PC40 - Special Section, circ under 9,999 - Eganville Leader

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 1

Ninth annual Irish parade

By Gerald Tracey & William Enright Filed from The Irish Capital of Canada It’s that time of year again, folks. So it is.

The ninth annual St. Patrick’s Parade takes place this Saturday evening in Douglas and again it promises to be filled with colourful floats, characters, fun and laughter.

Parade committee members Preston Cull, Billy McHale and Art Jamieson have been working hard to pull off another great parade and by all accounts the 2020 version promises to be as good as any past parades.

The trio has been lining up floats for the spectacle for the past several months and so far about 50 have been confirmed with many latecomers expected to register this week.

Mr. Cull said it is not necessary to register in advance but knowing the number of participants makes it a bit easier for marshalling them in St. Michael’s School yard.

“We don’t want too many people calling at once because Jamieson is a slow counter and we have to take that into consideration,” he said. “Billy would be able to help out but he only has 10 fingers and 10 toes and we know that won’t be enough for a final tally.”

While the Irish Ambassador to Canada, Jim Kelly, was all set to come to the parade this year, an important assignment will unfortunately prevent him from attending. However, while he has indicated he will one day make it to Douglas, the second in command at the embassy, John Boylan (Deputy Head of Mission) will represent him at Douglas.

The parade is a partnership between the committee and the Douglas Recreation Committee. It is the first year for recreation to become involved and committee members are happy with the new partnership.

“It is important for the parade committee to have the backing and support of a com-

munity group and we are grateful to Douglas Recreation for joining with us,” Mr. McHale said. “Their sponsorship is crucial to this and future parades.”

The parade gets underway at 6:30 sharp.

Highway 60 through the Capital will be closed at Dillabough Road, on the west side of Douglas, and Rice Line, on the east side, about 6:15 o’clock.

Each year, the committee selects two individuals to fill important roles in the parade.

One of those roles is St. Patrick himself, patron saint of Ireland and this year that honour will be bestowed on Alex McGrath of Ruby (R.R. 4, Killaloe, south side of Golden Lake, Bonnechere Valley Township). Mr. McGrath is a well-known farmer, horseman and fine gentleman known for his Irish wit that has been handed down through his great-grandfather and grandfather who came over from Ireland and settled in the area in the 1850s.

The other role is that of Parade Marshall and this year a native of the Douglas community who nursed at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa for many years, will have that honour. Ruth Cull, also known as Mollypenny the Clown, has brought smiles and hope to thousands of children at CHEO over the last 18 years.

Douglas is the Irish heart(h) of the Ottawa Valley and as they say in Ireland, Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin …. There’s no fireplace like your own fireplace. (There’s no place like home!)

Of all the saints through the centuries, St. Patrick stands out as the most universally beloved – and a symbol of all that is Irish.

“If you’re enough lucky to be Irish … you’re lucky enough,” Mr. Cull said. “But if you come to the Douglas parade, I guarantee you will go home and be one lucky person.”

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 2

A message from the ‘Mayor of Douglas!’

Admaston/Bromley Township Mayor Michael Donohue extends a very special invitation to you to enjoy the celebrations in Douglas over the course of 10 days.

As Mayor of Admaston/Bromley – and Douglas, the Irish Capital of Canada – it’s a singular pleasure to extend far and wide Ceád Míle Fáilte, a hundred thousand welcomes!

I must acknowledge the incredible efforts of the parade committee of Preston Cull, Art Jamieson and Bill McHale.

This celebration would not be possible without their passion and energy; planning for this year’s celebration began before the snow disappeared last year. Of course, that was June.

Surely there is no more exuberant sign of impending spring than the return of the creative and colourful floats and folks to the streets of Douglas for the annual St. Patrick’s Parade. This kick-off to the 10-day celebration of Irish heritage in the Ottawa Valley will be held Saturday, March 7.

A culture renowned for its cuisine, you can avail yourselves over the week of an Irish breakfast hosted by the Zion United Church, an Irish stew courtesy of Backyard Gourmet or Irish wings by Billy T. This season also marks the return of the Leprechauns. As the wee folk awake from winter slumbers, they’re much more generous of spirit and less covetous of their pots o’ gold. Over the course of the celebrations the Admaston/ Bromley Library will host a fundraising Irish Trivia Night, sure to test your knowledge of the ould sod. And as no celebration in the Ottawa Valley is complete without a full contact euchre tournament, we are pleased that Renfrew Hospice will once again host this enormously entertaining fundraiser.

For 10 days in March all roads lead to Douglas and, from time immemorial, at the centre of festivities are the ever gracious purveyors of hospitality, Terry and Evelyn McHale (and of course their clan) at the Douglas Tavern.

While Irish ancestry is considered an asset, it is by no means required.

Slainte!

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St. Patrick’s Celebrations Wednesday, March 4 – 6 to 9 p.m. – Irish music and banter – Art Jamieson & Preston Cull, Heritage Radio Saturday, March 7 - 6:30 p.m. – St. Patrick’s Parade, Douglas Sunday, March 8 – 1 p.m. – Family Day at the Douglas Tavern Sunday, March 8 – 9 to 12 a.m. – Irish Breakfast, Zion United Church, Douglas Tuesday, March 10 - 7 p.m. – Irish Trivia Night, Douglas Tavern, proceeds to the Bromley-St. Michael’s Library Wednesday, March 11 – 5 to 7 p.m. – Irish Stew by Backyard Gourmet, Douglas Tavern Thursday, March 12 - 7 p.m. – 6-Hand Euchre, Douglas Tavern, proceeds to Hospice Renfrew Friday, March 13 - 11:30 to 1 – Irish Luncheon, Seniors’ Centre, Eganville Saturday, March 14 – 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. - St. Patrick’s Dance, Eganville Legion, proceeds to Ketcha Star Daycare Saturday, March 14 – 1 to 6 p.m. - Madawaska Valley Lions Irish Party, Barry’s Bay Legion Saturday, March 14 – 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., Irish Party at the DACA Centre Saturday, March 14 – Bobby O’Big Wheels at Finnigan’s, Renfrew Saturday, March 14 – Irish Music all day at Douglas Tavern Saturday, March 14 – 7:30 p.m. - St. Pat’s Party, Eganville Arena, with Stone Fence Showband Sunday, March 15 – 2 - 4 p.m. - Irish Tea at St. Lawrence O’Toole’s, Barry’s Bay Tuesday, March 17 - Irish party at Douglas Tavern Tuesday, March 17 – 2 to 10 p.m. - Ghost Town Criers and The Fiddleheads at Finnigans, Renfrew ****** Knights of Columbus Dramatic Club Irish Play 2020 The Mayhem Motel Matinees – Sunday, March 8 and 15 at 1:30 pm; evening performances – Friday, March 13 & Monday, March 16 at 7.30 p.m. - Knights of Columbus Hall, 170 Ellis Ave., Pembroke

Irish language place names along the Opeongo Line W

By Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh (aka Harold Kenny)

hen the Irish first came to the Ottawa Valley, they brought their language with them. At the time of the Great Starvation (1846 – 1850), there were more Irish speakers in Ireland than at any time in the past, or afterwards (~4 million). esearch suggests that as many as 60 per cent of the immigrants from Ireland during the Starvation were monoglot Irish speakers, and hence it is not so much a question of whether the arrivals in the Ottawa Valley spoke Irish (or “Irish Gaelic” as it is typically referred to in North America), as whether it was their only language.

We can still find many traces of the Irish language in place names along the Opeongo Line and surrounding areas. A logical place to start is Mount Saint Patrick.

Mount St. Patrick comes from “Croagh Pádraig” in County Mayo, which means “the Mountain of Patrick”.

This is a holy mountain, where pilgrimages are made the last Sunday of July each year. As many as 25,000 may attend, many walking up the mountain barefoot.

Father McNulty, the first priest at Mount St. Patrick, brought the name here.

Dacre is named after Major O’Dacre, who was a Colonial Officer in the area at the time of settlement.

The Irish form is Ó Dochraigh, coming from an earlier form MacGiolla Deachair. Because “deacair”, in Irish means hard, in the sense of difficult, the name is sometimes anglicized as “Harden”.

Interestingly, men and women of the same family have different surnames in Irish. The “Ó” means grandson, or male descendant, and the “Mac” means son. The female equivalents are “Ní” for “Ó” names, and “Nic” for “Mac” names. We might, then, have Seán Ó Dochraigh, but Nóra Ní Dhochraigh.

Other place-names in the area also derived from Irish surnames. McGrath is Mac Craith, the son of Crath.

A woman would be Nic Craith.

Cormac is named after a Father McCormac, in Irish “Mac Cormaic”, or for a woman “Nic Chormaic”.

Foymount comes from the surname Foy, which is Ó Fiaich in Irish, Ní Fhiaich for women. The word “fiach” in Irish means “to hunt”, and so the surname is sometimes anglicized as “Hunt”.

If you continue toward Eganville from Foymount, you come to Donegal. The name comes from County Donegal in Ireland which, in Irish, is Dún na nGall, the Fort of the Foreigners. The more authentic name of the county in the Irish Language is Tír Chonaill – the Land of Conall, who was a son of Neill of the Nine Hostages, an important Irish historical/mythological figure.

Another Donegal place-name is Letterkenny, which comes from the Irish Leitir Ceanainn, meaning “the hillside of the O’Cannon’s”.

Esmonde is “Easmonn” in Irish and comes from Sir Thomas Esmonde who was an Irish Home Rule nationalist politician and author. He was a grandson of the Irish patriot Henry Grattan, (“Mag Reachtain” in Irish), after whom the local township, and crossroads settlement, are named. The patriot Roger Casement, well-known for his role in the Easter Uprising in 1916, considered “Mac Easmoinn” to also be the Irish form of his own surname.

The Newfoundout is named after the Newfoundout in County Clare, Ireland. It is near the seaside tourist village of Kilkee. In the Irish language, the original name for the Newfoundout is “na Carraigeacha Bána”, meaning “the white rocks”. The rocks are white because of extrusions of quartz. If you visit the Newfoundout in Clare, you might have lunch at

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 4

the nearby Diamond Rocks Café. It is also named in honour of the rocks.

