Day Sixteen – Field Trip, April 2016

We were back to an early morning schedule this morning but not the earliest that we have been. Tomorrow, we will be back to the earliest schedule. 0 dark thirty comes awfully early. But we are nearly finished our trip. Do I want to go home? I think so. Some mornings it has been hard to get up so early. But I have enjoyed the trip and will have good memories from it.

In Killarney, they have a road rally about three times a year. The first one for this year is this weekend. Our driver was able to get us out of Killarney before the rally started and we had a long drive ahead of us. Members of the group fell asleep because we have been very busy since we arrived in Ireland. I was in bed by 9:30 pm for the last couple of nights and was asleep by 10:30 last night.

Our first stop was at Blarney where we could go up into the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. We didn’t have to do this, and you could go up to the top of the castle just to take pictures if you wanted to. Some just wanted to wander the grounds for while. There was a number of us that did go up to the top of the castle including myself. I even kissed the Stone! Surprise! Surprise! My brother also did. I do have to say that on the way up, I did have to stop at one point and take a rest. I was going to go back down but when I found out that it was only one more flight of stairs, I decided that I might just as well complete what I set out to do. It was much easier going down than going up.

Before going back to the bus, I happened to see the sign for the “Poison Garden” and went to see what it was all about. It was much bigger than I had anticipated, but I’m pretty sure that I saw all of it. I then started to wander towards the path, taking pictures along the way. I didn’t push myself and got all of the pictures that I wanted.

While we were at Blarney Castle, our driver had taken the rest of the group over to Blarney Woollen Mills. They are within walking distance of the castle and we were to walk over to rejoin the group. When I arrived there, the bus was locked up, so I went into the restaurant for a smoothie. It was enjoyable. We had a total of approximately two hours in Blarney.

At our next stop, we visited the replica of a sailing vessel that was built in 1845 and transported emigrants from Ireland to North America. The original vessel was built in Quebec City. We had an opportunity to see what kind of conditions that these emigrants had to endure to leave Ireland during the potato famine. They had a couple of people act as emigrants, one as a steerage passenger and the other as a paying passenger. It was quite interesting.

After this, we travelled to our hotel and did a walking tour around the old part of the city. We learned interesting things about the history of the city and saw some interesting sites.

Many of you may question why I haven’t given names of some of the places that we have been over the last couple of weeks. I gave some of the names after we had left the place that we visited only as a precaution. I will be expanding on these posts and will be posting pictures after we return to our homes. I hope that you will continue to read these posts as I do my wandering, both in reality and in imagination.

Day Fifteen – Road Trip, April 2016

We were able to sleep in this morning! I didn’t have to set the alarm for 5:30 am! I was able to set it for 7:15 am! The reason why: our activities were all in the neighbourhood of Killarney.

After a leisurely typical Irish breakfast, we crossed the street at our hotel to board upon the jaunting cars. I think that our group filled four of the cars. We had eight passengers in the one that I was in and we then had a pleasant ride through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle. The park is either within the city limits or are on the outskirts because we didn’t have to go too far to get there via city streets. On the way, we saw a few deer and were told that more deer would be out this evening when there were not so many people around.

Ross Castle is an old keep on the shores of the Lower Lake. It is in beautiful surroundings and has a history that goes back to the 15^th century. We were given time to wander the surroundings and take pictures. After all, pictures are the best souvenirs, especially if you have a digital camera. It will be interesting to look into some of the history of this castle.

After travelling back to our hotel by jaunting cars, we then boarded our bus to travel to the town of Kenmare where we had lunch. If you are ever in Kenmare, P.F. McArthy’s is a good place to eat. They have a pulled pork sandwich that I found delicious.

After lunch, we continued on our journey along the Ring of Kerry and through Moll’s Gap back to Killarney. We had a couple of stops along the way, one at Ladies’ View where the view is spectacular and another at Muckross House. We were given an hour at Muckross House and it was almost as if we all scattered to the winds. My brother and I took a different route than most of our companions and still managed to cover just about everything. Apparently, Muckross House has tourists visits all year round.

As we boarded the bus to return to our hotel, some of us did not know exactly where we were. It took about half an hour or less to travel the distance. Once we were delivered back to our hotel, we were free from any activities and could go where we want for dinner.

At this point, I should mention about the entertainment that I attended last evening. The name of it is “Gaelic Roots, The Live Show” and was held in the hotel across the square. The O’Neill Sisters are among the very talented cast. It is a venue that blends music, song, and dance with its serious parts and humourous acts. It is a show that is well worth seeing. The audience gave them a standing ovation because of the fine work that they did.

Early morning again tomorrow.

Day Fourteen – Field Trip, April 2016

As another early morning got underway, we had a fairly long ride to our destination. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather this morning due to a medical condition and slept for the first 90 minutes. I felt somewhat better at the first stop and was able to enjoy the rest of the day.

Today, we visited the Dingle Peninsula. The bus driver made a point of making a large number of stops for photo opportunities. The scenery is fantastic. I have not been to any other part of the world that has this type of scenery. We were taken to see where the new Star Wars movie will be filmed and where “Ryan’s Daughter” was filmed. I happened to say that it’s too bad that we couldn’t actually visit the location for the Star Wars movie and was told that security is already in place for it. We were able to see the island where the final scene for the last Star Wars movie was filmed.

As we travelled we were able to see a large number of famine houses. These are ruins of houses from the time of the Great Famine where either the family starved to death or left to go to Canada and the United States because of lack of food. We are talking about 1 million people who died and another million who left the country.

