t have a particular vacation you’d like to share, tell us about the Irish place where you would like to go if you had the chance.

This beautiful photograph of Nendrum Abbey in County Down is courtesy of Jordan McClements.

Deadline for submissions to the Irish Vacations edition of the carnival has been changed. It is now Sunday, July 26, 2009. This edition will be published by Colleen Degnan Johnson on her blog CMJ Office on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

Looking forward to going places with you at our next carnival! Happy traveling!

Don't forget: While you're working on your submission for the 14th edition, don't forget to begin your summer reading so you can join us for the 15th edition of the carnival: the 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge. The deadline for that edition is August 30, 2009. Details can be found at Upcoming 15th edition: 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog.

13th edition: A celebration of Irish names - What clan are you?

2009-05-28T07:48:00.006-04:00

The 13th edition of the carnival has been posted over at Small-leaved Shamrock. You can find it at A celebration of Irish names: What clan are you? Be sure to take some time to read the submissions of our contributors who covered much ground on various Irish surnames with a few given names thrown in.

Plan to join us for the next two upcoming editions of the carnival:

14th edition: Irish Vacations (deadline July 10, 2009) hosted by Colleen Degnan Johnson
15th edition: The 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge (deadline August 30, 2009)

Look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming 13th Edition: Our Irish heritage - What's in a name?

2009-03-17T03:45:00.002-04:00

The 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will feature Irish names: both surnames and given names.

Share with us the surnames in your Irish family tree, but don't just stop there. Do a little research and tell us the origin of one or more of those surnames, the stories of how they might have changed over the years, or tales of how they've been mixed up and mispelled, etc.

Want to focus on your family's given names instead? Share with us the story of your ancestors' Irish first names (given at birth or nicknamed later), the "grandparent" nicknames in your Irish family tree, or any other Irish name stories that you'd like to share.

Deadline for submissions to the Irish Names edition of the carnival is Sunday, May 24, 2009. This edition will be published at Small-leaved Shamrock on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 .

Looking forward to calling you by name at our next carnival!

12th Edition: 2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade of Posts!

2009-03-17T03:42:00.004-04:00

The Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture's 2nd annual online parade can be found over at Small-leaved Shamrock. Stop on over and join in the fun! Happy feast of St. Patrick!

Upcoming 12th Edition: Join us for a St. Patrick's Day online parade!

2009-03-17T03:24:00.000-04:00

Last year Small-leaved Shamrock hosted a St. Patrick's Day parade - in the blogosphere, that is. It was great fun and we're planning to do it again.

As you probably know, March is Irish heritage month in many places, thanks to the feast day of St. Patrick, beloved saint of Ireland. Our "parade", the 12th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, will be open to 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.

The deadline is March 14, 2009. Submit your parade entry here. Then come join us for the parade on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2009. 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!

11th Edition: My key to Ireland - Genealogists seek out their Irish roots

2009-01-20T08:06:00.028-05:00

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.

***

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.

Upcoming 11th Edition: My key to Ireland

2008-11-25T18:54:00.005-05:00

The next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will focus on the theme: My key to Ireland. This edition 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 . Have a wonderful holiday season and we'll see you at next year's first Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Image thanks to kaboodle.

10th Edition: Beloved Ireland

2008-11-25T16:57:00.013-05:00

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture - our 1st anniversary edition! If you've been a contributor to the carnival over the past year, thank you for sharing your appreciation for Ireland and the Irish with all of us. If you are a reader, thank you for visiting and being part of the fun.

Without any further ado, let's get on with this 10th edition of the carnival. This time we have a special focus on the aspects of Irish culture and tradition that are beloved to each of us.

Irish Literature

We'll start our focus on Irish culture with a look at Irish literature. According to William Morgan, Ireland "has produced so many great writers over so many generations whose works both transcend time and push the boundaries of the written word as an artform." Visit William's post For the love of Ireland posted at The sock in the dryer for a list of the Irish literary "geniuses" whose work he admires.

Bill West of West in New England shares with us his "first love of Irish culture": the mythology of Ireland. In his Irish Myths Bill introduces us to a few of his favorites. According to this self-proclaimed lover of the mythology of many cultures, "The Irish epic myths are beautifully lyrical works and reflect, I think, that love of language that runs through all of Irish literature and song."

Irish Music

Speaking of Irish song, visit Tipper's Blind Pig & The Acorn for a little history lesson on the Irish favorite O Danny Boy. She says, "When I think of the longevity of the song, it seems fitting that O Danny Boy started in Ireland hundreds of years ago, came to America, went to England and then on to the world." Visit her blog to see why she feels this Irish song appeals to so many people worldwide.

With ancestry from counties Kilkenny, Longford, Meath and Tyrone, Kathy Brady-Blake has plenty of Irish heritage in her genes. It's no wonder that she discovered a love for Celtic music. Visit her article For the Love of Ireland at Kathy's Genealogy Blog to read about the wide variety of Irish music that she enjoys and a specific annual opportunity for other Irish music fans in Milwaukee.

Speaking of Irish musicians, Kate of Kate's Family Tree shares one of her favorite songs with us via music video performed by two modern Irish rock musicians. Visit Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, 10th Edition for her submission to our carnival.

Irish Dance

Those of us that love Celtic music can't help but tap our toes to the sound of it. Take that a few steps further, and you find yourself trying your hand an Irish jig. My family has taken Irish dance seriously - we truly love the dance of Ireland as it has evolved into its modern day form. Visit my article Irish dance: "The merry love the fiddle..." here at Small-leaved Shamrock for a look at one of my favorite aspects of Irish culture and a peek at a book I've created for young dancers.

Irish Linen

For this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, Apple gives us an introduction to beautiful Irish linen. She has presented a thorough guide to this beloved type of traditional Irish craft that has been handed down through the centuries. Read the article about Irish Linen posted at Apple's Tree for more about this beautiful treasure of Ireland, including some links, images and Apple's favorite Irish proverb (her first project done on Irish linen).

More Beloved Irish Culture

Two well-known Irish symbols are the focus of Elizabeth O'Neal's For the Love of Crosses and Claddaghs. She says, “Call me corny, but my two favorite Irish symbols are the Claddagh and the Celtic cross.” Many of us would have to agree with you, Elizabeth. Visit Little Bytes of Life for a personal look at these beloved symbols and some background on the history and meaning of each.

Kathryn of The Kahumoku Ohana made a list of the top fourteen things she loves about Irish culture for her first submission to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Visit her post For The Love Of Ireland for her favorites, which include traditional items such as Irish soda bread and Yeats' poetry, but also Irish peat and banshees!

Dorene Paul of the Sandusky, Ohio Library shares with us the stories of several individuals with Irish heritage. In The Irish in Erie County posted at Sandusky History she tells us the story of some of her local area's more famous Irish residents and the impact they each had on Sandusky. Dorene says, "While this entry is about the Irish who resided in Erie County, I recall the stories of folks telling stories and getting a bit intoxicated at the wake, following the death of a loved one."

In pondering the aspects of Irish culture that she loves, Colleen Johnson, a descendant of fairly recent Irish immigrants and one who has traveled to visit her cousins who remain there, asked herself, "What don't I love about the Irish culture?" Read For the Love of Ireland posted at Colleen's blog for more about her appreciation of the friendliness of the Irish people, their love for storytelling (even when asked to give directions), and the way that "heritage and religion mesh and become one". As Colleen writes, "With a wave and a smile, travel through Ireland and you will never be far from one."

