Sean Treacy Dublin

Irish Volunteer, Brigadier Commander Sean Treacy was killed by British troops in front of #94 Talbot St in Dublin in 1920.... We set ourselves a task to find the memorial. It took four minutes surprisingly..

Go to the General Post Office, GPO site of the 1916 Easter Uprising and directly across the street is a walking mall. About 2 blocks up the mall it will turn back into a street with traffic, this is Talbot street, 300 ft on your right will be #94 .. the memorial is up on the wall about 20 ft off the ground above the door. It looks to have been there since its placement in 1937...

Hill of Ward Cemetery

I still havent found the GGrand parents, Jacks parents, but we did manage to locate their parents and their parents all buried in one site at the Hill of the Ward, near Athboy.

The grave is illegible but for a few words, the inscription was verified by using a rubbing taken around 1900's and records I have found and verified through the Meath County Heritage Society, I will publish what the stone says later, for us kids these are GG, and GGG grandparents to the early 1700's , all Cassidys. I also now have the GPS coordinates for this site , so anyone else can use these to avoid the long search this always takes to find...

Trim Castle

Trim the capital of Meath, is 13Kn from athboy, and site of a famous Norman castle, Trim Castle, Recognized by some as the location for most of the movie Braveheart. The north wall was the seige of York, the opposite wall the execution in London, and the Keep was Henry Longshanks Castle, The window where anne is standing was were the princes "friend" was thrown out of ,in the movie...

Newgrange and Knowth

Also nearby is the ancient buriel / ceremony mounds of Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth, known as the three Sisters. These were built 6000 years ago and already 2000 years old when the pyramids were started. Their use is unknown , except for some funerary ritual, but they are wonderfully preserved and have been rebuilt to what the acheologists believe is their original form., Each is well over an acre in size .. Note the stone carvings, these are the where some original Irish spirals designs were inspired, most have been copied from these carvings..

While standing in line I ran into Morris Richman, Kathleen Donohoe-Richman's husband, a friend from Atlanta, Kathleens brother Liam also an acquaintance from the celtic festival in Atlanta was there as well. Kathleen and her family were visiting her mother in nearby Cavan County, number 8 on the list of people I know whom weve met along the way...

Hill of Tara

The ancient Site of the Celtic Kings of Ireland lies 15 Km from Athboy, it is easy to see why they chose it as the view from any side is spectacular. Here is the Kings Hall, the Hostage mound and the Lia Fial, the crying stone, used by the Irish Kings for coronation ceremonies. The other stone was take from this site and used by British Kings up to Elizabeth II in 1953, it was the coronation stone, under the throne at Westminster abbey, The Brits have since given it back to the Scots, and it resides in Edinburugh, Some want to know when the Scots will give it back to Ireland...

Down to Co. Meath and Athboy

Athboy is the birth place of Annes Father, The town is still intact, the photos include The Church, School house(the two story large building, and a photo of #6 bridge street, listed in the 1901 cemsus as home of Denis and Catherine Cassidy and 1 year old John Anthony... it is right next to newmans mill so it coincides whth rememberences of my Grandfather

Boa Island

Near Bellek is Boa Island on Lough Erne, It has some unigue pre cristian carvings in an old site later used as a cemetery from the 1700's, These are originals left in their place for near 1300 years + ...

Cassidy's Trail

The Cassidys are originally from Fermanagh in Norther Ireland, We went here next after crossing through Sligo, and then Co. Donegal through Ballyshannon, we has lunch at Sweemys White Horse in Ballyshannon to see a friemd Alan Sweeny, he managed the Irish Pub in Atlanta for 3 years before returning to take over the family business, This single businessman in married with 5 kids now, it was an enjoyable visit and lunch.

On the way we stopped at the Beleek factory in Beleek Co. Fermanhagh, all items in the factory sell for about 30% of the prices in the catalogs and they were having a 50% off sale to boot. The factory has been here since 1858, and the museum would make any collector quiver. The best art is still here...

On to Irvingstown, north of Enniskillen, om Lough Erne, the ancient home of the cassidys there is a tonwship with a post office and about 300 farms, called Ballycassidy, named for the Celtic Tribe that lived here, nearby is an archeological site called a rath, or hill fort. This is listed as Cassidy ancient Rath, the photo of the hill with the sheep... This is dayted between 1500, 2000 BC, and is considered the original settlement of what was later called the cassidy s.. Not many familys in Ireland can go back nearly 3500 years and stand on the same ground as their ancestors.. This is very unique.

