In Tyler’s blog posting titled St. Patrick’s Day, it is evident his family enjoys celebrating their “roots.” They have traveled the “route” to Wexford, Ireland many times to relish the traditions, rituals and performances of the holiday and to celebrate their heritage.
His article reminded me of my roots. I grew up knowing I was Irish. My father shared with me his Irish heritage and instilled pride. Yet, it was not until my late forties that I obtained genealogy information from a distant relative who had traced our family tree back to Ireland. My great-great-great grandfather, Patrick McCrea, a medical doctor, came from Ireland to America in 1797, settling in northern Pennsylvania. This gave my husband an idea for my 50th birthday, and he surprised me with the perfect gift, a trip to Ireland to visit the homeland of my ancestors. In 2002, we headed to Ireland for a two and one-half week trip. We found the country beautiful, the people delightful, the history intriguing, and the pubs, like Tyler said, a wonderful gathering place. What we did not find in Ireland was … any McCreas.
As you get older, you become more inquisitive about your past, as you realize you are coming closer to becoming part of that past. After returning home, we were bolstered to do further research, and discovered that Patrick McCrea’s ancestors had come to Ireland from Scotland. Patrick later headed to America, almost fifty years before the Irish Potato Famine, a time when many Irish people immigrated to the United States. In 2004, my husband and I traveled to Scotland, and enjoyed the “other” country of my ancestors, Scotland, discovering there the home of the MacRae clan in the Kintail district. The routes I traveled in Ireland and Scotland finally led me to my true roots.
My heritage is Scottish. The MacRae’s were a clan, with a crest, a motto, dress and hunting tartans, and even a castle. But I am also Irish with a special day for celebrating that ancestry. As a Scot-Irish, I enjoy the best of both roots.
This is the second peer review blog posting.
His article reminded me of my roots. I grew up knowing I was Irish. My father shared with me his Irish heritage and instilled pride. Yet, it was not until my late forties that I obtained genealogy information from a distant relative who had traced our family tree back to Ireland. My great-great-great grandfather, Patrick McCrea, a medical doctor, came from Ireland to America in 1797, settling in northern Pennsylvania. This gave my husband an idea for my 50th birthday, and he surprised me with the perfect gift, a trip to Ireland to visit the homeland of my ancestors. In 2002, we headed to Ireland for a two and one-half week trip. We found the country beautiful, the people delightful, the history intriguing, and the pubs, like Tyler said, a wonderful gathering place. What we did not find in Ireland was … any McCreas.
As you get older, you become more inquisitive about your past, as you realize you are coming closer to becoming part of that past. After returning home, we were bolstered to do further research, and discovered that Patrick McCrea’s ancestors had come to Ireland from Scotland. Patrick later headed to America, almost fifty years before the Irish Potato Famine, a time when many Irish people immigrated to the United States. In 2004, my husband and I traveled to Scotland, and enjoyed the “other” country of my ancestors, Scotland, discovering there the home of the MacRae clan in the Kintail district. The routes I traveled in Ireland and Scotland finally led me to my true roots.
My heritage is Scottish. The MacRae’s were a clan, with a crest, a motto, dress and hunting tartans, and even a castle. But I am also Irish with a special day for celebrating that ancestry. As a Scot-Irish, I enjoy the best of both roots.
This is the second peer review blog posting.
1 comment:
very nicely done
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