My Kerry Families

The first county book that I decided to write for the Irish

Families project was on County Kerry, Ireland. In part

for my mothers side of the family. They passed on the

name of that county of origin through several generations.

There were only a few scraps of information that came

down to me, however.


O’Donoughue of the Glen

I had been told that we were “The O’Donaghues of the

Glen”. It was told to my mother by my grandmother.

I did not know that it meant we came from ‘Glenflesk’

County Kerry. My mother also told me that she would

imagine a horse galloping through the glen, and how

beautiful it was - though she nor her mother had ever

been there. That was one ethnic memory that led me to

make the first trip to Ireland. There I found out from

whom I had descended.


Irish Secrets

I remembered little else, except that when speaking in

San Antonio before an Irish group, my Uncle Jim counted

from one to ten in Irish Gaelic at a language seminar.

I had no idea where that had come from, or that my

grand- mother had taught one of her grand-daughters

how to dance an Irish jig ! Where was I then ? Lost in

America for a few decades while growing up, I think!


Telegraphy and Song

A few stories were passed on about my Donahue

grandfather: he delivered singing telegrams as a boy; was a

telegrapher; almost died in the great flu epidemic; and his

favorite song was The Rising of the Moon.


American Poteen ?

My mother also remembers some funny little spiraling

tubes in the basement where he made ‘root beer’ for

everyone. She first made the comment when she saw a ‘still’

in a tent on the TV program called ‘Mash’. She was serious.

I could not hold back a very loud chuckle or two.


Speak English not Irish

More to the point. She remembered that my Grandpa

would tell visitors in the parlour:

“We are in America now, speak English “

This could be one reason the family quickly assimilated

into the America culture and were so successful. Current

day immigrants might consider that too.

It might also be why I had not heard many of the stories

that I wish I knew about today.


County Kerry Hedge Row

More little secrets that had not been passed on, began to

accumulate as I uncovered my family history. We had a

‘hedge school’ tradition in the family. My ancestor had

been educated in a hedge school in Kerry a long time ago.

This might be one reason the family all got an education

when they came to America - they put a high value on it.


Genealogy Notes

Before I forget the genealogy side of things, we also had

a few legends that did make it through. Cornelius

Donahue and Mary Kelliher had both planned to make

the trip to America. The story gets a little fuzzy here.

One story says that Kelihers parents drowned in the

river shortly before the voyage, so she did not come. But

I have been informed by the Sullivan side of our family

that indeed she did come, but lived apart ?? very interesting.


Disturbing DNA

Now, we know that the O in O’Donaghue, no matter how

you spell the name, means grandson of; or descendant of;

or perhaps ‘follower of’. Well, if you believe in the new

science of DNA, they tell me it shows that the O’Donoghues

of the Glen were not O’Donoughues by blood at all !


Caustic Invective

I am glad on this point that my Uncles are gone from this

world. For this family, renowned as the ‘Masters of the

Caustic Invective’, descended from Maire Nee Dubh herself,

would give short shrift to such a claim, science aside itself !


I must close now, but two of the books I wrote on Kerry, as

a result of my family ties and family history, are part of the

Irish Families project. I will list them here dedicated to my

aunts and uncles - most long gone, but ne’er forgotten.

-Mike O'Laughlin

www.Irishroots.com


Co. Kerry Resources from the Irish Families Project:


1) The Families of County Kerry, Ireland

http://www.irishroots.com/id4365.htm


2) County Kerry, Ireland, Genealogy and Family History Notes.

http://www.irishroots.com/id4845.htm


The Master Book to the Project

with families from all 32 counties of Ireland

3) The Book of Irish Families, great and small.

http://www.irishroots.com/id4098.htm


More About the Irish Families Project:

4) Video about the Irish Families Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRcizEdwVSE