Irish Family History

Baltinglass Abbey in Co. Wicklow was founded in 1198 by Dermot MacMurrough (Diarmait Mac Murchadha), the King of Leinster who brought the Anglo-Normans to Ireland.

The abbey is a Cistercian monastery, the daughter house to Mellifont. Although there would have been many domestic buildings, today little remains other than the ruined church which was built in the 12th century. It is thought that the same masons built Jerpoint Abbey in Co. Kilkenny as the carvings are very similar.

The abbey was later made subject to Furness in Lancashire, causing the monks to expel their new abbot. The abbot seized the abbey by force resulting in some of the monks being expelled themselves. By 1228 there were 36 monks and 50 lay-brothers.

Baltinglass Abbey was dissolved in 1536, under Henry VIII’s Reformation. A Protestant church was built in the ruins in 1815 but it was not used after 1883 and only the tower remains.

There has been a castle at Kilkenny ever since Strongbow built his wooden tower there in 1172. The first stone castle there was created for the Earl of Pembroke, William Marshal, who married Strongbow’s daughter.However, the family most associated with Kilkenny Castle are the Butlers. Originally the Walter family, they came to Ireland during the Norman Invasion but became known as the Butlers when in 1185 they were given the royal privilege of Chief Butler of Ireland.Kilkenny Castle was purchased by James Butler (3rd Earl of Ormonde) in 1391, and remained in the family until 1967 when Arthur Butler (6th Marquess and 24th Earl of Ormonde) handed it over to the Castle Restoration Committee.

Today visitors can take a 45 minute guided tour of the castle. The tour begins with a film showing the history of the Castle from Strongbow onwards - visitors learn, for instance, that during the seventeenth century a room in one of the towers was used by the Confederate Parliament as their Great Council Chamber while in 1650 one side of the castle was damaged by Cromwell’s troops.

Next a guide takes the group on a tour around the castle which includes the library, drawing room and long gallery among others. Because the castle had been in such a state of disrepair when it came into State care, much of it has had to be recreated – but this has been done in a way that is faithful to the original.

After the tour, you could take a walk in the 20 hecatares of parkland within Kilkenny Castle Park, originally landscaped during the eighteenth century. There is a children’s playground too, and opposite in what used to be the stables is the Kilkenny Design Centre, which includes a restaurant/cafe on the first floor and a gift shop on the ground floor.

This latest exhibition at the National Library of Ireland runs throughout 2008. It examines the movement of the Irish to mainland Europe from Confederacy’s defeat at Kinsale in 1602, and the subsequent Flight of the Earls in 1607 through to the eighteenth century.

Strangers to Citizens tells the story of how the Irish formed communities and integrated into their host communities, exploring a number of different themes:
• War
• Journeys
• Colleges
• Military
• Professionals

Each theme includes interesting information panels as well as items relating to the theme. For instance, the section on Journeys includes Ó Cianaín’s diary, the account he wrote during the Flight of the Earls. In Colleges, there is information on the universities of Leuven, Paris and Salamanca and information on the college day and student life. Examples of some of the first Gaelic printed are displayed in the exhibition.

The Military section explains how Catholic Irish mercenaries tended to sign up with the armies of Spain, Austria and France while their Protestant counterparts were more likely to associate with the Dutch and Swedes. There is information on key figures such as Field Marshal Lacy and Alexander O’Reilly as well as detailed information on France, Italy and the role of women.

There is an interesting map showing the items traded by Merchants and the key trading ports. Trades included wine and brandy, but some Irish were also involved in the slave trade, particularly those based in Nantes, France. Finally, Irish migrants who became professionals overseas are mentioned – for instance, physicians, civil servants and diplomats.

The exhibition is an interesting overview on the theme of Irish migration between 1600 – 1800. It is a relatively small exhibition, so can be viewed in a relatively short amount of time (30 minutes to an hour). There are also guided tours available. It is certainly worth stopping off at the exhibition if you are in Dublin, or if you need a break from your research in the National Library round the corner.

Entry to the exhibition is free. It is held at the National Library of Ireland’s building at 2-3 Kildare Street (note this is not the main library building but the genealogical office near to the Royal College of Surgeons).

The exhibition is open:
Monday – Wednesday: 9.30 – 20.30
Thursday – Friday: 9.30 – 16.30
Saturday: 9.30 – 12.30

Ormond Castle is located on the banks of the River Suir at Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, Ireland.  It is Ireland’s best example of an Elizabethan manor house. The visitor arriving at Ormond Castle first sees the façade of the Manor House which was built by Tomás Dubh (Black Tom) Butler in the 1560s.  The 10th Earl of Ormond, Black Tom was a Protestant but well-liked by the native Irish.

To the south of the castle are two towers and some ruins which date back to the mid-fifteenth century when the castle was the home of Sir Edmund MacRichard Butler.

Following the death of Black Tom, the Butler family moved to Kilkenny Castle and over time the castle fell into a state of disrepair until it was taken into the care of the Office of Public Works.

Visitors to the castle should take a guided tour which takes around 30 minutes. During this time you are shown a short introductory film and then a guide takes you around the interior of the manor.

The most notable feature is the Long Gallery which is nearly 100 feet in length and is unique in terms of Irish architecture.  There is a beautiful limestone mantel inscribed with the date 1565.  The plasterwork has been restored, and the ceiling includes various symbols including the Butler Coat of Arms and the Queen’s Arms. 

