Introduction

Ceade Mile Failte - One Hundred Thousand Welcomes - This is the Irish Interest Group's first internet newsletter. Newsletters will be published in February, April, June, August, October and December each year.

The web-page address is -: http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/gcags/irish

The Irish Interest Group's motto is "The Irish Green Behind The Gold."
The Gold Coast City Council promote our district as "the green behind the gold" which means - the green hinterland behind the 36 kilometres of golden sandy beaches. We, (the Irish Interest Group) are 'the Irish green behind the gold" i.e., we are the Irish Interest Group "behind" the Gold Coast and Albert Genealogical Society Inc.
The green and gold colours are the same as those of the Royal House of David. Is that why the Gold Coast is known as "God's own place"

For the overseas reader, Gold Coast is about 70km south of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia. Our group have clubrooms in the Bi-Centennial Community Hall next to the Gold Coast City Council Chambers at Nerang. To find out more about the Gold Coast go to the web-page for Gold Coast Direct - http://www.goldcoast-australia.com/index3.html - or Viv Bibby's homepage at
http://www.onthenet.com.au/~vivib/

Gold Coast and Albert Genealogical Society Inc.

The Society was formed about 20 years ago and this year the membership exceeds 700.
They have a homepage at http://www.onthenet.com.au/~annmorse/nerang.html and the web mistress is Ann Morse., email-: annmorse@onthenet.com.au
The snail mail address for the secretary is Box 2763 Southport Queensland 4215

The Society has four interest groups., Computer, Scottish, Tasmania, and Irish

Irish Interest Group

The group meets six times a year on the first Sunday in the month.(Feb,Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec)
The convenor is Merv Rossiter, ph 07 5572 5754 or email - merv@winshop.com.au

The Irish on the Gold Coast

(1) Gold Coast Irish Australian Association Inc

 The Chairperson is Patrick Clancy, email-: pclancy@fan.net.au - ph 55 985 237 (bus)
and the Association's address is
PO Box 928 Mudgeeraba Queensland 4213

(2)Where to Eat, Drink and Shop on the Gold Coast

"Nellie Kelly's' - Irish restaurant and bar - 9 Elkorn St. Surfers Paradise
"Darcy Arms" - Irish restaurant and bar - 2923 Gold Coast Highway Surfers Paradise
"Angler's Arms" - Licensed Hotel (O'Toole's Bar) - 50 Queen Street Southport

(3)Where to Stay on the Gold Coast

"Darcy Arms" 2923 Gold Coast Highway Surfers Paradise - ph (07) 5592 0882
"Angler's Arms" 50 Queen Street Southport - ph (07) 5532 1677

Finding Your Irish Ancestors on the Internet

One way to find your Irish ancestors on the Internet is to join the newsgroup, "soc.genealogy.ireland" If you send questions to this group you will find a lot of people willing to help you. The best way to join this group is to go to the "Free Agent" site at http://www.forteinc.com and download the programme. It's free. If you require help please ask.

Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

The National Archives of Ireland
http://www.kst.dit.ie/nat-arch/index.html (site index)
http://www.kst.dit.ie/nat-arch.genealogy.html (genealogy information)
http://www.kst.dit.ie/nat-arch/search01.html (Irish convicts to Australia)

Birth, Death, Marriage cerificate exchange
http://www.eskimo.com/~chance/misc/

Kennys Bookshop
http:www.kennys.ie/index.html
email-: queries@kennys.ie

Antrim County Genealogy
http://www.genealogy.org/~liam

Leitrim-Roscommon Homepage
http://www.thecore.com/let_ros/

Registry of Deeds Office Dublin
http://www.irlgov.ie/landreg/

Email Directory for Ireland
http://www.esearch.ie/

Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~irish

Irish Family History Society
http://homepage.eircom.net/~ifhs

North of Ireland Family History Society
http://www.os.qub.ac.uk/nifhs/journal/index.html

Ulster Historical Foundation
http://www.uhf.org.uk

Western Australia Genealogical Society - Irish Group
http://cleo.murdoch.edu.au/~wags/sigirish.htm

Irish Roots Magazine Homepage
http://www.iol.ie/~irishrts/

Irish Genealogy
http://www.irish-insight.com/a2z-genealogy

Irish History - Wildgeese
http://www.thewildgeese.com/

Allan Scahill Homepage
http://www2.memlane.com/ascahill

TIARA - The Irish Ancestral Research Association
http://www.tiara.ie

National Library of Ireland
http://www.heanet.ie/natlib/homepage.html

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm

Allan Tupman Homepage
http://freespace.virgin.net/alan.tupman/sites/irish.htm

Irish Family Names Noticeboard
http://names.local.ie

Telephone Direcories (world-wide)
http://www.contractjobs.com/tel/

The above sites can be found, with about 250 others, in my book "Bookmarks on the Internet for Family Historians". If you would like a copy, please contact me for details.

New Webpages

"The Irish at Home and Abroad" - A Journal of Irish Genealogy and Heritage
http://www.IHAonline.com

"In Dublin" - tourism and genealogy
http://www.indublin.com/

"Swift Guide to Ireland" - A directory
http://swift.kerna.com/

"Local Ireland"
http://www.local.ie/
http://local.ie/front/links/

"Irish Corner"
The Rossiter Research Registry at http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/ publish a newsletter four times a year. Each newsletter features Irish information which is found in the "Irish Corner".

Irish Family Mottos
A list of Irish family mottos can be found at http://www.winshop.com/merv/mottos.htm
This site won a "Links2Go Award" in July 1998
see http://www.links2go.com/award/Irish_Genealogy

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group News

On Saturday the 11th July we were favoured with a visit by Terry Eakin who demonstrated the Griffiths Valuation Index on cdrom. The cdrom is now available in Australia from Gould Books for $105.00. email-: gould@adelaide.on.net - (http://www.gould.com.au) If you would like to know the LDS microfiche index numbers for the Tithe Applotment Book and Griffiths Valuation Register for the parish that you are researching, I can look them up for you. This free service is available to all readers.(members and non-members)

On Monday the 5th October Doctor Brian Trainor, research director of the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Guild, will address our group.

The next meeting of the Irish Interest Group will be held on Sunday 02 August at 10.30am. There will be a talk and video about Ballykissangel.

Closing Irish Prayer

"May you all be in heaven for at least 30 minutes before the devil finds out that you are dead."

God Bless You All

Merv Rossiter
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

44 Vatakoula Parade
Mermaid Waters
Queensland
Australia 4218

August 1998

Introduction

Greetings from the Gold Coast where the weather is beautiful one day and perfect the next.
It's all happening here on the Gold Coast. Diamaru have a new shop at Pacific Fair. The Tropocarnival Celebrations start next week. The Indy Grand Prix is on this month and the water at Surfers Paradise beach is a warm 21 degrees and rising. But more importantly, we are hosting a visit from Dr.Brian Trainor who is coming all the way from Ireland to tell us how to find our Irish ancestors. So to get you all into the right frame of mind, I present the following information for your edification.

Queensland Irish Association

The Queensland Irish Association was established on 23 March 1898. Its headquarters are at Tara House, 175-179 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. Facilities at Tara House include excellent dining facilities, poker machines, a cultural programme, Pipe Band, QIA Dancers, Tara Singers, Tara Theatre Group, live entertainment, darts, social golf, social bowls, Ladies and Mens Gourmet Clubs, and a Cyber Club. Annual membership $35 p.a.

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

Did your Irish ancestors go to New York. Check the Ellis Island emigration site at
http://www.ellisisland.org

Irish Tartan webpages
http://www.tartanweb.com/tweb/irish.htm
http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland.net/

County Wicklow genealogy
http:www.wicklow.ie/1798

The Society of Genealogists (London) now has online ordering from its bookshop
http://www.sog.org.uk/acatalog/welcome.html

Irish Interest Books
http://www.readireland.ie

Scotch-Irish Web Page
http://members.aol.com/ntgen/hrtg/scirish.html

Sligo Genealogy
http://www.rootsweb.com/~irish/index.html

Fianna (updated)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~fianna/

Antrim - 1851 census online
http://www.genealogy.org/~liam

A step by step guide to finding your ancestor in Ireland
http://www.geocities.com/~fiannag/start.html

Armagh County Genealogy
http://www.worldgenweb.org/ireland/armagh/index.html

County Carlow records online
http://www.worldgenweb.org/ireland/carlow/

1798 Irish rebels to New South Wales
http://www.actonline.com.au/~ppmay/

Guiness Brewing
http://www.guiness.ie/

Virtual Irish Pub-Bulletin Board
http://visunet.ie/cgi/Bbord

Republic of Ireland - Eire

Ireland was occupied by Goidelic speaking celts during the Iron age. They were converted to Christianity by Saint Patrick in the 5th century. Henry II of England declared himself Lord of Ireland in 1171, but English influence was restricted to the area around Dublin. Henry VIII took the title of King of Ireland in 1542. A struggle for Irish freedom developed in the 18th and 19th centuries including such revolutionary movements as Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen, Young Ireland and the Fenians. Armed rebellion led to a republic proclaimed by Sinn Fein in 1919. Partition was proposed by Britain in 1920 and a treaty was signed giving dominion status in 1921. The country was renamed Eire in 1937 and left the Commonwealth in 1949.

The first postage stamps were issued in 1922

from -: http://www.philately.com/ireland.htm

Ballykissangel

The British (BBC) telvision series of the same name was shot in Avoca which is 55 kms south of Dublin. To get there take N11 south to Rathnew, then R752 via Rathdrum to Avoca.

An alternative (more scenic but a little slower) route from Dublin is to take N11 to Kilmacanoge, then R755 via Roundwood and Laragh (deviating perhaps via Glendalough to see the Monastic City and lakes en route at this point) then back to R755 via Rathdrum to Avoca.

The nearest town is Arklow.

To find out more about Ballkissangel, go to the Webferrett homepage at http: //www.ferretsoft.com
Download this free shareware programme and when it is up and running type in Ballykissangel and then you will have 500 webpages to read.

Book Reviews

Did your Irish ancestors come from Ireland to California and then to Australia or did they come to Australia first and then go to California ? In either event there are two books in the Queensland State Library available on inter-library loan. They are as follows.

"Rags or Riches - Passengers and Ships-Sydney to California 1849 to 1851"

Compiled by Pamela Sheldon. ISBN 0 646 10645 7

There are 4900 passengers listed.

"Rags or Riches 2 - Passengers and Ships - California to Sydney 1849 to 1852"

Compiled by Pamela Sheldon. ISBN 0 646 12121 9

There are 2500 passengers listed. Your Irish ancestors were probably chasing gold, which was discovered in California in 1849, Australia in 1851, and New Zealand in 1861. For further reading see "Gold Seekers for California" by Charles Bateson.