Nearby is Devinish Island, the cassidys were Judges, Druids, later monks, and herbalists and Devisish Monestary on Devenish Island in nearby Logh Erne is also a Cassidy Hangout. The round tower is near complete and there is a photo of Mom from the top, she stayed off the ladders. The last photo is the cassidy graves on Devenish Island, The Mc Guires, local Cheiftains And the Cassidys are buried here dating back to the early 1700's

Cong

Cong derives its name from the Irish Cuanng meanning neck and it lies directly between, to large lakes, in East Co . Mayo ... It is near The shrine at Knock so we stayed there as it has an old abbey worth visiting, lastly look closely at the square at the end of an otherwise small town, cong also has the distinction of being the location for the Quite Man film, this is the square outside the pub where the brawl ended.... The Abbey is better, as it is near complete for a 12th century structure. The small hut over the river is a fishing hut used by the monks to collect salmon and trout a main staple of the monks here, The river also showed in the fil as the abbey and river side where feature in many scenes.

Our Lady of Knock

The Shrine has been blessed as Our LAdy Queen of Ireland Shrine, by Pope John Paul II.. It is a large facility, the vision appeared on the back wall of the 1800's church in 1879. Since then it has changed into a large facility, bascillica , Original church, rosary center and park, 17 holy water fountains... "please keep your hands and feet inside the miracle at all times, and enjoy your visit..."

Cliffs of Moher

One of the more famous sites in Ireland, the Clare coat and the Moher Cliffs, There is a visitor center now, restricting acces to the edge, but the day was particularly clear...

Fleadh Nua Ennis

We are spending some time at the Music festival in Ennis, Fleadh Nua... Brian Prior is heading up the festivities, they had me up on their main stage for the Noon concert in the center of town. Great fun sessions everywhere, I met Dr Mick Maloney, famous Irish Folklore professor, and friend, he invited mom to attend his special show tonight while I played in town. You may have seen him on TV, he is a regular in every Irish History PBS special. His tour is staying in our hotel.

A trip to Ennis has to include the Franciscan Friary and abbey, this is a highlight of down town Ennis. The whole town is full of music, and I surprisingly know quite a few people, I got an introduction before the concert , Brian still thought I was in Atlanta, but having come the farthest got an applause from the crowd when introduced anyway... A note to those viewing if you click on the pictures they will load up bigger and you can get a better look. Mom went to the story telling session,

Tomorrow is a gaelic mass in the cathedral, and after is the Clare vs Cork Hurling regional championship, Hurling is a 3000 + year old Irish sport that looks like field hockey, rugby and a bar fight all at once. Great fun I played in my youth (40) and did well Atlanta's team won the Junior North American Championship. I couldn't walk after wards.... and certainly didnt atempt another year, Wish I had discovered it in my 20's .... My Irish born friends decided I was Irish only after I came off the field with blood running down my arm and leg... Brilliant fun..If I cant get to the actual game, we will sit in a pub, and watch, Ennis is the capitol of Clare so the crowd should be as much fun as the game....

Kylmore Abbey

Run By the Irish Benedictines it is a girls school, and former 19th century victorian wannabe castle. The grounds and Gardens are beautiful, The gothic church abbey and garden are worth visiting, it resides north of clifden.

Clifden

My favorite Connamara town clifden, fresh seafood, music, greta farmhouse cheeses, nice people, no or small crowds. We went to Kylmore Abbey for the day, mom bought potterry from the Nuns. A bit Rainy but I will post later, Clifden we went to the Mannions Pub, and I played with the locals, A good way to spend a Birthday. I also caught 2 episodes of sponge bob in gaelic, This is not dubbed the titles and everything are redone in Irish... Weird but fun.

Innis Mor The largest Aran Island

Kennys Books was no more , a big loss, So we spent the next day traveling by ferry to the largest of the Aran Islands. Inis Mor... I put ma on an Irish taxi cart and we went to Dun Aeogus built 2000bc by the celts it is a three wall fort overlooking 300 ft cliffs over the Atlantic.

I particularly like the casual pose on the cairn near the edge, Anne didnt know she was 4 ft from the drop off, There is no fence because of the antiquity of the site. The next picture i took holding my arm out over the edge. Great view ...