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.

Your Cemetery Tool Kit

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the wealth of information that a headstone could hold. I also mentioned that, sometimes, headstones need to be cleaned before you can read it. Today, in preparation for spring, I want to pass on information that I learned about in 2012. I wrote the following in December of 2011 for publication in a newsletter in 2012.

During the snows and cold of the Canadian winter, it is difficult to visit the final resting places of our ancestors to gather information about them.  These visits must be done during the good weather of the spring, summer and fall.

As many of you know, you will need to prepare to visit a cemetery so that you will get the most of your visit.  This preparation can be done during the cold winter months.  The first piece of information that you will need to find your ancestor is “where is the dear one buried?”   Bits of information that will help you with this are things like:

Where was his residence?

What Church did he belong to?

Was there a family plot?

Is there a published family history?

What cemeteries are in the area?

Now, you think that you may have your ancestor located.  Are you ready to go to find his final resting place?  The groundskeepers do not have the time to look after individual headstones, so you need to be prepared for this. 

Part of your preparation for your trip is your tool kit.  Why do I need a toolkit, you say.  I have gone to a few cemeteries without one and regret it every time.  You don’t need much, but here are some items that will help with the success of your trip.

Notebook and pens or pencils (for copying the inscription)

Carpenter’s apron (handy way of carrying your equipment)

Gardener’s knee pads (to pad your knees when kneeling)

Garden shears (to trim grass and weeds)

Whisk broom (to remove trimmed grass, weeds, and dirt)

Sponge and water (to rinse the headstones)

Sunscreen or Sunblock

Non-ionic detergent and a white soft-bristled brush

Moist towelettes

Bug Repellent

Camera (Film or Digital)

We have learned over the past few years that great care must be taken with cleaning headstones.  They are delicate artifacts that give valuable information about our family.  We must learn non-abrasive ways of maintaining these treasures for future generations of our families.