I know that our contributors have only touched on a few of the many aspects of Irish culture that are loved by people the world over. Thanks for reading this 10th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. For information about the upcoming 11th edition, please visit the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog for details about the upcoming topic: My key to Ireland.

Images of Ireland courtesy of Jordan McClements.

Upcoming 10th Edition: For the love of Ireland

2008-10-31T03:35:00.001-04:00

The next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture offers an invitation for you to share what you love about Ireland and Irish culture. The theme for the 10th (and one-year anniversary) edition is For the love of Ireland. Here are the details:

Irish culture is loved worldwide. It is no secret that the love of Ireland is not exclusive to those with Irish blood running through their veins. For this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, Small-leaved Shamrock invites you (whether you have Irish heritage or not) to share what you most love about Ireland and the Irish people. Here are some ideas to get you started:
The wit and wisdom of a particular Irish proverb that you've memorized

The traditional Celtic song that you first heard in your youth (or that lives currently on your playlist)

Irish soda bread from the neighborhood bakery

The village in Ireland that you visited years ago (or on your last vacation)

The beautiful Aran knit sweater that warms you on chilly days

The writings of the Irish poets, modern and well-known or ancient and anonymous

Anything of Ireland or the Irish that you enjoy

Share with us what you love about Ireland within the upcoming 10th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Deadline for submissions to the For the love of Ireland edition is Saturday, November 22nd, the one-year anniversary of the carnival. This edition will be published here at Small-leaved Shamrock on Monday, November 24. See you there!

Image of St. Patrick's Cathedral at Downpatrick courtesy of Jordan McClements.

9th Edition: Luck of the Irish

2008-10-31T03:31:00.028-04:00

It's Halloween and instead of tricks we have some treats for you in the 9th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture. In keeping with the holiday, this time the theme is on Irish superstitions. You'll find that some of them are mentioned in more than one post. So take a seat, ignore that scratching at your windowpane, and prepare to be mesmerized by our geneabloggers!

Jessica over at Jessica's Genejournal tells about a "volume of forgotten lore" in her article "Irish Ghost Stories: A Book..." It seems this particular book gives Jessica a "creepy feeling." Read the article and find out why!

Melody Lassalle of The Research Journal gives us "Laughter and Superstition During An Earthquake". It's a story of her family in the San Francisco Earthquake that shows how strong a hold superstition sometimes has on a person.

Colleen M. Johnson presents "Do I Have Any Superstitions?" posted at cmjoffice.com Blog, saying, "Do I have any superstitions? Read on and discover some chills."

Thomas MacEntee presents A Wee Bit Superstitious posted at Destination: Austin Family, saying, "It is great to be back participating in this carnival!" And it's good to have you back, Thomas!

Lisa presents"Black cats, lucky pennies and troublesome fairy folk" at Small-leaved Shamrock saying, “Superstitious lot, those Irish! Small-leaved Shamrock takes a look at some of the concerns that many centuries of Irish people had to face on a daily basis.”

Elizabeth at Little Bytes of Life tells us about her family's list of superstitions which she thinks of as "rules-orientated". I grinned reading "The Bad Luck ofthe Irish" and I think you will, too!

Finally, my own Irish American family shared many of the same superstitions as our other geneabloggers' families did and I talk about the ones I can recall my Mom telling us in "Superstitions Our Mother Told Us" here at West in New England.

So that's it. I hope you enjoyed the 9th Edition of Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture. Please join us for the next edition. Here's what Lisa has to tell us about it:

"Irish culture is loved worldwide. It is no secret that the love of Ireland is not exclusive to those with Irish blood running through their veins. For this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, Small-leavedShamrock invites you (whether you have Irish heritage or not) to share what you most love about Ireland and the Irish people."

Check out Lisa's new Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture blog for all the details!

Say, is that a raven gently rapping, rapping at your chamber door?

This carnival was compiled and written by Bill West and originally published on October 31, 2008 at West in New England. It has reappeared here with his permission. Visit Luck of the Irish: 9th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

8th Edition: Top of the class - Family historians set goals for Irish research

2008-10-29T21:06:00.001-04:00

Ring-a-ling!

The school bell is ringing for the 8th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. This is the "Back to School" edition, so get your pencils sharpened and put your thinking caps on as we scroll through the research plans and to do lists of others seeking to get a better grip on their Irish heritage and/or to learn a little more about the culture of Ireland.

Why would you want to read through an assortment of other people's to-do lists? Why, it’s fascinating reading! (After all, there is even a popular blog that is devoted solely to To-Do Lists.)

Let me give you a few reasons why you might want to spend time reading through the assortment of to-do lists and itemized Irish genealogy plans that make up this edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture:

To be inspired in your own research by seeing what others are trying to accomplish
To gather ideas for your own research and/or gain interesting perspectives on the quest for your personal family history
To be introduced to resources you might not be aware of
To help keep these family historians accountable to the goals that they have set

If you are working on your own to-do list of Irish genealogy and family history tasks and don't currently manage a blog of your own, please use the comment section at the end of this article to share your goals. We hope you’ll join us: the more the merrier!

The bell has rung and it’s time to begin, so without any further ado let’s get on task and scroll through our submissions.

Colleen Johnson is on a mission to seek out her roots in County Monaghan and possibly County Mayo. As she shares on The Finegan/Donahue Quest, two branches of her family are the focus of her plans this year. She hopes to find the original Irish townland for the Finegan family and to learn all she can about the Donahues, working at least once a week on both family lines. As Colleen puts it, “I’m such a Type A personality. I better not fail.”

Apple’s search for her Irish ancestry takes her back to Ireland during the 18^th-century. She plans to work further back in her family tree on the following lines: Carlisle (of Massachusetts), Graham (of Virginia) and Kelly (of New York and Ontario). She will also focus on learning about the history of Ireland during that time period. Read Irish Homework posted at Apple's Tree to see the detailed “assignments” that she has laid out for herself, broken down by fall and spring semesters.

First-time carnival contributor Melody LaSalle is not new to Irish genealogy. She has done much research in the past on her family tree, but still finds that she is stumped on several lines. As Melody puts it, she “has her work cut out for her”. When she found herself at a “brick wall” in the past for one particular family member, her approach was to search for every known document for that person. Her persistence paid off when she discovered a probate file with the names of many family members from various branches. Check out Melody’s plans to search for information on her elusive Kelly and Dolan ancestors of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and California at Getting My Irish Ancestors Back to Ireland posted at The Research Journal.

Julie Cahill Tarr is another first-time contributor to our carnival. Her quest is to find the home county in Ireland of her great-great-great-grandparents, Michael and Anne (Hale) Cahill. Julie outlines what she knows about later generations of the Cahill family and lists the resources she plans to use to make further progress, including a nice assortment of Michael O’Laughlin’s books. Julie also plans to focus on learning more about Ireland’s history using some popular history books. Read more at GenBlog: Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture posted at GenBlog.

Bill West of West in New England shares his goals at "BACK TO SCHOOL" ON MY IRISH GENEALOGY. He is focusing on searching for information about one couple in his family tree: John & Anna (Kelley) McFarland. Bill hopes to learn about his great-grandparents using archived newspapers, passenger lists, vital records, employment records, and records from the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston when they open again in 2009. He also plans to contact some older relatives in the family for more information.

