Happy Saint Patrick's Day

 

 As Saint Patrick's Day approaches, we should remember our ancestors of Irish heritage. For a variety of reasons they traveled far across the Atlantic ocean in ships driven by wind or steam in search of a better life on the shores of America. 

On my paternal side, the my most immediate direct ancestors to make the journey were Peter Fanning & Mary Jane Carroll Fanning brought my great-grandfather, Joseph Patrick Fanning, as a 2 year old to Ellis Island in 1889. They moved from the city of Dublin. My great grandmother, Marion Scully Kempen, was born in New Jersey, but her parents, Michael Scully and Ann O'Neill Scully, immigrated separately from Ireland in the 1880's. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine where they lived in Ireland.

On my maternal side, my great-great grandfather came to 'the states' in 1865 as a 12 year old boy. I do not know who his parents were so I am not sure why or where he traveled from. He married Margaret Hickey several years later, but she traveled as a young girl with her parents, Andrew Hickey and Mary Ann Duncan Hickey. Different records indicate different years in which they emigrated but it was sometime between 1860-1866. I am still in the process of researching the various connections but I think this family came from County Offaly.

Other surnames of Irish heritage found in the family tree include:

Buckley, Burke, Butler, Breen, Brennan, Carr, Carney, Carroll, Clough, Coll, Cummins, Dolan, Donaldson, Dwyer, Farragher, Fraser, Gallagher, Healey, Hickey, Hughes, Hurley, Hynes, Kavanagh, Kelly, Kilpatrick, Lyons, MacGregor, Magee, McDonald, McGlade, McGovern, Murphy, Murray, O'Keefe, O'Roarke, Pearce, Scully, Stack, Sweeney.

Have a happy and blessed Saint Patrick's Day to you all.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.