Back on the Opeongo we have Clontarf, in Irish Cluain Tarbh, meaning “the field of the bulls”. It is the site of a famous battle in 1014 where Brian Boru finally drove the Vikings from Ireland. It provides another County Clare connection, since King Brian Boru was born in Clare. The Opeongo land agent, T.P. French may have been influenced in naming Clontarf by the Curry family who came from the same place in Clare as Boru. That place was … wait for it … Killaloe.

Killaloe in County Clare is, of course, the namesake of our own Killaloe. In Irish, the name is Cill Dá Lua, meaning the church of Lua. It refers to a Saint Molua who was a contemporary of Saint Cainneach, the patron saint of County Kilkenny.

I have left Calabogie until last because, although it is widely believed to come from the Irish language, its exact etymology is disputed. Far and away the most likely explanation is that it comes from na Cealla Beaga, a small fishing village in south west Donegal.

The name means “the little churches”.

The Ottawa Valley is rich in Irish heritage. As successive generations pursue greater authenticity in celebrating this heritage, the Irish language is likely to have an increasing role. We are fortunate in having widespread Irish language place names to provide a constant reminder of our roots. ******

Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh (aka Harold Kenny) is a retired professor of Physics and Astronomy at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is founding president of the Gaeltacht Thuaisceart an Oileáin Úir (North America Gaeltacht), and of Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada. He is a former president of the North America Association for Celtic Language Teachers, and a former Head Boy of Opeongo High School. He was raised in Grattan (Scotch Bush) and currently resides in Esmonde.

Golden Lake

Eganville

KILLALOE (Cill Dá Lua)

CORMAC (Cormac)

FOYMOUNT (Sliabh Uí Fhiaich) LETTERKENNY (Leitir Ceanainn)

DONEGAL (Dún na nGall) MCGRATH (Mac Craith) Lake Clear

CLONTARF (Cluain Tarbh)

ESMONDE (Easmonn)

GRATTAN (Mag Reachtain)

Constant Lake

THE NEWFOUNDOUT (na Carraigeacha Bána)

DACRE (Dochraigh)

MOUNT ST PATRICK (Croagh Pádraig)

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The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 5

Tracing the roots of the Dwyers and O’Gradys

By Cecilia Buelow

In early April, 2019 I took my first trip to Ireland. My husband, Rob, my sister, Dianne and my brother-in-law, Jason Holmes, were my travelling companions. Dianne and Jason had visited the island over 10 years ago and had wanted to return and it was one of my dreams to visit as well.

We opted to rent a house in County Tipperary near a dot on the map called Killoscully and do all our touring via our rental car. With Dianne’s superb navigation from the back seat and my husband Rob’s excellent driving skills on the many roads we travelled and through the numerous round-a-bouts, we visited all our intended destinations.

The rural roads we trekked were narrow (did I say narrow) with absolutely no shoulders.

You can’t be a timid driver and that’s where Rob proved himself, though I’m guessing Jason may still be pulling out a few gorse thorns from his arm, before learning to keep it inside the passenger window. We shared the roads with the locals who easily surpassed the posted 80 km/h speed limit along with the many large tractors hauling enormous farm trailers and several hauling manure tankers.

Not sure where they were going with those!

And you knew you were driving like a local when the opposite driver would give you a slight nod of his index finger from his steering wheel (sound familiar).

So, why did we choose to stay in Tipperary?

My maiden name is Dwyer and my mother was born an O’Grady. Dianne has extensively

researched the Dwyer ancestry and knew of a number of locales in Tipperary where our Dwyer roots existed. Plus we were aware that our O’Grady heritage was also in the county. And since I grew up going to church and elementary school in Killaloe, Ontario, we wanted to visit Killaloe, Ireland. Though Killaloe is located in County Clare, it was only 20 minutes away from our very comfortable rented house.

Everyone I’ve spoken with who has visited Ireland sings the beauty of the landscape and the vivid greenery. I have to concur and while the back roads of Tipperary provided us with the majority of our adventures, we also took time to visit Galway, Dublin and Inisheer (the smallest of the Aran Islands).

These too offered terrain and sea worthy of postcard scenery, though much different than our mid-island vacation home.

Visiting the lands of Hollyford, Kilcommon and Losset townlands allowed us to touch the soil where our Dwyer ancestors had lived, worked, played and prayed. These aren’t large villages or even hamlets and, if comparing to Renfrew County, it would be like saying we went to Osceola, Kelly’s Corner and Castile (hats off to you if you know where that is).

We were delighted to share this itinerary with the owner of a local restaurant we had stopped at that day. After hearing these names he couldn’t contain his laughter, saying that “ye sure hit all the high points!” and continued with “ye are lucky to still have the wheels under the car”. We probably weren’t the usual Canadian tourists who would stop at

Dianne (Dwyer) Holmes kneels at the headstone of John O’Grady, a four time great-grandfather on the O’Grady side of the family. The ancient cemetery is located in Kilbarron.

Cecilia (Dwyer) and Rob Buelow visited Killaloe, County Clare with copies of the weekly edition of the Eganville Leader and the 2017 Irish edition.

his restaurant; for that matter we may have been the only Canadian tourists to stop there.

We visited an ancient graveyard which houses the headstone of our four times greatgrandfather on our O’Grady side of the family.

This site is located on a rural road, surrounded by farmer’s fields with a few curious steers peering over the berms, near what is called Kilbarron and with Lough Derg shining in the background. It was a beautiful and enchanting setting. The grave marking is for John O’Grady who died in 1824. Seeing such sites reinforces the young age of our Canada. Plus it makes one appreciate the archivists and individuals who take their time to document graveyard markings and record history, which definitely helped with our exploring.

Nenagh, Killaloe, Ballina, Doon and Cashel (with its numerous shops and ancient ruins) let us further experience the magnetism of the island and allowed us to converse with the lyrical and witty natives. These places also provided spring-like weather for us to enjoy (we had very little rain during our trip) unlike the 20 cm of snow we had just received prior to our departure.

Our 10-day trip presented us with many opportunities to meet the people of Ireland (and others from around the world) and identify some of the similarities and differences between Ireland and Ontario. I’ll share a few that may surprise and amuse you.

Cake Sale, Not Bake Sale You notice a distinct “sour” smell when peat

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or coal is being burnt to heat the houses. Most signage is written in the native Irish as well as English. We attended the “cake sale” (not to be confused with “bake sale”) after mass, where no one looked twice at us the visiting strangers; they were too intent on getting to the table where the best scones and pies were available.

We listened to hymns being played on fiddle and banjo at Sacred Heart church. We heard the death announcements on the radio (just as they are played on Heritage Radio here); however, some viewings still occur at home and announcements may also include the time the rosary will be said.

Don’t look for eggs in the cooler section of the grocery store; they are on the shelf beside the canned vegetables and plain potato chips (or crisps as they are called) aren’t as readily available as “cheese and onion crisps”. Careful if you don’t like fried egg. You may find it on your clubhouse sandwich.

Don’t be shocked when a group of eightyear-old girls all dressed in their princess costumes stroll through the local pub into the backroom for their own party. No hockey or baseball on the pub TV; its gaelic football, rugby and hurling.

There are numerous trails available for hiking and cycling; we explored Keepers Hill (a place we have since come to find a connection with after returning home, but that’s a whole other story).

See Page 7

Dwyer sisters and husbands visit dear old Ireland From Page 6 Tropical plants as well as holly grow in Ireland. The exterior and interior walls of the majority of homes are cinder block; the only wood is in the rafters and the finishings.

Sunday afternoon and evening is the most popular time of the week for pubs to spotlight trad (traditional) music. Traffic is stopped across a busy highway, much like Hwy. 60 running between Douglas and Renfrew, to move cattle from pasture on one side of the road to the milking barn on the other (no police involved). Mike Denver appears to be the up and coming Daniel O’Donnell replacement. I could go on!

McGrath, O’Connor and Mullin After sitting down to pen my thoughts on this trip, I realized a little bit of circumstance and magic may have occurred. McGrath, O’Connor and Mullin were our neighbours of Irish descent growing up in Ruby, Ontario (half way between Killaloe and Golden Lake on the south side of the lake) and those same family names, along with Dwyer, of course, remain there today. Surprisingly, or maybe not, we had occasion to have an Ireland experience in relation to each of these three Valley names.

Firstly, McGrath. We had driven into Newport on our way home after wandering the back roads for the day and thought we’d stop and grab a pint and something to eat; it was probably around 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

On the corner of the main street was a pub called McGrath’s. How fitting; we walked in!

Now, we did notice that the majority of men who were raising a glass in the pub were older and dressed in suit jackets, but not unusual, because we figured the younger folks would

be at work. We asked the bartender if they were serving food and he said yes, “take ye to the back”. So to the back of the bar we went.

There we found ourselves standing in a large room with a table full of plates of food covered with cellophane and a few older women giving us the “once over”. We felt a bit out of place and just stood there looking puzzled.

Within a few seconds a fellow dressed in a full suit came toward us asking if we had come from the funeral. Of course we hadn’t and apologized for intruding. He just laughed and recommended another establishment down the road.

Our landlady confirmed later that an elderly aunt of McGrath’s had passed and that we had walked in on the “gathering” after the

funeral mass. Hey Alec, Shannon and Dennis …. you missed what looked like the start of a good party!

Secondly, O’Connor. During an evening of fun at Ryan’s Thatched Bar in Killoscully we became fast friends with the gang sitting beside us. We met a local, P.J. Kelly, who had brought his relatives from Cork to the bar for the evening. One of those relatives introduced himself as Noel O’Connor, but told me that they just call themselves Connors. This brought back great memories of our childhood neighbours, Lee and Dominic O’Connor, who we also grew up calling Connors. Noel introduced us to his brother-in-law, an O’Sullivan.

Once again another bit of co-incidence since our Lee and Dominic Connors had a sister

Rolling green hills stretch in every direction. This photo was taken on the outskirts of Killaloe.

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who married a Sullivan. As kids it was a big trip to visit Bernadette Sullivan and her son, Gary, who farmed in Pine Valley.

And thirdly, Mullin. On a ferry out in the Atlantic, a woman approached us to confirm that we were Canadian (no surprise with the maple leaf regalia on my cap and on Dianne’s backpack). She was also a Canadian, from Thunder Bay. She had retired from the Ministry of Transportation and through that conversation, she confirmed she knew Earl Mullin, a one time neighbour (and distant cousin) of ours. She also said she knew someone from a little place she thought was called Golden Lake….would that be right, she asked. Yes …. what a small world we live in.

It wasn’t that we went searching for our Valley neighbours in Ireland, but somehow they found us! It’s unbelievable how we are all linked!

And you don’t need to be of Irish descent to make connections either. At a supper event we had booked at the Brazen Head in Dublin (thanks to Kelly Zadow for recommending this venue -- it was great) we were seated with three women from the Canadian Maritimes and a family of five from Rochester, New York, the Nolans. So, again through conversation, the woman from Rochester and my brother-in-law, Jason realized they had attended the same Grateful Dead concert nearly 25 years ago.

Lots of memories and mystery!

Remember, that at the start of this text I stated this was my “first trip” to Ireland.

As many of the signs leaving towns around Ontario read “Please Come Again”, the sign leaving Hollyford, Ireland reads: “Haste Ye Back” …. and that I will!

Irish hospitality

One of the common threads intertwined and

expressed in the stories by people who have visited Ireland is the friendliness and genuine hospitality of the Irish people and the more relaxed, laid-back lifestyle its people have embraced.

And perhaps that might be one of the biggest reasons why our little tiny part of the world known as the Ottawa Valley is also renowned for its hospitality. We hear it all the time, whether it is from people visiting the area in the summer months or first-time participants and guests attending the Bonnechere Cup snowmobile races.

Ireland is a special place and for those of us who have connected with the Emerald Isle, all will agree that there is a special feeling that fills one’s body and enters the soul when you are there. It’s a bit like that magical feeling we experience and cherish around the Christmas season.

Ireland is a country of friendly people, a place where history abounds, where the food is excellent and the drink is equally as good.

An island in the North Atlantic, separated from Great Britain by the North Channel, the Irish Sea and St. George’s Channel, Ireland is the second largest island in the British Isles.

Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland) which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. About five million people live in the Republic of Ireland and another two million in the north.

The island’s geography comprises relatively lowlying mountains, surrounding central plains, with several navigable rivers extending inland. Its lush vegetation is a product of its mild but changeable climate which is free of extremes in temperature.

The Irish climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and is thus very moderate; winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.

There are three World Heritage Sites on the island: the Brú na Bóinne, Skellig Michael and the Giant’s Causeway.

Some of the most visited sites in Ireland include Bunratty Castle, the Rock of Cashel, the Cliffs of Moher, Holy Cross Abbey and Blarney Castle. Historically important monastic sites include Glendalough and Clonmacnoise, which are maintained as national monuments in the Republic of Ireland.

Dublin is the most heavily touristed region and home to several of the most popular attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and Book of Kells. The west and south west, which includes the Lakes of Killarney and the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry and Connemara and the Aran Islands in County Galway, are also popular tourist destinations.

Ireland is one of the most picturesque places on the face of the map. If you have been there, you will agree. If not, you will have to take our word for it … that is, at least, until you go and find out for yourself.

The Leader’s Honourary Irish Family It has certainly been a busy year for the Ottawa Valley family. In April 2019, Justice Michael March, who was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2016, had the pleasure of welcoming his wife, Mary Fraser, to the bench. The longtime Pembroke lawyer was appointed as Justice to the Ontario Unified Family Court. Their children, Will and Emma, attend Queen’s University and are accomplished fiddlers and step dancers. On one occasion Will won his division at the annual Pembroke Old Time Fiddling and Step-Dancing Competition and he accompanied his sister when they competed as a team. They often placed among the leaders when Emma was not busy competing in step dancing. Will and Emma have entertained at many venues, especially during St. Patrick’s week celebrations and were regular entertainers at the annual Dacre and Area Community Association (DACA) Centre Irish celebrations.

Time On Our Hands If it is on our souls it must also be on our feet.

It is just one of those old sayings that takes a few minutes to understand but really makes a lot of sense, because it is our hands that put time to work. If we are smart, which I am not, instead of getting our heads in an uproar over the stupid ridiculous things Donald is doing, it would be much smarter to ask our brain to remind us of happier times when we heard the adults busting their sides laughing even when we hear of tragic deaths in far off lands.

Wearing long faces will not help even a small bit.

It is much better to say fervent prayers that God will be especially kind to their loved ones. As I think back to the darkest days of my life fighting an alcohol addiction, my prayer beads were either on the bed post or in my shirt pocket. I know without a doubt that my 50 years sober were made possible by the prayers of many holy people. I like to think I am fully recovered from the addiction, but thankfully the long time A.A. members warn us that we are still human and sometimes the best way to get rid of temptation is to give in to it.

We have all witnessed some pleasant memorable event in our lives. When we start to feel depressed it always helps to change our mental channel and think back to those happier times.

They are not gone forever. They are still there in our memories and there is always somebody or some way to bring them back.

I am one of those fortunate souls who met a few of those creators of

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laughter. Billie Finn was an Irish home boy who made his Canadian home with the Matt O’Brien family at Esmonde. One Sunday afternoon he walked down the Newfoundout to the flat land known as the Opeongo Line, to visit a friend. When Mrs. O’Brien awoke Monday morning, she discovered that Billie had not returned, but they found out that he had left his friend’s home Sunday evening. It had snowed overnight and the family was worried that he might have taken a short cut through the bush and got lost.

A call was made to Griffith, asking their daughter, Anita and her husband, Wilfred Varrin to help in the search.

Half a mile from the O’Brien home his dead body was found.

Immediately another member of the family, Father Kenneth, was called to give Billie the last rites. Billie had got short taken on the way home and perched himself on top of the log fence to get the job done. Apparently, while doing so, he had a heart attack.

After breakfast Mrs. O’Brien asked Father Kenneth what they should do with the body. Before the holy man could answer, Wilfred suggested: “Wipe his ass and call O’Reilly” – the undertaker.

Celtic crosses like this one in Letterkenny date back to the Early Middle Ages.

The other Letterkenny

By Johanna Zomers Leitir Ceanainn, now anglicised to Letterkenny, means “hillside of the O’Cannons” and has a population of almost 20,000, making it the largest town in County Donegal, Ulster, Ireland.

Letterkenny is built on the River Swilly just before the river flows into Lough Swilly, a winding 50-km long glacial fjord on the Wild Atlantic Way tourist trail. A striking sculptural monument built of over a hundred timber poles rises 12 metres high at the Port Bridge Roundabout and commemorates this junction of boat, rail and road which carried commerce and trade in and out of the area.

Letterkenny began as a market town at the start of the 17th century and is now nicknamed ‘The Cathedral Town’ for its imposing Gothic Style church dedicated to St. Eunan and St. Columba high on the hillside. Members of Jane Austin’s family are buried in this town and famed Irish revolutionary Wolfe Tone was arrested in the hotel in Letterkenny.

Not far from the cathedral is the Donegal Museum, named best County Museum in Ireland, situated in what was originally a Famine Workhouse. Inside this stern stone building, the folklore, social history, agriculture and archeology of County Donegal is displayed in several impressive galleries. The museum also houses film and radio archives of the county and the offshore islands. Another display features the traditional boats and the disappearing boat-building tradition around the coast of Donegal.

Just a few minutes from Letterkenny town itself, an outdoor museum on the Lough recreates the combined corn and flax mills powered by one of the largest functioning mill wheels in Ireland.

The Irish myth of the leprechauns and their reputed pots of gold may have some bearing in truth as four heavy gold rings dating back to the Bronze Age were recently discovered in near perfect condition by a County Donegal farmer draining a field in Tullydonnell -- who

stored them in his kitchen for a while before notifying authorities.

Irish gold deposits are reputed to be hidden in places with clues to the true location found in the place names of many of Ireland’s villages, mountains, rivers and towns. For example, Slieveanor in County Clare translates into ‘mountain of gold’ and Coomanore in County Cork means ‘hollow of gold’. The golden rings were allowed a short visit to the Donegal Museum where thousands came to admire them before they were removed to a more secure and central home at the National Museum in Dublin.

Today Letterkenny is on the forefront of Irish learning because of the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. A well-known County Donegal architectural firm designed the futuristic gleaming Regional Cultural Centre which opened in 2007 and hosts exhibitions, films, music and community arts. Two other notable modernistic buildings are the Letterkenny Town Council Offices with their state of the art ‘grass roof’ and the An Grianen Theatre which boasts the largest stage in Ireland and hosts popular events such as Trad Music Week in January.

Many visitors come to hike, walk or bike in Glenveagh, Ireland’s second largest wilderness park that is just 15 km west of Letterkenny. Over 16,000 hectares, the park along the scenic Lough Veagh features a romantic castle, surrounded by gardens which contrast with the wild and rugged landscape where golden eagles soar over Mount Errigal.

For anyone whose ancestors came from County Donegal, returning to Donegal Town and Letterkenny will have a powerful emotional impact. Ireland knows how to showcase its history and its heritage. But even more than the museums and monuments are the people themselves, particularly the older rural people who are so keen to share their little corner of the Emerald Isle with visitors.

Tell them you are from Donegal or Letterkenny or Westmeath -- in Canada!

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 9

Galway:

Where fiction triumphs fact

By Johanna Zomers If Dublin is the grand dame of Ireland, then Galway, named 2020 European Capital of Culture, is its fun-loving smaller sister.

Originally ruled by 14 powerful merchant families or tribes with familiar names such as French, Lynch, Martin and Morris, the city on the bay endured repeated raids by the Vikings, the Celts and the Normans.

The young guide from Tribes Walking Tours who entertained and informed us of the iconic sights of this amiable city of some 80,000 was quick to point out that in Galway, much of ‘fact’ is actually fiction -- but fiction so old that no one remembers it isn’t true.

He cited the often-told tale of the patriarch of Lynch castle who reputedly put the term “lynching’ into the public language when he hung his own son for the crime of murdering the son of a Spanish merchant over the affections of a fifteenth century Galway Girl.

“Please don’t ask our local musicians to play that song,” he said. “It’s full of fiction also!

For example, the ‘long walk’.”

He pointed to the promenade beside the boiling Corrib river.

