In those years, a long long time before electricity and tractors came to the farms near the border between County Cavan and County Meath, and long before the days of radio and television, the neighbours gathered in the ceidhle house every evening to socialize and tell stories by the light of a flickering candle or a kerosene lamp.
The ceidhle house was the pre-internet equivalent of this Community Blog where todays contributors can continue to socialize, tell their favourite stories, and comment on what others say.
Let us start by recording a few of the comments that visitors to this DonnellyCanada website have submitted during the past year:
SUBMITTED AT: 2010-05-10 21:51:03 BY SEAN MCCABE.
Greetings, I enjoy your site….my Father, John, is a first cousin of Willie O’Brien’s wife, Mary. Mary is our ONLY living relative on my Dad’s side. John McCabe was born on Maio hill in Trohanny (1934) – in between Golashane and Doon. The remnants of his family’s home are still visible. He was orphaned in 1942. His story is quite unique, brought to New Jersey in 1948 by his uncle, a priest (Monsignor Philip McCabe). He became a Newark, NJ police officer and married a childhood neighbor from Kells (his grandmother took him to Kells in ’42 until her death ’48). I have begun to stat researching our family and have found Patrick McCabe (my great-great grandfather) in the Griffiths valuation (same house in Trohanny!). My Dad’s mother was a McEntee (Lizzie) who was sisters with Mary O’Brien’s mother. I have found the McEntee home in Coppanagh, it sit’s in the middle of a field close to Lough-an-leagh (spelling?) mountain. I have visited this house (and the McCabe home) just last month – as I was “home” for a funeral in Kells. I am the 2nd of 6 children of John and Kathleen (Doyle) McCabe. My parents are both alive and well and live in Cedar Grove, NJ (as do I) and have 19 grandchildren.
My Dad showed me the article about your book (The Eyes That Shone) in the “Meath Chronicle”; hence, my reason for contact. I have been in the old Moybologue cemetery and another derelict cemetery in Kinscourt (Enniskeen) last month looking for McEntees. The cemetery is VERY much overgrown and I understand that there is a movement gaining traction for restoration. I did find Mary O’Brien’s father’s family in there (Owen Shankey- Kilmainhamwood). I would welcome speaking with you; as I have developed a passion for my family history, as well as the Tierworker area. Kind Regards, Sean P McCabe.
SUBMITTED MAY 01, 2010 4:53 AM BY RICHARD BARBER
I feel compelled to send you a few lines after reading your very interesting story (The Eyes That Shone). As I am just twelve days older than you we have so much in common. Everything about your early years are so familiar to me .I am sure that when you were in the fields in Glanadarragh whether picking spuds tying oats on making hay I was surely doing exactly the thing at the same time less than a mile away in the fields behind the Chapel, as my parents had rented the land from Finnegan before they acquired any land of their own.
I well remember the day that Freddy Pringle lost his arm in the thrasher, it was at the ”Dingers” just across the fields from our house,many a time I was on the thrasher beside him cuttings the bands before and after his accident but luckly not on that day. I do admire your adoration you have for your late wife, yours must have being a truly happy union.
I do hope that your book will go on to be a success as you coming from a very humble background to achieve so much deserve everything you get.
I have written a brief account of my life I will send it on to you sometime
Regards, Richard
