Cappawhite

From Toem I drove the short distance north to Cappawhite. This is also in the old list of town/areas in the family possession of 1655.


It is a traditional Irish village looking like many others. I liked the T junction meeting which forms the centre of the small town.

I saw people moving around shopping and talking. I also noted that the village post office plays a very important role in village life and communication. I saw this in all the villages and small towns I visited. On buying stamps for postcards I got into interesting conversations with women behind or in front of me.  Interesting that I only saw women!

I read the local notice board and noted that two septs were listed as dominant in the area. The O'Ds and the Ryans. The latter have a long history of marrying with O'Ds. I know this happened in my family two or three generations ago.

Again, a local butchers shop in the centre and I wondered why so many survived. The answer is clear that local like to eat local beef and meat products so there is always a butchers shop in a village or small town.

Fortunately I had sunshine and blue skies as I set off on my further adventures. That and my classical radio station on the car radio made me smile and feel much younger as I headed off for another town and adventure.

Toem

As I wrote in my last post, Toem was the most westerly of our possessions. I was curious to see it and enjoyed the drive through winding narrow lanes cutting through fields rich in grass greener than I had ever seen.

No wonder the cows and other animals looked so fat and happy. Milk is really creamy and so is the butter.

 I was given thick creamy golden butter with everything I ate in restaurants, hotels and B&B. Promoting the local product! The whole area survives on agricultural produce. Almost no industry.

I finally arrived in Toem and found it to be a very pretty small town. The local church had some O'Ds but I noted a row of graves leading to the church marked as those of priests from the USA.

 I read them all with curiosity. Then I understood for they all had Irish family names. They had chosen to be buried 'in the homeland'. How nice and sentimental!

I talked to some local women and they asked me lots of questions about life in Berlin once I told them I lived there. It was a nice exchange of information and I noticed how easily Irish people just open up on first meeting and talk openly. No wonder they say they have all kissed the Blarney Stone :-)

Countryside

After the best cooked traditional breakfast I have eaten in about fifty years, I said a thankful goodbye to Moira and jumped into my Fiat. The first day of being 70 - Wow!

I headed northwest towards the village of Toem. I had found this as the western most village in family possession from a map on pp. 432-433 of the book about our family history.




I shall post photos of Toem later but here are some taken on the way which show the landscape and scenery. Again I tried to image living here in the 8th century, in the 12th century and again in the 1660's when the roof collapsed on the head of our sept!

What I noted, and is clear in the photo with the cows in the field with rolling hills, was that it is very similar to the countryside around Silsden in West Yorkshire where I was born.

I can remember staring at the scenery and asking a nearby cow, "Why the hell did they leave these valleys and fields for similar in Yorkshire. The ground is more fertile here in Kilnamanagh. Why leave?".

The cow just looked at me, chewed some cud for a bit then said,"Mooooooooh". I think it was her way of saying that some of the O'D sept were dumb!
Actually I know the real reason. My mother told me after I had entered puberty. It was all about a love affair :-) Scandal....scandal! Even so, I still thought grandfather to be a real thick head for leaving all this!

Cashel

Cashel played an important role in family history. Sir Philip O'Dwyer made the tactical decision necessary for the capture of Cashel in 1641 during the 'Desmond Rebellion', but strategically it was a mistake. He held it for seven years and imprisoned the English garrison soldiers. The family barely survived the English retribution that followed. Later he made the fateful decision to put his soldiers into action with the Irish army against Cromwell.

Big mistake! Result was no chance to repeat it ever again!! Land taken away and gunpowder under the walls of the castles ended their function. A gamble that did not pay off - but then we make them every day. Even so, few of us rarely pay such a high price.

On my birthday I drove into the town of Tipperary south of our old lands. It was smaller than I thought. We all know it from the First World War marching song. 'It's a long way to Tipperary, it's a long way home'. Perhaps that is why I expected a larger and louder town. I also didn't hear much singing :-)

I found a really nice B&B in the centre of town. It was owned and run by a lady called Moira and all of a couple of years older than I! After a needed wash, I drove to Cashel. I had to see it on my birthday given its family importance. Nice drive though green lush countryside and I made a stop at a place called Golden with a large ruin near a river.