“It’s not really a long walk at all. And see the river! It is not the shortest nor the fastest river in Europe, as some say. But it is the shortest fastest river in Europe! And it is true that a part, but only a part, of the historic city walls are to be found inside a shopping centre.”

Off we went through the cobbled winding streets toward the Ayre Square mall where indeed an imposing five-metre high seemingly ancient granite wall stretched past the food court. He pointed out how the foundations of the wall had been discovered when excavat-

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 10

ing for the new project and it was decided to incorporate both the old and the new into a partly factual and partly fictional landmark.

One undeniably authentic landmark is the 700-year-old church of St. Nicholas with its ancient statuary defaced by Oliver Cromwell’s men who showed their contempt for Catholic Ireland by using the church for stabling their horses. However, their contempt likely saved the building which is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship. Among its famed visitors was Christopher Columbus, who prayed here during a visit to Galway in 1477.

Gaillimh, as it is known in Gaelic, was an important seaport where the trade with Spain and Portugal entered through the Spanish Arch on the quay leading to the medieval streets where gulls screamed overhead interspersed with snatches of fiddle and accordion music. Like all seaports, it offered all manner of goods for sale, including the famed Claddagh rings created by a jeweller from the tightly knit community of fishermen with their own language, their own elected king and a fierce desire to remain independent from the outsiders on the far bank of the choppy Corrib River. The famous Galway Hooker (Gaelic: húicéir), a traditional fishing boat designed for the strong seas, was developed here and plied Galway Bay, bringing turf, limestone and fish to and from the Aran Islands, the Burren and Connemara.

Today Galway is the centre of Ireland’s revival of the Gaelic language and host to a dozen or more major cultural festivals. From film to music to oysters, there is craic here for everyone!

Galway The King’s Head pub in Galway and the Claddagh and Celtic Jewellery store, two popular destinations for visitors to the historic city of Galway. The city was named the 2020 European Capital of Culture. Galway is also the centre of Ireland’s revival of the Gaelic language and host to a dozen or more major cultural festivals.

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A foggy day at the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s most famous landmark. The cliffs are located in County Clare along the Wild Atlantic Way. They are sometimes closed to tourists due to strong winds.

Strong connections to Irish roots draws sisters to Ireland

By Cairine Cybulski

While my maiden name is French Canadian and my married name is Kashubian, I very much have always had strong connections to my maternal Irish roots.

This past September I finally got to realize my dream of reversing the trip of so many of my ancestors from Ireland, dragging my two sisters with me! From my genealogy research, I knew that my Irish roots are connected to many parts of Ireland but predominantly from some of the poorest and difficult regions: Connaught, Sligo, Mayo, Achill Island, from Limeric, Tipperary, Lisdoonavarna, Galway, Donegal, Castlerea, Clifden and Roscommon. Some of the names are familiar, others less.

I wanted to see the native home of my ancestors, including Freemans, Kinsellas, Morans, Jamiesons, Leavys, Leaheys, Ryans, Dwyers, Bentons, many of whom settled in the Carp, Mount St. Patrick, Brudenell and Killaloe regions to name a few. And my husband’s Irish ancestors, the O’Donnels, McConnels, Killorans in the Arnprior, Calabogie area.

We first landed in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I was saddened to my core as we toured an area referred to as Liberty Square and witnessed the scars of so many years of fighting between the Catholics and the Protestants. The “troubles” is how they refer to the time in the 70s when everything blew up. Though the gates of the wall separating the city’s Catholic and Protestant areas are now open, the barb wire atop the wall, the steel doors covering shop windows and the numerous memorials to those who died are disturbing.

A visit to the Belfast Museum explained a lot: The Museum has presented the history of “the troubles” in a most balanced way. Obviously it is sad to see how oppressed the Catholics had been, while their retribution and escalation of the battle

only caused further problems.

As our group arrived at the gates of Stormont, the beautiful Parliament Buildings of Northern Ireland, we were greeted by a guard with a rifle. He boarded our bus and asked where we were from – to which we all burst into singing “O Canada” – good to know: Canadians are well received over other groups! However, the government of Northern Ireland, we were told, has not sat for the past three years. Curious note: there were decorative moose heads on each lamp post all the around the

beautiful and expansive grounds, a gift from us, the Canadian people, to the people of Northern Ireland!

The Belfast Titanic Experience was such an eye opener: again the poor Irish people were used and abused in the building of the Titanic – working conditions were horrific, dangerous and workers unfairly compensated – but at least there was employment for some of the starving, who flocked to Belfast in the early 1900s, during terrible economic years. The result was a masterpiece that the Irish were

proud of, and rightfully so.

We visited the Crumlin Gaol (built in the mid 1800s to house approximately 300 inmates) which was only closed in the late 1990s when the last of the political prisoners were released. It now serves as a reminder of the horrific treatment and conditions – and to think this was as recently as the 1990s. We enjoyed a gourmet dinner in the gaol followed by a nighttime tour –sad to think of the men, women and children who were held there through the years.

There was a great musical fes-

Cairine Cybulski, centre, of Golden Lake is flanked by her sisters, Marie Patenaude and Carole Ann Patenaude during their trip last fall to Ireland.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 12

tival on the streets of Belfast as we walked around. We visited the historic Crown Pub, which has “snugs”, walled booths with a door to keep cosy. There I tried a brew made by the Whitewater Brewery – the Irish one! And they have their own leaning clock tower.

We then travelled from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, and visited the Belleek Irish Pottery Factory which is known worldwide.

The artisans were proud to show us their delicate and fine handiwork!

We took a ferry boat to Downpatrick, the site of the tomb of St. Patrick. There had been so many visitors taking back soil from the grave that eventually a large flat stone had to be placed over the burial site. Apparently, though, there are other areas throughout Ireland that claim to be the resting place of St. Patrick but this one is considered the authentic one.

Next was our stay in LondonDerry (Derry), a beautiful and impressive city, built around the historic battlement walls of the original “fort” structure. King James II (Ireland and England and VII of Scotland) stone emblems from the 1600s still stand intact on the old walls.

We visited Westport and a beautiful rainbow came out just as we were Facebooking with home -- a rainbow shone on Golden Lake here at the same time! Their roads are cobblestoned and there are lovely little shops not unlike the Ontario Westport, oh and a little bridge over a picturesque river! There were numerous “Moran” shops – my grandfather’s name. We stayed at several beautiful older inns, including the Abbey Hotel in the heart of Donegal which faced a quaint original town circle, then visited and experienced the Irish Weaving and Sweater Mill while sipping Irish coffee, of course, then walked along the beautiful lush town gardens. Someone had left three chairs in the parking spot so: photo op!

See Page 14

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 13

The ruins of an ancient castle along the Irish coastline. There are many ancient ruins throughout the Irish countryside to explore and photograph.

From Page 12 Having heard and read of the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim, I could never have imagined it! Volcanic rock in thousands of towering columnar formations along the north coast of the island stretching as far as the eye could see and a huge stone boot formation, a popular set for a photo op – which of course my sister Marie and I took advantage of, though she kept sliding off. (Carole is too camera shy.) On this north coast, one could only appreciate the natural phenomena, especially as a fan of the Game of Thrones series, it was fascinating to see the adjacent areas where filming took place.

Then there was the trip to the village of Cong, a visit to the unique Irish Connemara marble tour – that recognizable green hued marble often set in jewelry ... and next door was the little house where they filmed the Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara -- if you are old enough to know of them!

Closer to the western coast, we drove through large areas of stark, stony hillsides where only the odd sheep could graze … so desolate and harsh. We came upon a weathered old 1800s stone monument commemorating the hundreds of souls who died of starvation on their hundreds of miles walk to the outpost where the British were to provide meager support. I couldn’t help thinking of how many were my unlucky ancestors.

Coming across the Moran name, one of their ancestral names was exciting for the sisters.

One afternoon, while driving from one area of Ireland to another, we ended up driving through the cobblestoned roads of an old tiny little town where the turn for the bus was so tight that we could see how many times the corner building had been scraped by less proficient drivers, only to be faced with a huge traffic jam while trying to exit the town: it was the Bachelor Festival in the town of Lisdoonvarna and little campers jammed the roads all along both sides! (To think, some of my ancestors walked those cobblestones!)

Further on, there is a beautiful cathedral in Galway, the “City of Tribes” and we saw the many mementos of Pope John Paul’s visit there. And, of course, my one sister is a huge fan of the British TV series Jack Taylor which is filmed in Galway!

Continuing on further to the coast line on a very blustery rainy day, we walked along the Cliffs of Moher, high above the sea as the harsh winds blew at us and rough waves pummeled the shore, having carved out the area. To stand there and look over the sea was truly memorable. The museum on this site, built into the hills, highlighted the plight of the original Irish families of the area living in this harsh area of Ireland. There I saw the crest of our Moran ancestors as one of the main families of that area where great numbers dwindled to few, in part as a result of migration to North America.

Near Limerick (another area where others of my ancestors came from) we had dinner at Bunratty Castle, Medieval style with authentic antique furnishings. We dined on ribs, chicken, vegetables and mead/wine using our dagger, our sole utensil.

We drove past the Curragh in Kildare, the Irish National Stud Horse Race Track (think Irish Sweepstakes). We arrived at our final destination, Dublin, where we toured and visited many sites. The city is undergoing tremendous building and development. Especially fascinating were the numerous bridges crossing the river. One is called the Harp bridge which, when they occasionally fire a canon, actually “plays” we were told.

Of course, Guinness Draft Beer trucks were everywhere, and truly Guinness in Ireland is amazing!

Yes, I experienced the anticipated romantic emerald green of the pastoral fields in some areas of Ireland, experienced the uplifting singing and the dancing of the cultural experience, the lilt of the language, the story telling. But I also saw and visited the harsh west coast, the stony outcrops, areas so harsh that today, the British Isles are trying to send refugees to settle there because the Irish themselves are leaving the area for elsewhere.

How could the Irish of these desolate, rocky areas possibly have been expected to survive? The British had taken their lands, forbade them from learning to read and write, forced them to abandon their language and any non-potato crops were sent to feed the British troops! My Ryan ancestor, in particular, arrived in the U.S. working their way to Canada in the mid-1800s to finally settle in the Killaloe/Brudenell area. The Irish were made to enter back doors when they arrived in places like New York and were definitely treated as second-class citizens.