Her Scotch-Irish branch of the family is one line that Jessica Oswalt has not yet focused on since she began writing about her personal search for family history at Jessica's Genejournal. She plans to familiarize herself with Scottish and Irish records and use the British census along with probate, vital and other records to pinpoint her family’s history in the United Kingdom. Read more about her plans at Searching For My Ancestors: My Research Plan and Goals For My Ancestors Born in Scotland and Ireland.

A collection of family photographs dating from 1850 is the focus of M. Diane Rogers’ project related to her Irish genealogy. At CanadaGenealogy, or, Jane’s Your Aunt she writes IRWIN and MOFFAT, County Cavan, Ireland - 8th Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture and shares a beautiful portrait of James and Mary Ann (Moffat) Irwin who immigrated from County Cavan, Ireland to western Canada. Diane plans to scan and organize all of the photos in her collection related to this couple and their descendants. She shares a book written by a relative on the history of the Irwin family and provides a nice list of links relating to County Cavan, Ireland. Diane is another first-time contributor to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Thanks to all of you for joining us!

Donna Pointkouski found that in doing research for others on their 19th-century Irish immigrant ancestors she may have found a more difficult type of “genealogy coursework” than that of researching her more recent immigrant ancestors of the early 20th-century. She has worked back through several generations of her niece’s Irish ancestors in America: the McGeehan and Lee families. Donna details the work she has done thus far using census and vital records, and shares the difficulties that she ran into looking for accurate information on these American immigrants that arrived before the days of consistent vital records and comprehensive passenger lists. Read The Challenges of Researching Irish Ancestry posted at What's Past is Prologue.

When lost in the assortment of notes, documents, and other family history information that I've accumulated, I've found that the best way to refocus has been to create a family timeline for the ancestral branch that troubles me. That is at the top of my priority list as I revisit some of my Irish family lines that have been elusive lately. Visit Filling in the gaps on the Irish side of my family tree here at Small-leaved Shamrock for an introduction to my search for the Cowhey, Foley and Donnelly families of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

I often receive carnival submissions that are not quite within the realm of the topic covered by the current edition. They are sometimes items that I’m interested in sharing, but because they don’t fit with the theme, I have chosen not to include them in the past.

This month, since the scope of our "Back to School" edition has covered the “study” of all aspects of Irish heritage and culture, I’ll include the additional submissions that I received on Irish topics.

Smoky Mountain Family Historian Lori presents a review of a children’s book dealing with an Irish family’s heritage in Review: St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh. She suggests it as a reminder to families to tell their own stories. I wholeheartedly agree.

Peter presents a gallery of photos he has taken on his travels by motorbike throughout Ireland. See we overstep for a photo tour of the Emerald Isle.

Kerry Dexter of Music Road shares the story of Cathie Ryan: Irish and American. The daughter of Irish immigrants living in Michigan, Cathie's love for Celtic music eventually led her back to Ireland. Cathie is a singer and songwriter (the lead singer for Cherish the Ladies) and as Kerry puts it, "builds bridges between Ireland and America, between past and present, and between the stuff of daily life and the spiritual and emotional dimensions that give that day to day another dimension".

Thanks for reading this, the 8th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. We hope it has inspired you to join the class and get to work on your personal Irish heritage & culture coursework!

For a little fun and a break from your serious studies, plan to join us for the upcoming 9th edition to be hosted by Bill West. See The luck of the Irish: Superstitions and the Irish people for details.

This carnival was originally published on July 28, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit Top of the class: Family historians set goals for Irish research to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

7th Edition: Looking into the heart of Ireland

2008-10-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

As the deadline for this 7th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture began to draw near, I was beginning to wonder why I'd gotten the bright idea to suggest a "reading assignment" during the lazy (yet, sometimes busy) days of summer. A few entries had trickled in, but it didn't look like the carnival would be much of a carnival at all. (After all, who ever heard of a carnival with only one or two attendees?)

It turned out that many of you, like students procrastinating on their homework assignments, were working hard to finish your reading material just in time for the due date. Thanks to all who squeaked your entries in at the last minute, we have a carnival...and quite a carnival it is!

From fiction to poetry, history to genealogy and memoir, adult reading to books for young people, the Small-leaved Shamrock summer reading challenge has resulted in a wonderful assortment of book "reviews" written by a variety of writers.

Now, without further ado, I'll share with you an assortment of reading material on Ireland and the Irish. Join with me as we "return to Ireland" through literature, poetry, history and more.

"I returned to Ireland. Ireland green and chaste and foolish. And when I wandered over my own hills and talked again to my own people I looked into the heart of this life and saw that it was good."
~ Patrick Kavanagh, The Green Fool

Fiction

"There is only one admirable form of the imagination: the imagination that is so intense that it creates a new reality, that it makes things happen."
~ Sean O’Faolain

The Silence in the Garden is the name of a work of fiction introduced to us by Lori Thornton of Smoky Mountain Family Historian. It is a story set in 20th-century County Cork. The novel has a strong focus on genealogy and its plot involves a family secret, a death and a diary. According to Lori, William Trevor's book is a well-written novel and an interesting look at Ireland's religious conflict and various aspects of Irish culture.

A 7th-century nun living in Ireland? It's not too surprising to find that type of character. What about a 7th-century Irish nun who is also a detective? Bill West of West in New England shares with us The Sister Fidelma Mysteries written by Peter Tremayne. Bill shares how this series of more than twenty books gives us a look into the relationship between the Celtic and Anglo cultures along with the relatively independent role that women played in Ireland even long ago. Read his post to learn more about Sister Fidelma's adventures as a dálaigh aiding her brother, the King of Cashel.

Donna Pointkouski of What's Past is Prologue writes a nice inroduction to Pete Hamill's Forever within her post on an Irish history book (I'll describe the history book a little later in the carnival). The beginning of the story is set in 18th-century Ireland. The main character Cormac O'Connor immigrates to New York City and, fantastically, finds a secret akin to the fountain of youth.

Poetry

"...quite often the kind of poem I write is just an attempt to get back."

~ Seamus Heaney

A carnival on Irish literature would not be complete without some Irish poetry. Colleen Johnson gives us a taste of one of her favorite poets (and one of Ireland's most famous), W.B. Yeats, in her post Peace by Yeats. Speaking of Yeats, you might also enjoy visiting the current online exhibition The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats presented by The National Library of Ireland.

For a sampling of works by a couple of well-known modern Irish poets read Colm Doyle's post Mahon & Heaney at The Corcaighist. He shares with us his favorite lines from an assortment of poems. Colm writes, "These two men both speak with the same tongue, albeit in slightly separate positions, and you get an appreciation for Ireland and the Irish, whatever be their background and history."

Want to delve further back into the history of Irish poetry? Visit my post On bards and beautiful words here at Small-leaved Shamrock for an introduction to one of my favorite Irish poetry reference works. Believe it or not, it takes the reader on a journey through 1,000 years of Irish poetic history, including many types of forms written by many types of Irish poets (including the well-known writer Anonymous).

Genealogy

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."

~ Samuel Beckett

One of the ways to aid the discovery of elusive branches in your family history is to just dedicate yourself to the search with good old-fashioned perseverance. I enjoy Samuel Beckett's suggestion to keep trying in the hopes of "failing better". That is my experience with my search for one of my Irish family surnames in particular. My success was aided by several books written by one author that I share on Small-leaved Shamrock within the post What's in an Irish surname? If you are doing Irish genealogy and are not familiar with Edward MacLysaght, now's the time to get acquainted.

While we're on the subject of Irish genealogy, take a visit over to the Irish Family History blog's review of Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham. The author gives a very good overview of this book that is indispensible when doing family history research in Ireland.

