Every so often I revisit some part or another of my vast family tree, to see if anything or anyone new has appeared on the scene. And so it was that I discovered Denny in Ohio, who is, I think, my fifth cousin - yes, fifth cousin. We share ancestors down in Carmarthenshire where my direct line of Joneses comes from. My great-great-great- grandmother and his were sisters all those years ago. It turns out he has visited Wales and even emailed me a picture of him in front of a CARDIFF sign on a station platform here.
Although I suppose I'm an old hand at genealogy now, it's still fun to encounter connections like this. From not knowing about any American family twenty years ago, I'm now aware of and/or been in touch with folks in New Jersey, Ohio, Utah. Arizona and California. Sounds like an interesting holiday route!
If I can help with your family history, let me know - though I make no promises, especially if your history lies in Ireland. That is notoriously difficult for genealogists, as most civil records have been destroyed in conflicts, we're in the hands of church authorities....
Talking of Ireland, I'm about 40% Irish by ancestry and I love music from all the Celtic countries. Here is a traditional song from Ireland popular in the gaelic-speking areas sung by group Clannad. It is from a concert in Christ Church Church of Ireland Cathedral Dublin about 10 years ago. It certainly touches the Celt within me... It's sung in Gaelic so I've put a translation below.
If you want to watch/listen to the whole concert visit https://youtu.be/o2vIu3nr3OI
Thíos cois na trá domh, in ndoimhneacht na h-oíche
The big world asleep, I'm alone
An saol mhor ina gcodhladh, 's mise liom féin
The seabirds are calling sadly
Na h-éanacha mara ag scairtigh go léanmhar
Like poor souls in pain
Cosúil le h-anamnacha bochta i bpéin
Ionlán gealaí 's iomlán rabharta
Joy and silence, and beauty in the world
Aoibhneas 's ciúineas, 's áilleacht sa domhain
The murmur of the sea echoing in my ears
Crónán na fairrige ag dul siar ar mo chluasa
The soft music of the water flowing in the river
Bog-cheol an uisce ag sileadh sam abhainn
Istigh ar h-inseáin tá sean-reilig bheannaithe
The place where saints lived in ancient times
An áit inar mhaireadh naoimh sam aimsir fadó
There are people inside spending time gayly
Tá daoine istigh ann ag chaith seal do h-aerach
They will no longer walk across the shore
Ní shiúlfaidh siad thar fán chladaigh níos mó
Bhuail uaigneas m'intinn 's mé ag amharc ar an reilig
I'm thinking of people inside lying there
'S mé ag meadhradh ar dhaoine istigh ann ina luí
Young men and women, old people and children
Fir a's mná óga, seandaoine 's páistí
The people of my people and the friends of my heart
Muintir mo mhuintir 's cairde mo chroí
Tá no coiligh ag glaoch 's na réalta ag bánú
The moon is setting and it 's not long
Tá an gealach ina luí 's ní fada go lá
Goodbye now blessed old graveyard
Slán agat anois a shean-reilig bheannaithe
And the people who walked with me down by the beach
'S na daoine a shiúlfadh liom síos cois na trá
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