Black Tom was a loyal supporter of Queen Elizabeth I, his cousin, as demonstrated by his suppression of a rebellion in 1659, the leaders of which included three of his brothers and he was rewarded by  her a number of times.  In fact, it is said that the manor was built by Black Tom in anticipation of a visit from Queen Elizabeth, but unfortunately she never made the trip!

Other rooms include a hallway downstairs, a bedroom and the attic which is fascinating to see – the whole roof is made of timber and was put together without any bolts.

Following the tour there is time to take a look outside and examine the ruins at your leisure. For visiting times, see the Heritage Ireland website.

In the 1840s the population of Ireland was over 8 million people, most of whom were tenant farmers or farm labourers.  They were heavily dependant on their potato crops and much of their earnings from their produce went towards paying rent to their landlords.  In 1846 there was a potato blight - during this period over 1 million people died of hunger and famine fever.  In addition over 1 million Irish people emigrated - very often arriving to their destination very poor but with the aim of improving their lot.

The Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in 1845 and it carried emigrants across the Atlantic.  The original ran aground off the coast of Labrador, and all that remains to this day is the ships bell which the owners kept when they sold the boat (traditionally the bells are kept when ships are sold to a new owner).

The John F. Kennedy Trust decided to build a replica as a memorial to these passengers and a celebration of their lives.  John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the USA and his grandfather, Patrick, took passage from New Ross so this ship is of special significance to the family.  His sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, took part in the naming ceremony of the replica which is now docked at New Ross in Wexford.

The ship was originally built in Quebec in 1845.  It was 176 feet long and 28 feet wide.  The number of passengers allowed on board was calculated based on the registered tonnage of the ship.  The 1847 Passenger Act stated that for every 5 registered tons 3 passengers were permitted (including the master and crew).  The Dunbrody had a registered tonnage of 485 which meant they could admit 291 passengers and crew.  However children under 14 were classed as half-statute adults and babies under 1 year were not counted at all which meant that at times it carried way in excess of 291 people.

The master of the ship was Captain John Williams, a Welshman. Owned by the Graves family, it carried cargoes such as timber, cotto and guano.   During the famine it would carry people from Ireland back to North America.  In 1847 it carried 313 people, 5 of whom died during the voyage and 3 of whom died in quarantine subsequently.  This would have been considered a very good record compared to other ‘coffin ships’, so called because of the number of people who died on board. The ship had a crew of 12 who were relatively well paid at £2.55 per month.  Officers had very strict regulations and anyone contravening the ship’s rules was subject to a heavy fine.

Life on board the ship would have been very tough.  There were first class passengers, but the most that could be accommodated was 8 people.  They were situated at one end of the first deck, separate from the rest of the passengers. A first class ticket would have cost £10 which at the time would have been roughly an average workers annual wages. 

While the crew and first class passengers would have eaten dried meat, and occasionally even some fresh meat as animals were kept onboard, those who went steerage had to make do with grain and biscuit which they were expected to cook themselves on an open stove.  Water was strictly rationed.  Unlike the first class passengers who had some kind of toilet (albeit very basic) the steerage passengers had to make do with buckets, and on days when the weather was bad and the hatches were down they simply were unable to empty them.  Couple this with the fact that their companions may be seasick or have some more infectious disease and life below deck was certainly not very pleasant particularly in bad weather.  There were rats on board the ship too, as well as fleas and bed-bugs.The voyage would take 6-8 weeks so these conditions had to be endured for a reasonably long time. 

Living conditions were cramped.  Bunks were created 6 feet long by 6 feet wide, and given that the space allocated to an adult was 6 feet and 18 inches this meant that four people shared a bunk.  If your family was with you then at least you knew your neighbours, but single people or couples might share a bunk with total strangers.

The trip commences with an audio-visual film showing the making of the replica Dunbrody which is fascinating to watch, and it also includes clips from JFK’s visit to Ireland.  Following the film, visitors are taken on board the ship where they are given a guided tour of the main deck, the first-class quarters and steerage.  They then meet some of the ship’s ‘passengers’ who are dressed in costume and tell their stories of why they are on the ship, what it is like as a passenger, the lives they left and their hopes for the future. They are dressed in period costume which adds to the effect of their stories, and brings the dialogue to life, particularly for children. 

Following this there is free time to ask questions or look at the ship further.  The original ship’s bell should not be missed, although the whole ship is in itself a work of art. The only criticism from the group I was with was that after the talk and time for questions, there are not many other visual displays to look at in order to learn more - there are maybe five posters with some basic information.

After the tour visitors are given the opportunity to access a database of emigrants compiled from ships passenger list declarations on arrival into the US from all ports of embarkation in Ireland and Great Britain free of charge.  The database contains 3 million records of not just for ports of embarkation within Ireland but England, Scotland and Wales too.  The records cover New York and Castle Gardens between 1846 and 1886, and Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore between 1846 and 1851.  The JFK Trust say that this information is more comprehensive than you would get on ancestry.com.  

The cost of a printout for the search results for any given surname was €11.  The results show anyone from Ireland or Britain, and unfortunately it is not possible to search by ship as I would have liked to have been able to view who the passengers on the Dunbrody itself were.  I was told that the information in the database will shortly be available online, so watch this space for more information.

The Dunbrody Famine Ship is open seven days a week all year round. In terms of facilities, there is a cafe (the cakes come highly recommended) and a shop in the Dunbrody Visitor Centre. Note that to get down to the lower decks you need to go down some steep ladders, but fortunately there is a wheelchair facility, a lift that people can go below on, making it accessible to all. It is easy to do the entire trip in an hour or so, making it ideal if you are pushed for time or if you have small children. Likewise you can linger at leisure on the ship if you prefer. It is definitely worth a visit.