I visited the famous Rock of Cashel. It is on most tourist lists to visit and I saw many tourist buses and heard many languages when I was there. A large fortress was built on the rock which overlooks the town and which protected ships/trade on the nearby River Suir. It was under repair when I visited as you can see.  This river also formed the eastern border of our lands.

On my way I saw an unexpected sign. It was to the Solohead Ambush. It happened in 1919 when a group of Irish nationalists ambushed some British soldiers transporting dynamite. It was taken to Dublin and used against the British in the conflict there. Just one more example of turning a corner and finding yet another memorial to the independence struggle.

That evening I had a very nice fish meal in a restaurant recommended by Moira and later fell asleep reading a novel in German I had brought with me. And so ended my last year of 69 and the first of 70!

Ruins

As I toured the area I was looking for the eight ruined castles listed in the book about my family.

 I only found three I could identify with photographs in the book published in 1933. I needed more time to search the area. Perhaps on my next visit?

Even  so, I found a number of other ruins on my travels and decided to post to my blog. I have selected four photographs. As I found them, wandered in and around them I began to think what it must have been like to live in that area hundreds of years ago when they were built.

The O'Dwyer sept has been traced in that area from the 8th century. The family fought with Brian Boro to defeat the Vikings.


They were rewarded with more land and rights. In return they had to promise to send soldiers to the King of Leinster when he needed them. They were Liege-Lords in that old system. They also had to build castles on the borders of their lands to protect the population in the event of invasion.

Nothing unique there for this system can be found all over Europe at that time. When I wandered around the ruins I wondered what it would have been like to live in such cramped conditions with an enemy trying to break down the door!

I often thought about the role of women.  Endless childbearing, work in the fields and at home. Mmmmh - makes you think when you wander around such a ruin. Perhaps I was picking something up from the walls!

Dundrum

I talked to a butcher in Clanoulty before I left for Dundrum. He told me all about the history of the small town and the people. A customer smiled throughout then I was introduced to him. His name was Alan O'Dwyer. Lots of talk about family, names and history of the area. He asked for my card. I gave him one. He promised to send me more information from his records at home.

I then drove to Dundrum. This is a must see/visit small town for any O'Dwyer. It is to the south of the family lands but was the home of Lord John O'Dwyer, Baron of Kilnamanagh. His son Philip was the last chief of the sept.

He was one of the last leaders of the clan and lived there in a large castle. I have use the word clan which is from Scotland. The Irish name for the same is 'sept'. I shall use that word in future.

 When the lands/castles/properties were confiscated in 1663, his castle went as well. A man called Maude was on officer in Cromwell's army and bought the property. He later rebuilt the castle in the style of a 17th century country house. After independence it was sold and now appears as ' Dundrum House Hotel, Golf and Leisure Resort'.  Very nice place indeed!

I did not stay there for I had more sights to see. I talked to O'Dwyers in the area and they confirmed that  it was still a centre of the sept. When I walked around the town I saw evidence of that. The O'Ds had businesses everywhere. See the photos.

Clanoulty

I found the road to Cork with no problem. Nice clear signs and just follow the lorries/trucks with Cork addresses on their doors! It worked. I found a station playing classical music and settled into a pleasant drive. I stopped for coffee and a 'comfort break' as I heard a toilet stop called :-)  The weather played along for it was warm and sunny.

I drove along the M7 until it seperated. The M7 continues to Limerick but I took the M8 turn to Cork. Keep driving south until you see a really interesting sign. It says.'Two Mile Borris'. I wonder who Borris with a double 'r' was? It takes you off the highway into a slip road to Thurles. The first thing I saw as I neared was a ruined castle. Not one of ours for Thurles was not one of our towns and lies to the east of our old lands.

Even so, I stopped for a tourist walk around and to just take in the sights and sounds. I then drove south east on the R661, which is one of many two lane country roads which criss-cross the area. I stopped at a small town beginning with B, but I cannot remember the rest of the name.

I walked around. The smells and sounds of farms were all around and I calculated perhaps 500 people lived there. I found family named graves in the churchyard - the first of many. I then drove to Clonoulty, which is all of ten minutes drive from town B. There I took photos of the area, churchyard and graves.

