Irish Genealogy Summer School

ACE University College Cork

The Irish Genealogy Summer School at University College Cork (UCC) for 2016. I will be out on the Friday evening with participants of the school but at some point during the school I will be giving a presentation on gravestones and their importance, how to read them. I hadn’t quite decided on my title so the presentation was not listed in the schedule when I first saw it.

This will be my 3rd year giving presentations at the school and I do have to thank Lorna Moloney for inviting me that first year. She is an absolutely great lady for going forward, taking opportunities. Last year this wonderful lady called Jan Gow gave an extra (unexpected) presentation re her mouse which is a scanner. (I hope I am remembering this correctly!!) At the time Jan had a group of people in Ireland as part of a genealogical tour that she carries out. Once she had given her presentation Lorna immediately asked if she would like to give a scheduled talk this year and I am so glad to see that she is included.

Needless to say all the genealogists I know and like who are amongst the best are giving presentations :) Aiden is organising the cultural evening once again, he’s told me that I am going to help him. He had organised it last year and the two of us went for dinner just before it so once we got there I was busy dancing and trying to get other people up to dance! There was an evening out around Cork City where I learned so much stuff that I never knew. University College Cork is my alma mater for both my BSc,. and my PhD., so you’d think that I would know everything there is to know about Cork after all those years I spent in University there. I can honestly say I hadn’t a clue, not a clue. Cork is a beautiful city, Cork people are such nice people.

Of course I took photos both years I have been there but I have never really done anything with them. Tomorrow, I think tomorrow will be a good day to pull out all my photos from the other two years and put them on this page so that those of you who read the page can see them!

A little story I suppose :) The first year I was at the school I was staying in University accomodation. I wanted to go and collect my car which I had left outside the University but I could not work out how to get out through the locked gates. These two ladies came along and helped me exit, so the three of us were walking down the road together and me thinking it would be polite to introduce myself said my name and held my hand out to shake theirs. One of the ladies said “Oh my God, you are not Jane Lyons” and of course I had a puzzled look on my face and I said “I am” – She laughed and replied “Do you know I am here because of you. Imagine that, me opening the gate for Jane Lyons” I couldn’t even begin to tell you what that meant to me, imagine someone being at the school who had heard of me. That as wonderful. As the week went on, I realised that other people at the conference knew about me and my work. Realising that was incredible for me. If any of them every read this page, I’d like to offer them my profound thanks. That particular lady, she was from New Zealand. Her friend with her, someone she had met at the school, an American lady.

Tomorrow. Photos of past schools

University College Cork (UCC)

There’s not an awful lot that one can say about an evening of Irish dancing.

I can say though that from my point of view it was a wonderful evening, it got the people doing the course together so to speak. It relaxed everyone. The group were very good and knew well how to talk to the people they were playing for.

I think we’ll all agree that not everyone got up and danced and *definitely* I really and truly know that even though I walk my dogs at least two miles every day that I am NOT fit. One dance on the floor and that was it, I wanted to sit and do nothing. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to do ‘nothing’ when Irish music is playing. I didn’t dance on the floor very much but I made great use of the free floor!

I have to mention Aiden Feerick who was part of the organisation of the evening, he’s the man in blue in the photos and he danced the night away. You can see himself and Anne the here.

John Nangle (our other Gravestone person) joined the group and sang a few songs and we’ve been teasing him about that since then. We’re organising another session for next year and we’ve told him that he has to sing again!

Rosaleen Underwood also gave us a song or two. I’ve also got a photograph of Janice here, Janice was photographing everything and so will appear in none of her own shots.

I dare not forget her! Sitting down is Lorna Moloney the lady who organises the ACE Irish Genealogy Summer School down in UCC and then in the first photo here we have Nicholas with Lorna. Nicholas was everywhere because he had the first aid box and minded us all and he was wonderful.