We passed through a number of small fishing villages and stopped in Dingle for lunch. There, I took the opportunity of shopping for souvenirs for my grandchildren and also found a bodrahn for myself. The store that I found them in had a really good sale on. I think that there was 50% off on everything in the store. If I had paid full price, I would have spent €112 but I only paid €56. I was very happy about this. I still have a bit more shopping to do, but at least this much is done.

This evening, I will be attending a show that also features Irish dancing. I am looking forward to the entertainment this evening.

Day Thirteen – Field Trip, April 2016

We had a very busy day today continued our way around Ireland. We had to have our suitcases ready to be loaded on the bus by 7:00 am and ourselves in seats on the bus at 8:00 am.

Our first stop was at Ballintubber Abbey which was only about an hour from the hotel that we were housed in Westport. Ballintubber Abbey is reputed to have been in continuous use for worship since 1216. In 1653, Cromwell burned it down, but the people continued worshipping on the grounds with lookouts posted. It has since been rebuilt except for some sections in the back of the Abbey.

While mass was being administered in the building, our guide took us on a tour of the exterior grounds which have been set up in three courses, the Stations of the Cross, the Way of the Rosette, and the Way of Patrick. We then explored the interior of the building, however, I wish that I could have had more time to explore.

Our next stop was in Galway City. This is a port city on Galway Bay and I believe that my 3^rd great-grandparents, John Robert and Margaret, left through this port to travel to Canada in 1832. Our guide had a certain route planned until he learned that we were mostly family historians. Then, he changed his route and gave us information that could help us fill in the gaps in our search for records.

After the tour, we were invited to have our lunch at various pubs near the end place of the tour. My brother and I chose to eat at GBC and had an enjoyable lunch. The wait staff was very quick taking our orders and delivering our meals. We were on a schedule and were able to meet our deadline for continuing our journey.

From there, we travelled around the shores of Galway Bay and up the Corkscrew to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. I didn’t go right to the very top as I was starting to get tired and I realized that I was starting to get short on time. I did manage to take some pictures which I will post when I go into further depth on each of our stops after I return home.

We are now in our hotel, having a rest and doing small activities until we go for a medieval-style banquet later this evening. I will try to cover the highlights tomorrow. We will be leaving our hotel for the next day early and spend tomorrow evening in a different hotel.

Day Twelve – Field Trip, April 2016

Yesterday was a busy day. Today was almost as busy. The only difference was that we did not change hotels. Before coming on the trip, I was doing some shopping and found some Tide, enough for three separate washings ideal for washing a couple of things in the bathroom sink when you are stopped long enough to do so. Just make sure that you can spread out the clothes as you are only wringing them out by hand and that doesn’t take out the water like a machine can.

This morning, we travelled to Leenane to go out to the mouth of Killary Harbour on a catamaran. It was cold. It was wet (some light rain). But the surroundings were beautiful and well worth the cold and wet. I was out in the fresh air for about ten minutes, but went inside to deck and had some hot chocolate and a brownie to warm up, then to stay warm.

On the way to Leenane, we did have a stop for an opportunity to photograph the surroundings. I believe that John Wayne spent some time there when “The Quiet Man” was being filmed.

After our cruise we continued to Clonbur and had lunch at Eddie’s Bar. We had a choice between fish and chips and Irish lamb stew. I chose the fish and chips while my brother had the stew. It was a big meal and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Our day continued with a walking tour of the village of Cong. This village was the set for the outdoor scenes of the movie “The Quiet Man” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. The movie was filmed in 1951, released in 1952, and won Oscars for Best Director for John Ford and Best Cinematography. We visited the buildings and places that were shown in the outdoor scenes except for four places because they were a distance away from the village. We had a good guide and had a lot of fun with this activity. Even our bus driver was pulled into the fun.

Once the walking tour was over, we were given some time to visit the museum and gift shop. I was expecting the trip back to our hotel to take about two hours but it took about an hour and a half.

This evening, we have free time to go anywhere we want for dinner and visit the local area. 

Day Eleven – Field Trip, April 2016

Well, we are no longer in Northern Ireland. We crossed the border about 8:30 this morning at a crossing where there used to be a huge British military camp. This was to prevent anyone who had no legal need from entering into Northern Ireland during The Troubles. At that time, the British presence was a fact of life. Thankfully, the British and the Irish have come to a point ten years ago where they have started to live more peacefully. They still have more work to do to sort out issues, but they are doing well, given the circumstances.

Our first stop this morning was at Donegal Castle. This castle was built approximately 1,000 years ago and, for approximately 300 years, sat empty and became run down. Part of it has been restored and they did an excellent job of it. Hopefully, more of the restoration will happen in the future.

We then walked around the corner to visit a shop where they weave their own tweed. We were greeted with Irish coffee of which I did not partake as I do not drink coffee. This was followed by a demonstration of the types of tweed that they make there and the process that is involved. It was interesting to watch the tweed being woven. They do produce some very nice tweed but I had no interest in purchasing any.

Back on the bus, we then travelled to Drumcliffe to visit the cemetery where W.B. Yeats is buried. We were given a short biography on the bus and we had the opportunity of finding the grave as well as visiting the church that is there. This particular cemetery has a long history as some of the graves have headstones made with the celtic cross. I would have liked to spend more time, but we were running a bit lake.

Lunch was at a restaurant named The Helm which is situated on Clew Bay. Because it was mid afternoon, we were not expecting a big meal. We were wrong. However, the food was delicious.