Memoir
"When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious.”

~ Edna O’Brien

Frank McCourt is one of those tenacious Irish characters whose story is one of seemingly insurmountable odds. After many years of being drawn to reading his memoir but avoiding it because she feared it was too sad to read, Elizabeth O'Neal finally decided to pick it up. Halfway through the book, she shares her observations of Angela's Ashes: A Memoir on her blog Little Bytes of Life.

Another good memoir is the story of Thomas Lynch and his search for roots in Ireland. Loretta Murphy of The Creek introduces us to Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans and makes the observation: "Climbing the branches of our family tree, we grasp the hands of those who came before us, trying to reach the top to catch a glimpse of that past from which we became the future." As Loretta shares in Never Forget..., Thomas, a descendant of Irish-American immigrants, not only "grasps the hands of those who came before [him]" but gets to know several present-day relatives still living in Ireland. Unbelievably, he eventually finds himself the custodian of the family's ancestral home back in Ireland.

History

"One by one they were all becoming shades. Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age."

~ James Joyce, from The Dead

Going back in time to the fall of the Roman Empire, Thomas Cahill begins to tell the story of How the Irish Saved Civilization. Donna Pointkouski enjoyed his historical look at Ireland from Roman to Medieval times. Thomas Cahill writes about the impact of the work of the Celtic monks on European history, according to Donna, in a fascinating way. Read her post to learn more about this book and others in Cahill's "Hinges of History" series. I especially like a quote that Donna chose from this book that rings true of many of our immigrant ancestors.

A Book On The History of Ireland: A Reader's Thoughts Partway Through The Book is Jessica Oswalt's post about her reading of Modern Ireland, 1600-1972 by R. F. Foster. Jessica gives a brief overview of this survey of Irish history, commenting that she feels the need for a less daunting history of Ireland in order to better understand this more complex work. A few suggestions for Jessica and others who might want another angle on Irish history:

Fianna's A Timeline of Irish History webpage on Rootsweb

Wesley Johnston & Patrick Abbot's Travel Through the Ireland Story website (which uses maps to illustrate Irish history)

The Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by S.J. Connolly - see its review on the Irish Family History blog

Moving across the ocean to Boston, Bill West (of New England) shares with us an introduction to a new publication: Hidden History of the Boston Irish by Peter F. Stevens. According to Bill, this collection of historical vignettes is an interesting read. Bill comments, "If you are of Irish descent and live in Boston or your ancestors did this book will give you a better picture of the obstacles Irish-Americans faced in 19th-century America and will make you better appreciate how they overcame them with talent and determination."

For young people

"You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."

~ Irish Proverb

Our carnival includes two great books on Irish history written for younger readers (although they are great reads for adults, too).

Miriam Midkiff of AnceStories shares The Long March, the unlikely story of the Native American Choctaw people's attempt to send aid to the starving Irish during the famine in the middle 19th-century. According to Miriam, the book is beautifully illustrated by the author and "an emotional experience" for the reader. Read Miriam's article to learn how the Irish thanked the Choctaw over a century later when "two great nations, both knowing suffering and starvation [were] bonded at a deeply emotional and spiritual level."

Also set during the time of the famine of the mid-19th-century is the story of Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff. Read Song of Suffering on my blog A light that shines again for an introduction to this fictional story of the struggles of one young girl and her family to overcome starvation and survive one of the most trying times in the history of the Irish people. As I stated, this book is one of the most moving descriptions of Ireland's Great Famine that I have read.

In the mood for children's stories of Ireland that go back further into Irish history? You might enjoy an article written by Jerry Griswold, Director of San Diego State University's National Center for the Study of Children's Literature. Partly of Irish descent and having lived in Ireland for a time, Griswold shares a little background on Irish myth and legend and provides a suggested reading list for children within his article Ireland and Irish Children's Stories on the Parents' Choice website.

Thanks for joining us for this, the first Irish literature edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. I hope that you've found some new books to place on top of your reading pile and that you have some time left in your summer to pick up and read a few of these gems on Ireland and the Irish. In the mood for a little quiz after reading? Try the Irish Literature & Folklore Quiz.

Thanks to all of our contributors including those of you who, though you have not yet found any Irish heritage within your family tree, helped to enrich our carnival with your submissions.

If you liked what you read, you might enjoy the "back issues" of our Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

1st edition: Everyone loves a good Irish story - Stories of Ireland and the Irish
2nd edition: They say there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow... - A focus on Irish family history research
3rd edition: Off to Ireland! - Irish places, both in and out of Ireland
4th edition: A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts! - An assortment of posts on all things Irish in celebration of St. Patrick's Day 2008
5th edition: A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney... - A tribute to the Irish language
6th edition: The many faces of Irish identity - Contributors ponder the question, "What does it mean to be Irish?"

Thanks for reading this, the 7th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Please plan to join us for the upcoming 8th edition. See Back to school for the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture! for the details. Get your school supplies ready now!

Images courtesy of Karen's Whimsy.

This carnival was originally published on July 28, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit Looking into the heart of Ireland to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

6th Edition: The many faces of Irish identity

2008-10-29T20:33:00.000-04:00

Beyond wearing green on St. Patrick's Day...

Beyond appreciating the sound of your Irish surname as it rolls off of your tongue (or wishing that you had one)...

What does "being Irish" mean to you?

That was the question posed to the contributors of this, the 6th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

The answer: many things to many people.

Here are the responses of this edition's contributors, a group that includes a wide range of people: a well-traveled citizen of Ireland, a Pennsylvania town's "unofficial ambassador" for its Irish heritage, a few descendants of proud Irish grandmothers, some family historians who have just begun to learn about their Irish ancestry, and others.

You may find yourself pondering your own answer to the question as you read the responses of our contributors.

What does it mean to be Irish?

"Stubborn tenacity, undaunting hope and joy in the very simple things in life"

To be born Irish (in my experience, at least) is to be born into the family of a proud people. Whether born on Irish soil or born the child of Irish-American immigrants, the various generations on the Irish side of my family tree faced challenges, sufferings and sometimes almost insurmountable odds. Leaving Ireland did not free them from their struggles, but brought new trials along with new opportunities. In my post here at Small-leaved Shamrock entitled To be born Irish, I share my memories of time spent at my grandparents' home as a young girl and my understanding of the mixed feelings that they may have had about their Irish heritage. For an understanding of "the unmistakable tug of remembrance" of Ireland shared by those whose "roots have grown in her rich soil", see my post entitled "Are you ancestoring, dear?" over at A light that shines again.

"Pride in my ancestors for what they overcame"

Bill West (in New England) summed up his response to this edition's question with a simple title that tells it all: PRIDE. His post gives us a little background on the first Irishman on the Boston police force (way back in 1851) and the man's personal encounter with the reality of the "No Irish Need Apply" attitude. Bill goes on to share the story of his own great-grandfather's Irish-American success story in Boston and articulates his personal pride in his Irish heritage. He also expresses his own feelings about the echoes of history that he sees in the current debates on modern immigration issues and the American trend toward identifying individuals as "hyphenated Americans".

"It is often the exile who knows patriotism best"

Loretta Murphy of The Creek answers the question Do You Know What it Means to be Irish? in several ways. First, she tells us a little bit about her hometown of Girardville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Resident population with known Irish heritage: 28.5%. Loretta gives us a short list of what "being Irish" doesn't mean before sharing a poem that she wrote a few years ago after a trip to Ireland. As she states in the introduction to her poem, "it is often the exile who knows patriotism the best". (Not to mention the exile's great-grandchildren.) For more from Loretta on Girardville's population of Irish-Americans, along with a list of the American communities with the most Irish background today, see The Girardville Irish.

