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Coordinator: Shirley Starke Route 2, Box 230 Valley City, ND 58072 701 - 845 - 2382 |
Newsletter of the Irish Special Interest Group of American Mensa Uimhir 85: Eanir/Feabhra 1998 Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Mensa as a whole has no opinions. |
A chairde,
Bill Conlan's column in Mensagenda for the Irish Music SIG (a local SIG of Minnesota Mensa) contained the following gem: "The next event is Saint Patrick's Day on March 17. While Saint Patrick was most responsible for bringing the civilizing influence of Christianity to Northern and Western Europe, he's best remembered for driving the snakes from Ireland. Unfortunately, they only moved to the next island and eventually evolved into the keepers of the British Empire."
Mensagenda is the newsletter of Minnesota Mensa, and the Irish Music SIG members attend performances in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area. Almost makes me wish I lived a few hundred miles farther east!
We received a complimentary copy of the book Northern Ireland: Troubled Land, from the Lerner Publishing Group, 1251 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401. The book, by Eric Black, is part of Lerner's "Worlds in Conflict" series and is rated for grades 7 - 10, although it would also be suitable for younger bright children. The book gives a thorough, balanced account of the Troubles, including an overview of the centuries that led to it. I would recommend it very highly to parents and schools as an in-depth treatment which might serve as an antidote to the shallow, slanted news items and portrayals that are so often found in our popular culture.
We have also received a copy of A Nation's Holocaust and Betrayal by Michael Redmond from the Pentland Press, Ltd., 3 Regal Lane, Soham, Ely, Cambrigeshire CB7 5BA, England (price å8.50). This book begins with a brief recounting of the history of Ireland before 1800; then goes into more detail about the Great Hunger and the immigration that resulted. The chapter which includes 14 pages from the diary of Gerald Keegan, a refugee from the Great Hunger who immigrated to Canada in 1847, is especially interesting. The second half of the book is devoted to Irish history since 1912, a fair and accurate account which gives a good deal of insight into the roots of the present troubles.
Litreacha
Tom Culhane (954-A Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ 07083), who is Director of the American Irish-Celtic USA Stamp Committee, sent a copy of a letter to his Representative asking him to introduce a House Concurrent and Joint Resolution to have a stamp issued commemorating the Great Hunger (potato famine) in Ireland which resulted in the immigration to America of nearly two million Irish. The reasons Tom gave are:1) Other nationalities' arrival through immigration have already been honored by U.S. stamps, including the Swedish, German, and Norse.
2) Other deserving groups have been honored for their military service. However, of 728 men born overseas who have received the highest award, the Medal of Honor, 257 were from Ireland. Many of our Irish Civil War heroes came to America during the Great Hunger.
3) Dozens of foreign leaders have already been depicted on our stamps, but never a single Irish person.
4) Our country's ties with dozens of nations have been marked with U.S. stamps, but not yet with Ireland.
5) Other nations' events of importance such as Mexico's Independence, Poland's Millenium, China's New Year, and Australia's Bicentennial have had stamps issued in their honor, but no event in Irish history has yet been deemed important enough to be so commemorated.
If you would like to help with this issue, please write to Tom at the above address, or call him at (906)-964-2772 and he can fax the information to you.
Lisa Shea (changed to Lisa Shea Contact) writes, "First off, I'd like to volunteer to run the Irish SIG Web page. I already have two for my Feudal Japan SIG and Gardening SIG that have won awards. I also maintain the master "Mensa SIG Page" for all us SIG coordinators, with information we need about how to run SIGs. It won't cost any money - I get my home pages for free - and I could set it up in no time flat.
"I get thousands of 'hits' on my Shea page - I run the master genealogy link pages for the Shea/Shay/O'Shea family and have over 75 lines on my page alone. I also have my 'master link of all Irish movies ever made' which is fairly popular.
"If you'd like me to run it, the page would be at http://www.geocities.corn/Heartland/Valley/1410/irishsig/index.html"
I gratefully accept your offer of the SIG web page, and only ask you to forward to me, for Litir Sceala, whatever communications you receive from the members. Perhaps you can also put copies of Litir Sceala on the Web page. I will send you some back issues to help you get started.
Lisa also suggested in her letter that Michael Greaney (who is still searching for most of our first 12 issues) check with the SIGs library. But I think Michael has already tried that, and for some reason they aren't there. Those issues were published very nearly 20 years ago!
