Love hurts

I love those unusual little pieces of information that you lock away in your head for those special occasions. I remember, many years ago, reading about an 'ogham' stone near Ardmore in County Waterford bearing the inscription amadu, translating as 'the loved one'. I always thought it would be a perfect inscription on the inside of a ring to mark a special occasion (engagement, wedding, eternity).

If you ever rove/ wander through the streets of Dublin, you will naturally walk along the quays of the River Liffey, as its separates the city into the north and south side. One of the landmark features of the Liffey is the pedestrian bridge, know as the ha'penny bridge (one of my recent photos from late May 2013).

Ha'penny bridge over the River Liffey with Liberty Hall to rear in distance.

The ha'penny bridge, a pedestrian bridge, was built in 1816 and was an alternative to the ferries that provided passage across the Liffey. There were turnstiles at either end of the bridge to collect the toll the pedestrians had to pay to cross the river. The bridge is made of cast iron and was cast in Shropshire, England.

The bridge in recent years was conserved and painted from its old silver/grey colour back to the original white colour. If you want to see the old colour and see the bridge and quays in former days, click the link and view the video of Phil Lynott's 'Old Town' (Thin Lizzy). Click for music video

In recent years, loving couples have taken to locking inscribed padlocks onto the railings and arches of the bridge. It's a sign of enduring love, once locked, the keys are thrown into the Liffey. This 'tradition' is causing the city authorities some concerns as the padlocks are both rusting the cast iron and is some cases, being of toughened steel, are risking damage to the softer cast iron. Hence, the authorities, are regularly removing the 'love locks'. Click for radio report

So it's true, love hurts, the unique nearly 200 year old bridge. Is it time for a new tradition... and if you want one that is steeped in history in a unique Irish context, why not inscribe 'amadu' (the loved one) onto a nice finger ring, but make sure you don't throw it in the Liffey.

If any any of you have roved past these collections of 'love locks' around the world, please let us know you thoughts on them. And if you're roving along the ha'penny bridge, let us know what you think about the 'heart breaking' city authorities.

St. Columba and Durrow community gathered

Quite possibly the sunniest day that I've seen this year was Sunday 9th June 2013 and 'a roving' I had to go. I had planned to go to see the only surviving pattern day procession in Ireland and one of the oldest and longest surviving pattern day processions in the country, namely St. Columcille's feast day at Durrow, Co. Offaly (near Tullamore).

Durrow village is located c.1km from the ecclesiastical monastery that was established by Saint Columba (St. Columcille) in A.D. 553. St. Coluncille ran the monastery until 563, when he was exiled to Scotland, having copied a book in a scriptorium. The book he copied was the seventh century illuminated manuscript gospel book, know as the Book of Durrow. This manuscript is held in Trinity College Dublin and is the oldest illuminated insular gospel book in Ireland, and was written at least 100 years before the famous Book of Kells. The Book of Durrow was housed in the monastery of Durrow in 916. The monastery was regarded by contemporary historians as one of the finest universities in Ireland at the time.

                           Drummers, children having made their communion

The pattern day is the date of the death of St. Columcille on 9th June A.D. 597. In Durrow for hundreds of years the day has been celebrated by the community processing to the holy well and the church. This year was no different.

The morning started with the children making their first holy communion. Afterwards a mass was celebrated and following this the community processed along the main road to the holy well at the monastery.

The community members involved in organising the event led the procession carrying a banner of St. Columcille, followed by the band (drums and bag pipes), the children who made their communion and followed by the community. The procession snaked through the demesne landscape to the shady quiet area of the holy well, where after a decette of the rosary, some of the people fill a bottle of water from the holy well.

  The snaking procession towards the holy well

Taking the holy water home

In Irish tradition, the water from the holy well is considered to be able to ward off illness, and it is still a common practise among farmers that they give livestock the water in order to heal sick animals. It is regularly considered as a means of getting rid of warts, amongst other uses and healing associations.

After the visit to the well, many of the people travel the short distance to the late medieval church, within which stands the mid 9th century high cross (taken in for protection and conservation). The church choir sand several church hymns and then on to the community sporting games.

This is a rather rushed account of the day, but what I was struck by were two things. Firstly the calm of the area around the holy well and the deafening silence between prayers, as the people's voices rose in the air. Secondly, how within 40minutes, I was invited to a families house for a cup of tea and a ham sandwich, having been offered a bottle of holy water if I wanted one to take home.

The event is all about community and a nicer communal spirit I've rarely seen.

If I have a date set in my calendar it is to attend the same procession on the 1500 anniversary of the founding of the monastery of Durrow in Co. Offaly in 2053.... well its possible, so I better start drinking that holy water.

If any of you want to see a few photos, take a look at the rural rover facebook page in the 'Durrow pattern day' folder, you might even 'like' it :)

Has anyone else ever roved down to such a pilgrimage/ procession, if so where and when ?

St. Colmcille in Ireland

Had to put this up for anyone who is hoping to come to Ireland as part of the Gathering.

It's definitely the best invitation that I've seen to come to Ireland.

Click for invitation

I'll be roving over that way tomorrow and I'll let you know how it went.

Family histories and fireside stories

Delving into family history is an amazing experience, facilitated greatly through online resources. Like so many others, I'm often chased dead ends and sometimes just given up in the begrudging acceptance that I just can't go that step back. The fireside stories remembered from childhood, of mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and grandparents chatting about family stories and explaining the connection between the players in the family sagas are vivid and now those very people, the stories life blood are fading.

I have thankfully taken some occasions to clarify names and occupations of family members. My interest in such family histories springs from my aunts house, when as a teenager, she showed me a framed letter from Muriel McDonagh to her husband, Tomas Mc Donagh shortly before his execution for his part in the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. I clearly remember the letter had a drawing of a young boy, it was Tomas's young son, Donagh McDonagh, aged 3 years.

That framed picture had hung from the living room wall in a well know hotel in Dublin on Cavendish Row, called Groome's Hotel. Thankfully, through the work of the National Archive, the census records for 1901 and 1911 are available on line. A must source of reference for anyone looking into family histories.

When I scanned through the census records of the Groome family, I could not help but wonder what type of fireside stories were told if all the adults present in the building on census night 1901 were seated together for a chat. The census records show that in the building on the North Wall, were Joseph Groome (enquiry agent) and his wife Annie Groome (restaurant keeper). There two daughters lived with them.

The house contained six boarders on that night, all males, who were from Germany, Britain and Ireland. Apart from the geographical spread, which is natural as Ireland was still under British rule, the religious beliefs of the borders were a complete mix, ranging from Lutherian, Congregationalist. Catholic, Church of England and Methodist. What an amazing fireside conversation if this small band had been discussing religion, not to mention politics.

Ten years later (1911) , the Groome's had moved to Cavendish Row on Parnell Square, where they lived with there five children. Another child, not yet born, would be named Joseph (Joe) Groome and it he who would take over the hotel and hang the framed letter with the drawing of Tomas McDonagh's son on his wall. The letter that I was shown by my aunt, which sparked my interest in Irish history.

All the people in this little story are all gone add the whereabouts of the framed letter are unknown, but its shows the collective memory of a socio cultural artefact.

If anyone has been delving into their family histories, I'd love to hear from you when you wander through your family journey.