A large sculpture, “The Famine Ship”, was built as a monument in remembrance of those who perished enroute to North America and was a stark reminder of the ordeal our Irish ancestors faced in travelling across the ocean overcrowded The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 14

in dank, airless ships enduring horrendous conditions, many not surviving the travel.

As I flew home from Dublin via Calgary on a luxurious Dreamliner Boeing 787-9, 206 feet long, 55 feet high, with a wing span of 197 feet, I was so thankful to my ancestors … I travelled 6,609 kilometers from Dublin to Calgary, then home to Ottawa in less than 15 hours, which included a layover! I enjoyed a three-course hot meal, wine with dinner, blanket, pillow … such a contrast to the typical Famine Ship of the past.

This was not lost on me. I am so thankful for the life I have but also all the more appreciative of those who came before.

P.S. My amazing trip, by the way, was all organized by Jamieson travel. I could not have asked for better!

A large sculpture of The Famine Ship

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Bridge over Kings River, Kells, Co. Kilkenny

A pictorial tour of Ireland

9th century High Cross at Kells Augustine Priory (1193 1540), Co. Kilkenny

Photos by William Enright Born and raised in Enniscorthy, County Wexford Retired in Donegal, Bonnechere Valley Twp., Renfrew County

“Hole in the Wall” on a beautiful July day, Kells, Co. Kilkenny

Fenit Harbour, Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry

Tiny thatched cottage, Co. Limerick

Thatched Cottage, Co. Kilkenny The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 16

Thatched Cottage, Ballinastraw, Glenbrien, Co. Wexford - about 400 years old Kings River that used to power a flour mill, Kells, Co. Kilkenny

Signs in English and Gaelic for hiking trails near Camp and Dingle, Co. Kerry Annascaul, Co. Kerry

Kells Augustine Priory (1193 - 1540), Co. Kilkenny

Old Bike becomes village ornament, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 17

Ancient Celtic Ireland is revealed in County Donegal

By Johanna Zomers A three-hour drive north of lively Galway City takes the visitor to a unique Irish landscape with strong ties to our own Ottawa Valley where early immigrants christened our Donegal settlement (off Hwy. 512) west of Eganville and the hamlet of Letterkenny.

Dún na nGall’ is Gaelic for ‘Fort of the Foreigners’ and it was here that the early Viking invaders of the Emerald Isle built their stone and earth fortifications to defend their new territory. The most famous of all the surviving stone forts in Donegal, Grianán Ailigh on the Inishowen Peninsula, was the seat of the High Kings O’Neill for around seven centuries and one of the royal sites of Celtic Ireland.

Donegal, with its stunningly beautiful wild landscapes is the largest and most northern county in Ireland. Along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ tourist route, the Slieve League Cliffs at 700 metres, are the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Inland, sheep graze on little farms encircled by stone fences on desolate hillscapes looking toward ancient worn mountains. The village of Ballyshannon, with its Holy Well

dedicated to St. Patrick (who is believed to have stayed here), is considered the oldest town in Ireland. Dotted along the coast and on the offshore islands are 11 lighthouses.

The entire county is rich in historical sites, both early Celtic and Christian. Dotted around the county, in places hidden from general view, there are 400-year-old ‘Mass Rocks’ where Catholics gathered to practice their faith secretly under the Penal Laws brought in by the British under Cromwell.

A dolmen (a type of singlechamber megalithic tomb) near Kilclooney is said to be one of the finest of its kind in Ireland. Fine early examples of Tau and Celtic Crosses stand in several locations.

Gartan, near Letterkenny in Co. Donegal, is also the birthplace of St. Columba, one of the early Christian teachers who succeeded the original Celtic druids.

The Blue Stack Mountains, just outside Donegal Town, rise over a primitive land of scrub and stone interspersed with clear lakes or loughs populated with spring salmon, sea trout and char. Further north, Donegal’s highest mountain, Errigal, at almost 800 metres is the heart of

Glenveagh, Ireland’s largest national park covering over 16,000 hectares, and it is a walker’s paradise.

A little pub called Leo’s Tavern in the tiny village of Gweedore (‘Gaoth Dobhair’) in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht has produced the ethereal, evocative and haunting Celtic voices of singer Moya Brennan and her more famous sibling Enya.

The Grammy award-winning band, Clannad (the Celtic word for family), are rooted in that tiny pub where father, uncle and children played traditional and Celtic music. Fame arrived with their recording of the theme song for the films ‘Harry’s Game’ and ‘Last of the Mohicans’.

In addition, the well-known Irish folk music group Altan, formed in Co. Donegal in 1987 by lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, was primarily influenced by traditional Irish language songs from Donegal and they have sold over a million records.

Donegal Castle is a castle situated in the centre of Donegal Town in County Donegal in Ulster, This beautiful wild Ireland Ireland. For most of the last two centuries, the majority of the buildings lay in ruins but the with its haunting Celtic mu- castle was almost fully restored in the early 1990s. sic is a world away from the bustle of Dublin, just as our Donegal and Letterkenny are worlds away from Toronto. Go see it if you get the chance!

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The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 18

The Irish Country Kitchen

By Johanna Zomers When it comes to food, there are three major periods in Irish history: before the potato arrived, after the potato arrived and after the potato failed.

The Potato Famine in the midnineteenth century, which killed over a million people and led many millions more to leave Ireland, was not the result of a plant fungal disease as much as it was caused by England’s long-running domination of Ireland which started when Cromwell invaded in 1649.

While Irish farmers on allotted land (one acre per family with no other income – all their labour on the big English estates was unpaid) starved because of their depend-

ence on potatoes for food (the best nutritional return from one acre of land), Ireland continued to export large quantities of food to Great Britain and her colonies.

Because most rural people lived on small tracts of land and were essentially sharecroppers with their British landlords, a traditional peasant cuisine based on the garden and on the household pig evolved. Nothing in a poor household was ever wasted. The killing of the pig was a ritual in which neighbours came together with everyone getting a parcel of meat to take home. Since there was no refrigeration, what was not eaten fresh was cured or salted and hence bacon became a very important part of the Irish diet. Thus, the famous

From a variety of homemade soups and fresh-baked breads to full-course meals, Irish meals are hearty and tasty.

Full Irish Breakfast with its rashers (strips of bacon), sausages and black pudding made from the blood, pork fat and cereal.

Other traditional dishes based on the potato and/or the pig include Irish stew (made with lamb, mutton or beef), bacon and cabbage (with potatoes), boxty (potato pancake), coddle (sausage, bacon and potato), colcannon (mashed potato, cabbage and butter). Most households cooked on an open fire without an oven, so soda and brown breads and biscuits were baked in a heavy pot over the fire. For special occasions, Irish Porter Cake was made with Guinness and Barmbrack, both rich cakes laden with raisins and spices, graced the table.

Today, using Irish grass-fed beef, lamb, poultry and the bounty of seafood from the surrounding oceans, Irish chefs have created a cuisine that is both hearty and sophisticated.

The evolution of the Irish Country Kitchen style of cooking came from Myrtle Allen and her daughter-inlaw, Darina who created a little country restaurant in Ballymaloe House in Cork in the early 1990s.

As farmers and gardeners, they had access to the freshest of ingredients which they began to prepare using simple and classic European and Mediterranean cooking methods.

The result was a revolution in Irish dining. Coupled with the traditional merits of fine whisky and the of-

ferings of small craft brewers as well as the ubiquitous Guinness, a host of small restaurants and pubs in every corner of Ireland are now foodie destinations. A Belfast eatery, Ox, was awarded best eatery in Ireland in 2019 while the chef at the Greenhouse in Dublin won Best Chef in Ireland.

Irish settlers brought their reliance on the potato, root vegetables and the pig to the pioneer homesteads of the Ottawa Valley. These were also familiar ingredients to the Polish and to the Germans. A varied and

delicious selection of local recipes evolved from cabbage, potato, sausage, turnip and apple.

Should you be in Ireland and want to sample the finest meals on offer, there are now 18 Michelin starred restaurants in a tiny country which is traditionally famous for its fish and chips, and the much-loved packets of Tayto and Perri crisps. But one thing is certain, a Valley lad will not go hungry in a country where the potato often shows up on the plate in different versions, not once but twice!

Pubs and inns throughout Ireland are known for serving delicious food. No one leaves hungry.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 19

Wonderful Ireland

By Ann McIntyre Back in the fall of 2018, I had a wonderful trip with my daughters, Kelly (Zadow) and Heather (Summers) and granddaughter, Laura Summers to Ireland. We navigated our own driving tour, staying in B&B’s, Airbnb’s and two castles.

It was my second trip to Ireland and I was delighted to stay in the same places with my family that my Dad had visited some years before. This trip made it four generations to be touring that part of the Emerald Isle.

After landing at Dublin Airport we picked up our rental car and drove to Kilkenny, staying overnight at the Butler House. There were many wonderful memories as we made our way through the southern part of the island, visiting such places as Smithwicks Brewery, Waterford Cyrstal Factory, Blarney Castle where we visited the Blarney Stone, and the Blarney Woollen Mills.

In Cobn, Co. Cork, we enjoyed the Titanic Experience, site of the final port of call for the RMS Titanic. A beautiful sunny day allowed us to lunch outdoors at the Titanic Bar & Grill.

Our Tralee stay was at Ballyseede Castle with its beautiful grounds and three dogs, two majestic Irish Wolf Hounds named Mr. Higgins and his daughter, Molly, who welcomed all visitors at the door, and a little Maltese called Bubbles, who sleeps in the bar area and carries a stone around in his mouth all the time.

We were served a delicious evening meal and heard wonderful stories about Hilda, the ghost who walks the halls and haunts the castle.

A car ferry ride took us from Tarbert to Killimer, Co. Clare where we went to the town of Kilkee – a stop we needed to make since our Kelly ancestors come from this area. A beauti-

ful horseshoe beach here just begs people to walk it and explore. We experienced some soft rain while driving the Wild Atlantic Way and it got very foggy, which made visiting the Cliffs of Mohr a no see.

Our Bunratty B&B was within walking distance from Durty Nelly’s, nestled in the shadows of Bunratty Castle, where a lovely meal was enjoyed.