I found one to Timothy O'Dwyer who died aged 68 on the 9th May 1943. One day after my birth! I just had to take a photo. I also congratulated myself on making it beyond Timothy's age! It was strange to wander around so many O'Dwyer graves for this town is nearly in the middle of the family traditional lands.

I also found a memorial to a group of men including one John Dwyer. It said that "in 1815 they made their defiant protest  against increasing military coercion when the landlords abused the law." One was hanged nearby and the rest sent to prison in Australia for 14 years - including said 'John D'!  It seems the family got there before the Bateson lads :-))

Dublin - 3

So now you have walked along Nassau Str. and turned into Kildare Str. where you can see a group of four interesting buildings.

As you face them you will see the National Library (1877) on your left,  behind that is the National Gallery (1864). Look to the right and you will see the National Museum (1890).

Now look to the centre and behind the police guards and ornate fence is Leinster House. It is the home of the Irish Parliament. Here is a shot of me in front of the building.

It was built in 1745. Now that is a year to remember if you are Scottish!  It was home to the Earl of Kildare and then known as Kildare House. No surprise there!  Other aristocrats and then bankers moved south of the river and had large houses built. 

From 1814 to 1924, it housed the Royal Dublin Society. This body was responsible for construction of the other buildings around it. The idea apparently was to create an 'oasis' of art and intellect. Not a bad idea! The Irish Parliament moved in during 1925 with a name change to Leinster House. 

Now walk westwards along Montesworth Str. and turn left into Dawson Str. There you will find the Mansion House. I has been the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715. Older than the other buildings we have just visited.   The first Irish Parliament met there in 1919 to sign the Declaration of Independence - on the right.

It was then getting dark so we relaxed in a local restaurant and I had my first drink of Guinness! It is not something I normally drink but then it was an abnormal day so I toasted the city with its most famous tipple!

I took a taxi to my hotel and slept well. Next morning after a hearty traditional breakfast, I climbed into the car and headed westwards through the city to pick up the highway ending at Cork. 

Dublin - 2

We crossed the Liffey via O'Connell Bridge and headed towards Grafton Street. The area is a traffic-free and full of pavement artists, pubs, cafes and curio shops.  

There is also the famous statue of Molly Malone who as the song goes, ' wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow'. Legend has it she sold fish but I heard the locals call her, "The tart with the cart."  This means she sold more than fish!

 Walk a little further and you come to a building which now houses the Bank of Ireland - above.  I was told that it was originally built to house sittings of the Parliament during British Rule. It  now plays host to bankers. They are now as unpopular there as anywhere else!

All over the city centre you will find old terraced houses from the British time. Here is a shot showing a typical row - on the right.

One unique building is Trinity College built across from the bank and standing in almost 2 square kilometers of land/garden. A nice place to study in! It is on the left.

Walk along Nassau Str. and turn into Kildare Str. There you will find an interesting complex of old buildings.  See my next blog post! 

Dublin - 1

I got through airport checks and emerged into a cool but bright Dublin day. I met a friend of a friend who was to be my guide in Dublin. We took the hospitality bus to Herz and picked up my car. As I reported before, it was not the little Ford I expected but an older Fiat Panda. I know how to drive one for sister Pauline has one!

I drove south to the coast where we stopped for a welcome walk on a windy sandy beach. I then went to his house near the coast for tea and a rest. After dozing for some time and more tea I felt better. We took a bus into the centre and my guide starting telling me all about the buildings I passed.

His name is Jarlath and he wears two powerful hearing aids. Even so we had no problem to communicate. He even said I was easy to understand for I spoke clearly and slowly :-))  Dublin was founded by the Vikings as a trading port. It is cut from west to east by the River Liffey. The centre spans both sides with the major government buildings and Dublin Castle south of the river.

Parnell Square and the famous (1916 Easter Rising) General Post Office are on O'Connell Street which runs north to south, crossing the river and ending at Trinity College. Parnell Square has many fine old buildings and The Writer's Museum.

O'Connell Street, with a width of 45 metres, is the widest street in Ireland. It is named after Daniel O'Conner 1775-1847 who was one of many fighters for Irish independence.  It is full of statues and plaques to people and events linked to independence. We started our tour there and moved south

Route

I shall start posts about my trip to Ireland with the route. I flew to Dublin airport, which is north of the city, arriving at 2:00pm. I took a hospitality bus to Hertz to pick up my car. The little Ford I booked was not there so I was given a Fiat Panda. Not the latest in technology but it proved to be a solid and reliable car with low petrol consumption.


