Sunday, March 17, 2013

Happy Irish day!

I don't usually do much for St. Patrick's day, but last night a group of us went to a nearby pub, had some beer and food, and listened to some great music. The waitress gave us hats to wear...


I think Gordon's is a little small!

I do have Irish blood. My father's side of the family is Irish. My Dad was born in England but they lived in an Irish ghetto in London and the Rowes have always identified more with their Irish side (even though I'm told that Rowe is actually a Cornish name, so clearly there was some back and forth across the Irish sea!)

I think I have posted most of the following photos before but in the spirit of the day, here's my Irish family...


My paternal grandmother, Anastasia, when she was a young thing.



The family hovel in Tobernabrone. It's still there! I want to see it one day.



My grandmother (I called her Nanny) with my Dad and his two sisters, sometime in the early 1940s.


My paternal grandparents. My Dad is the kid on the far right. Anastasia was from Kilkenny, Jack was from Wexford.



My great grandfather (my paternal grandfather's dad), somewhere in Ireland!



My grandfather Jack and his first child, my Uncle John. This would have been around 1929.





Nanny, my aunts and my uncle Kevin with another member of our extended family, in front of the cottage in Tobernabrone. During WWII, Nanny took my Dad and the rest of the kids here to escape the bombing in London.



That same cottage in the 960s. I believe I am related to some of these people! :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!



25 comments:

  1. I'm told by a charming Irish couple who run a fancy cheese shop in Denver that the Irish don't eat corned beef. I didn't know that.

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    1. I didn't either, although come to think of it, my Dad never mentioned eating it!

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  2. Good lord..these are fantastic photos to have. Yes, you must go to that location and see if that house still stands. Wouldn't that be great. Your dad was handsome even as a little scruff.

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    1. Oh Deb, it does! My uncle knows where it is. It has been fixed up. My cousin went there a year ago and took a picture of it. So cool.

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  3. Love those old photos! Sláinte!

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  4. Ach, we're all related to each other and everyone, if you go back far enough, indeed we're all related to your cats and dogs and chickens and ducks and their mites and bugs too. One big (sometimes) happy, if rather dysfuntional family on the little planet Earth.

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    1. What about the slugs? Am I related to the slugs??

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  5. You've got the look of your grandmother in the first photo of Anastasia!

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  6. Happy St Pat's DAy to you. You can justify celebrations by having a little Irish blood. I think the celebration is infectious and anybody who wants to have fun can celebrate.

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  7. It's easy to see where the good looks come from :)
    Happy St Patrick's day!

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    1. Oh you are too kind! Thank you!!

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  8. I love seeing the family and sharing in your history. Going back where it all began in Ireland was thrilling for me--hope you get to one day, Happy St. Patrick's Day, dear friend, XOXO

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    1. I always went to England growing up, because that's where my relatives were and we visited them fairly often. I am dying to go to Ireland.

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  9. What a wealth of family pictures you have! You are really fortunate. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. My aunt had a lot of these and lent them to me to scan! I have quite a lot more. Lucky!

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  10. Such a rich family history and priceless photos.

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    1. My Dad's side is all poor Irish peasants. My Mum's side was upper-middle class English, but apparently there was some drinking away of the family fortune at some point!

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  11. Here we do not celebrate St Patricks, but as the world is increasingly globalized, I hope you had a nice St Patrcik´s Day as well!!!

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  12. Am I really related to Don QuickScott and other bugs?

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  13. That was a fun read! I can't wait until you visit that cottage and we see pictures of you standing in front of it.

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!