Feeling:
Random Thought:
Music:

This is my latest thing:

I found a Web site several weeks ago that gives lessons on the (Irish) Gaelic language, and of course, I thought it was the most awesome thing since I discovered you could actually SHOP on the Internet! So, needless to say, I decided to try and fumble my way through it. It's pretty cool, although I can't wait to get my speakers hooked back up (waiting for my new armoire to get here--it should arrive Wednesday) so that I can hear some of the pronunciations.

Nothing irks me more than trying to figure out a pronunciation from the snippets of written sound they put in the parentheses (p&-'ren[t]-th&-s&s). I feel like an idiot, trying to mimick the sounds out loud.

So anyway, yes, I'm trying (TRYing) to teach myself Gaelic.

Well, NO! If you must know, I DON'T have any clue WHY I'm doing it. Do I EVER have a clue about these things??

NO!

And all this, of course, brings me to the point of the title, "Digging Up A Heritage." As if I need to explain it, I have Irish roots that grow not *too* far beneath the soil of life.

My great-great-grandfather was born in Ireland and lived there until...well, I don't know how old he was exactly, but he lived there until he was old enough to leave with his brother. All we know for sure is that he left Ireland with his brother, and had to swim to the Outer Banks of NC when the boat they were sailing on sunk just a mile or two from land.

From there, his brother went north and settled, while he remained in NC. O'Neal was his name (his first name escapes me at the moment), and that's all we know. All records stop at the coast of NC. We don't know the name of the ship that sunk (or if he was even *legally* a passenger--which for some reason seems unlikely to me), what his parents' names were, or even where he lived in Ireland. It makes me sad to know that his recorded existance didn't follow him to this country, frustrated that no one has the time or inclination to continue digging.

Roo's brother, who apparently did some geneological research for their family, once said, "When records stop like that, it's usually because the person didn't want to be found--or discovered."

Perhaps.

Anyway, so ALL of this has had me surfing the 'Net in search of History. I know so many things already, but every leaf offers new and interesting information when overturned.

I'll be sure to record some of the more interesting things here....later.

<< - >>

Save The Rayne! - 2004-12-27
Want some popcorn? - 2004-06-23
- - 2004-06-19
Pfft. - 2004-06-12
Wheehaa!! Going to see PoA! - 2004-06-02

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