After lunch, we were taken over to Westport House. It is another site that has a long history. We heard about Grace O’Malley and her descendants. We were given a tour of the first floor and then left to explore the rest for ourselves. I found the dungeon and enjoyed the bit of fun that it provided.

We are now at our hotel and will shortly be going for dinner. Tomorrow, we have some more touring to do, but we will not be changing hotels.

Day Ten – Field Trip, April 2016

Saying good bye to Belfast, we travelled across Northern Ireland. Because we had a late night last night, I fell asleep on the bus. I do know that we had a quick stop at our hotel and then travelled to Lagcurry in County Donegal to visit the Doagh Famine Village and Visitors Center.

While there, I received some education about the area. It is a very remote area and the people did not have much access to education until approximately the 1980s. I may be out a few years (a decade or two). The people there did not have much money at all. They did with what they had which wasn’t very much at all.

The famine from 1845 to 1848 hit the area very hard. We learned that six years previously, there was a very bad storm go through the area. It was so bad that it destroyed the boats that the local people had for fishing. They had not been able to replace the boats prior to 1845 and, hence, were not able to provide food for themselves in the way of fish.

The guide went on to tell us that the date of the storm was very important in another respect. The government brought in old age pension with the required age for enrolment being 70 years old. There was no civil registration prior to 1864 and it took the government officials to figure out how to determine who qualified for the pension. They realized that if someone was alive and could remember the storm, they qualified.

We then wandered around the displays that they had which included more than information regarding the famine. There was also a display about the making of peace between the Republicans and the Loyalists. I enjoyed the haunted house that they had put together. There were a few things that would scare someone, but I don’t think that it is as good as Nightmares Fear Factory in Niagara Falls. I will have to go back to Nightmares soon to determine this.

A tea was provided for us consisting of bread, butter, jam, biscuits, with tea or coffee (or, in my case, milk). This was just a light snack for us at lunch time. We could have done with more. I know that I would have liked more.

Back to Derry we went. We met our guide for our tour and the bus dropped us off at the part way up one of the hills. We were close to the entrance for the top of the old city wall. This wall was built in the 17^th century and was quite wide. To me, it felt like a street, but no vehicles are allowed on it. We passed a couple of the gates and then descended from the wall. We walked through a shopping area which was closed because it is Sunday. Then we headed towards the Guild Hall where we ended our tour and met up with our driver.

Tonight, we will be having dinner in our hotel and I am sure that all of us are looking forward to it. It may be another late evening as we don’t go to dinner until 7:00 pm.

Day Nine – Field Trip, April 2016

Today, we started off on the day’s adventure. The sky was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain. Sure enough, the rain started before we left Belfast and actually seemed to get quite heavy at one point. That may have been due to the speed of the bus.

Our first stop was in Carrickfergus to have an opportunity to take some pictures of the castle there. The rain was beginning to stop at this point. I walked around to the front of the castle to get some pictures that were different from the ones that others were getting. Our route took us through the “Nine Glens of Antrim”. We then made a curtesy stop about an hour and a half after leaving the hotel for a break and to take some pictures of the harbour and we could also see Scotland in the distance.

We continued on to Giant’s Causeway for a visit there. I will give the legend connected to Giant’s Causeway in a future post. It is an amazing place. The formation of one of the hills is that of a face. The rock is very slippery when wet, and even when it is dry, you still have to be very careful. It is very easy to fall and hurt yourself. Giant’s Causeway is the point of Northern Ireland that is only thirteen miles away from Scotland. We were there about two hours which included our time for lunch. They had a gift shop, but I didn’t want what they had to offer.

Upon leaving Giant’s Causeway, we made our way back towards Carrick-a-Rede which has a rope bridge to one of the islands. The rope bridge used to consist of two ropes, one which you held on to with your hands and the other to go along on your feet. Fishermen used to travel between the island and the mainland carrying salmon that they had caught. Now, the bridge is much safer than that, using a combination of rope and wood slates. In order to get to the bridge, you have to descend to the level, down the side of the hill first, and steps near the bottom. Some of the ladies found the going tough, both going to the bridge and coming back again.

Previous to visiting the rope bridge, we drove a little further to a lookout where we were able to take pictures of the islands between Northern Ireland and Scotland and the rope bridge. This lookout was in a very good spot for this.

Continuing on to Ballymoney, we also stopped to see the Hedges which are two parallel lines of beech trees on either side of the road. These were planted by the Stuart family in the 18^th century. Once the leaves grow for the summer, there will be a canopy over the road. This is the location of at least one scene from “Game of Thrones” television series. There were a couple of girls that had similar capes as is used in the program and a plastic sword. I was able to get a couple of pictures of them. They were there on another tour.

We then headed back to Belfast for an hour’s break before going for dinner.

We arrived approximately 7:00 pm at Crumlin Road Gaol to have a tour of the facility and then a very nice dinner. We learned a great deal about the gaol itself and about the practices of justice from Victorian times right through to the mid 1960s when the gaol was closed. They are in the process of restoring it to what it looked like in Victorian times. There are a few things that won’t be returning to that time period, such as the electricity, the hanging room, and a couple of other things.

Before our trip, we were to order our dinner. Most of us could not remember what we had ordered. It was a delicious meal. If you have the opportunity to take part in something like this, I would strongly suggest that you take advantage of the opportunity. It was an excellent learning experience.

Well, we’re off to Derry tomorrow.