We rode the ferry from Rossaveal to Kilronan on the Inishmore, part of the Aran Islands.

Our guide, Gerald, gave us two hours to walk up to the Stone Fort known as Dun Aengus with its breathtaking views at the cliff’s side.

One wonders how the 800 or so inhabitants of the island can actually make a living on such a rocky landscape.

In Galway we stayed in an Airbnb. It is now Friday and the night life is something to behold – very busy. My granddaughter bumped into a friend from Round Lake. What a coincidence!

Next stop was Cong and the magnificent Ashford Castle. The grounds here are groomed to perfection and a walk around has many different gardens to admire, a falconry school and also the quaint little house where Maureen O’Hara stayed when she and John Wayne starred in The Quiet Man. The dungeon in the castle is now a dining room where we enjoyed a delicious chateaubriand evening meal before turning in for the night.

The next day we arrived in Dublin and dropped off our rented car before taxiing to an Airbnb where we stayed for two nights. We enjoyed visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral, The Book of Kells and Trinity College.

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Ann McIntyre of Cormac is flanked by her daughters, Heather Summers of Ottawa and Kelly Zadow of Cormac in front of the famous Durty Nelly’s Bar in the shadows of Bunratty Castle.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 20

A marriage proposal From Page 20 The Guinness Brewery left me with a pleasant memory.

The harp, which serves as the Guinness emblem, known as

the O’Neill harp, is now preserved in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. To our surprise we discovered the harp on display in the advertising gallery in the Guinness Storehouse was made by Cormac O’Kelly of Ballynascreen in the year 1702.

Now my maiden name being Kelly, born in and liv-

ing in Cormac, Ontario, I was particularly fascinated.

I thought perhaps if this was mentioned it would qualify me for having the second free pint in the Gravity Bar at the end of the brewery tour. It didn’t happen as I chickened out in asking.

That same day we enjoyed a pleasant evening of dining

Kelly Zadow, her mom, Ann McIntyre, granddaughter Laura Summers and her mom, Heather Summers at the Hole in the Wall. Ann is holding a bottle of Poitin, pronounced Potcheen, an Irish traditional distilled beverage.

and listening to storytelling folklore and fairy tales in Ireland’s oldest Irish Pub, Brazen Head.

The next morning, we were up and ready for a 9 a.m. taxi

ride to the Dublin Airport. So ended our wonderful adventure in Ireland.

Oh, and one other highlight I should mention is that I received a marriage proposal

on the grounds of the Ashford Castle -- a guard, a gentleman who on bended knee asked for my hand in marriage.

However, that’s a whole other story for another time!

Ann McIntryre of Cormac poses beside the famous O’Neill harp, the Guinness Brewery emblem.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 21

Claddah rings, Tweed hats mementos of a visit to Ireland

By Johanna Zomers If you’re from the Valley and you’ve been to Ireland, the odds are you brought home one or all of the following... a Claddagh ring, a sweater hand knit on the Aran Islands or a Donegal tweed cap or jacket.

The Claddagh ring, which originated in the Claddagh cottages on the banks of the Corrib River in County Galway, was designed by a silversmith from Galway who had been captured by Algerian pirates and sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith. The ring, with its hands representing friendship, holding a heart which represents love and topped with the crown of loyalty, is promoted and sold everywhere in the shops of Galway. Some are cheap trinket designs which will turn your finger green, but reputable jewellers showcase gorgeous rings in silver and gold with authentications as to their design and quality. Claddagh rings have become popular as wedding and anniversary bands, and as mementos of a trip to Ireland.

The warm woollen Aran sweaters displayed in dozens of colours in shops all over Ireland are another favourite souvenir and a very useful one at that. Nothing could be a better sales tool for the cozy garment than a few days of damp Irish weather. But, like the Moorish origins of the Claddagh ring, there is more to the story than the tag on the garment indicates.

The sweater originated on the Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay. The islanders were fishermen and farmers whose lives were intertwined with the merciless Atlantic. The hand-knitted sweaters were deeply representative of the lives of the knitters and their families. Many of the stitches reflect the symbols of Celtic art and similar patterns have been found at Neolithic burial sites in Ireland. The unique patterns of stitch and design became so strongly identified with clans that the sweaters were often used to identify bodies of drowned fishermen.

An official register of those historic patterns can be seen

in the Aran Sweater Market on the Aran Islands.

As well as being a garment which contains the history and origins of an entire clan in its hundred thousand stitches, the sweater is water repellant and has the excellent insulating qualities of all wool garments. Today, the lack of skilled knitters, the economic realities of machine knitting and the availability of merino wool sourced from Australia, have brought the Aran sweater into the modern age. If you are lucky enough to have an authentic hand-knit Aran sweater, you have an irreplaceable piece of Irish craft.

The Donegal Tweed cap: An old book entitled ‘Aranware and Tweed’ says, “The Donegal Weaver was, and indeed still is, a singular type of man. He normally has a long Celtic face with good long-fingered hands, a highly sensitive touch, and an inherent feeling for colour, amazingly dexterous feet and an inbuilt sense of rhythm.

This freedom of movement is vigorously displayed in

the skillful dancing of jigs and reels at the weavers’ parties held each year in Donegal Town.”

While herringbone and check patterns are produced in County Donegal, the area is best known for its plain weave cloth with bits of yarn

in various colours woven in at irregular intervals to create a heathered effect.

Today, Donegal Tweed is produced in a multitude of colours and is styled into fashionable garments more suited to a Paris fashion runway than to the farm

The Galway Woollen Market offering Aran Islands knitwear.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 22

fields where it was originally worn.

Again, if you are the proud possessor of a garment handwoven in Donegal before the advent of the modern looms, you have a marvellous and authentic piece of Irish history.

Ryans and Louis Schryer will appear at DACA St. Pat’s show

By Terry Fleurie Patrons at the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the DACA Centre are used to having great entertainment and this year will be no exception as another stellar line-up of performers are on the schedule.

Sandra Chippior, who stepped forward to organize the event last year when longtime convenors Linda Ryan and Cathy Hunt stepped aside, said everything is set for the March 14 show.

“I was a lover of the Irish celebration and it was something I was happy to take a try at,” she said of her role. “I have a lot of Irish in me and I volunteered to help look after it when a change was being made.”

Ms. Chippior, who convenes the celebration with her sister, Fran Sirosky and Amanda Gavin, said the popular Ryans from Pakenham will be back to perform as is Louis Schryer of Chapeau, the Donohue/Enright families of Douglas and the sibling duo of Wilson and Lucy Lazarus.

“The doors open at 11 a.m. and the entertainment runs from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.,” she said.

Ms. Chippior said the Ryans and Mr. Schryer usually open the show and the Donohue/Enrights will perform a couple of times. She expects the Lazarus kids to take the stage around 3.

“After that, we take away the ‘dance stage’ so people can actually dance in front of the band,” she said. “The Ryans continue to play until 5:30.”

In addition to the great entertainment each year, party goers can enjoy Irish Stew prepared by volunteers, and of course, refreshments are available.

Ms. Chippior said Ottawa Valley Oxygen

Limited is again bearing the cost of bringing in professional sound equipment.

“It’s a great help for our biggest fundraiser,” she noted. “They’re wonderful and it really makes a difference when you have really good sound.”

The St. Patrick’s Day party is the largest fundraiser for the Centre and it always draws a big crowd from all over the Valley and beyond.

“It’s full usually within the hour. Some people have a three-hour drive. We have people from Quebec as well as Pembroke. We had people from Kingston last year. Sometimes people plan a trip from down East.

“It’s well attended with a lot of loyal patrons,” she added.

One of the things that makes the day so special is the fact everybody tries to wear green and some have new outfits every year to show their Irish pride.

“We always have people that have a new outfit or something that has inspired them. There’s always one person who has got an outfit that I don’t know where they dreamed it up, but it’s hilarious.

“And, of course, everybody wears green and it’s just beautiful when you’re up on stage,” she added.

She acknowledged the many volunteers who make the event possible.

“It’s just the same people, they just know the party is on and it’s a full commitment from the DACA members. You don’t even have to ask, they just are there to volunteer. It’s wonderful.”

Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children under 12. The stew is not included in the price of admission.

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Young priest drowned before seeing completion of

By R. Bruce McIntyre Father John McCormac, a native of County Limerick, Ireland, who received his theological education at All Hallows Seminar, arrived as pastor of St. Patrick’s in October 1866. The 24-year-old priest would remain there until 1874 and although his time spent providing guidance and comfort to the small community was brief, his impact was profound.

He arrived in a settlement that traced its origin back to the early 1840s and in that time, there was no church established so those seeking a regular Mass waited for a visiting missionary priest.

His most important task upon his arrival was to oversee the building of the present church that started in 1869.

However, he made a discovery that would complement his oversight of the new parish. He was responsible for the establishment of the Holy Well, which remains a notable landmark in Renfrew County.

Holy wells are a part of an ancient tradition in Ireland that dates back to the Celts.

Certain pools and springs were thought to have spiritual power.

In those early days when

the hamlet of Mount St. Patrick was becoming a bustling commercial hub, Father McCormac found what he believed was such a spring near Constant Creek. He was familiar with the Holy Wells of Ireland, that green land of

streams and springs, and he probably knew it as a place of pilgrimage which he blessed as a holy well, in the Irish tradition.

The young priest, who came to the Ottawa Valley with a sense of adventure and a

humble appreciation of God’s plan for his destiny, was among a young generation who attended a pilgrimage and understood the significance of a holy source of water, and how it could lay the foundation for a future

Priests gather at Holy Well with Bishop Michael Munhall at 175th anniversary celebrations in 2018.

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pilgrimage.

He was quite familiar with places of pilgrimage in his homeland such as Croagh Patrick and St. Patrick’s at nearby Ballintubber.

Because he discovered the well near Constant Creek, he likely had it stoned by the sexton of the time, Daniel Lynch.

Having devoted his life to the service of God, he no doubt would have been anxious to have the well blessed so that the healing powers based on faith could help those most in need. For that to occur, he would have made a formal request to his superiors and no doubt he waited anxiously for that day to arrive.

Sadly, the young priest who helped found both a parish and community that would produce generations of Irish descendants, died at the age of 33. He died while enjoying one of his favourite past times -- fishing on Constant Creek, the same creek that feeds the water to the Holy Well. He fell from his boat and drowned.

