Donegal - The drive back to Glen Colmcille from the Crolly babogi (doll) factory through the wilds of Donegal is so peaceful, and nourishing for the soul. I am finding my heart just singing with the changing colors of the afternoon sky. It is a beautiful October afternoon.

I found my way through two hours of back roads to the Crolly (Angaire) doll factory to get a special birthday doll for Caitlin. Bummer, when I arrive the shop has closed for the day. I have missed it by about a half hour. I am so disappointed. Then I notice a small sign on the door that says if you are really interested in buying a doll when the shop is closed, to call one of two telephone numbers and they will stop by. I do just that, and when I talk to the person on the other end she tells me she will be there in about five minutes. She keeps her word, comes by and opens up the shop for me. Alone, in the doll factory surrounded by these wonderful creations, it is hard to make up my mind......

Garinion (Grandaughter) Caitlín …Happy 1st Birthday Nov 18 Hugs and Loves and Kisses from Mamó

Ballinadoon Priory

After my Sunday afternoon walk, I left the grey skies over Culleenamore beach and headed off in the car to find Ballinadoon Priory where there is a stone marker for the “Councilor” Terence Mac Donagh.

St Mary’s Priory, Ballinadoon was founded in 1507 under the patronage of the MacDonagh’s. Although the lands were confiscated after Henry VIII’s suppression of the monasteries, the friars continued to live nearby until the late 18th century.

Terence MacDonagh (1640 – 1713) was one of the prominent legal advocates of his day. Through the influence of Lord Taffee, he had the distinction of being the only catholic counsel admitted to the Irish bar after the Battle of Limerick, and thus was the only Irish spokesperson during the initial onslaught of the Penal laws. He was instrumental in rescuing and restoring confiscated estates for the O Connor family of Sligo. The blind harpist Turlough O Carolan was a regular visitor to MacDonagh’s home at Creevagh. On the death of MacDonagh in 1713, the harpist O Carolan composed an elegy “Lament for Terence MacDonagh”.

Terence Mac Donagh Marker Through Alcove

While scouring around the Abbey tombstones and under the arches , I hear a rustling noise, coming from outside a small archway. I shouted “Hello there" . A soft shout back, “Be’god you gave me a fright” as a bentover man, a farmer, in his late seventies came through the arch looking my way. I told him I was checking out Terence Mac Donagh’s marker stone since he was one of my ancestors. I found his marker through an archway and in a small alcove.

Terence McDonough lyes win this grave.
That says enough for all that generous, brave, faceious, friendly, witty, just and good.
In this Lord’d name is fully understood. For it includes what e’r we virtue call, and is the hieroglyphick of them all.
Pray for ye soul of Ellin’r O Roirke his wife who caused this monument to be erected in the year 1737
October 1819 this monument was removed from Ballinagar and erected here by Andrew MacDonagh of Derna

“He’s not buried there" the farmer says .
“My father told me the story that the stone was took from Ballygar, in Roscommon, in the middle of the night and put it here” “Your family from around here?” he goes on to ask me.
"Yes, from Sligo, from the Ballymote area".
“Ah sure that six-seven miles away.” he says
....... to be continued ....

Visit to Mamó in Sligo: Trip to Breeogue Pottery

Late Saturday afternoon I took Matt, Kristin and Maeve on a mystery trip to Breeogue Pottery down at Ransborough. http://www.calleryceramics.com/ There we had a foot and hand casting made for Maeve. She was nt too sure if she liked the feel of her warm foot on the cold clay!

Beeogue pottery is located in the grounds of Breeogue lodge under the shadow of Knocknarea on the Coolera pennisula. The story of the Walsh family who built the lodge is an interesting one complete with a widow's curse.

