Happy St. Patrick's Day to all from Northern California!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all 

from Northern California!

I spent the day photographing some 6 year olds at my daughter's school as they sought to find their local leprechaun named "Winky".  It is quite the tradition at the school for Kindergarten.  The first graders set leprechaun traps in hopes of catching Winky.  Again, another fun experience in honor of the day. 

Below is Winky.  He turns to stone when he has been found.  I'm not sure how much that fits in with Irish tradition but it is fun for the kids. They all wore green today.

In the grand tradition of Ireland, or at least according to the support beam at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin......

A special greeting to my Flanagan and Hickey Relatives in Ireland who sent messages today. 

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit 

  

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat. 

Go raibh cóir na gaoithe i gcónaí leat. 

Go dtaitní an ghrian go bog bláth ar do chlár éadain, 

go dtite an bháisteach go bog mín ar do ghoirt. 

Agus go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís, 

go gcoinní Dia i mbois a láimhe thú. 

I hope that everyone has a great day!

Patrick Hickey and Loughatorick

Patrick Hickey was my great grandfather but this was also the name of my 3rd great grandfather, too.  Let me not forget to mention that when I research my great grandfather, Patrick Hickey, in NYC, I find 3 others around the same time.  I also kind of get the feeling that I'd find at least 3 (or more) additional Patrick Hickey's in County Clare around the same time that my Patrick Hickey was there.  Chalk it up to Patrick and Hickey being a common name in the Western part of Ireland and in NYC circa anytime from 1850 to say 1950.

To find out more about my Hickey roots, I took a long break from my research.  Recently, I started thinking about the specific location of my Hickey's.  I have actually been in brief contact with distant Hickey relatives via email who refer to Loughatorick as "going home for a visit" even though they don't live there any longer.  They do still live in Ireland.  Relative to the USA, it is not a very big place.

I decided to Google Loughatorick.  I'd didn't find Hickey's and instead found the following.

Hayes Ruins, courtesy of romali231

Ruins of Hayes family cottages and outbuildings abandoned circa 1922.

Loughatorick South, Co. Galway, Ireland. Ruins of the Hayes family houses 

and outbuildings abandoned in 1922.

Patrick Hickey, my 3rd great grandfather was born in 1819, Loughatorick, Galway, Ireland.  Woodford is also mentioned somewhere in the history that I have about the family.  Anyway, Ellenora Hayes was his wife, my 3rd great grandmother.  So, maybe just maybe, I found the old family farm.  It's ruins in this day and age.  That is not unusual, I suppose.  I rather like the fact that the Irish leave their ruins in place. 

In my review of additional search results for Loughatorick, I find it as being in County Clare.  I have previously written about my ancestors living on the border of Counties Clare and Galway.  The Griffith Valuation altered the border in the mid 1860s.  The Loughatorick of my ancestors prior to the 1860s was in County Galway but it may actually be in County Clare these days.  Needless to say, it is the same location.

I hope to find more someday.  Reality is that I may not be able to find out any more of my family tree beyond Patrick Hickey (b.1819) and Ellenora Hayes.  I'd be okay with that for now.