The community, his parish and the entire diocese were devastated upon hearing of his death. Although it was a time of great sadness, his

fellow clergymen and parishioners carried through on his desire to recognize the spiritual importance of the spring water. In 1876, two years after his death, the well was blessed by Archbishop Duhamel of Ottawa.

Throughout the years the well was hallowed by the petitions and prayers of many who sought the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Many pilgrims, from students to senior citizens, had a pleasant walk to the Holy Well “of an evening” to ask for favours at this shaded retreat by Constant Creek.

The blessed site also pays tribute to the early priests who, in their own unique way, shaped the history of the parish. The stone memorials at the well are tributes to Father McCormack, the founder of the parish and Holy Well. Father Dowdall, who had Louis Lorrain erect the building over the well.

The Redemptorists, Fathers Goodts and McPhail, are honoured for their early devotion to the church and well.

Their memories and place in the history of the hamlet are sealed in the glass and stone structures which are also a popular tourist attraction.

Holy Well at The Mountain

See Page 25 From Page 24 Little did Father McCormac know that more than 145 years after he founded the Holy Well, which is identified as the starting point for some pilgrimages around the world, a group of young priests recently ordained in Pembroke Diocese, would establish a modern pilgrimage and his discovery was among the spiritual highlights of their journey.

The priests, most of them similar in age to himself at the time of his discovery, made a route that would pay homage to the early European

pioneers who settled the lands of the Ottawa Valley and visit sites of historical and religious significance. Many of those early pioneers could not afford a horse so they walked what would become known as the Opeongo Line.

The modern pilgrimage includes two overnight campouts and Father McCormac’s beloved church is the first overnight stop of the 67-km trek.

“Walk the Opeongo Line” was started in 2016 by Father Scott Murray. The journey has attracted more than 60 pilgrims annually who set

Father John McCormac was responsible for establishing the Holy Well but sadly he drowned before it was completed.

out from Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Renfrew and spend the first night sleeping on the lawn of the church that has been the source of so many wonderful memories.

Before the pilgrims leave the church grounds for their eventual destination at the Shrine of St. Ann in Cormac, they make their way to the Holy Well, located about half a kilometer down the road which also winds through a cemetery. The modern pilgrims draw water from the well to take with them on their journey. For many, it is their first encounter with the legendary well and they leave with fond memories of their time there.

Many visitors stop at the Holy Well to draw water for themselves and many wander to the stone monuments and read about those early priests who served the community.

They helped lay the foundation of a church that recently celebrated its 175th anniversary with hundreds of guests who can trace familial ties to those early days.

When those visitors read the story of a young Father McCormac, they no doubt leave with a greater appreciation of his impact on the community despite the limited time among them.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 25

Black Donald Mines buried under Centennial Lake

By R. Bruce McIntyre The remains of a rather unique ghost town is not too far from Calabogie, but you won’t find it on a map and you won’t be able to see the old buildings. The once vibrant village of Black Donald Mines is long gone and buried under Centennial Lake. Centennial Lake covers a mine that, for a time, was a world leader in the production of graphite, the mineral used for lead pencils, stove polish, metallic paints and especially as a lubricant for heavy machinery.

Today, that mine, and the busy village that popped up during its heyday, are buried.

It was a village where most of the early workers were of French descent who worked alongside a new wave of Irish men looking to improve their lot in life. The names of some

of those early French settlers and Irish miners are still present in the area as some of their descendants still call the area home. For the first half of the 20th century, the name Black Donald was associated with the mine.

Irish and French workers spent long days with artificial lights strung along the shaft to help them find their way.

Today, Black Donald is the name of a lake that is one of the most popular tourist locations in Greater Madawaska, a far cry from working underground in total darkness.

‘Money People’ Got The Mine Operational The story goes that a homesteader named John Moore literally tripped over rock containing graphite while searching for his cows. That simple discovery led him on a six-year quest in search of

‘money people’ to invest in his find.

In 1895, John Moore met Senator George McKindsey. The Senator gave him two dollars to cover the cost of leasing 167 acres of his land and he would return four months later to pay Mr. Moore $4,000 for all surface and mineral rights on the property.

The very next day, Senator McKindsey sold his newly acquired land to a group of businessmen who formed the Ontario Graphite Company. It wasn’t a bad couple of days for the Senator who pocketed a whopping $42,000 for the sale of the same site from Mr. Moore 24 hours earlier.

He left the village bound for Ottawa with a nice little profit of $38,000.

A Village Is Born The mine was up and run-

The large building on the left was the village’s amusement/dance hall. It was a popular destination on Saturday nights when many residents came to dance or watch a motion picture in the bench seating.

A St. Patrick’s Day fire in 1912 was just one of many accidents or natural disasters that plagued the operations of the mine. A series of mine-shaft collapses in 1950 forced ownership to cease operations and it was the beginning of the end for the mine and the village.

The Black Donald Mines General Store was one of the busiest locations in the village. The store was the only source of supplies for the employees and their families. ning in mid-1896 with 15 employees and by 1904, the company had a refining plant on site and a workforce of 32 employees. And it showed no signs of slowing down.

That year, Rinaldo McConnell took over the dayto-day operations and he realized the potential of the mine and took steps to keep the men motivated in order to increase production.

Within the first year of managing the mine, he had several more houses built for the married men and their families, as well as a larger sleep-camp for the other workers.

When war broke out in 1914, the demand for graphite was sharply increased and the mining operation continued to grow, adding on to the 77 buildings that dotted the landscape.

The growing village grew to 118 during the war and employees were kept busy when not below the surface.

New structures were built and among those buildings were a barber shop, a Catholic church, a school and a dance hall. All the buildings were lit with electric lights, except for the school which was located just outside the village.

By 1924, the mine reached the peak of its production.

It accounted for 94 per cent of all graphite in Canada, but managing the site was no easy task. The operation declined and by 1939 the workforce was down to only seven employees as most operations ceased when the mine was purposely flooded.

Although World War II

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started in 1939 and several mines throughout Canada were heavily involved in the war effort, it wasn’t until 1943 that operations returned to the village and it appeared the resurrection of the mine had begun.

Residents cheered when Jack Wilson became the new postmaster in 1944. He told them the new daily mail service from Calabogie was a good sign and things were looking positive for the village.

When they raised a beer to toast their good fortune, they thanked Mr. Wilson a second time because he helped them get their beer. Beer was rationed in wartime and it was often ordered by mail from Arnprior and shipped back

to the miners.

The war-time boom had most of the men in the village return to the mine, but some replaced their shovels and tools with rifles and joined up to fight for their country.

On three occasions the villagers came together to mourn the loss of three young men who left the tight-knit community to go overseas.

They gathered to give comfort to the Brydges family after Walter Brydges was killed at Dieppe; they cried when word came back that Nick Danyluck died in a Japanese concentration camp and they attended church to say goodbye to Aldome Scully who was killed during the march to Berlin.

See Page 27

Flake Graphite from the Black Donald Mines near Calabogie was sold in colourful tins.

From Village To Ghost Town When the war ended in 1945, the one-time rosy outlook for the mine and village was beginning to fade after several accidents and weather conditions took its toll. Production was halted several times due to mine shaft collapses. The loss of all electricity after a dam was washed away on the Madawaska River, combined with a fire in some of the key buildings, finally took its toll on ownership.

In 1950 underground operations were terminated and

by 1954, scrap dealers were called in to salvage whatever they could. The industry that fueled the growth was gone and the village’s fate was sealed.

Black Donald Mines was now just another Canadian ghost town. All that remained were a few burned out buildings. The residents who used to spend every Saturday night in the dance hall or had their hair cut at the barber shop or attended church every Sunday morning had long moved away.

The one-room schoolhouse that paid Mamie Foran $500

The original Catholic church at Black Donald was replaced by the one seen here in 1919. It was eventually closed in 1966.

in 1918 to teach the French and Irish children daily lessons was closed when Stella Amell said goodbye to her students for the last time in June,1962.

George and Margaret Kelly took over the post office after former Postmaster Jack Wilson passed away. On August 31, 1962, they sorted the mail one last time when the final delivery was made to the rural outlet.

Ontario Hydro purchased the site in 1959 with a plan to build the Mountain Chute dam. Contractors were brought in to bulldoze the remaining buildings to make way for the dramatic change of landscape envisioned by Ontario Hydro.

In 1966, the dam was built and the operating station was ready to go, when water was released to fill the 8,500 acres headpond. After six months, the flooding ended and the body of water was named Centennial Lake in honour of Canada’s 100th birthday year in 1967.

As water cascaded through the sluiceway of the Mountain Chute Generating Station on March 26, 1967, hydro employees gathered to celebrate the first day of operation.

Perhaps some of them looked out on to the horizon

and wondered where the final traces of Black Donald Mines

were buried under the new 150-foot deep lake.

The Black Donald mine was at one time the largest source of graphite in Canada. At its peak, it produced 94 per cent of all graphite in the country. It is truly a miracle that despite some major mine-shaft collapses, not one miner was killed when they occurred.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 27

Irish edition is nominated for award for eighth straight year

By Gerald Tracey Publisher The Eganville Leader’s annual Irish edition has been nominated again for an award in the annual Ontario Community Newspapers Better Newspapers Competition.

When the Leader published its first Irish edition in 2012, little did we expect that nine years later we would still be publishing a special edition paying tribute to the Irish, their homeland, their stories and the many other things that go along with the splendid March 17th celebrations.

Each year, our readers respond by sharing with us their memories of their trips to Ireland. Most of them have connections to the Irish heritage and go in search of finding traces of their ancestors. Never have we heard from anyone who did not enjoy their Irish experience.

Since we published our first Irish edition, each publication has earned either a first, second or third place award in the Special Edition category under 9,900 circulation.

Here is how we have placed over the years: 2012 - 2nd place 2013 - 1st place 2014 - 3rd place 2015 - 1st place 2016 - 2nd place 2017 - 2nd place 2018 – 1st place 2019 - nominated The idea of producing an Irish edition all came about because of the first annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Douglas. The little hamlet

east of Eganville is known Canada-wide as the Irish Capital of Canada on March 17th and home of the leprechaun the rest of the year.