Irish Interest Group News

Griffiths Valuation cd-rom is now available at the club-rooms. The cd-rom gives first name, surname, parish, and town. The next step is to find the Griffiths Valuation and Tithe Applotment index numbers and order the films from the Church of the Latter Day Saints. A book of index numbers is available at the clubrooms or they are available on microfiche (3) from the LDS, number 6826722.

The Tithe Defaulters Indexes (1831) are also available at the clubrooms. There are 15 fiche with 29,027 names listed as follows.

Kilkenny - 10,263 names on 4 fiche

Tipperary - 9346 names on 3 fiche

Wexford - 2773 names on 2 fiche

Cork - 2115 names on 1 fiche

Waterford - 1838 name on 1 fiche

Louth - 965 names on 1 fiche

Limerick - 851 names on 1 fiche

Laois - 360.,Meath - 36., Carlow - 437., Offaly - 23., Kerry - 20.,
a total of 886 names on one fiche.

The fiche show first name, surname, and Church of Ireland parish. The next steps are to find the equivalent civil parish then the Griffiths Valauation and Tithe Applotment index numbers

The next meeting is on Sunday 04 September 1998 where a workshop will be conducted on Griffiths Valuation, Tithe Applotment, Tithe Defaulters, and 1901 and 1911 census.

A special meeting will be held on Monday 05 September 1998 where the guest speaker will be Doctor Brian Trainor who is Research Director for the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Guild.

The last meeting for the year will be on Sunday 06 December 1998. A paper will be presented entitled "Ned Kelly and Buffalo Bill - The Real McCoy"

A Letter From an Irish mother

Dear Son

Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alive. I'm writing this letter slowly because I know you can't read fast. You won't know the house when we get home - we have moved.

About your father - he has a lovely new job. He has 500 men under him - he cuts grass at the cemetery. There was a washing machine at the new house when we moved in but it hasn't worked too good. Last week I put in 14 shirts, pulled the chain and haven't seen the shirts since.

Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven't found out if it's a boy or a girl, so I don't know if you are an auntie or an uncle.

Your Uncle Patrick drowned last week in a vat of whiskey in the Dublin Brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely. They cremated him and it took three days to put out the fire.

I went to the doctor on Thursday and your father went with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for ten minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.

It only rained twice this week, first for three days and then for four days. Monday was so windy one of the chickens laid the same egg four times.

We had a letter from the under-taker. He said if the last payment on your Grandmother's plot wasn't paid in seven days, up she comes.

Your loving Mother

P.S. I was going to send you ten pounds but I had already sealed the envelope.

Closing Thought

If there is a will, I want to be in it.

God Bless You All

Merv Rossiter
Convenor.

ANDERSON, Kildallan Co Cavan, anytime, Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
ARMSTRONG, Fermanagh Co Armagh, 1825. Clifford Crealy. clifford@onthenet.com.au
BLACK, Co.Tyrone., all., Joan Hart, c/o merv@winshop.com.au
COLLINS, Henry, Tullyish Co Down, 1830. Irene Kemp-Cross. c/o merv@winshop.com.au
BURKE, Skull Co Cork, 1861. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
COGGINS, Co Sligo, pre1777, Norm Nicholas., c/o merv@winshop.com.au
COLLINS, Co Limerick, 1835, Ron Sullivan. c/o merv@winshop.com.au
CREELEY, Richhill Kilmore Co Armagh, 1825. Clifford Crealy. clifford@onthenet.com.au
CRILLEY, ...............................(ditto)
CRILLY, ..................................(ditto)
DALY, Castletown Co.Weastmeath, 1831.Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
DALY, Kilmore Co Cork, 1854, Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
DICKSON, Kilrush Co Clare, 1850. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
DRURY, Thurles Co Tipperary 1880+ , Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
DRURY, anywhere in Ireland, pre 1800, Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
FARRELL, Carrick on Shannon Co Leitrim, 1836. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
FITZGERALD, Co Tipperary pre 1850, Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
FLAVIN, Co Clare 1848. Ron Sullivan c/o merv@winshop.com.au
FLYNN, Clonmel Co Tipperrary, 1814. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
GIBSON, Fermanagh Co Armagh, 1800+ Clifford Crealy. clifford@onthenet.com.au
GLASGON, 1817 Dublin. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
GORMAN, Co Tyrone, pre 1850. Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
GRADY, Galway, pre 1776, Norm Nicholas, c/o merv@winshop.com.au
GRIFFIN, Shannagolden Co Limerick, 1836. Ron Sullivan c/o merv@winshop.com.au
HAYES, Cashel, Co Tipperary, 1837. Ron Sullivan c/o merv@winshop.com.au
HOGAN, Co Tipperary pre 1880, Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
HEALY/HILL, Co Cavan, pre 1794, Norm Nicholas, c/o merv@winshop.com.au
KERRISK, all Ireland, 1831, Max Kerrisk, conmax@onthenet.com.au
KILPATRICK, Dublin, 1855. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
LENAN, John Michael, Co Clare, 1800, Irene Kemp-Cross. c/o merv@winshop.com.au
LEONARD, John Michael........... (ditto)
LOONEY, Castle Island Co Kerry, Max Kerrisk, conmax@bigpond.com.au
McCANE, Kilevy Co Armagh, 1890 Mick Webb, MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
MAGENNIS, Dublin, pre 1769., Norm Nicholas, c/o merv@winshop.com.au
MacGORMAN, Co Tyrone, pre 1850. Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
McMULLEN, Mary, Co Armagh, 1800.Irene Kemp-Cross. c/o merv@winshop.com.au
MELDRUM, Co.Tyrone., Any. Joan Hart c/o merv@winshop.com.au
MULDONNEY, Co Roscommon, 1850. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
O'HARA, Drumkeeran Co Leitrim, anytime, Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
POWER, Coolquill Co Tipperary, 1831. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
RAMSAY, Fermanagh Co.Armagh, 1830+ Clifford Crealy. clifford@onthenet.com.au
RAMSEY, ..........................(ditto)
REDMOND, Michael, Newtonbarry Co Wexford, 1807, Irene c/o merv@winshop.com.au
ROSSETER, ROSSITER, all Ireland, anytime, Merv Rossiter. merv@winshop.com.au
ROSSITER, Wexford. 1169 - present, Merv Rossiter. merv@winshop.com.au
SAMMON, Margaret, Co Offaly (Kings) 1860. Irene Kemp-Cross, c/o merv@winshop.com.au
SINNOTT, Esther (father Christian Sinnot) c1830 Kathleen Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
STEVENSON, William, Co Armagh, 1800. Irene Kemp-Cross. c/o merv@winshop.com.au
SULLIVAN, Co Limerick, 1847, Ron Sullivan c/o merv@winshop.com.au
WATSON, all, Co Tyrone., Joan Hart., c/o merv@winshop.com.au
WEBB, Manchester Lancashire, 1860. Mick Webb. MICHAEL37@bigpond.com.au
WHITE, Kinnagad, pre 1788., Norm Nicholas., c/o merv@winshop.com.au
WILLIAMS, Knockmanoule, Co Fermanagh, pre 1850. K.Lommel. klom@winshop.com.au
WILSON, Kilross,Raphoe, Co Donegal, Co Tyrone., Joan HART c/omerv@winshop.com.au
 

Last updated 25 January 1999

Introduction

A very Merry Xmas to you and yours. Another year is rapidly coming to an end. Looking back over the last twelve months there has been some noticeable events. We had our "May Muster" seminar., a visit from Terry Eakin demonstrating the Griffiths Valuation CDROM., a visit from Doctor Brian Trainor who is the Research Director for the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Guild in Belfast., and finally our newsletter is now "on the net". The internet is going ahead in leaps and bounds and I predict that 1999 will be an exciting time for our group.

Doctor Trainor's Visit

Doctor Brian Trainor, escorted by Terry Eakin lectured at our club on Monday the 5th September.
Dr.Trainor spoke on Griffiths Valuation and Tithe Applotment records, the Genealogical Office in Dublin, the Royal Irish Academy, Devon Commission, Trinity College, Wills for Ireland and Northern Ireland, National School Records and Old Age Pensions.

The Royal Irish Acadamy have an excellent internet site at http://www.ria.ie/ If you would like information on the Academy or would like to visit Academy House please contact -:

Trinity College (Dublin) have an internet site at http://www.tcd.ie and also the library catalogue is on-line.

The National Schools Records for Northern Ireland have been filmed by the Mormon Church and the film index numbers are available in the Family History Library Catalogue

The Old Age Pension was introduced in Ireland in 1908 for those people over 70 years of age. Applicants were required to produce a birth certificate but as civil registration did not begin to 1864, the 1841 and 1851 census information was used, these documents were then lost in 1922 when the Four Courts were burnt down. The Pension records have been filmed by the Mormon Church and the index film numbers are available in the Family History Library Catalogue.

Dr Trainor brought some books along for members to purchase and Terry brought some books from his library for us to look at. Amongst Terry's collection was a journal "The Irish At Home and Abroad". This is a great publication and also it is on the internet at -: http://www.IHAonline.com

The following books were purchased for the Society's library.
FAMILIA VOL2 NO3, REAESEARCH IN IRELAND(Terry Eakin), CIVIL REGISTRATION BDM'S IN IRELAND, ULSTER LIBRARIES (O'NEIL), RESEARCHING IRISH AUSTRALIANS (Trainor), ANCESTORS IN IRELAND (video)

The following books have been ordered.
GUIDE TO THE GENEALOGICAL OFFICE (Greenham)., CONVERT ROLLS (Eilleen O'Byrne)., ABSRACT OF WILLS (Registry of Deeds)
The Society is also subscribing to the Ulster Historical Guild journal and the Irish Roots journal.

"All Ireland Sources Newsletter"

Terry Eakin has commenced writing a monthly newsletter., the first issue was on 22 November 1998. Topics dealt with were Doctor Trainor's tour, Irish Repositories on the Internet, and School Records for Ireland in the National Archives."

The next issue will be published in late December. If you would like to be on the mailing list please email Terry at <teakin@chilli.net.au>

Book Review

"Poverty to Promise - The Monteagle Immigrants, 1838 -1858"
by Christopher O'Mahony and Valerie Thompson., ISBN 0.646.16005

Lord and Lady Monteagle of Mount Trenchard in County Limerick assisted more than 730 Irish men and women to come to Australia between 1838 and 1858. They were from three parishes in Shanagolden , along the southern bank of the River Shannon

The book contains many letters written by the immigrants and also details some of the shipping records. Over 730 names are mentioned. This book is essential reading for the County Limerick researcher. It is available from the Gold Coast City Council Library.