I spent the afternoon looking around Dublin centre, booked into my hotel, more sightseeing, a meal and finaly to bed. After breakfast next day I headed out of the city. I followed signs leading to Cork. As I saw the sign to Thurles, I left the highway and entered the town. I saw my first ruined castle and knew I was almost in our old family lands.

My goal was district Kilnamanagh in County Tipperary. This is the ancestral home of my family. In the map of the county you can see towns I marked marked with circles. These form the core area of what was our possessions. All was lost in 1663 as a result of fighting Cromwell's army. The castle's blown up, most men died in the fighting or escaped to Spain.

I shall post more detailed reports with photos as I take you along this route. I am very pleased that I planned this visit and enjoyed every second of my time in Ireland!

Presents

I've had a couple of interesting presents since my return. Nothing came from Vatican City but I got nice ones from Berlin and London.  The sun shone as a went to Alexander Platz on Monday afternoon - and it has shone ever since.

When I entered the school Frau Dr. 'Boss' greeted me very warmly and placed a nice bottle and glass in my hands. It did not come from Aldi and I look forward to sipping it on Saturday when I am joined by Marga.

I've had a very busy week so far and after teaching yesterday I headed for Prenzlauer Berg to meet Stephan. He shared my first flat Marzahn just after I moved to Berlin.  He had just returned from a holiday walking along the River Thames from Oxford to London. In London he spent some time with Adrian and Tanya. They are old friends from my uni days. They gave Stephan a present for me. He duly delivered it. A very unusual present! 

It is called a 'Drinkman' and is a joke made out of the word (Sony) Walkman and the German word 'der Flachmann' which means a hip flask. I have two Flachmann and both were presents. I take them with me when I go skiing so I can join in the ritual morning drink with my teacher and class before we hit the Piste. Mine are always filled with whisk(e)y :-)

 On the packaging there is a story about a Colonel who wanted something for both his music and drink and so the Drinkman was invented. Adrian and I have always made jokes about 'The Colonel' to refer to 'The Empire', particularly India, and its military drinking  culture. Subtle connections and meanings led to this present.

Stephan took me to his favourite restaurant as his guest for a delicious meal. After returning to his home he invited me to try three different kinds of whisky from the Isle of Islay. I didn't know they had so many varieties on that small island. They were delicious. The perfect after meal tipple!

I also got a nice present from Mathias and Sylvana on Tuesday. It was a concert ticket voucher I can exchange for tickets to any concert I wish and is valid for 12 months! I look forward to selecting concerts to enjoy during this period.  Many thank to all of you!

Pope John O'D

I have just opened an e-mail service and found a message sending best wishes for my birthday plus this picture. It really made me smile so I decided to share with you in the hope it makes you smile.

It is from Werner. He is a member of my old 'Happy Gang'. He is also a bit of a camera/photoshop 'buff'. I hope he had fun creating this image. Many thanks Werner - I look forward to seeing you when I am again invited to a Happy Gang 'Treffening'.

I got some funny and memorable cards and messages from lots of people. Thanks to all who took the time and trouble to send best wishes via mail or electronic communication.

Back

I am back in Berlin. I had a wonderful experience in Ireland for my birthday. It was too short and yesterday I found myself saying, "I want to stay here." I was at Drogheda (Droichead Atha) on the coast north of Dublin (Baile Atha Cliath). You can see how quickly I learnt Gealic :-)

A few hours later I was driving to the airport. I returned the car I had hired from Herzt and took their service bus into the airport. There followed check in, the too long and often unnecessary security check and wait for the call to board. The flight only takes two hours. I had three seats just for myself, so I dozed most of the time.

I waited 15 minutes for a local train and then it happened. Heavy bout of sneezing and runny nose. My allergies were back! In my short time away I was allergy free and enjoyed it. On entering my flat there was another outburst, so now I wonder if there is something in my flat to which I am also allergic.

The first thing I did was open my cards. Many thanks to all who sent them. It was very touching and just right for a homecoming. Here is a photo so you may be able to see the one you sent! I took 150 photos so I need time to sort them out and prepare for posting to this blog. Should keep me out of mischief tomorrow!

