Ancestor Stories - IGRS

pedroeibar1

I see the Irish Genealogical Research Society has launched a call for “Ancestor Stories”.

To celebrate their 80th anniversary they are hoping to collect 80 stories (each no more than 2,500 words) on “special” ancestors and will make them available, free, on their website. Sounds like a very worthwhile project - See here

Anyone going to make a submission?

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."

pinkypinky

I'm dithering about which ancestor! I have one really obvious guy to choose but he's well-written up elsewhere, so this is an opportunity to pick another.

pedroeibar1

Has anyone risen to the challenge? I've made my contribution, edited down a story to 2500 words. It's a project that deserves support and there are many here who have stories to tell!

pinkypinky

I have prioritise a few other things first but I will definitely be submitting one.

KildareFan

Thanks for the reminder! I'll give the cupboard a rattle to see which skeletons dance best.

KK4SAM

I wish I had the skills to develop this story of my ancestors:
Patrick and Sarah Kaveney were tenants of Lord Palmerston and became the first batch of his Assisted Emigrants to leave Sligo in 1847 for Quebec. Patrick and Sarah left on the 5th April 1847. At Sligo Port they were joined by 28 other families, a total of 173 emigrants, all former Palmerston tenants.

Some 17 of the families came from the Ballymote estate, 5 more came from Ennismurray, and 6 came from Ahamlish. Just over three weeks after leaving Sligo these emigrants entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence and were in sight of the Canadian coast when the Carricks was caught in a snow storm and crashed into the notorious Cap des Rosiers. Only 48 passengers survived. Patrick and Sarah with their son Martin survived; their five daughters were drowned.

They set up home in Jersey Cove and had four more children In 1855 Patrick died in a snow storm as he attended St. Patrick Day celebrations.

Rechristened Kavanagh in Canada, Patrick and Sarah set about establishing their new lives and local families helped them out until they could fend for themselves. They set up their new home in Jersey Cove, the Gaspe, had four more children and in 1855 Patrick died in a snow storm as he attended St. Patrick Day celebrations. Now 168 years after arriving in the Gaspe, family branches have spread out across Canada, but they still retain the family base in Jersey Cove. Most family branches are French speakers although some remain English speakers. Down the generations the family retained knowledge of, and came in search of, their Sligo roots. But only in recent years were they able to re-establish those roots and reconnect with long lost relatives who will join Rose Marie and Terry on the upcoming walk.

A monument, erected by the parish of St. Patrick's Montreal, stands in the Gaspe in memory of those who drowned with the sinking of the Carricks. In May 2011 long lost remains were found in what appears to have been a mass grave near where the tragedy occurred. Investigations are underway to determine if these remains are those of Carricks victims.

pedroeibar1

That has the makings of a great story and you have done well in writing the outline so you could easily finish it with a bit of work. There is lots on the web about the shipwreck and on the Sligo end, so a bit of cut & paste with editing and you are there!:)

pinkypinky

Just remember that the criteria for inclusion is about one specific ancestor, rather than whole families.

spurious

The only one I would feel like writing about is actually not a 'blood' family member at all, since she was a first wife of my great grandfather. She died very soon after the marriage, possible due to pregnancy complications - waiting on a death cert from the US to confirm that.

Her name was more than likely not spoken for the last hundred years at least and then I discovered her and she has been put back in the family tree.

So much would have been different had she lived. I wouldn't be here, for one.

pinkypinky

That's nice. One of the parts I like best is restoring people to family memory. My grandmother didn't know about an aunt and uncle who died at 1.5 & 10 respectively. She was amazed her dad had never talked about them. I was so pleased to put them back into our collective knowledge.

cobham

Thank you for reminder of this project. I am at the stage of having exhausted most avenues for research and should really move on to writing up a narrative to make the family history more accessible to wider family. One approach would be to focus on some key individuals and several come to mind. I suppose the submissions to the IGRS must be from members? I must admit to availing of their annual Dublin day of talks without being a member.

Hermy

cobham wrote: »

I suppose the submissions to the IGRS must be from members?

Maybe not - I don't see any mention of that in the Terms and Conditions.

Waitsian

cobham wrote: »

I suppose the submissions to the IGRS must be from members?

Not at all. Write away...

pinkypinky

No, membership not necessary but (shill hat on) €26 for membership, access to the online databases and the journal is very good value!

pedroeibar1

I was wondering about this and now see that the deadline for entries has been pushed out to December. Surely the new GRO access will have unlocked a few ancestral doors to enable more submissions ....?

pinkypinky

I have submitted one on my gg-grandfather. I'd love to do one on a female ancestor but am struggling to put together enough information on any one. Definitely the register release should mean there's a bit more to go on.

pedroeibar1

Well, a poke and a prod from Pinky a while back and I signed up, so I get the newsletters.

This Spring's issue of the members bulletin is just out and it says that the first tranche of stories from this project is now online. The stories have been grouped into themes: 20th century; Military Men, Interesting Professions; New World, New Lives; Women Surviving and Thriving; and Tales of the Famine and Working the Irish land.

This is the link
They make fascinating reading, FREE for all, not just members.