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

St.Patrick's College Maynooth
http://www.may.ie/
telnet://library.may.ie (on-line catalogue)

Trinity College Dublin
http://www.tcd.ie/
telnet://library.tcd.ie/ (on-line catalogue, login name is "opac")

University College Cork
http://www.ucc.ie/
telnet://library.ucc.ie (on-line catalogue)

University College Dublin
http://www.ucd.ie/
telnet://library.ucd.ie (on-line catalogue)

University College Galway
http://www.ucg.ie/
telnet://library.ucg.ie(on-line catalogue, login name is "library")

Irish Academic Press
http://www.iap.ie/index.htm

Diocese of Limerick
http://www.limerick-diocese.org

Diocese of Cork and Ross
http://www.iol.ie/~thefold/dioc.html

1789 Irish Rebellion - Rebels to NSW 1800-1806
http://www.actonline.com.au/~ppmay/

Antrim 1851 census
http;//www.genealogy.org/~liam

Carlow County Genealogy
http://www.worldgenweb.org/ireland/carlow/

Leitrim-Roscommon Homepage
http://www.thecore.com/let_ros/

Roscommon County FHS
http://www.iol.ie/bizpark/c/crrfhs/

Wicklow County Genealogy
http://www.wicklow.ie/1798
http://www.wicklow.ie/index.html

Northern Ireland Genealogy
http://www.n-ireland.co.uk/genealogy/

Tipperary Heritage Unit
http://ireland.iol.ie/~thu/index.html

Grenham's Irish Record Finder
http://indigo.ie/~rfinder

National Library of Ireland
http://www.heanet.ie/natlib/homepage/html

Dublin Heritage Research Group
(Dublin City Public Libraries)
http://iol.ie.resource/dublincitylibrary/frames.htm

Bits and Pieces

"Did you hear the one about the Irish tourist who came to the Gold Coast?"
"He thought that "negative gearing" was putting the car into reverse."

"What's black and blue and found dead floating in the Irish Sea?"
"Tourists who tell Irish jokes in the Belfast Arms."

Computer Corner

I have a full house contents replacement insurance policy and I have just read the fine print.There are some things that are not covered such as my computer. My insurance company assessor tells me that if my computer is valued at more than $3000 then it has to be listed as a separate item. If it is older than three years it is not covered. Software is not covered, irrespective of the age. If your computer is upgraded then the three years will start from the time it was upgraded provided you keep the receipt. So check your policy now.

I have been receiving email attachments written in Word 97. To access the attachment, download a freeware programme which can be found at-: http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/
Everything is then automatic and attachments can be read just like an ordinary email letter.

Gold Goast Irish Interest Group - Club News

Our Xmas party will be held on Saturday 12 December at 12 Noon at Nellie Kelly's, 9 Elkorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise.

Would you like to take part in an Irish beer tasting survey? I have noticed that there are a number of different types of Irish beer available on the Gold Coast so I thought it would be a good time over the Christmas holiday period to check them out. Tasters and car drivers are required, so if you would like to participate, please let me know.

The Sunday meetings for 1999 are 07 February, 04 April, 06 June, 01 August, 03 October, and 05 December at 10.30am. Please bring your lunch.

At the February meeting a paper will be presented entitled " The Family Tree of Robert O'Hara BURKE - Famous Irish - Australian Explorer." This will be followed by a workshop.

Parting Thought

Do you Yahoo?

Merry Xmas and God bless you all

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and Editor
Irish Interest Group
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

Introduction

A Happy New Year to you all. May you all have some success this year finding your Irish ancestors.

This newsletter is the only free Irish internet newsletter in the whole wide world published by a genealogy society. If you would like to submit an article to be published please send me an email.

Saint Patricks Day, Wednesday 17 March, falls between our February and April newsletters so we pay tribute to him in this newsletter

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick has been credited with converting the Irish people to christianity in the 5th century sometime between AD 432 and AD493. There is no real evidence that supports an actual date.

Much has been written about St.Patrick, some true and some false. What is factual is his written "Confession" and a letter he wrote to Coroticus.

The "Confession" has been translated and can be read on-line at

In 1940 an unusual coincidence took place when Palm Sunday, which is the Sunday before Easter Sunday, occurred on the same day as St.Patrick's Day. The next time it will happen will be in the year 2391 then 2475

"Ned Kelly and Buffalo Bill - The Real McCoy"

This paper was read to the December meeting.

"Recently I received a letter from Tom ROSSITER, a distant "cousin" who lives in Liverpool, but who is descended from the ROSSITERS of Wexford, writing to say that he thought we were related to Ned KELLY and "Buffalo Bill". Buffalo Bill's surname was CODY, the same as Ned KELLY's paternal grandmother. Also the ROSSITERS of Wexford intermarried with the CODYS.

In the light of this information I thought I would do some research to see whether I was related to an Australian bush-ranger or to an American cowboy or to both. It was time to check my ROSSITER records, the local library and the internet.

The Wexford Rowe Street church records show James ROSSITER and Elizabeth CODY having eight children baptised between 1695 and 1706. Then there is a Pierce CODY who married Margaret NEWPORT on the 6th May 1762, the witnesses were Pat ROSSITER and Sarah EUSTACE. Also a William CODY married Margaret LAMBERT on the 9th January 1809 and the witnesses were John CULLEN and Patt ROSSITER. So there was a CODY family well entrenched in Wexford.

John ROSSITER who married Elizabeth CODY was a great grandson of Colonel Thomas ROSSITER who fought against CROMWELL in 1650.

Frank CLUNE in his book called "Ned Kelly" writes that both Ned KELLY and Buffalo Bill stem from the CODY clan of Tipperary in Ireland and that Buffalo Bill may be a nephew of Ned KELLY. Frank CLUNE does not offer any proof of this connection.

In the book "Surnames of Ireland", Edward MacLysaght says that the CODY family were originally named ARCHDEACON and when they came to Kilkenny from England in the 13th century they changed their name to MacODA which became CODY and COADY. Also the name CODD is a variant of CODY and is perculiar to Wexford, also from the 13th century.

It is generally known that Ned KELLY was the son of "Red" John KELLY and Ellen QUINN. John was a convict transported from Ireland to Tasmania in 1842. He was the son of Thomas KELLY and Mary CODY.

So, what is the truth ? What is the "real McCoy".?

The Kelly Family

John KELLY was baptised 20th Febrary 1820 in the village of Moyglass, in the district of Clonbrogan, in Kilarney, County Tipperary. He was the son of Thomas KELLY, a farmer, and Mary CODY.

In 1840 John, who was working as a wood ranger in Kilarney, was arrested and charged with stealing two pigs. On the 1st January 1841 a jury at the Tipperary Assizes found him guilty and he was sentenced to seven years transportation.

John arrived in Hobart, Tasmania aboard the "Prince Regent", a 496 ton barque, on the 2nd January 1842, having left Dublin on the 7th August 1841 along with 182 male convicts. His shipping papers read as follows -: convict number 3428., KELLY, John., trade - labourer., height - 5ft 8ins., age 21., complex - fresh., head - large., hair - reddish., whiskers - reddish., visage - long., forehead - medium height., eyebrows - brown., eyes - blue., nose - large., mouth - medium., chin - medium.

"Red KELLY became a free man on the 1st January 1848, a cerificate was issued to him on the 11th January and his name was published in the Hobart Town Gazette on the 25th January.

John "Red" KELLY went to Melbourne and then on to Wallan Wallan in the Kilmore district, 43 km north of Melbourne on the Sydney road, where he worked as a carpenter. He found gold on the Kilmore goldfield which he invested in a small freehold property at Beveridge.He later sold this property and rented forty acres at Avenel, eighty kms to the north.

John KELLY married Ellen QUINN on the 18th November 1850. They eloped to Melbourne and were married in Saint Francis Roman Catholic Church. The union produced eight children., Mary in 1851, Annie 1853, Edward 1855, Margaret 1857, James 1859, Daniel 1861, Kate 1863, and Grace in 1865.

John "Red" KELLY died on the 27 December 1866 at Avenel aged 46.

In 1874, on the 19th February, Ellen KELLY nee QUINN married again to a George KING who was 17 years her junior and six years older than NED. Ellen died in 1923.

Of the Kelly children, Mary died shortly after birth, Annie married Alexander GUNN, Margaret married William SKILLION, it is thought that James died in 1946, Daniel was killed in the shoot - out at Glenrowan, it is thought that Kate married in 1888 and was accidentally drowned in 1898 in the Forbes River in New South Wales., and it is not known what happened to Grace.

An interesting observation is that it appears that Ned KELLY's birth and his death are not registered with the Victorian government. Ned was hung on the 11th November 1880 at Pentridge Gaol, Melbourne, Victoria.

"Ned" KELLY

Edward KELLY was born in June 1855 at Beveridge in Victoria, Australia, the first son and third child of John KELLY and Ellen QUINN.

In 1860 Ned attended the Church of England School at Avenel. Frank Clune in his book Ned Kelly wrote that "Ned was a bright pupil and a very nice mannered and well-behaved boy at school."

Upon the death of John KELLY in December 1866, Ellen moved the family to Eleven Mile Creek. There was no more schooling for Ned. At the age of twelve he was "the man of the house".

On the 26th October 1869 Ned KELLY, aged 14, was arrested for assault and robbery and after a court hearing he was discharged. During his fourteen years members of his family., ie., the QUINNS, the LLOYDS and the KELLYS were arrested on 20 occasions. His own father John (Red) KELLY was arrested in May 1865 and charged with being in unlawful possession of a hide for which he was fined 25 pounds. It is easy to see how Ned became bitter towards the justice system in Victoria.

It appears that an over zealous and corrupt police force were hell bent on persecuting and wiping out the three families., the KELLYS, the QUINNS, and the LLOYDS.

Ned was arrested again in May 1870 for robbery under arms and discharged. On the following 10th November he was arrested for obscene language and assault and received a three month prison sentence. On the 2nd August 1871 he received a three year sentence for horse stealing and on the 18th September 1877 he was fined $6.10 for being drunk and assaulting the Police.

In 1880 on the 11th November, Ned was executed for outlawry and for the murder of Constable FITZPATRICK. During the 25 short years of his life, 13 members of the three families., the KELLYS, the QUINNS, and the LLOYDS were arrested on 57 separate occasions.