Day 8 – Field Trip, April 2016

Last night, the group that stayed for the late hours at PRONI were back about 8:30 – 9:00 and had their supper at that time. I’m glad that I didn’t stay as I would not have been able to go so long without food.

This morning, we left the hotel shortly after 9:00 am and headed towards the Ulster Historical Foundation. Fenton, Gillian, and Michael each did a presentation for us and provided a small snack at mid morning. One of their board members also spoke for a couple minutes and thanked us for going to their facility. They then spent some time one on one for anyone who wanted to ask about researching in Ireland.

As I am not at the point where I could do anything, a thought came into my mind. I then asked about the origin of two of the surnames that I am researching. I was taken upstairs into their office and Fenton provided me with two books regarding surnames. I found some interesting information on one of the surnames, but not much on the other. While looking them up, I realized that this was a good chance to look up two other Irish names. I will write about the information that I learned at a later date.

About noon, we loaded onto the bus and travelled to the North of Ireland Family History Society’s library. We had access to their books and the expertise of two of their members. Because of the status of my research right now, I worked on a computer to see if I could find a list of their library holdings. I found their publications and ended up making a purchase of five of their booklets. I know that these will help me after getting home.

My brother was not interested in going to these places, so he stayed in the vicinity of the hotel and wandered around with the company of two other members of the group.

After we arrived back at the hotel, my brother and I decided to go look for a pub to have supper. The first one was not to the liking of either of us. We then wandered over to The Bridge House which is a Wetherspoons restaurant. They had a special on fish and chips and our meals were both under £10 each. It was good. I couldn’t finish my meal because it was too much for me.

After dinner, I wanted to wander around to get some pictures. My brother took me around some of the areas that he explored over the past couple of days and I took some good pictures. I will have to download them from my phone as I was expecting to go back to the hotel before going for the wander. In some respects, I was glad that he was with me. There were one or two areas that I probably would have avoided if I had been alone.

I’m hoping to be in bed early tonight as we have an early start in the morning and it will be a long day. We will be visiting Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, followed by a trip to Ballymoney. Tomorrow evening, we will be having dinner at the Crumlin Road Gaol.

Day Seven – Field Trip, April 2016

There has been four days allocated for actual research for this trip to the Emerald Isle. Three of those days have been used. Tomorrow is the fourth day for research. After that, the trip will involve visiting parts of Ireland that allow us to get a bit of experiencing life in Ireland both present and past.

Today, I finally had the opportunity of visiting PRONI, (Public Records Office for Northern Ireland). We had an orientation session with one of the staff who describes himself as an historian. He is a great speaker, but he spent almost two and a half hours telling us what kind of records we can find at PRONI and how to access them. He also showed us some maps from the early 17^th century. They don’t seem to have lost any of their colour over the past 400 years.

When we were finally finished the orientation, most of the group went to visit the Presbyterian archives. I was originally going to go, but I decided to stay at PRONI to try to figure out their system. I’m glad that I did as the group came back to start some research about 4:30 pm. I was ready to go back to the hotel.

Shortly after I arrived back, my brother and I decided to go to dinner. We decided to go to a local bar or restaurant, knowing that it would be less expensive than some of the other places and it would have the menu that we both wanted, local food choices. We asked at the front desk about a place to go and we were directed to the Crown Fine Dining. 

Robinson’s is at the top of the building, the Crown on the second floor, and Fibber McGee’s is on the main floor. It took a while for our meals to come, but it was well worth the wait. My brother had the lamb stew, while I had gammon and champ. I had learned yesterday that champ is mashed potatoes. The potatoes are compressed into an oblong egg-like shape. Tonight, I asked what gammon was. It’s a thick ham steak and I enjoyed every bite of the gammon and champ. My brother also enjoyed his meal. The restaurant was about eight blocks from our hotel and so we had our exercise both before and after dinner.

While at the archives, I knew that I needed to find my great-great-great-grandparents marriage. I understand that it was approximately 1822 that they were married. I just had a thought now that it might be as late as 1828. I do know that they were married before immigrating to Canada in 1832. They also had at least one child before leaving Ireland. I also know that they were Methodists and that they maintained their religion for the rest of their lives. I was trying to find the Methodist church records so that I could look for their marriage and any other information that I could find there. One of the finding aids that we were taught about was The PRONI Guide to Church Records. 

While in Dublin, I was able to determine that they were not married in Galway. However, I may want to revisit that. Time will tell. Margaret’s headstone in Ontario gave information that she was originally from County Cavan. It would have been nice to know where in Cavan. I had also learned that the husband generally travelled to the wife’s home to be married. Some of the husbands even moved there permanently. 

There are a number of parishes in Cavan and I would have to look through each of them. I also did not know what the names of the parishes were and what records were available in each parish. I was beginning to think that I would have to go through the guide and hand-write every piece of information about the parishes. After the first four sets of information, I said to myself, “Self, there has to be a better and faster way of doing this. This is going to take longer than the time that I have available.” I had the idea that I could purchase a copy of the guide and then I would not have to write out the information. 

I should also mention that we had been told that there is a book that we should purchase. It has a map of every county with every parish indicated. When I approached one of the staff, she grabbed this book and came over to show how to use the two together. This is when I sat down to write the information and was inspired that I was being inefficient. I talked with another staff member and he told me that there is an online copy of the guide on their website. I thought that it was something that was a living document but it is in PDF format so it can be downloaded free of charge. I like those words (free of charge) and I also like the idea that it is in electronic format. Less space on the shelf. 