Bob O'Brien (153 Emelia St., Chicago Hts., IL 60411) writes, "Faith and I enjoyed a wonderful New Year's Eve at Gaelic Park here on the southwest side of Chicago. (Gaelic Park is a new - about 10 year old - very large complex of ballrooms, meeting rooms, barrooms, and a festival field.) About 500 were in attendance in a room that comfortably holds 400. Many there were from (i.e. born in) Ireland. A fabulous night of Irish music and dancing!"
Patricia Jettie (P.O. Box 1309, West Chester, OH 45071) writes, "Until I am able to devote time to writing another genealogy insert for the newsletter, allow me to pass on the enclosed clip of information.
"For everyone who thinks they have a true crest for their family, this is the book to check it out in. Those mass-produced crests are bogus. Look up a real crest, or where you can apply for one, in this book. The Hamilton booksellers have the lowest price. Only $3.00 postage - no matter how many books you order. Great catalogue - they will send you one free.
Patricia sent a clipping offering The Wordsworth Complete Guide to Irish Heraldry, by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies. This 647-page book is available for $3.95 (!) from Edward R. Hamilton, Falls Church, CT 06031-5000. A free catalog may also be ordered by writing to this address.
Pat Resen (18 Crow Canyon Court #390, San Ramon, CA 94583-1669) (wpresen@pacbell.net) writes, "Got the latest newsletter (don't know how you can keep doing al this work for so long; kudos). Because of your study of things Irish you would love the net. Each morning I read the Irish News, the Irish Independent, and other Irish newspapers. I visit websites with news about travel, politics, dance, food, etc., of Eire. It's GREAT. I think you'd love it."
Dunno, Pat - my recent experience of losing three months' worth of new members and expirations off my disc in a millisecond has tended to confirm my agreement with the genius (was it Mark Twain?) who said, "Progress is a wonderful thing. It has just gone on too long."
Eric McKeever (8506 Valleyfield Rd., Lutherville, MD 21093) has given us permission to reprint from The Anthracite History Journal, which is available from Eric for $12/yr. and contains much information about the Molly Maguires and other Irish Americans involved in the early labor struggles. For the computer fans out there, Eric included these addresses: EMcKeever@AOL.COM and HTTP://www.minecountry.com.
Genealogy: Common Mistakes in the Census Enumeration by Seamus
Reprinted from The Anthracite History Journal, December 1997
One of the most trusted sources we often use is the census records, to track and locate ancestors through America. Unfortunately the census files are fraught with errors, omissions and outright mistakes. Here are just a few pitfalls to be aware of. Most mistakes are brought about through cultural phonics, spelling disabilities, inattention, negligence, oversight and to some extent downright carelessness on the part of the enumerator and office staff. In another dimension, also responsible is the unprofessional archival storage and general public misuse, causing errors.
It is interesting to notte that most of the surnames of immigrants to this country can be classified in four basic name groups. They are: Patronymics 33%, Occupational 16%, Nicknames 9%, Placenames 44%, including the Placenames subgroups: Landscape 15%, Sign 3% and Village 25%.
Many of the errors that are cause by spelling errors belong to today's phonetics and modern methods of pronunciation. Remember when "AD-VER-TIS-MENT" was pronounced "AD-VER-TISE-MENT". (To my knowledge, it still is - Litir ScŒala Ed.) Much of the same has happened to many surnames. Just because it is spelled and pronounced one way today doesn't mean it always was since the origin of the surname.
Other mistakes came about by multiplying letters in a surname. The name Brennan has been seen as Brennann, adding two N's to the end of the name. The surname Heron was originally Mulherron, just the opposite of multiplying letters in a given surname. The name Maret unwittingly became Marrett or Marett and sometimes Marret. Stick with the phonetic sound in this case.
Another common mistake was the interchanging of vowels in a surname. One example here is the surname Myers, as it also became Mayers, Maeyers, and Miers. Alexander too often becomes Alexandar, Alaxender, or Elaxnder, just by the phonetic sounding of the name. Take the name Neilsen, is it Nielson, Neilson, or Neilsen?
All too common an error like the following occurs when mis-formed letters and look-alike letters invade a surname. One familiar to me is the name Haldeman as it becomes Hulderman and Halderman or even Hadelman. How many times in my life has my surname endured that mistake.