Ned stood for decency and fair play and when he saw the legal system abused he did what any fine Irishman would do., he tried to rectify the problem, but sadly he lost. However his efforts were not in vain. A court enquiry following Ned's death led to immediate improvements in the legal system.

The Quinn Family

James QUINN was born in Ballymena in County Antrim in about 1802, son of Patrick QUINN and Mary McKINLEY. In 1821 he married Mary McCLUSKEY, a Scottish lass 22 years of age.

The family settled at Ballymena where seven children were raised., Patrick b1826, Helen b 1827, John b 1831, Ellen b 1832, Catherine b 1833, Jane b 1837 and William b 1840.

In 1841 James QUINN decided to bring his family to Australia. So the QUINN family consisting of two adults and seven children embarked on the ship"England" which departed Liverpool on the 14th April 1841 and arrived at Port Phillip, Melbourne on the 17th July 1841.

The Quinn family first settled at Pascoe Vale where James was a firewood merchant. In 1845 he rented a small farm at Wallan Wallan. A few years later he purchased 700 acres in the same district and bred and sold cattle and horses.

Three more children were born in Victoria to the QUINN family., William in 1843, Margaret in 1845, and Grace in 1847.

In 1863 James sold the Wallan Wallan property for 2000 pounds and then he purchased "Glemore", 25 thousand acres of timber country on the King River 30 miles from Benalla.

James QUINN died at "Glenmore" on the 22 August 1869 aged 76.

Of the QUINN children, Patrick, aged 25, drowned in 1850 in the Eucha River.
Ellen married firstly John KELLY and secondly George KING
Kate married Jack LLOYD and Jane married Tom LLOYD, brother of Jack.
Margaret married Pat QUINN. (no relation)

Buffalo Bill

"Buffalo Bill" was a United States Army Scout, Indian fighter, and buffalo hunter. His father died in 1857, so at the age of eleven, Buffalo Bill found work as a mounted messenger in Kansas for a wagon-freight firm. He served in the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. After the war, from 1866 to 1867, he became a civilian scout for the U.S.Army. From 1867 to 1868 he hunted buffalo to feed construction crews on the Union Pacific Railroad. This is when he gained fame as a buffalo hunter. From 1868 to 1876 he worked for the U.S.Fifth Cavalry as a scout and guide. In 1883 he organised his first Wild West exhibition. He remained in show business until just before his death in 1917.

His real name was William Frederick CODY, born 26 February 1846, Le Clair, Scott County, Iowa, USA., son of Issac and Mary Ann CODY nee LAYCOCK.

There were seven children in the family., Martha, Samuel, Julia, William, Eliza, Helen and May. Samuel died at the age of seven, crushed by his horse. Helen, who became Helen Cody WETMORE wrote a book in 1899 about her brother William (alias Buffalo Bill), called "Last of the Great Scouts".

This book can be read on-line at -:

http:raven.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/books/cody/

It is from this book that we learn of the CODY family tree, a family whose origin stems from Raulin Le CAUDE who was born in 1500 on the Island of Jersey, off the coast of England. Helen writes that most of the historical information was passed on to her by her grandmother Lydia MARTIN.

Several of the CODY family emigrated to America in 1747 settling in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Phillippe Le CAUDE (CODY), born in 1668., William's great great great grandfather would have arrived in Massachusetts from the Island of Jersey sometime between the years 1692 and 1743.

Buffalo Bill CODY was awarded the Medal of Honour in 1872. This award was revoked in 1916 because he was not an officer or an enlisted man in the U.S. Army. Scouts were classified as civilians. The US army restored the Medal of Honour to CODY posthumously in 1989.

William Frederick CODY alias Buffalo Bill married Louise FREDERICI on the 6th March 1866 at Saint Louis in Missouri. He died on the 10th January 1917 in Denver, Colorado.

Sad to say, Buffalo Bill does not appear to be related to the CODY families of Ireland.

Conclusion

I have not been able to find any information on Mary CODY, paternal grandmother of Ned KELLY. Whether Mary is a Wexford CODD or CODY or a Tipperary CODY, I do not know. Also I have not been able to find details of a KELLY family or a CODY family that were ensconced in Tipperary. Therefore I do not know if Ned KELLY is related to the ROSSITER family of Wexford. The research goes on.

What I do know is that Ned KELLY and Buffalo Bill CODY are not related.

Ned KELLY was hanged in Pentridge Gaol in Melbourne at 10.am on the 11th November 1880. Today, many Australians still mourn his death. One hour later, the country stops again to commemorate the end of World War One, (11 November 1918) for this is Rememberance Day. Such is the Australian way of life.

Further Reading

"Ned Kelly" by Frank Clune
"Ned Kelly" by George Farwell
"The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill" by Don Russell

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

Irish Placenames
http://www.thecore.com/cgi-bin/ire-srch

Irish Directories
http://www.irish-times.com/ancestor/browse/records/directories/index.htm

Ireland BDM Exchange
http://ghn.genealogy.org

Irish Genealogical Homepage
http://idt.net/~unatg/

Limerick On-line
http://www.limerickonline.com/genealogy/

Louth On-line
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~dkerr

Belfast Telegraph Online
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Westmeath Examiner
http://www.westmeath-examiner.ie/Letters-Comp/Letters-Comp1.html

Limerick Leader
http://www.indigo.ie/webnet/leader/index

Munster Express
http://www.munster-express.ie

An Phoblacht/Reublican News
http://irlnet.com/aprn

The Irish News
http://www.irishnews.com/

The Irish Times Corner
http://www.irish-times.com

Irish Convicts Transported to Australia
http://users.bigpond.net.au/convicts

"All Ireland Sources Newsletter"

Terry Eakin has published his second newsletter.(vol 1, no.2 December 1998) If you would like a copy please email Terry at <teakin@chilli.net.au>

In this newsletter he writes about the "Registry of Deeds" and "Land Records."

Book Review

"Round Ireland With a Fridge" by Tony Hawkes

This is supposed to be a story about Tony Hawkes who gets drunk and has a bet for 100 pounds that he can hitch-hike around the circumference of Ireland carrying a fridge. On the way he has to go to Tory Island off the north-west coast and Clear Island off the south-east coast. By the way, the fridge cost him 130 pounds.

In reality, this is a story about a frigid pommy git, who of all things is a Middlesborough soccer team supporter, who pub crawls around Ireland with his "mo chuisneoir" named "saiorse" trying to score with the ladies. In Ballina he becomes infatuated with Roisin., in Cork he is too drunk to form a relationship with Mary, and in Wexford he trys to make love to Karen in a dog kennel. Tony fails on each occasion. The only thing he succeeds in is winning his bet.

This book is a humorous travelogue and is available from the Gold Coast City Library.

Bits and Pieces

Q. What do you call a group of Irishmen in the middle of a paddock?
A. A thicket

Q. What do you call a group of Irishmen standing in a circle holding hands?
A. A dope ring

Computer Corner

To download freeware and shareware programmes go to Dave Central's site at -:
http://www.davecentral.com

"Genealogy via the Internet" by Ralph Roberts., pub 1997 by Alexander Books @North Carolina
ISBN 1-57090-009-4. Available from Gold Coast Library 929.102.85.ROB

The weekly journal "P.C.Know How" Part 35 has a very good article on Palmtop PCs

The Australian monthly magazine "PC@UTHORITY" January 1999 issue has a very good article on flatbed scanners.

To find people researching the same name as you go to the Rootsweb site at -:
http://rsl.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/rslsql.cgi

To find webpages for the surnames you are researching go to the web ferret site at -:
http://www.ferretsoft.com

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group - Club News

At our December meeting members agreed to subscribe to the journal "The Irish at Home and Abroad". and to purchase the book "Researching Your Dublin Ancestors"

Our Xmas lunch at "Nelly Kellys" was very enjoyable. The most popular dish was the fish in an Irish beer batter for $6.00. If you would like to go there for lunch on St.Patricks Day please let me know. If you would like to go to the Casino for an evening meal please let me know also.

The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday 04 April which is Easter Sunday.

Parting Thought

I prefer digging in the past to digging in the back yard.

Merv Rossiter
Convenor
Irish Interest Group
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

Editorial

Recently, Gerry ADAMS visted Australia, a visit that was shrouded in controversy, a visit that divided Australians and a visit where the Prime Minister of Australia, John HOWARD refused to meet Mr ADAMS, and in my opinion, rightly so.

Mr ADAMS came to Brisbane and spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Queensland Irish Association. It was only a few years ago that two men from Brisbane were murdered by the IRA in Amsterdam while on holiday. They had been mistaken for off-duty British soldiers.

Will it ever happen again? Yes, I believe it will, but probably in a different place. Until Mr ADAMS supports the disarmament of the IRA, atrocities will continue.

It is by deeds that we judge a fellow human being. Mr ADAMS needs to prove his sincerity by deeds and not words before he gets my vote of approval.

Merv Rossiter
Editor

Note. This editorial in no way reflects the opinion of the Irish Interest Group or the Gold Coast and Albert Genealogical Society.

Robert O'Hara BURKE

Robert O'Hara BURKE was a famous Irish-Australian explorer who in 1860, became the first person to walk from south to north across Australia a distance of over 2600 kms. Sadly, he perished on the return journey. Burke had left Melbourne on the 20th August 1860 and reached the Gulf of Carpentaria on the 11th February 1861 then died on the return journey on the 1st or 2nd of July 1861.

The BURKE families can trace their descent from Pepin le VIEUX, Duke of Anstrasia who lived in AD 622 in what is now France.

Robert de BURGH came to England with WILLIAM the CONQUEROR in 1066. In 1170 William Fitz-Andelm de BURGO fought alongside STRONGBOW in the Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland. In 1179 HENRY II granted the entire province of Connaught to William de BURGO and his heirs. In c1231 the Fort of Galway was captured by William's son Richard de BURGO.

Robert O'Hara BURKE was descended from Sir Richard De BURGO, who led the Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht in the thirteenth century. Sir Ulick de BURGH founded Issercleran Castle in County Galway in 1308. The BURKE family retained Issercleran, or St.Clerans as it became known, for about six hundred years.

Robert's great great grandfather was John BURKE of Issercleran who married Jane BURKE of Cloghanover. Their son was James BURKE, the first protestant of the family who changed the name of the family estate from Isserleran to St Clearans. He married Penelope HARDIMAN, (c1755), the daughter of a very wealthy merchant, Robert HARDIMAN of Loughrea. Their eldest son, John BURKE inherited his grandfather's fortune which included a Jamaican sugar plantation.