Through the hard work and commitment of Preston Cull, Billy McHale and Art Jamieson, that first parade held on a beautiful Friday night in March 2012 turned out to be such a success that it continues to be as popular now as it was in its beginning.

Our first Irish editions contained stories and photos from our own travels as well as submissions by people from across the Valley who have enjoyed their trips to Ireland, some just to visit and others to connect with their roots and meet for the first time distant relatives.

Since there are so many families of Irish descent in Renfrew County, coming up with ideas and stories is not the chore we thought it would be. It seems new story ideas pop up each year. And, of course, it’s always important to write about the coming celebrations that take place locally.

Leader columnist Johanna Zomers, who is currently in Spain, recently spent some time in Ireland and once again has submitted several stories for this edition. Several have also been written by our own staff writers, Terry Fleurie and Bruce McIntyre.

We feel this year’s Irish edition is every bit as interesting as our past issues and we invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy our 2020 publication.

And we also express our thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories with us this year.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 28

Alex McGrath of Ruby is chosen as 2020 St. Patrick

By Terry Fleurie A longtime resident of Ruby who has been a regular visitor to the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Douglas, is looking forward to attending this year but in a slightly different capacity.

Alex McGrath is deeply proud of his Irish heritage and this year he has accepted the role of St. Patrick in the big Douglas parade scheduled for Saturday, March 7.

Each year, the organizing committee selects an individual to portray the famous Irish clergyman and Mr. McGrath, who is a regular attendee at anything celebrating his Irish heritage, agreed to assume the role for 2020.

He received a call from Billy McHale, a member of the organizing committee, on February 21.

“I figured he was serious because he wanted me to get back to him,” he said when asked if he thought Mr. McHale was joking with him initially. “Then I was talking to him at a hockey game in Barry’s Bay for a little while.

“Then I did phone him back and agreed to do it,” he added.

It’s an honour to be asked to be St. Patrick, he said, and so it didn’t take long for him to accept the invitation.

“If they wanted me to do it, I didn’t want to say no,” he remarked. “There’s lots of other people they could ask, so it’s kind of nice to be considered.

“They come from all over to take part, so it is an honour.”

Mr. McHale said Mr. McGrath’s name has come up many times in the committee’s conversations about who would make a good St. Patrick.

“There’s kind of an ongoing list we look at and Alex is well known and does a lot in the community. And his family is all still around here; they’re all doing something in the area.

“It’s really a logical choice,” he added.

“You don’t go to an Irish party that he’s not at.”

Mr. McGrath has been at every parade since they began in 2012.

“It’s a great thing to see all the entries and the people who come out to watch. The people put a lot of work into it and everyone’s in a good mood.”

He said his family has entered a float on a couple of occasions and he will be looking to them to assist in some mode of transportation for him when he assumes the role on Saturday evening.

Even before the parades started, he has been a patron of the Douglas Tavern for many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the past. He recalled his first time there, explaining he had accompanied his father, Alex Sr., who was going to O’Neill’s in Douglas on some farm equipment business.

“I remember I went into the hotel,” he recalled. “I just walked across the street.

“There wasn’t as many people there then as there was the last couple of years,” he added.

Mr. McGrath recalls being very impressed on that first visit.

“I guess that’s why everybody keeps going back,” he stated.

His great-grandfather and grandfather, Daniel and Thomas McGrath, respectively,

Alex McGrath will play the role of St. Patrick

emigrated from Ireland in the early 1850s, and after settling in the Pakenham area, came to the Killaloe area about 1855 and settled in the Ruby area.

“My great-grandfather is buried in Brudenell because there was no church in Killaloe at that time,” he said.

He currently lives on the homestead his grandfather established.

Mr. McGrath and his wife, Colleen (Enright), visited the Emerald Isle back in 1994 with Jamieson Tours.

“I’ll never forget that, I had a great time over there,” he recalled.

The family roots are in Limerick and while they attempted to find some trace of the family history during their visit, they were not successful.

“We tried to find some old gravestones but it’s pretty hard to find that.”

He said the stories of Ireland having 40 shades of green proved true for him.

“I thought of that when we were landing at Shannon Airport. It was just daylight when we were coming down and you could see the colours then.”

He said they found the Irish people to be very hospitable.

“I guess they’re like myself, if you start talking to them, you’d be talking for half an hour. There were so many people in the pubs, if you said anything to them at all, you were in for a real conversation.”

During their 15 day trip he was asked many times if he planned to return.

“I told a guy it took me 45 years to get there, so I wasn’t liable to be back.”

Mr. McGrath, who turns 75 in May, is as a farmer and bush worker who also is a breeder of Belgian and Percheron heavy horses.

He has entered a team in the Irish Gathering in Killaloe, but not in Douglas, noting the insurance has become unaffordable.

“We have 17 here right now,” he noted of his horses. “But there’s always horses for sale and I’m always looking for one.”

He said he will be enlisting his children, Erin (Dick), Carolyn (Comerford), Shannon and Dennis and their families to help with the float to convey St. Patrick through the streets of Douglas.

“Next week we have to get something together so I won’t have to walk,” he said.

The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 29

Mollypenny aka Ruth Cull is named Honourary Douglas If Ruth Cull happens to be walking in downtown Ottawa and stops to look at a storefront display, chances are people will walk past her thinking she is just another Ottawa resident out looking for a deal.

But if those same people saw her walking the floors at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), as she has done countless times over the last 18 years, they would certainly sit up and take notice.

They would learn the same woman, one of 12 children raised on the Cull homestead near Douglas, is perhaps the most recognizable member of the CHEO team since the doors first opened in 1974.

Ruth Cull -- aka Mollypenny -- is a therapeutic clown who has met thousands of children since she first donned her fancy hair and colourful costumes in 2002. Along the way she has wiped away tears, made weak children smile and helped those children laugh and for a few minutes, forget about why they are in a hospital gown away from their family.

Ms. Cull grew up on a farm surrounded by family, friends and neighbours who instilled in her, and each other, the importance of laughter and how to face adversity head on.

This Saturday night, she will come home to Douglas and have the honour of being the official Parade Marshall for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“I have not quite decided if Mollypenny or Ruth will be on the float when we make our way down the main street, but I know Mollypenny is very excited about seeing Douglas at nighttime, and I hope it is not too late for her,” she said with a hearty laugh in a telephone

interview. “After all, Mollypenny is only four years old and that is right around her bedtime.”

Although clowns may be viewed silly without a care in the world, that is a far cry from the message Mollypenny delivers. She is not a party clown, but she has a fair number of tricks up her sleeves. She loves to hand out eye-pads to children, her version of an Apple Ipad, and yes, it comes with an apple.

Most of all, the children love when she starts blowing bubbles.

“When I first arrive in a room some of them are afraid and they naturally shy away or hide behind their parents,” she said. “If they are under five years, I just start blowing balloons and in a few minutes they are chasing them around and laughing. When I say I am only four years old, they usually tilt their heads and look really confused.”

What isn’t confusing is the incredible impact she has on the children and their families. When they finally get to go home, many ask to see the four-year-old clown one last time and the parents will give her a hug and leave CHEO with an admiration and respect for Monnypenny’s efforts.

Sadly, not all the children return home and when she sees an empty bed, it is difficult to imagine the range of emotions Ms. Cull deals with.

“I credit my nursing background for giving me the strength and discipline to deal with that,” she said. “Without that training, I don’t think I could have lasted this long.”

When she left the Cull homestead to train as a Registered Practical Nurse, she had no idea where she would end up. She moved to

Douglas native Ruth Cull will be coming home this Saturday to take on the role of Grand Marshall in this year’s St. Patrick’s Parade. For the last 18 years, she has made thousands of children laugh at CHEO when she shows up as Molleypenny.

British Columbia in 1972 and worked in her field but returned to the area in 1974 to begin her career at CHEO. “It was a case of wanting to be closer to my family, many of whom stayed in the area and

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The Eganville Leader - Irish Edition - March 4, 2020 - Page 30

a chance to work in a new hospital, so coming back home was not that hard,” she said.

Not only has she carved out a reputation for her work as a therapeutic clown, but she has received awards recognizing her 25-year career as a scrub nurse in the OR. She was CHEO’s 1990 Employee of the Year and the recipient of the 1993 Scalpel Award for Surgery and several others all highlighting her professional nursing skills.

When she retired from nursing, it didn’t take long for her to transition to Mollypenny in 2002.

She had no formal training as a clown and realized she needed to get up to speed. The University of Wisconsin offers a one-week clown program, but she didn’t have $3,000 to attend, along with all the other costs.

She was home in Douglas that year and her nephew, Jeff, knew she wanted to go so he gave her a penny and told her one penny at a time.

“My five-year-old nephew gave me the inspiration and idea on how to get to clown school,” she said. “I used the big white pails that hold pickles and everyone started throwing pennies in them. After six months I had 300,000 pennies collected and that $3,000 got me to Wisconsin.”

She arrived at clown school with doctors, lawyers, nurses and other professionals and she admits she was not the best student.

“I couldn’t blow up balloons, or go stiltwalking or ride a unicycle,” she said. “But I did learn how clowns can help children feel better and I took those lessons back home.”

See Page 31

Parade Marshall for 2020

From Page 30 She used her nephew’s reference to pennies and made it part of her name. She has no idea how many children she has met over the years, but she has wonderful memories of those meetings.

When she met them, she showed up in one of her three costumes, or different colours of fancy hair and clown’s make-up and as she grew more confident in her role, she encouraged children to accompany her on her rounds.

“When I show up, I almost always have a medical student with me as part of their training, and sometimes I have a child in a little white lab coat and clipboard as my assistant,” she said. “Those are what I call the special moments, and there are so many I wouldn’t be able to point out just one that stood out.

They are all special.”

It would not surprise Ms. Cull that she might see parents and children that have been to CHEO and met Mollypenny. From her chair on the Grand Marshall’s float, she will wave and smile back and be happy that one more child is home with their family.

It will be another special moment for Ms. Cull/Moneypenny. Although the streets of Douglas will be filled with honking horns, and Irish music coming from all directions as thousands of people will be clapping and

yelling, that special moment will be a quiet one for the farm girl from Douglas who made a name for herself in Ottawa.

The name is Mollypenny.

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