A visit to the RCB Church of Ireland Library at Churchtown proved useful but not ground-breaking. Not able to copy or photograph anything there, so a day spent scribbling frantically to get through the Kilrush parish registers.
A trip to the National Archives was not very useful - I did order copies of some wills. It was only slightly less complicated ordering them in person than it had been trying to order them on-line from Australia.
More success in the National Library where I was able to access a bundle of letters in the Inchiquin papers collection, written by Thomas Pilkington (father & son) to Lord Inchiquin and spanning a period of about 30 years, to do with their occupation of Waterpark House. The letters provided a fascinating insight into the personalities of those involved. Not too sure about this, but I think the form I had to sign to access them prevents me from disclosing the actual information contained. Suffice to say there was quite a bit of dealing going on, as well as the slightest suggestion of blackmail! Now this is the stuff that makes our histories interesting!!
A little bit of shopping in Dublin for the obligatory Irish presents for the family at home filled a couple of hours, as did a walk through the Georgian section looking for addresses familiar from letters to Australia 100 years and more ago.
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| 13 Hume Street, home of Richard & Henrietta (Pilkington) Tweedy in 1904. |
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| 114 Lower Baggot Street, home of Robert & Anna Mary (Pilkington) Griffin in the 1850's to 1870's |
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On Saturday I visited Mt. Jerome Cemetery (and here for cemetery records)at Harold's Cross, and located the group of family graves there, in a very old and run-down part of the cemetery. There are five family members representing 3 generations who are memorialised on one headstone over what may be a double plot. Whether they are all actually buried there or not I don't know. I'm still getting my head around the Irish tradition of remembering people on headstones even if they are buried somewhere else!
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| Grave of 3 of my grandfather's siblings, his mother & grandmother Anne Pilkington (nee Keane) Mary Pilkington (nee Haughton) Mary Edith Pilkington Annie Lilian Pilkington Francis Conyngham Pilkington |
The next day I visited Glasnevin cemetery, which was just a short walk from where I was staying. What a contrast! Glasnevin was beautiful and very well maintained. I did a cemetery tour which had been recommended by my landlady. It was very well worth it - as well as being very entertaining, it provided a great insight into the lives of the historical figures buried there and their part in Ireland's long struggle for independence. My visit coincided with celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Thomas Davis, one of the founders of the Young Ireland movement, and also the Annual Commemoration of the death of Daniel O'Connell. Even though I had no personal connection to anyone buried there, I really enjoyed it. Also had the best bowl of seafood chowder ever, in the Glasnevin café!
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| Celebration to mark bi-centenary of the birth of Thomas Davis, one of the founders of the Young Ireland movement. |
A walk through the beautiful National Botanic Gardens which are adjacent to Glasnevin completed the afternoon, and my last day in Dublin.
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