John BURKE, Robert's grandfather, married Elizabeth ARMSTRONG in 1785. He died in 1808, nearly bankrupt. His eldest son, also named James Hardiman BURKE, inherited St.Clerans and saved the estate from financial ruin by marrying into the O'HARA family

James Hardiman BURKE jnr married Anne O'HARA, the third daughter of Robert O'HARA who in the 1790's had purchased the Raheen estate of the Killikellys. James and Anne had three sons and four daughters., John Hardiman, Robert O'Hara, James Thomas, Fanny, Elizabeth, Hester Albinia and Anne Celestine BURKE.

John Hardiman BURKE died unmarried in 1863. James Thomas BURKE was killed in Turkey in 1854. Fanny married John BLAKENEY of Abbert. Hester died unmarried in 1866. Anne married Major Horace De VERE who eventually inherited St.Clerans.

References

"Fifty Famous Australians" by Professor G.V.Portus
"Burke and Wills - From Melbourne to Myth" by Tim Bonyhady
"The Shimmering Waste-The Life and Times of Robert O'Hara Burke" by William Henry.
A review of this book can be read on-line at

http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1998/05/

This review was read to the February meeting.

This review is in actual fact, a supplement to the book as it provides additional information ie., there is very full information on the O'HARA family of Galway.

John KING

John KING was the only survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition that completed the full return journey. In William HENRY's book we read a little of KING's life.

John KING
born : 1838 Moy, County Tyrone
father : Henry KING, a soldier in the 95th Highlanders
mother : Ellen KING nee ORN
married : September 1871 Melbourne
spouse : Mary RICHMOND nee BUNTING
died : 15 Jan 1872 St.Kilda

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

Irish Newspapers on-line

Clare Champion
http://www.clarechampion.ie

Donegal News
http://www.donegalnews.com

Fermanagh Herald
http://www.fermanaghherald.com

Galway Advertiser
http://www.galwayadveriser.ie

Kerry's Eye
http://www.kerryseye.com

The Kingdom
http://www.inkerry.com/kingdom.htm

Limerick Post
http://www.limerickpost.ie

Mayo News
http://www.mayonews.ie/current/index.tmpl

Nationalist and Leinster Times
http://www.lowwwe.com/nationalist

Northside People
http://www.northsidepeople.ie

Tallaght Echo
http://www.tallaght.com/theecho

Tirconaill Tribune
http://www.tirconaill-tribune.com

Waterford Today
http://www.waterford-net.ie/today

People Newspapers (Wexford People; Wicklow People; Carlow People; Bray People; .................................Enniscorthy Guardian; and New Ross Standard)
http://www.peoplenews.ie

Book Review

"S'pose I Die" by Hector Holthouse published by Angus and Robertson ISBN 0 207 18764 9

This is an Australian story about an English girl, Evelyn EVANS who marrys Charles MAUNSELL in Cairns in northern Queensland in 1912. They lived on an out-back homestead and cattle property.

The MAUNSELL family were from Ballybrood in County Limerick in Ireland. It has been written that they can trace their roots back to Philip MANSEL who had been cup bearer to William the Conqueror in 1066

Samuel and Phoebe MAUNSELL and their family left Ballybrood in 1858 and settled in Brimbin, on the Manning River in New South Wales, Australia. Their eldest son, Samuel George, who was born in 1839, was Charles MAUNSELL's father.

In 1921 Charles and Evelyn returned to Ballybrood for a holiday. It was here that their son Ronald was conceived.

This is a rivetting story about early life on a remote cattle property in Northern Queensland flavoured with a wee bit of Irish history.

Bits and Pieces

Patrick and Michael were taking a stroll. "At my funeral" says Patrick, "I want you to pour a bottle of Irish whiskey over me grave."
"I'll be glad to," says Michael "But do you mind if I pass it through my kidneys first."

Computer Corner

Telnet. A Telnet programme allows on-line access to library catalogues around the world. A good programe is "Simple Term."

To download this programme go to Netscape and then http://www.shareware.com and search for "telnet"
Look for the filename sptn 1609.zip - sunsite.anu.edu.au
Instal file
To configure to Netscape, go to options, then general preferences, then apps, then telnet application, type in c:\SimpleTerm\sptnet16.exe
click browse.

To use programme., go into Netscape., click file, go to open location, type in URL., ie for Trinity College Dublin type <telnet://library.tcd.ie> login type <opac>

Hytelnet has a world wide telnet directory at
http://www.lights.com/hytelnet
The University of Queensland have a library directory at
http://www.library.uq.edu.au/ssah/jeast/

Dublin City University
telnet://library.duc.ie
login - opac

Trinity College Library, Dublin
telnet://library.tcd.ie/
login - opac

St Patrick's College Maynooth
telnet://library.may.ie

University College Cork
telnet://library.ucc.ie

University College Dublin
telnet://library.ucd.ie

University College Galway
telnet://library.icg.ie
login - library

Kennys Bookshop, Galway, Ireland

http://www.kennys.ie/
email -: queries@kennys.ie

Kennys have a hompage for book reviews and essays written by "The Bibliophile". Here is a list of what is available on-line as of April 1999.

August 1997
The Life and Times of Richard Kirwin, Scientist and Eccentric - Part One (an essay)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1997/08/

September 1997
The Life and Times of Richard Kirwin, Scientist and Eccentric
....................Part Two : The Gentry of 18th Century Ireland (an essay)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1997/09/

October 1997
The Life and Times of Richard Kirwin, Scientist and Eccentric - Part Three (an essay)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1997/10/

November 1997
Looking For Beckett (an essay)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1997/11/

December 1997
A Sad Farwell to the Reading Room in the British Museum (an essay)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1997/12/

May 1998
"The Shimmering Waste, The Life and Times of Robert O'Hara Burke" by William HENRY
A book review.
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1998/05/

June 1998
"The Silk Weaver" by Gabrielle WARNOCK (a book review)
http://www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1998/06/

August 1998
"The Williamite War in Ireland, 1668 - 1681" by Richard DOHERTY (a book review)
http//www.kennys.ie/resource/kennys/bibliophile/1998/08/

All Ireland Sources Newsletter

Terry Eakin's newsletter no.5 is now available free by email. If you would like a copy, email Terry at

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group - Club News

The next meeting will be held on April 11. Please note change of date.

My thanks to those members who attended "Nellie Kellys" for lunch on St.Patricks Day.

It has been suggested that we have a mid year Xmas party on Friday 25th June at D'Arcy Arms so come to the next meeting and have your say.

Parting Thought

I prefer the "Irish Times"
It's not too hard on the buttocks. 

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and editor for the Irish Interest Group

merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter (personal homepage)
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/ (Rossiter newsletter including the Irish Corner)
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/mottos.htm (Irish family mottos)

Editorial

This is newsletter Number Six, the first one was published in August 1998. I wrote in the February issue that this is the only free on-line Irish newsletter published by a Genealogy Society and this statement has still gone un-challenged. Are there any challengers?

First Free Irish Immigrants to Australia

The first convict ship to sail direct from Ireland was the "Queen" in the Third Fleet. She departed Cork in April 1791 and arrived Sydney 27 September 1791. On board were 133 male convicts and 22 female convicts. Seven males died during the voyage.

A convict who had been transported to Australia could apply, usually after serving four years of his sentence, for his spouse and their children to be sent to Australia.

The first ship to sail direct from Ireland with free immigrants was the "Thames" which departed Cork on the 20th September 1825 and arrived Sydney 15th April 1826. On board were 41 wives and 109 children of convicts or emancipated convicts who had applied to have them sent out. Sixteen deaths were recorded., three women and thirteen children

The "Sydney Gazette" of Wednesday April 12 reported on the arrival of the 'Thames".

"Yesterday, arrived the ship Thames, Captain Robert FRAZER, with stores for the Government. She sailed from Cork the 14th Nov, from Teneriffe the 29th Nov and from Pernambuco, 11th January last. By this conveyance are forwarded 37 women, the wives of free men and prisoners who bring along with them 107 children. We are sorry to say that three women and 13 children died on the passage.

Passengers, Mr RAYMOND, Mrs RAYMOND, 9 children and Mr James RICHARDS, sadler. Surgeon Superintendent Dr.LINTON, R.N.

A research paper on the "Thames" and her passengers is being prepared.

See also Peter Mayberry's homepage 1798 Irish Rebellion - Rebels to NSW 1800 to 1806

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

Top 101 Irish Sites = http://www.iol.ie/~kasst/in2ireland/
Ireland = http://www.ireland.com/
Irish Domain Search = http://www.iesearch.com/
Ireland Search = http://www.local.ie/
Irish Government Info = http://www.irlgov.ie/
Swift Guide to Irish = http://swift.kerna.ie/
Infosite Ireland = http://www.infosites.net/
Access Ireland = http://www.visunet.ie
Ask Ireland = http://www.askireland.com/
Irish Directory = http://doras.tinet.ie/Doras.nsf/Index

BUSINESS INFO

Business Contacts = http://www.enterprise-ireland.com
Commerce Ireland = http://www.commerce.ie/
Irish Trade Web = http://www.itw.ie/
Irish Business Web = http://webfinder.business.ie/
Listing of Irish Companies = http://www.kompass.ie/
Irish Business = http://www.irishbusiness.ie
Irish Trade = http://www.irish-trade.ie/

My thanks to Eamon Fogarty eamonfog@indigo.ie for sending the above information

Shamrock Homepage
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~lfrost/Homepage/Shamrock.htm

Dun Laoghaire Genealogical Society (on the coast east of Dublin)
http://www.dun-laoghaire.com/genealogy
email -: digs@iol.ie
They have a newsletter which unfortunately is not free.

Book Review

"Near Restful Waters - The Augustinians in Co.Wexford" by Thomas C Butler, O.S.A. Published by the Good Counsel Press, Ballyboden, Dublin 14

This book looks at the origins of the Augustinian Order which was in Hippo in North Africa and in 1256 came to Clomines and New Ross in Wexford Ireland with the help of the Norman knights. It then traces the development of the order through to modern times.

The history of the Order is interwoven with the history of New Ross. Modern New Ross was founded by William MARSHALL, Earl of Pembroke in the 1300's. There is a map of New Ross dated 1699 on pages 88 and 89.

A great book for anyone researching Wexford County.

Bits and Pieces

Irish family motto

McCarthy ......forti et fideli nil difficile.........over forty, fidelity not difficult.

