Beannachtai o Eirinn

Greetings from Ireland

We arrived in Dublin on Sunday - to rain. Not surprising, as in Ireland over half the days of the year qualify as wet days (over 1mm). But we made a pact not to complain about the weather and just get on with it, and since doing so we have been blessed with no more rain and some days the sun has actually peaked through the clouds for periods of time.  I think the Irish must be essentially optimistic people as the dress shops are replete with summer frocks. So they must expect some sun over the coming summer. Tom thinks the summer dresses are only intended for their holidays to Alicante and Majorca. 

According to an article in today's Irish Examiner Irish people are not getting enough vitamin D, and I have seen enough scarily lily white legs on the locals to confirm that they do not seem to be getting much sun.  The Examiner quotes a leading nutritionist (why is it that the media only ever quote a 'leading' expert, never just an ordinary run of the mill one?) who states that in countries at this latitude winter sunlight is not sufficient to produce vitamin D and that "we don't always get enough sun during summer". 

True the sun is shinning, but it is cold enough for me to covered head to toe. Another day to pop a vitamin D tablet.  More money to Swisse Pharmacuticals. 

This year marks 100 years since the 1916 Easter rebellion. Ireland history is littered with insurrections against their English overlords since the Medieval English kings arrived to occupy the island.  The 1916 rebellion ushered in a period of intensely violent struggle for Home Rule and lead to the establishment of the Irish Free State five years later. I grew up hearing about the Troubles in Ireland during the 1970s which at that time were centred on the situation in Northern Ireland, or Ulster and I had little or no appreciation of the struggles that lead to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1948.

One of the more horrific stories I have learnt is the story of Croke Park in 1920. At the height of the violence Irish nationalists murdered 14 British troops in their beds. In retribution, British troops opened fire and randomly killed 12 innocent spectators at a football game at Croke Park in Dublin.

So if we are not here for the sun what are we doing in Ireland.

For the past six months Tom has sat up late at night tapping away on the Internet 'researching'.  I know what you are all thinking... The credit card came in with strange payments to international internet sites ... Hmmmmm.  And now I can see what it was all about. Genealogy Porn. It is the new thing, especially for men of a certain age. It is everywhere here. And don't the Americans love it.  By the way they are here is droves.  Bus loads of them turn up - I have heard more American accents than Irish in some of the more touristy places.  

But back to the finding your roots story. Like many Australians whose family pre-date WWII migration Tom has Irish ancestory, I am one of the strange Australians in having no Irish heritage.  SInce we first planned this trip Tom has been capitalising on the work of a distant cousin who looked into the family's antecedents and he has been searching for information of his mother's family. Hence our visit has brought us to the wilds of south west Ireland, but I will leave the story of finding his heritage for Tom to tell in another post.

The ruins of Aughadown church where Tom and Lesley's Irish relatives are buried. I am sure he will tell you all about it in his post.