"A pot of shamrocks" and "a golden thread connecting generations"

Often told about her grandmother's "100% Irish" heritage, Elizabeth O'Neal of Little Bytes of Life did the math on her own Irish pedigree. Read To Be 100% Irish to learn how her Irish ancestry figures into her family tree. Although it includes only sparse family information, Elizabeth feels that the knowledge that she has about her own Irish heritage is "a golden thread connecting generations". Elizabeth also shares the beautiful story of her grandmother's pot of green shamrocks and how they kept a little bit of Ireland alive for her in her own yard, though far from the Emerald Isle.

"The map of Ireland is on your face"

It seems that Irish grandmothers often deserve the credit for successfully passing down a love for Ireland within the hearts of their grandchildren. Like Elizabeth's grandmother, Janice's wanted to be sure that her granddaughter knew that she was Irish and felt pride in her Irish roots. Janice Brown shares What My Irish Heritage Means to Me and gives us a little glimpse into the life of "Gram", who has a special place in Janice's heart and may find one in yours as well.

Janice also gives us a little American history lesson - from a different perspective than American students may receive in school. Want to know the impact that the Irish had on the settlement of New Hampshire, the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Civil War? Read Janice's The Patriotic New Hampshire Men from the "Old Sod" to learn more.

"To never forget the ancestral homeland"

Barbara Joly of Our Carroll Family Genealogy is a fourth-generation Irish-American living in France. In a way, her family has come full circle with her residency in Europe, although she has not yet visited Ireland. Barbara tells us the story of another part of her family who made the circle from Philadelphia back to Ireland and then again back to Philadelphia. The story of Mary Hansen's illness and then her recovery at the hands of family back in Ireland portrays Barbara's love for the stories of our Irish heritage, which she encourages us all to never be ashamed of or forget.

"I may never be able to feel what it means to be Irish"

It was only a few years ago that Tim Agazio, who grew up with a strong Italian-American identity, had any clue that he had Irish heritage. His discovery of his great-great-grandfather's birth in Dublin in the early 19th-century was a surprise to him, and changed his notions about his roots. As Tim shares in his post My Irish Heritage, very little obvious clues to that side of his family's heritage were passed down in the family except perhaps his family's Catholic faith. Read more about his surprise at discovering his Irish roots on his blog Genealogy Reviews Online.

"My sojourn into my Irish history has just begun"

Based on genealogical research thus far, footnoteMaven has found strong ties to Ireland, yet no definitive proof that she herself shares Irish roots. Were her ancestors just passing through Ireland from Scotland (for a century or so) before moving on to America? Read the story of the Campbell clan, and the couple who left Ireland for America circa 1790: "...a new start and a new life for them both; a life from which they would never return to County Tyrone." As their descendant, footnoteMaven is quite far removed from her Irish roots, if indeed she has any. We'll have to stay tuned as she works through her research plan to determine the truth about her possible Irish heritage.

"You can take me out of the country but you can't take the country out of me"

Born and raised in Ireland, Colm Doyle is currently residing in Estonia - his fifth country of residence. As a frequent traveler, he has looked at his Irish nationality from both the inside and the outside. In his post entitled What does it mean to be Irish he shares his perspective on his Irish identity and his thoughts on the complexities that surround the ideas that others have of "Irishness". Colm bemoans the fact that many are "perfectly comfortable in their Irishness sans the Irish language" and makes the realization that "...in essence identity is a personal matter and shouldn't be mixed up in borders, politics or passports." Read more of his thoughts on his own Irish identity at his blog Corcaighist: Musings from the Cork Republic.

As Colm stated in his post, "...at the end of the day there is no one or right way to define Irishness or test someone's Irishness. Afterall a sense of national identity is not a nationality." As we've seen by the response to this edition's question, those that feel a connection to Ireland do so on many different levels and many different ways.

I hope that you've enjoyed joining our various contributors as they've pondered the question of their own connection to Ireland and its culture and heritage.

If you liked what you read, you might enjoy the "back issues" of our Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

1st edition: Everyone loves a good Irish story - Stories of Ireland and the Irish
2nd edition: They say there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow... - A focus on Irish family history research
3rd edition: Off to Ireland! - Irish places
4th edition: A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts! - An assortment of posts on all things Irish in celebration of St. Patrick's Day 2008
5th edition: A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney... - A tribute to the Irish language

Thanks for reading this, the 6th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Please plan to join us for the upcoming 7th edition. See The Small-leaved Shamrock summer reading challenge! for the details. (Warning: there's homework involved!)

Thanks to Jordan McClements for the use of the beautiful photographs of the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland.

Shamrocks courtesy of Karen's Whimsy.

This carnival was originally published on June 9, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit The many faces of Irish identity to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

5th Edition: A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney...

2008-10-29T20:27:00.001-04:00

Céad Míle Fáilte!

"One-hundred thousand welcomes" to the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture!

Today is St. Ciarán's Day! Well, one of many St. Ciarán's days celebrated throughout the Irish calendar year. It turns out that Ciarán (or Kieran) is quite a popular Irish name, particularly for saints.

Ready for a little introduction to the Irish language (An Ghaelige), its cousin Hiberno-English, and the Irish way with words? If you are a new student of the language of the Irish people or just curious about Irish ways and words, you'll find info galore among the following articles. If Irish is your native tongue, I hope you'll find some fun reading our little tribute to the language.

So settle back, do your best impression of a good Irish brogue, and join us as we laud the language of the bards of Ireland!

You might think that my interest in Irish Gaelic and my idea to focus an edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture on it stems from my vast personal knowledge of the language. If you thought so, think again! As much as I'd like to begin to understand the Irish language, I realize that anyone hearing me try to pronounce anything more than "Céad Míle Fáilte!" would probably say, "Níl Gaeilge aici". (Translation: "She does not have Irish.") Read more about my limited Irish language skills and a little introduction to Hiberno-English at my post Sad news: there is "no Irish at me" here at A light that shines again.

Want to hear from an Irish speaker who knows his stuff? Colm Doyle, a language teacher from Ireland living in Estonia, has a knowledge of and devotion to the Irish language and languages in general. His contribution to our carnival is on his blog Corcaighist (he has three - one of which is written in Irish). Ambasadóirí na Gaeilge - Ambassadors of the Irish Language is, as he states, "a post about the importance of every single speaker of Irish in ensuring a future for the language." Wonder what the status of the Irish language is today? Want to hear one insider's perspective on the issues that it faces within Ireland and to learn about its spread outside of the country? Read the words of this Irishman who "has a grá for the language" and finds that it "warms the cockles of the heart and brings a tear to [his] eye".

Colm's post makes mention of the "political, emotional and societal baggage" which the Irish language carries today. For an introduction to a good resource on the history of the language see my post entitled "Sticks and stones can break my bones... here at A light that shines again. The book I've found takes a look at the background behind today's state of the Irish language through a look at primary sources that tell the story of its history back to the year 1366.

If you are personally interested in learning to speak a little Irish yourself, be sure to get a reliable teacher. It can be dangerous to depend on someone else to teach you their language, as Colleen Johnson illustrates with her story Gabh Mo Leithscéal or Pardon Me. What do you get when mix an Irish grandmother from County Clare with an appreciation for a good laugh, a slew of similar-minded Irish folk, and a naive young granddaughter visiting from the United States? You guessed it: trouble. Read Colleen's post to "feel her pain" as she tells the story of her embarrassing Irish language moment.

