In case you are wondering: Tievelaney is the name of the old Monaghan family farm in Ireland. Our cousins still own and operate it as a working farm.
My father tells a story about his brother, my Uncle Barney, visiting Ireland in the nineteen-fifties and finding the old farm using an old family rhyme: "My name is Monaghan, I come from Tievelaney, eight miles from Castleblayney and six miles from Carrickmacross."
As I remember the story, Uncle Barney used a map and divider to derive the two spots on the map eight miles from Castleblayney and six miles from Carrickmacross. One point was in a field and the other was on a lake. Uncle Barney decided to try the lake first and told his driver to take him to the location. There was an old farmhouse near the lake.
Uncle Barney got out of the car and approached the farmhouse. Now, Uncle Barney, being an Oxford man, was a dapper fellow, always dressed well, three piece suit and such. When he knocked on the door no one answered.
Uncle barney looked into the fields and saw several men working, also in suits. He went down to the fields and introduced himself as Barney Monaghan from Alabama. The man introduced himself as Ted Monaghan. Ted and the rest went back to the farmhouse with Barney and had some tea. It turned out there were several women in the house but, with the troubles in Ireland strangers in suits showing up unannounced were understandably met with caution, so they did not answer the door.
Uncle Barney explained his purpose and recited the rhyme and was recognized as a member of the family long lost and was welcomed as if coming home.
I visited my cousins at Tievelaney in 1989. They were very friendly and seemed like old friends. I would like to visit again. I live in Alabama, a long distance west of the old farm, so it may be some time before I see it again.
So, Tievelaney West will be the name of my blog, in recognition of the old family and the new world we have before us. I hope you, the reader, will enjoy my posts. If you are from the old country, or the new, I would love to hear from you.
More to come...
5 comments:
looking forward to it! "more to come"
How interesting! :) Keep the stories coming ....
still waiting...
Andrew, I'm so glad you have written down Uncle Barney's story for all of us to remember. One day I'd like to visit our cousins in Ireland, too! Maybe a family trip?
In case anyone is wondering: I changed the story about Uncle Barney meeting the Monaghans in Ireland based on my parents' much better memory of the event!
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