For more mottos go to -:
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/mottos.htm

Computer Corner

Sites to Download Programmes From - Free

Dave Central
http://www.davecentral.com

Microsoft Internet Explorer
http://www.microsoft.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/ie

Netscape
http://www.netscape.com/

Office programmes., e.g. Word 97
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/

Shareware
http://www.shareware.com

Tucows
http://www.tucows.com

Download
http://www.download.com/

If you are travelling to Ireland (or anywhere else in the world), and you want to check on your email at home then use a free service such as-:

http://www.thatweb.com

Saint Molly's Day

Molly Malone was buried in Dublin 13th June 1699 aged 29. So on Sunday 13th June 1999 Irish people around the world will commemorate the 300th anniversary of her death probably with a feed of cockles and mussels washed down with a wee drop of guiness.

As for your editor, he will be having some New Zealand green lipped mussels lightly poached in white wine and washed down with a glass of black velvet (50-50 guiness and champagne)

An extra verse -:

Irish Interest Group - Club News

Our guest speaker at the April meeting was Gold Coast resident, Patrick Scallon, a life member of the Gold Coast Irish Association. Patrick was born in Galway in 1934 and graduated as a civil engineer. He spoke about family history and heraldry and answered many questions.

The Irish Civil Registration birth marriages and death indexes are available until 31 July 1999 at the Mormon Church Research Centre, Isle of Capri, Gold Coast.

Boxing Day in June (not to be confused with Christmas in July)
A luncheon will be held on Saturday 26 June 1999 at "Nellie Kellys", 9 Elkhorn Ave, Surfers Paradise, meeting at 11.00am. Please contact me to secure your seat.

The next meeting is Sunday June 06th at 10.30. This will be the last for this financial year so subscriptions for 1999-2000 are now due.

Parting Thought

"The more I see of people, the more I love my Irish terrier"

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and editor for the Irish Group
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

Zorro was an Irishman

Thanks to the curiosity of an Italian professor, unknown facts on a personnage that all thought to be a legend have come to light. "El Zorro" , as we now learn, was an Irishman who worked as a spy and who died in Mexico under the Inquisition. Professor Fabio Transcarelli´s discovery unveils the fact that the real "El Zorro" was far more interesting a person than the "El Zorro" of movie fame. Once again, reality surpasses fiction and history outdoes legend.

The University of Viterbo professor is an expert in the history of witchcraft and the Inquisition. In his diggings into the archives of Dublin, Madrid, Mexico, and The Vatican, he bumped into a very real and very fascinating individual who in no way ressembles the Antonio Banderas or Douglas Fairbanks protrayals. He discovers the real "El Zorro" , named William Lamport. Born into a noble Irish family in Wexport, Ireland in 1615, Lamport was of red beard and possessed a Celtic air. Like many who conduct historical research, Professor Transcarelli came across the "El Zorro" personnage by chance. He tells about his chance findings in the Italian newspaper "La Republica": "I was studying a trial that took place in 1642 when I bumped into the name William Lamport. It fascinated me. I discovered that his fame was very much alive up through the 19th century in Central America. I was able to trace him to a book that a Mexican army general named Vicente Palacio Riva wrote. Palacio Rivas had decided to write a historic novel along the lines of an Alexandre Dumas novel, which he entitled "Memories of an Imposter", based on biographical materials that he had surrupticiously laid his hands on in the Holy Inquisition archives and which he managed to lift from the archives and take home ".

Professor Transcarelli researched the same archives and today, thanks to his efforts, we know a lot about this fascinating person. Young Lamport studied in the prestigious schools and colleges of Dublin and London. He later took up a life of adventure together with various individuals of all different walks of life. This led him to France and then to Spain where he got caught up in things Spanish and so decides to stay on in Spain. Here it was that he changed his name to Guillén Lombardo, became well known for his bravery in fighting the French, and fell into the graces and favors of the Count Duque de Olivares.

By now Lombardo was already a gifted swordsman and an unrepentant Don Juan. His sword duels were as numerous as his lovers. He took up an idylic romance with Ana de Leiva, daughter of an important family of Spanish nobility, who is seduced by Lombardo´s attentions. But the family are not quite so charmed by this swordsman-seducer. They chase him down, forcing him to flee to Mexico to save his life.

Once in Mexico, "El Zorro" becomes a spy in the services of Count Duque de Olivares who continues to give him his favors and trust. As with any good spy, Lombardo leads a double life: by day he is a Latin professor, engaged to the very noble and virtuous lady, Doña Antonia Turcios. By night he transforms into "El Zorro" and is the spy, the astrologer, the witch´s apprentice, going about with the Indian witch doctors and mostly being the lover of the most beautiful and distinguished ladies of the Viceroyship (Virreinato). According to a confidential letter that the Archbishop of the City (Mexico City) sent to the king of Spain in 1647, one of Lombard´s lovers was the daughter of the very Viceroy himself.

But not all ends well: the Inquisition discovers his contact with the Indians and, suspecting him of plotting an uprising, he is arrested. Thus begins the endless case against Guillén Lombardo who later passes into legend as "El Zorro".

After ten years in prison, Lombardo escapes and begins an incredibly brave life in freedom, one that begins the authentic life of "El Zorro".

He becomes a knight-errant provocateur who like a phantom in the night roams the cities, wreaking of vengeance. He mocks the soldiers with their beards and posts anti-Inquisition flyers wherever he goes, denouncing their atrocities. He is rearrested after seven years and this time condemned to burn at the stake. But, is it possible for this person who has scoffed at entire armies and the Inquisition for so many years, and who has become a very symbol of the fight against injustice, to die at the stake? As the executioners prepare to set the blaze to Lombardo´s feet, Guillén Lombardo - "El Zorro" - strangles himself with one of the cords that are holding him to the stake. When his executioners draw near to burn him alive, the condemned man is already dead.

Once again "El Zorro" has made a mockery of his enemies. In 1659 he passes into legend and two centuries later,(in 1872) the general Vincente Palacio Riva names him "Diego de la Vega" in his novel, the same name which appears in the movie script written by a New York journalist in 1912. A year later, Hollywood produces the film starring Douglas Fairbanks as "El Zorro" and "El Zorro" becomes a worldwide movie smash, portraying the galant swordsman who captures the hearts and minds of the people.

This fascination of people with "El Zorro" is very much alive today, witness the great success Antonio Banderas has had in bringing to life this masked personnage who, in real life, was far more interesting that anything that Hollywood scriptwriters have ever invented.

From the newspaper "El Universal" - Mexico City, Saturday 05 June 1999

Further reading -: "Zorro Unmasked - The Official History" by Sandra Curtis pub. Hypernion, New York

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

The TIARA website has moved to
http://tiara.ie

Irish Surnames
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6108/surnames.html

McFadden Homepage
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/m/c/f/Patrick--T-Mcfadden/

County Limerick genealogy
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6108/limerick.htm

Alan Tupman's Irish Page
http://freespace.virgin.net/alan.tupman/sites/irish.htm

Irish Telephone book on-line
http://www.goldenpages.ie/

Patrick HOGAN (researcher)
http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/strand/7/
phogan@iol.ie

Chicago Irish Families, 1830-1900
http:// www.IHAonline.com/chicago.htm

Four Courts Press
http://www.four-courts-press.ie

Familia
http://www.earl.org.uk/familia/services/eire_cork_city.html

OS maps from OS office Ireland
http://www.irlgov.ie/osi/Pages/maps/mindex.htm

Bookmark of the Month Review

Guide to the National Archives of Ireland Centre for Irish Genealogical and Local Studies http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/nai

The following subjects are covered in this web-page

The Centre for Irish Genealogical and Local Studies Finding Aids and Reference Material

Courts and Probate Registries The Former State Paper Office Church of Ireland Government Departments Public Offices General Register Office

and many others.

Researchers should download this web-page for future reference.

Book Review

"John Stanilaus Joyce - The Voluminous Life and Genius of James Joyce's Father." by John Wyse Jackson with Peter Costello., pub Fourth Estate London 240x160x 494pages, hard-cover

This is the essential Joyce encyclopedia written for the family historian. Contains everything you wish to know about the Joyce families.

Available from the Gold Coast City Council library

Irish Church Records

If you want to know where the church records for your ancestors in Ireland are held then write to one of the following places.

For Church of Ireland

The Representative Church Body
Braemor Park
Rathgar
Dublin

For Roman Catholic

Catholic Communications Centre
Veritas House
7-8 Lower Abby Street
Dublin 1

Bits and Pieces

For sale - antique desk., just right for genealogy work for a lady with thick legs and large drawers.

On the 14th April 1912, in the early hours of the morning, four Irishmen were playing bridge. When Paddy picked his cards up he was over the moon to find that he had been dealt the Ace, King Queen, of spades., the Ace, King, Queen of hearts., the Ace, King, Queen of diamonds and the Ace, King, Queen, Jack of clubs. Paddy opened the bidding with seven no-trumps. Quite naturally the other players did not bid. Unfortunately Paddy didn't make his contract. He was on the "Titanic."

Gleanings from the Internet

Two discussion topics in the newsgroups recently were Oyster stew and Black Irish. Neither subject was dealt with adequately so after some research I present my findings.

Oyster Stew

Fish and seafood often figured in the Christmas Eve feast in the days when religious observance forbade meat before the great day.

2 dozen oysters 1oz/ 25g/ 2tbsp butter 1/2oz/ 14g/ 2tbsp flour 11/2pt/ 850ml/ 3cups milk 5fl oz/ 140ml/ 2/3cup cream freshly-grated nutmeg cayenne pepper lemon juice salt butter (optional)

Open oysters and reserve their strained liquor. Melt butter over gentle heat and stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stir until smooth and add cream. Allow to reach simmering point and season with nutmeg, cayenne and a little lemon juice. Add oysters and their liquor, taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Heat just until oysters are warm through and serve immediately with little pats of butter floating on top, if liked.

I found over 400 recipes for Oyster stew by using the search engine - "Ask Jeeves" (Ed.)

Black Irish

I have found five definitions

(1) People of mixed blood off-spring of the 17th century Irish emigrants and African slaves who lived on the Island of Montserrat in the West Indies, (known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean), were known as Black Irish

(2) The English who had to fight to settle in Ireland said the Irish had black hearts - meaning brutal in battle. So Irish soldiers were refered to as Black Irish.

(3) Black Irish is a derogatory term describing the Protestants of Ireland.

(4) Black Irish may refer to Irish people with Spanish blood in their veins and with Spanish features i.e. dark hair.

(5) Black Irish may refer to an Irish man who is a member of the Orange order who has then qualified for the Purple Marksman degree followed by the Royal Black Institution degree. This Institution was established in 1792. For more information go to -:

http://homepages.iol.ie/~pfc/loyal.html

This information was found by using the search engine "Ask Jeeves" which can be found at http://www.askjeeves.com

Irish Civil Registration

Civil registration of births and deaths began in Ireland in 1864., protestant marriages in 1845 and catholic marriages in 1864. The surnames are listed in chronological and alphabetical order with page and volume index numbers for each surname. Up to and including 1877 all names are shown for each year. From 1878 all names are grouped in quarters for each year. The quarter must be listed when applying for a certificate.