I was also shown how to determine how many people of a given surname would be in the county that you are researching in. The staff member used Griffiths Evaluation, which dates from the mid 1840s to 1880s. I saw that the Tithe Applotment books might be a better choice as they date from the 1820s which is the time period that I am looking at. When I decided to do this, the website suggested to use FamilySearch.org. So I did. I went through and found which parishes had people of their surnames and now, I just need to find which parishes have both of the surnames and get the records for those parishes.

I see that I have forgotten to mention that I read some of the beginning of the guide to the church records and found that in the beginning, the Wesleyan Methodists hierarchy strongly suggested that people should have their children baptised in the parish church or, in other words, the Church of Ireland (Anglican Church). Because there are very few marriage records before 1860, I am of the understanding that the same situation stands for marriage records. I now have some of the tools to find the marriage and christenings that I am looking for.

Tomorrow, we go to the Ulster Historical Center in the morning and to the Northern Ireland Family History Society Library in the afternoon.

And so the adventure continues.

Day Six – Field Trip, April 2016

Bright and early this morning (8:15), everyone had checked out of the hotel and boarded the bus and we started our day of travel. It was a long day. We left Dublin and travelled to the Boyne Valley Visitor Center. While there, it was planned that we would spend a bit of time in the Visitor Center and then visit the tomb of New Grange which dates back between 6,000 and 8,000 years. I was all set to visit the tomb but my body decided that it was not going to cooperate with me. One of my symptoms of fibromyalgia flared up and it was really not a good time for me to visit New Grange. I was disappointed about that but there was nothing that I could do about it. I sat and relaxed until the other members of the group came back for lunch. By that time, I was also able to eat some lunch with them. Later in the day, my brother showed me some of the pictures that he had taken.

We boarded back on the bus and continued on our way to Belfast. Once we were in Belfast, the driver took us to meet our tour guide for a bus tour of the city. We had the opportunity to see some of the Victorian and Edwardian architecture and some of the monuments that were erected in the past. We were given a brief history of Belfast and were given a good tour. We visited both the Protestant and Catholic sides of the area where all the trouble in the 60s to the 90s took place. We saw that wall where there were paintings portraying the conflict. We were taken to the Peace Wall separating the Catholics from the Protestants. I haven’t full digested all that I saw today with regards to this.

As our tour continued, we were take to the Titanic Quarter and the guide left us at Titanic Belfast to go through the display. I have never seen some of the elements that were used in any other display of history. There was a chance to “take a ride through the dockyard” where the Titanic was built. There were interactive displays describing how the ship was built and the furnishings of the various quarters of the different classes of passengers. Towards the end of the display was a video of a couple of mini submarines doing a “tour” of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. I don’t consider that the time we spent at Titanic Belfast was a waste of time. It gave me something to think about because my great-grandmother’s brother was a Master Mariner for the Cunard Lines at that time. He could have just as easily been working for White Star Shipping Lines and been on the Titanic.

Once we were finished at Titanic Belfast, we were taken to our hotel so that we could look after a couple of quick things and get ready to go out to dinner. We then had a group dinner (which was part of the package) at Mourne Seafood Restaurant, not far from our hotel. This time, the bus driver joined us for dinner. Because of my problems earlier in the day, I decided to take it easy and tried to go for more of the light choices. As an appetizer, I had goat cheese that had been made into balls, dipped in a thin batter, deep-fried, and served with greens, beets, and a couple of crackers similar to Melba Toast. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was followed by baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and spinach. Again, it was an excellent choice. For dessert, I had ice cream. I could have had a larger dessert, but I was thinking that I had pushed enough for today.

We had such a full day that once we were back to the hotel after dinner, I sorted out a couple of questions that I had, and then sat down to let you know how our day was. It’s time for me to say “Good Night”.

Day Five – Field Trip, April 2016

I just thought that I would take a bit of time this afternoon to look after my blog. I anticipate being out relatively late tonight and don’t want to have to do this when I get back to my hotel room. I have to get up very early tomorrow morning.

This morning, I did sleep in to 7:00 am and still didn’t want to get up. I guess that it’s the jet lag that is affecting me. After a big breakfast, I took a walk over to the National Library of Ireland. It is very close to the hotel. I was there in about fifteen to twenty minutes.

I arrived a few minutes early but found a couple members of our group who were there to do research as well. Once we got in, we stored our extra things in a locker as we were not allowed to take up any bags or coats. I was able to take my camera and use it to photograph the records that I found. We each waited to speak with an expert who advised us about the records that we could access there. Most of the information that I was directed to was online and they had seven computers available for searches like this.

Yesterday, I did not have time to look at the Tithe Applotment records, but I had not found many that pertained to the family name that I am working on in this matter. However, the records were available online and I spent the morning going through the online records. The advantage of the online records is that I could filter for my surname and went through the records for the whole country. I also looked at a few other records but I didn’t find very much. I decided to come back to the hotel to deposit my research and perhaps go out again to do a bit of sightseeing. However, I am currently falling asleep while typing this. I am going to crash for a bit. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer than an hour.

Tomorrow, we leave Dublin.

By the way, I notice that there is a reader from Ireland. I must say that I am enjoying being here.

Day Four – Field Trip, April 2016

It was nice to get to bed early last night. I think that I was asleep within 30 minutes. It could have been a bit longer than that. However, I did wake up a couple of times during the night and the second time I couldn’t get back to sleep. When this happens, I either work on my computer or I read until I can sleep. Last night I read.