Dahlem

Yesterday I went to Dahlem with Marga. I took the regional train from Karlshort to Charlottenburg where she lives. She met me at the station. We then walked to Kurfürstendamm to catch a bus. It duly arrived and we sat upstairs. I sat at the front like an 8 year old boy and took in all the sights. Marga sat behind me and just smiled!

We finally arrived at Königen-Luise-Str.. and got out. The whole area was new to me for it is in the deepest west of Berlin. I know more about the deepest east of Berlin!  Marga made a direction mistake but it had some advantages. We walked past the museum to the Berlin airlift at the end of the 1940s. If you know your history you will surely know that Herr J. Stalin in Moscow ordered a ban on the land transfer of goods to the allied army divisions of Berlin later called West Berlin.

That was the problem. The solution was to fly everything into West Berlin, hence over one year of the Berlin Airlift. Herr Stalin gave up later when he noticed his ban on land transportation was not working. Clever of him to note that! See the photo of the aircraft - it is an English plane developed in 1946.

Not far away was an interesting monument to the day when the Berlin Wall came down. In case you have forgotten, it was in November 1989.  An American artist created this and for some reason unknown to me, she depicted a bunch of horses jumping over a wall. Marga and I talked about this representation for some time.

We later walked to the old village church. Marga told me about the shooting then later death of Rudi Dutschke and he was buried in the local graveyard. If you remember your local history you will know he was the leader of a student left wing protest movement in the late 1960s.  We quickly found it. See the photo. I noted that he was three years older than I am - and had the same academic title!

We later walked to a restaurant with a large garden in which almost all customers sat to enjoy the sun and blue sky. We enjoyed a tasty fish dish washed down with a glass of Chardonnay. We also had some interesting discussions including my problem of being 70,  plus relationships with two ladies who have ended contact with me. Thanks Marga for your comments and advice.

May 2013 things

My favourite month started sunny and fine - except for my planned tour. See last post. Last month was marked by the change from a long dreary winter to a short spring. Everything bloomed within a week as if the grass, trees and flowers were also tired of waiting for winter to leave. See Fred on the right. He lives on my balcony and is now smiling in the sun :-)

Mext Monday I am flying to Ireland to celebrate my BIG birthday on the 8th in the old family lands and photograph our ruined castles. I shall only be away for a week.

On my return I have the usual weekly pattern of teaching, meetings, oldie gangs until the end of the month.

Who has a birthday in May? Max starts us off with his 30th tomorrow. He is followed by Marcel in Hungary who will be 19 on the 6th - and not the 3rd, Thanks Marga for the correction :-) I have already sent my card and present! Hans will be 62 on the 11th. Trish will be 60+ on the 13th followed by Heike who will be 40 and a bit on the 16th :-) Otto hits 82 on 19th, Sylvia in Brighton will be 57 on the 20th - a day she shares with my lovely cousin Barbara who will be eating birthday cake to celebrate her 68th. Teacher George ends the month by celebrating his 62nd on the 27th May. Have a wonderful day no matter where you are. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all and each!

Wasted Day

I have just wasted my morning. It is the 1 May and a public holiday here. I planned to spend the day with my Müggelsee Gang. Falk had organised the route and meeting point. It was to be 10:00 am at SB station Königs Wusterhausen. It is at the end of a SB line to the south east of Berlin.

Left home at 9:00 with my bicycle to cycle to SB Schöneweide to pick up a train to KW. Half way there I was stopped by a police cordon. No-one allowed to go any further. Why? I asked. There is a neo-nazi march starting from there and a counter demonstration from the left, said a polite police women.

I cycled back to my local station and took the S-Bahn to a station on the S-Bahn ring to catch a train to KW. I phoned Falk and he said they would wait for me. All trains were stopped at S-B Schöneweide! Police everywhere and choas as people tried to meet family, friends or get to the airport, but couldn't. Nothing moved. I called Falk and we agreed that they would start the tour without me.

I came back and cycled through my local park. I took this photo. You can see what a perfect day it is for a bicycle tour. I plan to go to Müggelsee this afternoon, sit by the water, have a beer and  try to salvage something from the day! I hope yours is better.