Genealogy trips can be rewarding experiences ? Family Tree Gazette

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Kelly told us it was "imperative" that we visit specific townlands where the McCarthy family had resided.

"Bring yourself into that terrain," she said, "because often it hasn't changed. What I always say, to Americans in particular, is 'Get out of your car and walk around.'

"It's about taking yourself into that territory that takes you from your concept of what it is, to what it really is. Walk gently in that area, because now you're right down in the heart of it. You are coming back into that community."

Once we got to the area, we had to start asking around. While approaching someone takes some resolve, what we found was that people were incredibly friendly and willing to help. The actual act of getting to know the locals was one of the most memorable travel experiences we've ever had.

We had a farmer tell us about how his family has been tilling the same land since 1560. A man we met in a pub, who simply referred to himself as "O'Keefe," put down his pint of Guinness, announced to everyone, "I'll be back for this," and then led us down winding country roads to a place we never would have found on our own.

Along the way, we were able to find the Catholic church where James was baptized, as well as the parish where his parents were married, and just generally get a feel for the incredible landscapes of the Irish countryside where the people we were researching had once lived and worked.

The best part of the experience came on our final day in the area. We were able to find the house in the townland of Knocknacrooha Lower where James' father, Patrick McCarthy, had once lived. It's now been converted into a carpentry shop, and we were able to confirm with the locals that we indeed had the right spot.

Standing there looking at the house and the green rolling hills surrounding it, and realizing this was where ancestors had lived, brought on a feeling that Kelly had predicted for us back in Dublin.

"There's something that happens when you find your way into the landscape that cradled your ancestors," she told us. "It seems familiar. It feels like you're coming home."

Article source: http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110830/LIFESTYLE/108300317/Genealogy-trips-can-rewarding-experiences

Source: http://www.familytreegazette.com/2011/09/01/genealogy-trips-can-be-rewarding-experiences-2/

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