The alarm went off early this morning. We both wanted to know how things were going to go and this morning was a good trial. Tomorrow, we will be sleeping in a bit more.

Breakfast was excellent. Our trip includes all of our breakfasts and about half of our dinners. We are to look after the remaining dinners and all of our lunches. It gives us a chance to be able to look for the local pubs and try the food there. There is one across the street from our hotel and the food there is good and is not expensive.

Shirley shared the breakfast table with us. I’m not sure what Shirley or my brother had but I had eggs over easy with back bacon, mushrooms, dark pudding, white pudding, fruit with yogurt, and a slice of toast.

Shirley has been working on her family history for quite a while and kind of took me under her wing today. She has been to Dublin before. We decided that we would go to the National Archives of Ireland today. I had printed off the family group sheets for only the families that immigrated to Canada from Ireland. I had finally come up with a good format that gives enough information to help the expert be able to guide me in the right direction.

We were on our way by 9:00 am. We used the Hop On, Hop Off bus pass to get the most of the way there and then walked the last 15 minutes. I still had to get my reader’s ticket and then we could get started. Shirley talked with her first and then I had my chance.

A friend of mine in the Pembroke area had asked me to find out where she could get the information for a marriage that she was looking for. That was sorted out first and I now have the information to pass onto her.

I then asked about how to find records for John Robert and Margaret. According to the information that I have, they were married in 1822 but the catch is that they were Methodist. I was given a set of documents to order and examine while the expert helped others. I was able to use my camera and have a copy to be able to refer to when I get back home. We also made the decision that I would wait until we’re in Belfast before trying to get more information on that line.

Once I finished with those records, I was able to speak with the specialist again. We discussed another branch of the family which had a very popular name. His wife, however, had a name that was not so popular. After some discussion, we decided to leave that branch alone for a while until I was able to check out a couple of things.

We then discussed John. John had left Ireland in 1820 and, about 1825, was able to purchase some land. He married a French Canadian girl a year or two later. His surname is not very popular here as well as his mother’s maiden name. The expert tried a couple of websites but couldn’t find very much and then steered me in the direction of the Tithe Applotment books and Griffiths’ Evaluation. I was then put to work, but I was able to photograph all the records that pertained to this particular search. I now have to make some digital adjustments to the records so that they can be read. With this, I may be able to find information more readily. By the time I finished pulling together this information, it was almost 5:00 pm. Shirley was finished what she was doing sometime between 3:00 and 4:00. She kept herself busy until I was ready to go and we made it out the door by two minutes to 5 o’clock. They close at 5:00 p.m.

We decided to take the Hop On, Hop Off as far as we could, preferably as close to the hotel that we could get. At about the nineteenth stop, the driver announced that we would be leaving the bus at the twenty-second stop. We were to find our own way back, either walking or using the city bus system. He told us what bus we would have to take. Because it was rush hour, we opted to take a taxi so that we would not have to deal with a crowded bus and be able to travel faster. We made a good choice. We were back to the hotel by 6:00 p.m.

My brother had done other things during the day and was not back from his adventures yet. Shirley and I both needed to eat so we went to the pub across the street from the hotel. We had an enjoyable time in each other’s company and eat some good food which was followed by an evening of getting ready for the next day and relaxing.

Days Two and Three – Field Trip, April 2016

I would have posted yesterday but I spent the whole day and night travelling. I was up early yesterday morning and we were at the airport by 9:00 am. My husband went in with me to check in my suitcase and accompanied me up to Security. We said goodbye at that point and I entered into the secure zone of the airport. I was randomly picked to be scanned more thoroughly. I was asked that when they pat me down was there any sensitive spots to watch out for. My response was that I have fibromyalgia and that no matter where they pat they could hit a sensitive spot. They decided not to do the pat down.

I spent time reading while waiting for my flight to Toronto. I was more than three hours early and so had a lot of time to kill. We finally boarded and the plane took off. Three and a half hours later, I was in Toronto. It was about 2:00 pm. The next flight didn’t leave until 8:30 pm. So I spent the time reading. My brother joined me at the airport about 5:00 pm and we decided to have something to eat while waiting. We had a cheeseburger combination which was good. Another couple of hours in which I didn’t even think about pulling out my laptop, but it was time that my brother and I spent catching up. About 6:00 pm, we began to see some members of our group coming into the waiting area. About 7:45 pm, the remainder of our group arrived from Ottawa. Lesley gave me the backpack that she had for me as well as the extra information. By 8:55 pm we were on the plane and getting settled for the trip. 

There was another group on the plane as well. There were twenty-two girls from one of the high schools in Massachusetts along with six chaperones going on an exchange. We all settled in to try to get some sleep, but who can sleep well on an aircraft.

Finally, we landed. We arrived in Dublin, Ireland. Yes, Dublin. I have been waiting for this trip for about thirty years or more. Lesley Anderson had arranged a tour for us and also built in time for research in Dublin and Belfast. After going through immigration, we collected our luggage, gathered together, and went to our bus. We then went for breakfast at a café at the Glasnevin Cemetery. Breakfast had been pre-ordered for us. This was followed by a tour of the cemetery. It did not cover the complete cemetery because of the size, but covered most of the people who were the movers and shakers for the 1916 revolt and the civil war which followed later. Time was allowed to visit the museum, but I didn’t go in as I was not feeling 100% and needed some rest time.

We then travelled to the National Botanic Gardens and had an hour to explore. I stayed on the bus as that was what I needed at that point and slept most of that hour. I’m pretty sure that the rest of the tour members went in. The bus driver took us around some parts of Dublin and we were taken into Phoenix Park. The President of Ireland has the official residence there and the American Ambassador’s residence is also there. It is a huge park and the traffic was backed up.

Coming out of the park, we did a bit more touring before going to our hotel to settle in and get some much needed sleep.

Day One Of Field Trip April 2016

Today was my first day of travel. Before I could travel, I had to do a number of things that took me most of the day.

In order to pack for my trip, I wanted to do my laundry today so that I would have the maximum amount of clothing to choose from. Because of the time of year, I chose to bring both some lighter winter clothing and some spring/summer clothing. I had completed my laundry, folded my clothing, and took out what was not going. I had been thinking about taking my medium-sized suitcase. I even got it out and started to put a couple of things in. I looked at what I was bring and decided that there was no way that I would be able to put everything into my suitcase that I needed/wanted. So…. I pulled out the big suitcase. I will be gone for just over two weeks and I am bringing enough clothing that if I can’t get a load of laundry done, I have enough clothing except for underwear. I can wash out some underwear in the bathroom sink if need be.

I also didn’t get a chance to print some business cards yesterday. I set that up to print while I was trying to complete something else.

Before I was able to have the time to pack, I had a couple of medical appointments this morning. So, I was able to manage to get the laundry into the wash machine early enough that I was able to put the clothes into the dryer before I left for my appointments. A couple of months ago, my doctor had a blood test done for cholesterol and put me on some medication. Today, we were reviewing the results of a blood test that was done earlier this week. He was very happy with the results and is letting me go without the medication until I come home again. I just have to watch what I eat.

Every time I tried to complete a task so that I could get everything completed by the time my husband came home, something else came up. I almost forgot the books that I make annotations in regarding records that I find. I don’t know how many times I reopened my suitcase to add something more. I had to print off some flyers and invitations to a family history fireside chat in May.

Finally, I was able to pack my laptop and remembered that I should take a spare pair of glasses. I found about three pair that I can use as a spare pair. I almost forgot where the suitcase locks were. Finally, I was packed and I didn’t think that I had anything more that had to go in. I can just lift my suitcase to put it into the back of our vehicle. Fortunately, there will be a few things that won’t be coming back.

As most family historians know, when you visit an archive, you can get excellent service if you give them a little gift, preferably something from your part of the world. As most people that are going on this trip are from the Ottawa area, they are bringing souvenirs of Canada. I decided that I had to be different. I am the only person from Newfoundland going on this trip that I am aware of. So, about a month ago, I went looking. Do you realize how hard it is to find souvenirs when it is not tourist season? Well, I managed to find six shot glasses, three of each of two different designs, small Newfoundland flags, some large chocolate bars, and, we just happen to have a number of pins representation of the Canadian Army. I can only hope that these will work their magic for me and get me the help I need to find certain records.

By 5 pm, I had everything into the vehicle, my husband had changed and we opted to stop along the way at a Timmies for some supper. I just happen to have some gift cards for Timmies that we hadn’t used yet and we didn’t have to pay any money.

So, now, I am ready to crash to get some sleep before getting on a plane tomorrow morning to travel from St John’s, Newfoundland to Toronto, to meet my brother and most of the other members of our group going on our expedition.

Preparation For A Field Trip

I am currently getting ready for a field trip. This trip will be for just over two weeks. I will be boarding a plane on the weekend, but I won’t tell you where just yet.

I have been trying to prepare for this trip for the last year. However, we had to prepare to move to Newfoundland last summer. There went almost six months of prep time. Now, I’m getting down to the wire.

Earlier this week, I was trying to get things done so that I wouldn’t be feeling so much pressure right now. Was I successful? No. I have a life that springs surprises on me and they are not always good surprises.

Today, I was trying to get printouts done that I need for the research end of things. I just finished them. I was concentrating so hard on this that I forgot that I had a meeting scheduled for tonight. Fortunately, the meeting was being skyped and I have been working at my computer most of the day.

One of the things that I was sidetracked with today was the booking of flights for a trip in the middle of June. I was able to take advantage of the current seat sale. Another day or two and I would have missed it.

Back to my day. I spent most of the day working on the printouts and they are now completed except for the information from the Facebook group that I want to print out. I even had a call from my brother as he will be travelling with me. We will be meeting in the airport in Toronto, having dinner, then meeting other members of the group that we are travelling with and continuing on to our destination.

Well, I need to do a bit more work before I can go to bed. 

THE FAMILY – A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

I wrote this in 2004 and gave it my understanding of the proclamation as proclaimed by Gordon B. Hinckley the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time. Needless to say, I believe in the principles of the document.

“We, the First Presidency, and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”

With the beginning of this proclamation, the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles are establishing the basis of the topic of the proclamation.  This proclamation centers on marriage and family and Heavenly Father’s purpose for them.  We are going to take a short look at The Proclamation and see what we can learn.

In the second paragraph, we read: “All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God.”  We are taught this in Genesis 1:27. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them.”  The book of Moses 2:27 confirms this: “And I, God, created man in mine own image; in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.:  Abraham adds his witness also, in Abraham 4:27: “So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female, to form they them.”  Thus, in the mouths of two or three witnesses is the truth established. 

As we go back to the proclamation, we read: “Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.  Gender is an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” So, according to the Proclamation and all that we have been taught as members of this Church, we are literally spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father.

