DiSilverio? Funny, that doesn't sound Irish....
My name is Bob DiSilverio. My father's family all hail from Italy. My mother's family all hail from Ireland. Both sides of my family immigrated to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
My mother's bible tells me that my grandparents on her side of the family were born in Pennsylvania, USA in the 1890s. I knew them as well as a youngster may be said to know his grandparents. That was quite enough for me at one time when anything in the 19th century seemed impossibly long ago. But, in recent years I have become interested in my grandparents forebears and cannot discover much.
My mother's bible tells me a little more. Her father, Daniel McGee, was the son of Thomas McGee, who the bible says came from Glen Finn - Ireland. (I have seen a copy of Thomas McGee's death certificate. The death was registered by my grandfather's older half-brother, Patrick (PJ).) I met PJ when he seemed quite old to me. PJ could juggle balls and he gave me a baseball mitt. PJ met with my 6 year-old approval. On the basis of the death certificate, it would appear that PJ believed Thomas McGee hailed from Strabane. When I was in Ireland, I drove a rented Opel Corsa through the Finn Valley. I know that if you follow the River Finn down through Donegal and across into County Tyrone, you will very soon find yourself in Strabane. Great-Grandpa Thomas is from around there somewhere.
My great-grandmother - Daniel's mother (but not PJs) was called Margaret Boyle. The bible says she was from Donegal, Ireland. I doubt that she was from Donegal town. It is a big county. My cousin Terry seems to think we may have roots in or around Burtonport, or perhaps over on Innis Arran. There are a lot of Boyles around there. (I have DNA matches with Boyles from that area, too, but we've never managed to quite connect the lineage.)
My mother's maternal grandmother was also a Margaret - Margaret Gallagher. The bible says only that she was from Donegal, Ireland. I say again, it is a big county. Now, I do have a DNA Match (58 cM) on Gedcom with someone who claims descent from a Gallagher. None of the other surnames on his pedigree look familiar. I'm inclined to think we can only be related through a shared Gallagher forbear. All I know about my forebear is Margaret - Donegal. But he seems to know: Murtagh Gallagher b. 14 April 1865 Meenaboligan, Dungloe, Donegal - son of Murty born circa 1830. Points to some geography.
And, my mother's maternal grandfather was James O'Donnell. The bible says only Mein-Namara Ireland. I found Red Hugh O'Donnell. He has a statue in the parking lot in Donegal town near the castle. I couldn't find Mein-Namara, but then my mother had no Gaeilge. When I stayed with the Brennans in Glenties, they couldn't quite think of a local place name like that, except maybe, Meenmore? An Mhín Mhór? I went looking for it. And, I never quite found the place, but half of the country between Dungloe / Templecrone and Burtonport seems to be An Mhín Mhór.
So, the way I reckon it, half of my family originates within 400 square miles, mostly in County Donegal bounded by Roaninish in the northwest, Strabane in the northeast, Donegal town in the south and Dungloe in the southwest.
That's my story. If you can help me understand the Irish diaspora as it pertains to me, I'd be thrilled. And, yes, I'd love to visit Eire again, but it is not really budgeted for. Then again, if my countrymen elect the Orange Menace to the presidency again... Well, budget be dashed.
But anyway... California reaching out...
Bob
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