If you are like Barbara Joly and myself, your Irish immigrant ancestors go back a little farther in the generations and your family's experience with the Irish language passed on before your arrival. In a tribute to Tipperary, one of Barbara's family's counties of origin, Barbara shares the story of her heritage as she knows it in Tiobraid Árann and I at Our Carroll family Genealogy. Her post includes an explanation of the background of the well-known song It's a Long Way to Tipperary and introduces another Tipperary musical tribute that is much prefered by the Irish.

While we're on the subject of Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann in the Irish language), stop by for a visit to Smoky Mountain Family Historian. Lori Thornton gives a little introduction to learning about Ireland and County Tipperary from an outsider's perspective in her post It's a Long Way to Tipperary. Lori's surprise at the name of Killarney reminded me how easily things can be misconstrued in translation. A tip for would-be Irish geography students: check out an introduction to irish placenames such as DoChara's or About.com's. You'll be feeling better about visiting Killarney and all places starting with Kil- or Kill- knowing that they are named for woods or churches and not what you might have first feared!

Back to the topic of Irish grandmothers, Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family shares fond memories of his great-grandmother's and other relatives' attempts to ensure that he knew of his Irish heritage. His post, entitled Irish Words, Irish Ways, is a tribute to the "gift of gab" that he received from his relatives and through which he learned many beloved family stories. As Thomas states, "my family didn't use Gaelic words but as you can see, they were schooled in the Irish tradition of storytelling". I hope that the Irish way with words is more of an inherited trait, yet as Thomas shows, it sure helps to be schooled in it by a dedicated Irish grandmother!

For a little more on Blarney, that famous Blarney stone, and some treasured Irish proverbs from another Irish grandmother (Janice Brown's "lovely gram") visit Cow Hampshire to read New Hampshire: Blarney Spoken Here. Janice also shares a few suggested links on the Irish language including an Irish dictionary and an online translator.

Janice's post mentions that in New Hampshire - as in many places influenced by the Irish - "you can't help but hear wee ghosts of the lilting Gaelic language in the current accents, and in certain words still used". It is a language that won't die easily. As I mentioned in my post about Hiberno-English, it carries on in the speech of those who now speak another language. Shades of it also remain, as we have seen, in the "gift of gab" of many who had a story-telling grandmother of Irish descent.

It is my hope, as I have written in my article The death of memory, that the Irish language will overcome its modern obstacles and remain a part of the Ireland of the future, as well as a keeper and reminder of our beloved Irish culture and heritage.

In closing, I wish you all an Irish blessing:

Saol fada chugat!

Long life to you...
...and long life to the Irish language!

Go maire an Ghaeilge go deo!

For an introduction to the upcoming 6th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, see What does it mean to be Irish? over at Small-leaved Shamrock. Hope to see you at the carnival!

This carnival was originally published on April 30, 2008 at A light that shines again. Visit A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney... to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

4th Edition: A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts!

2008-10-29T20:22:00.001-04:00

St. Patrick's Day has long been honored in the land of the Emerald Isle - and is today also celebrated by the millions of "exiles" the world over who share Irish heritage or a love for Ireland's culture.

Welcome to the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. If you are an Irish citizen, have Irish ancestry, or just love the history and culture of Ireland, you've come to the right place this St. Patrick's Day.

Of course, you may have heard that today is not officially the feast of St. Patrick. The importance of the liturgical celebration for 2008 has been eclipsed by that of Monday of Holy Week. Yet, secular St. Patrick's Day celebrations will continue today and lovers of Ireland the world over cannot help but be sentimental about the land of Erin every March 17, this year included.

So sit back, grab a cup of Irish tea and a scone or two, and join us for a parade of posts celebrating all things Irish!

Just to get you in the mood for St. Patrick's Day, we'll begin with a tour of Irish heritage around the web.

I enjoyed reading the fictional story of a shillelagh passed down through one family along with the tale of their immigrant ancestor's journey to America. Over at A light that shines again you can read more about this charming children's book and why "a good story never has to end...". What a nice surprise to find that Elizabeth's young daughter (of Little Bytes of Life) found a shillelagh hiding behind a door in her home and pulled it out to enjoy it! View her blog to see photos of this wee lass "walking tall" with her grandmother's shillelagh.

The book and Elizabeth's photos make me think of the many heirlooms and tales of my own family's heritage that I wish had been passed down just one more generation. Some of you have shared your family's stories for our St. Patrick's Day carnival. It is good to know that they will be passed down for posterity.

I enjoyed reading about Colleen Johnson's heritage in both Tierlaheen, County Clare and Drumlish, County Longford. Only a second generation American herself, Colleen tells of her grandmother's sad departure from Ireland and her own visits many years later with Clune cousins in her family's ancestral village. You'll enjoy the story about Colleen's love of the cliffs of Moher and her attempts at leaning over the edge and looking down to get a great photo. (Get a feel for the cliffs yourself via a video link on Colleen's post.) Colleen and her family's mistake on their visit to her grandfather's boyhood home is one that all those searching for their roots in a foreign homeland would be wise to avoid.

Not all of us can be as sure as Colleen as to where our Irish roots originated. Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi has memories of his mother's claim to Irish heritage, but as dedicated a genealogist as he is, he has not yet been able to find the paper trail back to Ireland. His post entitled Am I of Irish Descent? The Hollingsworth Connection details his research so far and his questions regarding his ancestors who may have been Irish or if not, possibly English residents of the land of Erin.

Bill West over in New England has a better grasp on his own Irish heritage. His mother even helped to get the local St. Patrick's Day parade established. Yet, his shortcoming is his inability to pronounce the language of his ancestors. Read My Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother Tongue for a humorous look at Bill's attempt to introduce a Celtic band with an Irish Gaelic name.

I, too, can relate to finding difficulty with the foreign-sounding Irish language and wishing it could have been passed down to me along with my Irish genes. If you'd like a few tips on how to pronounce some simple Irish phrases for St. Patrick's Day, take a look at Your St. Patrick's Day to-do list here at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Speaking of a "mother's mother's mother's mother tongue", I've posted a tribute to the Irish women in our family trees at Irish women in America: our grandmothers' stories. Want to learn more about the history of the tough and resilient women of Ireland and those of Irish descent who spent their lives as immigrants in a new world? This post includes a list of recommended reading to deepen our understanding of their history.

Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire, who also has Irish heritage, found herself interested in the Irish roots of N.A.S.A. Endeavor Mission Specialist Dr. Rick Linnehan. Her post about Dr. Linnehan explores his Irish ancestry in Massachusetts. Janice wonders if he'll be taking a shamrock with him on his visit into space. The current Endeavor mission, launched on March 11, will continue through March 26. Here's hoping the crew will take a break from their work to commemorate St. Patrick's Day!

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, the holiday's long history and full meaning are not always understood by those celebrating. For a little history lesson on the meaning behind all the fuss on March 17, see my post at A light that shines again where I've written A wee bit of Irish history for ya.

Want to know more about St. Patrick himself, the man in whose name all the festivities are held? Read my post entitled The man of the hour: Pádraig of Ireland here at Small-leaved Shamrock for a little background on his life and a sample of his actual writings, which survive to the present day.