We are taught that our purpose here on earth is to become more like our Father in Heaven and to attain Godhood just as our Father before us attained Godhood.  Psalms 82:6 reads: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High.”  And when we die, Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us what will happen: “Then shall dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.”  The Apostle Paul also taught this doctrine to the Greeks of being off spring of our Heavenly Father in Acts 17:28-29: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your poets have said.  For we are also his offspring.  For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.”

Going again to the Proclamation, we read, “In the Premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress towards perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.”  In this, we are taught several things.  First and foremost, there is a premortal life.  If we are spiritual children of a Father in Heaven, we had to have lived in this premortal life.  The premortal life is where our intelligences were organized to become the children of God.  We recognized that Heavenly Father did this for us.  Scripturally, we learn from Abraham 3:22: “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones.  And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.”

Now that we have established that we did indeed live in the spiritual realm, we had to have progressed as spirits, learning all that we could.  As we learned all that we could as spirits, we began to long to become more like our Father who had a physical body.  Our Father wanted us to progress and become like Him.  He recognized that there were many things that we needed to experience and learn.  He also recognized that we all had different talents and abilities and that in order to succeed, we had to learn to exercise our free agency.  We had to be free to choose to follow correct teachings.

With acknowledging the fact that there is a spiritual world or a premortal life, we then must take the step that a physical world needed to be created.  Once again, we need to examine the books of Genesis, Moses, and Abraham in order to get an account of the creation.  These references are Genesis Chapter 1, Moses Chapter 2, and Abraham Chapter 4 respectively, including the creation of our ancient ancestors, Adam and Eve.  I will leave you to compare these scriptures to discover the similarities of these accounts for yourselves since the actual creation is not my topic but necessary to mention in relation to the Proclamation.  In order to become an heir of eternal life, we need to experience life as a mortal and to be tried.

Going back to the proclamation, we read: “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Sacred ordinances available in Holy Temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”

What was it that attracted you to the Gospel?  Was it the revelation that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate personages or was it the promise of eternal marriage with your spouse and the promise of being a family forever?  In Doctrine and Covenants 132:19, the Lord says:  “And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of Promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them – Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths, then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.”

In the Proclamation, we find: “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife.”  In Genesis 1:28, we find that commandment: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve make a number of declarations in regards to the family in this proclamation: “We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.  We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.  President Spencer W. Kimball taught that marriage and family should not be postponed for any reason.  He said in The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball page 328: “Supreme happiness in marriage is governed considerably by a primary factor – that of the bearing and rearing of children.”  President Kimball also said something very important about marriage.  He said, “It is not enough to refrain from adultery.  We need to make the marriage relationship sacred, to sacrifice and work to maintain the warmth and respect which we felt during courtship.  God intended for marriage to be eternal, sealed by the power of the priesthood in the temples of the Lord.  Daily acts of courtesy and kindness, conscientiously planned for, are part of what the Lord expects.”

President Kimball went on to say: “If two people love the Lord more than their own lives and then love each other more than their own lives, working together in total harmony with the gospel program as their basic structure, they are sure to have this great happiness.  When a husband and wife go together frequently to the holy temple, kneel in prayer together in their home with their family, go hand in hand to their religious meetings, keep their lives wholly chaste, mentally and physically, so that their whole thoughts and desires and love are all centered in one being, their companion, and both are working together for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God, then happiness is at its pinnacle.”

The proclamation continues with “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed.  We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”  Everything that we have learned by studying the Gospel tells us this.  The scriptures teach us this.  This is taught in one of the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not kill.”

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.  ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3).  Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteous ness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens where they live.  Husbands and wives – mothers and fathers – will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”  Adam and Eve were righteous examples of parenthood.  They tried to teach their children about the Gospel.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob followed in their footsteps in teaching their children.  There are many examples throughout the scriptures, all the scriptures, including Lehi and Sarah, Nephi and his wife, Mary and Joseph.  Latter day prophets have all taught that training children in the way that they should go is very, very necessary.

“The family is ordained of God.  Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.  Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honour marital vows with complete fidelity.  Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.  By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.  Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.  In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.  Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.  Extended families should lend support when needed.”

The First Presidency message for the month of August 2004 was about Fathers, Mothers, and marriage.  It goes into greater detail about this and the roles of parents in a family.  This is very important to them and to the Lord.  The Lord created family units starting with Adam and Eve and this is emphasized throughout the scriptures.  Even though Moses grew up not knowing his natural family or heritage, he was inspired by the Lord to learn about his family and return to them.  Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants gives us precise instructions regarding marriage.  In this section, the Lord uses Abraham, David, Solomon, and Moses as examples.

The proclamation also pronounces a warning: “We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand before God.  Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring on individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”  This warning has been given by modern prophets such as Brigham Young.  He taught that children needed to be taught with love and not harshness.  We see the evidence of some of these warnings now with more broken homes and young people with no respect for anyone including themselves.  The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles conclude with an appeal: “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

These men have not pronounced anything new.  They have just re-iterated what the prophets have taught for millennia.  This is what the Lord wants for us and for all mankind.  We need to teach this to our friends and neighbours wherever we are.  The Lord demands this of us.  He wants us to set the examples for our neighbours and the rest of the world.  He wants a righteous people.  We need to work with our children and parents need to realize the tremendous responsibility that they have to the Lord and to their children.  Life is not complete without a spouse, without children.  The responsibilities that we undertake now will help prepare us for eternal life where we will have greater responsibilities.  This life does prepare us for the next life.