Ethnic names too often get mangled in the fray as enumerators with one dialect try to sound out a name that has no roots in the enumerator's language. The same problem occurred at Ellis Island as many of the immigrants ended up with a name that never existed. The error was often from sheer negligence or lack of consideration for the disembarking foreigner. You must consider that an education in the fourth grade was the most anyone in the general populace had.
Another sloppy tactic on the part of the census taker was to rely on a neighbor for the correct information. Enumerators were paid piecework and often walked or traveled long distances on horseback. If the residents weren't home the enumerator would ask a neighbor to volunteer vital statistics. In the 1870 census, a Thomas James Connors, male, 28 years old, born in Ohio, became recorded as James Connors, male, 32 years old and born in Pennsylvania, from the input a close neighbor volunteered to the enumerator. Two of his younger children were omitted from the census that year because the neighbor overlooked the data. In many instances the enumerator would not come back to verify the information.
So don't be too quick to claim that name that looks like yours in the period of time being researched. On the same note don't cast off the name that is similar to yours because of one of two letters. Also consider the phonetic sound of the surname. It could be a clue to a family path not yet known. Use the census rolls as a reference only and be aware of the pitfalls that lie within their dusty catalog pages.
(Michael Greaney: Good doctor on Ireland)
Not available in on line version
Lisa Shea (changed to Lisa Shea Contact) writes,
"On my trip ... I thought after reading that first part that I should toss in a few notes. Bob is actually my boyfriend, although I may not have said that in the letter. We've lived together for 2+ years now. Barbara's his mother, Tom his stepfather who grew up in Millstreet, Co Cork.
"I realize the notes sound as if I despised tourists. This isn't true!! Some are truly interested in the culture and are honest and open. For some bizarre reason that I haven't figured out yet, most Americans (we rank barely behind the Germans in our outrageous tourist reputation) are quite obnoxious! I've found this in many places and am almost ashamed to be American when I see how they treat other people. The Americans we saw in "touristy" spots in Ireland made fun (loudly) of Irish customs, picked on their religions, talked down to them as if they were primitive natives who had to be spoken to slowly. I still cringe when I think of these things. My friend Shaune has been known to go up to the natives after and apologize for the tourists' behavior., even though he had nothing to do with it.
"I guess I feel if a person goes to a foreign country, he/she goes to learn about the country, see the scenery, taste the food, talk to the people. You know? And many people from other countries I meet who travel do just that. Many Americans, though, go as if it's an amusement park. They yell if lines are too long. They complain if service isn't immediate and cheap. 'I'm on vacation and I damn well better get my money's worth,' I've heard them say. It's just a shame to miss so much of the 'real' culture of a place by only eating in 'tourist places,' only going through the 'tourist towns' that have sprung up in certain towns and really missing what the country is actually like.
"I guess that would be my advice to anyone wanting to visit Ireland - don't just settle for a tour package. Take some time on your own, to drive to places they don't allow tour buses into. Ask your B&B host where to eat. We found the most beautiful abbey in the middle of a cowfield! You gain so much more if you're polite, make an effort, and truly explore the country."
I'm sorry to hear that so many Americans act so disrespectfully - and in Ireland, of all places! Yet it can't be true of all American tourists: you were one yourself, and certainly did not fit that mold. American tourists, like anyone else, must come in all kinds. It's too bad that the vulgar ones are so noticeable that they detract from the impression of Americans in general.
Annette Townley (727 N. MacArthur, #226, Oklahoma City, OK) writes, "I wish I could figure out a way for Richard and me to find and join an Irish group here. Ideas??"
John Hennessy (701 Montana Ave., #525, El Paso, TX 79902) writes to tell us that he has had a visit from the leprechaun Tim O'Signey, twin brother of his friend Pat. Tim, he says, "showed up in my refrigerator one evening, perched on the lid of a mustard jar." John says the details of his visit were beyond the scope of his note, but promised a description soon.
I look forward to that, John, and hope you will be able to make a quick sketch of him as you did of Pat. If you do, I promise to print it!
Patrick Swords (425 Newbridge Rd., #40, East Meadow, NJ 11554) writes, "Currently I am reading Gerry Adams' autobiography, and I recommend it."