What is important for researchers is that the death indexes are available on 35mm film from the LDS and the age at death is also shown.

Computer Corner

Get your photos on floppy at National Photos

http://www.national-photos.com.au

To "scan" a micofiche, first put it in a fiche reader then take a photo of it with a digital camera then you have the fiche on floppy.

When up-grading your homepage and sometimes when you click on the reload or refresh icon and nothing happens then hold down the shift key and click on refresh or reload.

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group - Group News

Next meetings -:
1st August - annual meeting - Workshop., Finding Your Irish Ancestors in Liverpool
3rd October., Workshop., Finding Your Irish Ancestors in London
5th Dec - Christmas Party

Parting Thought

"Well-behaved women rarely make history."

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and Editor
Irish Interest Group
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

August 1999

Introduction

The World Rugby Union Tournament is now underway in Ireland. Your editor wagers a pint of Guinness to all takers that Australia will not win the championship. Please confirm your bet by writing to me in Gaelic.

Thaddeus O'KANE - 1820 to 1890

"One of the most independent journalists who ever trod Australian soil."

Timothy Joseph (aka Thaddeus) O'Kane was born 24 January 1820 at Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland, son of Gregory O'Kane and his wife Johanna O'Kane nee Fraimes. He was educated at Maynooth College. He studied to be a Priest but instead, became a journalist in London. He claimed to have married the actress Margaret Matilda Augusta Morris on the 2nd July 1851. They had four daughters and one son. In October 1863 he implemented divorce proceedings alleging that his wife had committed adultery with Lord Palmerston. The case was withdrawn in February 1864. O'Kane then took the first name Thadeus and sailed for Australia

He became a sub editor for the Northern Australian in Ipswich in 1865 then he went to Rockhampton we he sub-edited the Morning Bulletin. In 1873 he edited The Northern Miner in Charters Towers and became sole owner on the 12th January 1874. He remained editor until five months before his death at Ipswich on the 17th May 1890.

O'Kane wrote with a vitriolic pen. He lost count of the number of libel actions he faced. In 1878 he described his rival paper as "a collection of lies and hoodlum scurrility." In the same year the Ipswich Observer said that The Northern Miner has "a terror to humbug and rascality generally on Charters Towers." In 1882 the Bulletin said that "O'Kane is still game as a bull-dog, as bitter as gall, as relentless as a savage, and as truthful as it is possible to be in North Queensland." Also, O'Kane was once referred to as "the best radical in North Queensland."

Further reading - "The Australian Dictionary of Biography" "The Northern Miner" 13 Aug 1985, p3

(My thanks to Mick Webb (member no.415) for contributing to this article. Ed)

More Irish Bookmarks on the Internet

Irish Surnames
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6108/surnames.htm

Antrim surname database
http://genealogy.org/~liam

Antrim Surname List
http://www.rootsweb.com/~irldub/antrim/antrimsr.htm

Cork Surnames
http://homepages.iol.ie/~irishrts/CorkNames.html

Down County Surnames
http://www.amitar.com.au/~deel/downlist.htm

Galway Surnames
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~quibellg/galway.htm

Limerick surname queries
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6108/limerick.htm

Mayo Surname List
http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/SurnamesList/MAY.html

Tyrone Surname List
http://pw2.netcom.com/~vanessa1/tyrone.html

Irish Ancestors
http://www.irish-times.com/ancestor/index.html

Irish churches
http://www.ireland.anglican.org/

Irish Links
http://www.standard.net.au/~jwilliams/irelinks.htm

Irish RC Parishes
http://www.sci.net.au/mgrogan

Representative Church Body
http://www.ireland.anglican.org/library.html

Church of Ireland Parish registers held in the RCB
http://www.ihaonline.com/rcbl.htm

The Irish Ancestral Research Association
Dept. W,
P.O. Box 619,
Sudbury, MA 01776
http://tiara.ie

The Armagh Five - Irish Ribbonmen in Tasmania - 1840 to 1850

The Armagh Five were John Brady, Henry Hughes, James McCone, Hugh O'Hare, and John Rice who were all transported to Tasmania arriving in 1843 on the "Navarino". An excellent article can be found on-line at

http://www.jcu.edu.au/aff/history/article/kennam.htm

Ribbonism was a catholic association organised in Ireland about 1808. Its two main objects were -: (1) to secure “fixity of tenure,” called the tenant-right; and
(2) to deter anyone from taking land from which a tenant has been ejected. The name arises from a ribbon worn as a badge in the button-hole.

Book Reviews

(1) A good factual read is Thomas Pakenham's "The Year of Liberty", subtitled "The History of the Great Irish Rebellion of 1798" This book of 416 pages is valuable to the family historian because of the end notes and the references to sources of information, e.g.., location of manuscripts and other books containing research material. (Your editor has a copy in his personal library - lookups available upon request.)

(2) "Irish Women in Colonial Australia" edited by Trevor McClaughlin Irish women were the majority of female convicts and they were a large percentage of the free and assisted immigrants. There are nine essays covering the broad spectrum of Irish women in Australia which gives a fascinating account of their lives. This book is available from the Gold Coast City Council Library.

"Flight of the Earls" Heritage Centre in Rathmullan, Donegal.

On the 14th September 1607, Rory O'Donnell and Hugh O'Neill, along with about 97 people left Rathmullan bound for Spain. The group included O'Neills, O'Donnells, O'Gallaghers, Maguires, McDevitts, McAwards, Plunketts, McSweeneys, O'Keenans, Tullys and McGuinness's. On the 30 September, as they were approaching Corunna in northern Spain, they were blown off course along the French coast into the Channel. They landed at Quillebeuf, near Le Havre. The French King of the time didn't want to upset the English King and wouldn't let them travel through France to Spain - he sent them to the French Netherlands and they worked their way eventually to Rome in April 1608. They left people at various places along the way too - 20 children and carers at Louvain, 23 men to join the Irish Regiment of the Spanish Army, and 17 priests and clerical students at Irish colleges at Douai and Louvain. The rest consisted of 32 men on horseback and some women, travelling in a carriage. Thirty reached Rome.

Rory O'Donnell died in Rome the following year and Hugh O'Neill spent the rest of his life in Rome, where he never ceased writing to the Spanish King beseeching him to send an army to Ireland. Hugh died in July 1616.

Bits and Pieces

No Irish Need apply
Whoever wrote this sign wrote it well
For the same sign hangs on the gates of hell
No Irish need apply

LDS Microfiche

#1440,939 - #1440,943 "Manuscript Sources for the "History of Irish Civilisation" by Richard J Hayes

#0924,648 Census of Ireland 1659 and Poll Money Ordinances" collected by Seamas Pender

Computer Corner

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) 4.0 (Windows) is available for download from -: http://www.familysearch.org

Irish Congress

The 4th Irish Genealogical Conference will be held in Dublin in 2001

Gleanings From the Internet

The book, "The Royal Irish Constabulary; a Short History and Genealogical Guide" by Jim Herlihy, co-founder of the Garda Museum, Dublin Castle is now available. Contact Jim Herlihy, Blarney Garda Station, Co. Cork, Ireland, (E-mail: jherlihy@iol.ie) for more information.

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group - Club News

Our last meeting for 1999 will be held on Sunday 05 December.
Lunch at Nellie Kelly's Saturday 11th December. Meet at 12 noon for 1.00pm lunch

Parting Thought

You should never call someone a twit
Because that person may have a fit
You may call them something else if you wish
But a twit, I'll have you know is a pregnant goldfish

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and Editor Irish Interest Group
merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

Introduction

A very merry Xmas and a prosperous New Year to you all.
I have to eat humble pie. Despite my prediction in the last newsletter, Australia won the Rugby World Cup. The were two highlights. One was the shock defeat of New Zealand by France in what was the best game of the tournament and the second was the unexpected loss of Ireland to Argentina. Perhaps Ireland will do better in the next tournament in 2003 which will hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.

Now on to more important things like Irish family history. Recently, I read a newspaper article which said that the most popular website in the world is pornography. The second most popular is family history. It has been said that genealogy is exponential. The growth of family history on the world wide web has certainly made this so. More Irish sites are being published every day so keep watching this newsletter for the latest information.

More Irish Bookmarks

Irish Estate Papers: Identifying Landowners and Locating Records
http://tiara.ie/010899.htm

Queen's University Belfast
http://qub.ac.uk/
telnet://lib.qub.ac.uk

North of Ireland FHS
http://www.mni.co.uk/nifhs/

Ireland GenWeb
http://www.pa-roots.com/ireland

Irish Data Base
http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/4077.htm

Irish Pioneers to Australia
http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/carapook/

Dublin Family Heritage Centre
http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/Geneal/Dublin.htm

County Dublin - sources for genealogy http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/browse/counties/leinster/index_du.html

County Dublin - queries page
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/5345/dublin.htm

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Library Family History Resources http://www.earl.org.uk/familia/services/eire/dun_laogh.html

Dublin City Public Library
http://ireland.iol.ie/resource/dubcitylib

Dublin Public Library Family History Resources http://www.earl.org.uk/familia/services/eire/dublin.html

Dublin City Archive
http://ireland.iol.ie/resource/dubcitylib/archives.htm

Glasnevin Cemetery (in Dublin)
http://www.glasnevin-cemetery.ie

Dublin Directory of 1850
http://www.loughman.dna.ie/dublin1850/index.html

Garda Siochána Museum/Archives
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7900/museum.html

RIC Pamphlet from the Irish at Home and Abroad http://www.ihaonline.com/cgi-bin/ihaonline/articles/viewarticle.cgi?IHA411

Millennium project - the Saint Patrick Visitor Centre.
http://www.saintpatrickcentre.com

Irish ancestry
http://www.drawingbackhome.com

Family History Library Catalogue Record
http://www.familysearch.org/sg/CCFG/ir626369.html

Irish genealogy
http://www.lookupuk.com/genealogy.html

Ancient Order of Hibernians
http://www.aoh.com/

Book Review

"The Great Shame" by Thomas Keneally
There were Australian newspaper reviews about this book on the 7th and 14th November 1998. Copies are available from the editor.