Loretta Murphy on her Girardville, Pennsylvania blog The Creek (pronounced "crick") has written a beautiful post detailing the history and significance of St. Patrick's Day as a holiday primarily in celebration of the faith of the Irish people. Loretta writes, "The significance of St. Patrick's Day for all Irish is, in the end, one of culture. It is a tradition, a symbol of our ethnic history and religious heritage. Regardless of where or how it is celebrated, it is a matter of Irish pride that the true meaning of the celebration be made known." Read about that true meaning in her post entitled St. Patrick's Day 2008.

Already think you know everything there is to know about St. Patrick and the Emerald Isle? Try your luck on a few quizzes to prove it.

If you come up short on a few of those questions and need a review or if you'd like to share the history and fun of St. Patrick's Day with children, a good place to start is my post On leprechauns and other little people. You'll find a list of recommended children's books on St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general. Here's your chance to be sure that the children in your life know that there's more to St. Patrick's Day than snacks with green food coloring.

Enough for the background on St. Patrick's Day. Eventually you just have to get down to the celebration itself!

Here, thanks to a number of bloggers, we have some ideas on many different ways that you can spend your time this St. Patrick's Day.

But before we get started, a warning from Mike O'Laughlin of the Irish Roots Cafe. Read his post The Crying Shamerock Awards for a few items to avoid within your St. Patrick's Day celebrations: icons that claim to be of Irish origin but are really not.

Now on to our St. Patrick's Day plans. Here is a list of activities to fit into your day this March 17 or sometime during March 2008, designated in the U.S. as Irish-American heritage month.

Start your day with some Irish tea - Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family shares some good memories of having tea at his Grandmother's home in his post The Irish Tradition of Tea. He also gives five "rules" to follow when serving your own tea. My favorite of his rules has to do with picking the right teaspoon!

Wear your green - Who knows, if you wear your green and have Irish blood, you might even see a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day. Read about Jessica's attempt to do so as a young girl at Thoughts About Irish Heritage in America ....

Sing an old Irish folk song - What better way to celebrate March 17 than to sing an old Irish ballad or folktune? When you've done too many rounds of Danny Boy, see my post Sing of Erin for another old (but often forgotten) classic.

Read some classic Irish poetry - One of my all-time favorites has to be "The Wearin' of the Green". Read my post about the 300-year-old poem which can't help but touch the heartstrings of anyone who has a soft spot for the Irish and their sad plight during some of their most difficult struggles in history.

Write some poetry of your own - How about an Irish poetic triad? You probably know that the number three is important to the Irish. St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Bill West of West in New England has a fun suggestion: try creating some poetic triads of your own. See his post Three is the number thou shalt count... for details. A little history, a lot of blarney, good poetry - a successful formula for some quality St. Patrick's Day writing!

Do some St. Patrick's Day digital scrapbooking - Jasia's Creative Genealogy blog highlights some nice (and free) kits that will call out the creative gene in you. Stop by Ooodles O'Irish! for some fun project starters to liven up your St. Patrick's Day pictures or photographs of Irish family, occasions or travel.

Give your pet a proper Irish name - Tim Agazio of Genealogy Reviews Online found an old 1893 New York Times article exposing a controversy over the appropriateness of the Irish names given to various animals at the Central Park Zoo. Today, since Irish-Americans need no longer have as much fear of ridicule, I'm sure that those names would be a source of pride. Read Tim's article and then take pride in your Irish heritage by giving your beloved pet an Irish name this Irish-American heritage month.

Prepare some Irish recipes - Your Irish celebrations need not add on the pounds, says Anne-Marie of This Mama Cooks! On a Diet and My Readable Feast. Read her post 5 ways to stay lean and green this St. Patrick's Day for some tips, including how to do your corned beef and cabbage "right". Anne-Marie's St. Patrick's Day family fun and feasting gives a nice recipe for Honey-Almond Oat Pudding, a bit of Irish cuisine that may appeal to all the little lads and lasses that you know.

Watch an old movie about the Irish - Miriam of AnceStories suggests her favorite movie. Recollections of the lush green images of Ireland and the sound of Irish voices in The Quiet Man bring back fond memories for her. Read her post to hear about this movie from her childhood in Alaska and to see a video clip. Now, as we conclude this St. Patrick's Day parade of posts for the 4th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, here are a few special tributes for you.

From Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire (and her appropriately dressed "banner cow", decked out for St. Patrick's Day): Raising Your Pint to St. Patrick...

From footnoteMaven, giving us a little lesson in Irish Gaelic: Saol Fada Chugat

And as we say goodbye, I leave a St. Patrick's Day blessing for all of you - my Irish (and "Irish for the Day") readers of Small-leaved Shamrock and A light that shines again:

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!

For information about the upcoming 5th edition of the carnival, see my post entitled The Irish Gaelic Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

This carnival was originally published on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts! to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

3rd Edition: Off to Ireland!

2008-10-29T20:13:00.000-04:00

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.

This carnival was originally published on St. Brigid's Day, February 1, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit Off to Ireland! to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

2nd Edition: They say there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow...

2008-10-29T03:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, with an emphasis on Irish research.

So you've got roots in Ireland? Don't know where to start? Started, but not making any progress? Follow these colorful links to find gold at the end of your Irish family history research. May the road back to Ireland rise to meet you, and may the luck of the Irish guide your way!

It seems like many a descendant of Irish ancestors is proud of their heritage, but clueless as to how to begin to learn more about those ancestors and the places in Ireland where they originated. Here at Small-leaved Shamrock I've posted a series of articles that might help you to get started. Getting to the roots of your Irish family tree: Part 1 lists some ideas on how to use the paper trails that your ancestor left behind as an immigrant in their new country in order for you to find their county of origin in Ireland. Remembering the thrill of discovering my great-great-grandfather's roots in County Tipperary, I share some ideas that might help you to make a similar discovery for your family. Getting to the roots of your Irish family tree: Part 2 offers suggestions on how to take your research further and find the more specific location of your family's ancestral home.

Apple of Apple's Tree is aware of the work she has to do on the western side of the Atlantic before her search can set foot in Ireland. With ancestors coming from Ireland as far back as 1720, and with some coming to the United States by way of Canada, she has a trail to follow before she can begin actual Irish research. In Looking for Irish Records Apple suggests a nice assortment of online sources that she plans to use to get herself started. The best of luck to ya', Apple!

Barbara remembers with joy the day that she discovered her family's roots in Kilkenny. She tells the story over at her blog: Our Carroll Family Genealogy. Barbara was thrilled to find and receive a precious gift of family genealogy notes from newfound cousins, but as she states, "...it was one mention in the notes caused me to jump. For the first time in my life , I knew exactly where in Ireland our ancestral village was located." Check out Kilkenny City, here we come to read more of Barbara's story along with her recommendation of two online resources that have helped her the most in her search for knowledge about her newly discovered ancestral home.

Ireland is a small country but because of various different administrative divisions used over the centuries it can be a complicated place to understand. Know the area of Ireland where your family hails from but can't make sense of townlands, baronies, parishes, etc.? Take Irish Geography 101 over at A Light That Shines Again. In order to do successful family history research in Ireland you've got to know the basics of Irish place names, not only modern ones but historical ones as well. I've listed some resources that can help you find out where your family might have fit in and how the various political divisions of Ireland impacted the place where they lived.

Miriam Midkiff at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors also offers a good suggestion to help understand the various geographical locations of Ireland, along with a nice listing of other books and helpful online resources for Irish research. Her ancestors, however, were not "true Irish" but Scots who spent a time in Ireland before the family later emigrated. Her post, Resources for Irish Genealogical Research from a Beginner's Perspective, details her plan of action once she begins to search for ancestors that spent time in Ireland.

