Donnelly Canada

Greaghnadarragh This post relates to Greaghnadarragh in the civic parish of Moybologue, in the district of Bailieborough in County Cavan, Ireland. Greaghnadarragh is the English, or anglicized, version of the Irish Gréach na Darach. Gréach translates to ‘moor’ or ‘rough pasture-land’ or ‘field’. na Darach means ‘of the oak’. Hence,

Annie Barber – Recalling her life On 12th April 1997, the Tierworker Ceidhle House was honoured with a special visitor – Annie Barber, the mother of Richard Barber. During that visit, Annie gave a remarkable interview on radio, which is reproduced below in eight (8) video segments of about nine (9) minutes each. But before

GROWING POTATOES IN IRELAND IN THE 1940s By Richard Barber Submitted to Philip Donnelly’s Blog – November 2011 PREPARATION The production of potatoes, the staple diet of the Irish for many centuries, was a very labour intensive procedure. In that time, before tractors and electricity came to rural Ireland, everything

THE ART OF BUTTERMAKING ON THE BARBER FARM IN TIERWORKER WHEN I WAS YOUNG  By Richard Barber, submitted to Philip Donnelly’s Blog April 2011. In the good old days, (that is before rural electrification came to Tierworker in the mid-1900s) as with everything else, butter was made mainly by hand.

A few weeks ago, when Richard Barber (FIX THIS LINK)paid a visit to the Tierworker Ceidhle House, he reached back into his memory to interpret some entries in George Townley’s diary of 1947 (FIX THIS LINK). Richard is George’s nephew, and remembers him very well.  We thank Richard for this, and anticipate receiving more feedback from others who read

The George A. Townley Diary – 1947 Introduction It is with a sense of great respect and sincere appreciation that the Tierworker Ceidhle House receives this diary for the year 1947 which was kept by George Townley, who lived at Killagriffe House near Tierworker, County Meath. George Townley’s work ethic – as

The contributors to DonnellyCanada and Heritage Tierworker continue to provide opinions, comments, and literature references that will interest those with connections to Tierworker. Here are a few: Matt Carolan in a recent email says – “I liked the story that lady in New Zeland told you; that’s exactly what went

Leslie McKeague of Urcher, Bailieborough, who recently published his magnificent book – Bailieborough, A Pictorial Past – provides photos 1 and 2 below. They are probably photos of the shop at Tierworker crossroads when it was owned by Finegan in the 1940s. However, someone has suggested that it may be a shop

Teresa O’Reilly in New Zealand writes to DonnellyCanada to say that her great grandfather Thomas Reilly, had a farm at Tierworker. Thomas’ son, Philip O’Reilly, her grandfather, was given a horse by his father to take to the local fair to sell.  He never returned with the money and the