Gleanings from the Internet

Catholic Parish Registers
The National Library of Ireland in Dublin holds microfilm copies of most Catholic parish registers up to 1880 (by which time civil registration is fully established). The Bishops of three dioceses have restricted public access to their records and the Library requires letters of authorisation from the Bishop before these microfilms can be read. The Dioceses are: Cashel and Emly, Kerry, Limerick. The bishops from whom written permission is required are:

Most Rev. Dermot Clifford DD
Archbishop of Cashel and Emly,
Archbishop's House,
Thurles,
Co Tipperary

Most Rev. William Murphy DD
Bishop of Kerry,
Bishop's House,
Killarney,
Co. Kerry

Most Rev. Donal Murray, DD
Bishop of Limerick
66, O'Connell Street
Limerick

The registers of other dioceses are freely availabe

St.Brigid of Ireland

February 1 is the feast of St.Brigid, often called Mary of the Gael and her feast day, along with that of St.Patrick, and our Lady of Knock, are the official holy days of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who gather annually for a Mass in her honour. More information at

http:www.aoh.com/history/historytitles.htm

Other topics of interest at this site are -:
'The Origin of the Rosary"
"St.Valentine's Irish Connection"
"Saint Patrick"
"The Significance of the 'Great Hunger' on the Development of Ireland"
and about nine others topics.

The Dublin Historical Record is the journal of the Old Dublin Society. It's available on subscription. Write for further information to

Old Dublin Society
c/o The Civic Museum,
South William Street,
Dublin 2

Valuation Office of Ireland
Irish Life Centre
Abbey Street
Lower Dublin 1,
Ireland
http://www.valoff.ie
mail-: info@valoff.ie

Computer Corner

Dave Central, the man who gives you free downloads, has updated his homepage at -: http://www.davecentral.com

Blackstump

http://www.blackstump.com.au/

This is a daily informative email newsletter giving the latest update on websites on just about every subject. I use this site as a check to see if my email facility is working.

Gold Coast Irish Interest Group - Club News

Saturday 12th December. Xmas luncheon at Nelly Kelly's, 9 Elkorn Ave, Surfers Paradise.
Meet at 12 noon for drinks. Lunch at 1.00pm

Sunday 06 February 2000 - monthly meeting - a workshop will be held

Sunday 2nd April 2000 - monthly meeting - A paper will be presented entitled
"Researching Your Irish Ancestors - A Step by Step Guide."

Parting Thought

If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mine, one cannot help wondering what is indicated by an empty desk

Merv Rossiter
Convenor and Editor
Irish Interest Group

merv@winshop.com.au
http://www.winshop.com.au/merv/rossiter

December 1999

Introduction

Welcome to the new millennium and a Happy New Year to you all. The new year was ushered in around the world to the sound of music and an unprecedent display of fireworks where unfortunately, millions and millions of dollars went up in smoke. One good thing about the New Year celebrations was that the Y2K bug was a fizzer.

New Zealand Day is held on the sixth of February. It commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between Leiutentant Governor Captain William Hobson, RN, representing the British Crown and many Maori chiefs. This was the day New Zealand became a British colony.

William Hobson was born in County Waterford in Ireland in 1793. He died in Auckland in September 1842 and was buried in the Symonds Street Cemetery near Grafton Bridge. He was the first resident Governor General of New Zealand.

About 14% of the New Zealand population are of Irish descent and many Irish people have left their mark on New Zealand history but Captain William Hobson will always be remembered as the first to do so.

More Irish Bookmarks

Transcriptions - Ardagh Cemetery, Co. Limerick
http://home.att.net/~wexlababe

Paddy Waldron's Personal Homepage
http://pwaldron.bess.tcd.ie/pwaldron.htm

Family Search Records
http://www.familysearch.org/sg/

Orange Men of Ireland
http://www.orangenet.org/menu.htm

Black Irish
http://www.hypertext.com/blackirish

Irish Wills
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/willsandadmin.html

Kerry Genealogy and the Marriage Records for the
Parish of Keel and Kiltallagh, 1804 - 1820 on-line
http://www.shopshamrock.com

Irish Search Engine
http://www.ireland-information.com/engine

The Belfast Newsletter Index Database, 1737 - 1800 (This a Belfast newspaper) http://www.ucs.usl.edu/~jcg3525/Main.html

County Cork
http://www.sci.net.au/mgrogan/cork/ire.cork.htm

County Antrim (new address)
http://mcfaul.jumpbusiness.com

IreAtlas Townland
http://www.seanruad.com/

Paul Gorry
What's What in Irish Genealogy
http://indigo.ie/~gorry/
email-: gorry@indigo.ie

Irish Mail Lists

Surnames
surnames-ireland-m@rootsweb.com

Shamrock
SHAMROCK-L@rootsweb.com

Ireland
IRELAND-L@rootsweb.com

Greenisle
greenisle-gene-@egroups.com

Genire
GENIRE-L@rootsweb.com

Ireland rooters
IRELAND-ROOTERS@mail.genexchange.com

Paul Gorry

Paul Gorry has had a lifelong interest in local and family history and he has been engaged in genealogical research on a professional basis for twenty years. He began his professional career as a freelance researcher for the state-run Genealogical Office, Dublin, in 1979. The guidance of the experienced genealogists on the research panel was invaluable in developing his knowledge of sources and techniques. This informal "apprenticeship" gave him the skills to match his passion for the subject. Since 1987 he has been operating entirely through the firm of Gorry Research, conducting and supervising genealogical searches for hundreds of clients. In advance of the state visits of the then Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, (in 1991) and the U.S. President, Bill Clinton, (in 1995), Paul Gorry was commissioned by the Irish government , through the Genealogical Office, to research their Irish ancestry. He is now providing a research assessment service on his website, What's What in Irish Genealogy.

Pursuing his interest in local history, Paul joined the Kildare Archaeological Society in 1979. In 1980 he founded the West Wicklow Historical Society (WWHS) and he was its Chairman in 1980-1981. He served on the sub-committee that edited the three issues of the West Wicklow Historical Society Journal which have so far been produced, and contributed several articles to it. In 1985 he was engaged by the WWHS as supervisor of the first church register indexing project conducted in Co. Wicklow. This was a six month state-funded project.

He has been a member of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (IGRS) since 1980 and of the Society of Genealogists [London] since 1987. He was a founder member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI) and was its Hon. Secretary for 1988-1991. In 1989 Paul brought together a group of individuals to organise an international conference on Irish genealogy. This group staged the 1st Irish Genealogical Congress (IGC) in 1991. To date there have been three events, the others being held in 1994 and 1997. The 4th Congress is planned for September 2001. Paul has been Chairman of the IGC since its inception. In 1995/6 he also served as Chairman of the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO).

Paul Gorry has written extensively on genealogical topics. He has been a frequent contributor to Family Tree and Irish Roots magazines over the years. He has also published articles on Irish golf history. With Máire Mac Conghail he was joint-author of the book Tracing Irish Ancestors , published by HarperCollins in 1997. As well as giving lectures at various venues in Ireland and in London, Paul has spoken at all three Irish Genealogical Congresses and at the Society of Genealogists' 75th Anniversary Congress in Oxford (1986), the National Genealogical Society's Conference in Jacksonville , Florida (1992), the Irish Genealogical Seminar in Hervey Bay, Queensland (1995), the 8th British Family History Conference in York (1997) and the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Irish Genealogical Conference at Randolph, Massachusetts (1999). In June 1999 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists.

Mr. Paul Gorry,
Gorry Research,
Church Lane,
Baltinglass,
Co. Wicklow.
Tel. & Fax. 0508 - 82164

email-: gorry@indigo.ie
http://indigo.ie/~gorry/

Book Review

The Big Wind
by Peter Carr
ISBN 1 870132 50 5
140 pages, paperback, 210x145

Published in 1991 by
The White Row Press
135 Cumberland Road
Dundonald
Belfast BT16 OBB

The book is in two parts, the first 60 pages is the author's story about Oi'che na Gaoithe Mo'ire (the night of the Big Wind) and the next 80 pages is a village by village account of the storm as related in the various newspapers. This is a riveting account of how a severe storm struck Ireland and how it affected the people. It is only the second storm to be given a name. This event has now been preserved in the annals of Irish history, thanks to Peter Carr.

The Big Wind struck on Sunday night, the 6th January 1839. It has been variously described as a gale, a tornado, a hurricane and a super storm. It was at that time, the biggest storm in living memory. There had been storms in 856, 988 and on the 15th January 1362 which was named St.Mary's Wind., the only other storm to be given a name. Also there were storms in 1548 and 1903 which have been described as being comparable with the Big Wind.

England has experienced two epic storms in the last three hundred years., the Great Storm of 1703 which was catalogued by Defoe, and the storm of 1987. Fortunately, neither of these two storms really affected Ireland.

The Big Wind started as a deep depression of 918 mb, (about 27.25 inches on the mercury barometer., a record low), east of the Hebrides and the associated front travelled across Ireland, Scotland, the English midlands to Denmark. At 3.00pm on the Sunday there was an un-natural calm., at 9.00pm a westerly breeze got up., at 10.30pm the wind was of gale strength., by midnight it had become a hurricane peaking between 2.00am and 5.00am.

The loss of human life was low, the death toll being between 250 and 300. Most of those who died were lost at sea. Those who died on land were killed by falling chimneys or church steeples, or were killed when their houses were blown away or burnt down. "Gentlefolk died., women and servants were destroyed." Those who suffered the most were the poor., the workers of the land. Many trees were levelled and farm stock killed, some disappearing without trace.

Sunday night, the 6th January was the Twelfth Night, the night of Epiphany. It was also the day of Little Christmas or Women's Christmas. This was the day of Christmas before the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar. And it was also the Feast day of St.Ceara. This is when the fairies met. On this day they had a violent dispute and some left Ireland never to return. Irish fairies have no wings and fly by whipping up a whirlwind. Is this what happened? Some old people blamed the Freemasons for bringing up the Devil out of hell, then they could not get him back. Religious people thought it was the Day of Judgement and a visitation by God.

The Big Wind had one desirable attribute. It hastened the implementation of the Poor Law Act of 1838 where the wealthy were taxed to support the poor. Between 1838 and 1852, there were 163 work-houses built throughout the country

In 1909 the Pension's Act became law. People over the age of 70 were paid five shillings (50 cents) per week as a pension. The registration of births did not commence until 1864 so there were no records to prove a person's age. However if the person could remember the Big Wind then it was proof that they qualified. It is interesting to note that 128% of Irelands population registered for the pension.

There have been many storms over the years to affect Ireland and more will undoubtedly come. So when will Big Wind II come? In Peter Lemesurier's book "The Great Pyramid Decoded" he writes that Christ will return to Earth in the year 2039., (the Christos incarnates in a physical man - th