Janice Brown at Cow Hampshire mentions how once they had emigrated from Ireland, many Irish "wanted to fit in, not stick out, and so they rarely passed their traditions down to succeeding American generations." Janice's post describes the beautiful tradition of placing a candle in the window of Irish homes on Christmas Eve and the conundrum as to who should blow the candle out. She also gives us a few words that originated with Irish Gaelic and hung on throughout the generations (like conundrum) and points us to several websites that can offer help for those searching for roots in Ireland. Don't be a ginniker - this is no list to sneer at! Read more at A New Hampshire Christmas Carnival.

Jessica Oswalt throws in her two cents on Irish Research with her post at Jessica's Genejournal, specifically with regard to Family Search indexes. Jessica hopes to work on her Irish roots in the upcoming year.

With ancestors that "did everything at the wrong time" and came through Canada before arriving in the United States, Tim Agazio of Genealogy Reviews Online has found his search for Irish roots more challenging than he had hoped. He offers some good suggestions for Irish resources online and also some interesting reading on the history of Ireland, including a gem published in 1949 that gives a creative picture of the Irish as a people. Read Tim's post entitled Irish Genealogy Resources for details.

Lori Thornton at Smoky Mountain Family Historian doesn't think she has Irish ancestry. But that didn't stop her from joining us for this carnival or from writing an article for the Irish Genealogical Society's quarterly journal. Read more about the journal, a good resource for Irish family history, at Lori's post If I Had Irish Ancestry...

The next post will be interesting to many of us with Irish roots - at least 3 million of us, that is. That's the number of men living today who are believed to have descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the High King in Ireland who ruled from 379 to 405 A.D. Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist, has offered a detailed explanation of the recent Trinity College (Dublin) study that focused on the Y-chromosome signature of Irish men. The post, entitled Famous DNA Review, Part III - Niall of the Nine Hostages, mentions that even 2% of European-American New Yorkers may be able to trace their genetic ancestry back to the famous High King Niall. Click the link above to read more.

Looking ahead to more recent generations... Are you finding yourself in the same position as Thomas MacEntee - sure you have lots of Irish heritage and "itching" to learn more about your family? At Destination: Austin Family Thomas posts My Irish Ancestry: The Proof is in the.... With fond memories of his great-grandmother's Irish brogue, and a little knowledge about previous generations, he's hoping to add finding roots in Ireland to his list of New Year's Resolutions for 2008.

I hope you'll add your own search for Irish roots to your New Year's resolutions this year and also continue to join us for the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Our first edition, entitled Everyone Loves a Good Irish Story, came out in November 2007. Hopefully this 2nd edition will help you with your Irish research.

Please plan to join us for the upcoming 3rd edition. The topic is Irish Places. Here are some suggestions:

If you know it, tell us about the county, city or village in Ireland where your family originated. If not, tell us about a place that figured prominently in an Irish history book that you enjoyed, or a place that you visited (or hope to visit) that is steeped in Irish history. The Irish place that you describe need not be in Ireland itself. Your entry can include a place where the Irish settled once they emigrated, or a place that has seen Irish culture grow within its boundaries.

Entries are due on January 29, 2008. The carnival will be published on February 1, the feast day of St. Brigid, who is as well-known and loved by the Irish as St. Patrick. Hope you'll join us! Click this link to send in your submissions.

In the meantime, I hope that you'll find some genealogical gold at the end of your rainbow. With a little bit of Irish luck, anything is possible!

This carnival was originally published on January 1, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit They say there's a pot of gold a the end of every rainbow... to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.

Enjoyed this edition of the carnival? You might enjoy the March 17, 2008 edition: A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts!

1st Edition: Everyone loves a good Irish story

2008-10-29T03:23:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture!

This, our 1st edition, includes stories of the Irish and takes us across several time periods in history and across continents and oceans. I've chosen to place them as close to chronological order as possible (going backwards in time).

Enjoy reading the stories posted by these bloggers with the "gift of blarney" and plan to join us for the upcoming 2nd edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Now for some good stories...

Apple's Tree takes us to an Irish-American neighborhood in Syracuse, New York. Her story features rock-throwing and a one-of-a-kind upside-down traffic light. Her post, Tipperary Hill, will give you an understanding of the pride of the Irish people and make you look at traffic signals in a way that you never did before.

On Steve's Genealogy Blog, which is usually all about his Polish heritage, you can find a story about an Irish branch of the family - related by marriage. Steve's story, Dennis Valentine O’Connor’s Fateful Trip to Ireland, reminds us how one little trip to Ireland can be life-changing.

Next take a step back into the mid-19th century and the American Civil War. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell the story of the men of the 69th Pennsylvania Infantry who fought for their new country with the fervor of good Irishmen and the patriotism of good Americans. Read The Fighting Irish in America's Civil War here at Small-leaved Shamrock on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address for the story of the 69th and a tribute to these men and others who fought at the famous battle at Gettysburg.

Jump a few states over and a decade or two earlier with Janice at Cow Hampshire. Her post focuses on Irish immigrants in New Hampshire in the 1840's and 1850's and the not-so-warm-welcome that they received. Paddy Whacking in New Hampshire provides a reminder of the uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous situations that often faced the Irish people as new immigrants to America. Janice also warns us about one particular children's song which we would be better off not teaching to our children. Janice's post also includes many interesting links to sites with Irish history in general along with information about incidents in New Hampshire in particular.

During the same time period one young Irishman was enjoying life as a boy on the east coast of Ireland. The events of his life eventually took him unwillingly to Australia, where he escaped with the aid of a Catholic priest on a whaling ship to the United States. A poet and journalist, he became influential in Boston in the 19th-century, eventually becoming editor and part-owner of The Pilot, the well-known Boston Irish newspaper. Take a look at the full story I wrote about John Boyle O'Reilly's amazing life, entitled The Dreamer, over at A Light That Shines Again.

Go back to the time of the Romans through the 7th century for these next stories: Jessica at Jessica's Geneajournal highlights a book on early Irish history that she is currently reading. Her post, An Interesting Irish History Book, provides a nice introduction to Thomas Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization.

Hope you enjoy your little introduction to Irish history through the posts of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

The 2nd edition of the carnival will feature Irish research & resources.

Here's the specific topic:
As genealogists and historians, we're always trying to get the facts. What was the world like during a certain time and place in history? Who was there - what were their names and where did they live? What role did they play in the world around them?
Please share with us your recommendations for books and resources on Irish genealogy and history. What is your favorite (or most frustrating) database of Irish records? Can you recommend a favorite book or resource for Irish research? How about sharing your favorite Irish history books? Any online resources that have helped you in your search for Irish ancestors or your attempt to gain an understanding of Irish history in general?

I'm looking forward to receiving your recommendations via carnival entry by December 28 and publishing them on January 1, 2008 at Small-leaved Shamrock just in time for a fresh start on our projects for the new year! Even if you've never participated in a blog carnival before, please consider joining us. And if you have any ideas for topics that you would like to see on future editions of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, please send them via email. Your ideas and suggestions are welcomed!

In the mean time,

Beannachtaí na Féile

(Happy Holidays) and

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

(Happy Christmas to all of you)!

This carnival was originally published on November 22, 2007 at Small-leaved Shamrock. Visit Everyone loves a good Irish story to see this edition as it was first published and to read additional comments.