Amber and Matt's European Adventures: Return to Dublin

Guess I better update this blog, especially since we are going away this weekend for my birthday and I'm sure I'll have lots to tell when we return. Well, I returned to Dublin back in early October to continue my family research. It has been such a special thing for me to undertake. Both sets of grandparents died when I was young and so did my father. So, the more I can find out about any branch of my family tree the better. I am tracing my maternal grandfather's family, whose parents immigrated to Pennsylvania from Ireland sometime between 1902-1910. I have been fortunate to find birth records, one showing that I share a birthday with a great-great uncle (November 24). On this recent trip, I also found land records pertaining to the land my family occupied at the time of my earliest records. It appears that the land on which they lived from the mid-1800s is still in the family today! I even have a land map showing the plots. My dream would be to go to the townland of Fahy, in the parish of Clifden in Galway County, and walk the ground that my ancestors did. I'm sure I share dreams of many family researchers when I imagine going to the "homeland" and meeting people that share the same family ties.

Irish Life Center

Unfortunately, I only allowed myself one day longer than the last trip. I'm sure I can make a couple weeks or more out of it, though. One place and record leads you to another place and then back to somewhere you've already been before, and around it goes. Even though I was on my own, I did not have to spend the evenings holed up in my hotel room. Matt's company has an office in Dublin and I've previously met some of his colleagues from the city. The first night I met up with Vanessa, who is from Denver like ourselves. The second night I met up with Marta, who is from Poland. She and I went to a Cajun-Creole restaurant near the Temple Bar area, for something new and different. On my last evening, Vanessa invited me to her home in Booterstown to dine with her family. Booterstown is basically a suburb of Dublin and just a short tram ride away. I had a lovely time all around and hope it isn't the last time I see them or visit Dublin.