The Walsh Family of Breeogue were descended from the old Norman-Welsh family of Walsh of Carrick mines, Dublin. Edward Walsh moved to Sligo (died 1782) and worked as a steward on an estate at Beltra. He fell in love and eloped with the landowners daughter. They married and settled down on a holding at the foot of Knocknarea.. His son Matthew greatly extended the family holdings. It was during his lifetime that the Walsh family settled at Bree. Matthew built the lodge there at the end of the 18th century at a cost of 100 pounds. Matthew Walsh was the leading landholder in the Coolera peninsula. He died in 1802 and is buried in Sligo Abbey:
Beneath this Stone in Heaven Sleep
The Virtuous Matthew lies
Ye Friends of his forebear to weep
For a good man never dies
On Matthew's death, the lands passed to his eldest son Laurence Walsh who at the time was involved in Catholic Emancipation. In 1842, he was succeeded by his eldest son Matthew Walsh (1805 -1887) who was not a popular landlord in his lifetime. It is said that a widow put a curse on Matthew’s family when she was forced to part with a small tenant holding for a fraction of its value. Shorty after this sale, Matthew’s three sons died while in their prime within a year of each other, and the estate was divided between his three married daughters. Breeogue Lodge and the demesne lands passed to his daughter Mrs P White. The other three unmarried daughters entered religious life. The last Walsh of Breeogue, Mother Claire, died in 1936.

Back to Ballybofey and Stranorlar - 1950's Childhood playmates

Almost at the end of my stay here I am going back to Ballybofey for an evening meal at one of the local hotels to meet with a group of women who like me had gone to St Mary’s National School in Stranorlar in the 1950’s.

In the photo there are two of my childhood playmates during my growing up years in Ballybofey(Eleanor, 2 nd on right), and Lelia (2 nd on left beside me) - we had stories to tell and memories to share. Mary McNulty (1st on left) lived across the street from me. Her family owned McNulty's "Chipper" - where we would go to get bags of hot chips (french fries). This was before the days of Ronald McDonald. At back is seated Philomena Brady and to the right Siobhan - both a few years older than me. Lelia, Eleanor, Martina and I were the little ones who watched what the older ones did! Martina, the young one of the group actually did teacher training at the same college I did in England. We missed each other by a few years - what a small world.

Before dinner there was a treat in store for me. Mary McNulty had a school picture of Finn College students taken while I was there(about 1958). She had received it from Chick Logue who owned the school. Chick’s father had founded the Finn College in 1929, he and his wife ran it until their deaths, making it a viable enterprise by providing lodging for the teachers as part of their compensation. After their deaths, Chick ran the school until changes in the Irish education system occurred during 1960’s when for financial reasons she felt she was forced to close it . To my delight the next day, Siobhan Brady took me to visit Chick Logue.

Gathering at Villa Rosa, Ballybofey

Lelia (middle), Eleanor (right), Etta

Finn College, Ballybofey. Closed in 1968.
I attended the Finn College in 1958 for a year. Then the next year was sent to boarding school to the Loreto nuns in Dalkey, Dublin for my secondary education. I thoroughly enjoyed the Finn College.
Finn College (2005)

Killoran "Relig", Sligo

I decide to seek out the Killoran graveyard (Relig) where my MacDonagh grandparents – Eugene and Anne (Hayden) MacDonagh are buried. From reading Daddy's manuscripts at the reference Library in Sligo, I have discovered not only are my grandparents, Eugene and Anne, buried there but also great grandparents Patrick and his wife, and great –great grandparents James and Betty.

I wander around the countryside, up and down lanes and dirt roads, back and forth looking for the Killoran site. There are no signposts. Finally spotting a farmer unloading his tractor, I pull up the car next to him. We chat for a good ten minutes during which time he has given me directions not only once but several times. "Ah, sure you're alone, are you?" he asks and then goes on to tell me I am great to be doing this by myself!

Arriving at Killoran, I find many of the graves are overgrown with weeds, ivy, undergrowth. I am dissapointed I can’t locate them. Daddy did record in his manuscripts that the MacDonagh sites are located beside the O Hara alcove. The O Hara alcove is marked with a placque put up by family members. Taking a black stone I have carried with me, I place it on a ledge there in remembrance and as a connection between me and my family buried here. I stop and pray for the elders and all who are buried here.

Killoran Graveyard - MacDonagh Site near O Hara Alcove