Clarifying history

In the year of our Lord 1888, three wee babies were born into the Lee, Condon and Meade families in Darragh-Ruppulagh, County Limerick Ireland. These young people’s lives intertwined with the happenings of the times until the winds blew them on their ways in life. With stops in New York, Connecticut and Butte, MT, the three reconnected in Missoula, Montana to intermingle once again.

Thanks to the spectacular people at Ireland Reaching Out and the grand “Meet & Greet” programme, a descendant of the Condon and Lee families, and a parishioner of Monsignor D.P. Meade was able to experience their roots!

Anita Gilman and her husband were able to visit one family homestead and overlook the family home location of the other.

Along the way, thanks to the superb kindness of a local family (surely, they should be relatives), I was able to meet a new cousin, visit cousins I had only read about, and make some gracious new friends. My Montana logo jacket even introduced me to common Montana connections of another emigrant family on the train!

Beautiful Ireland did not disappoint and thanks to Ireland Reaching Out volunteer Kieran Jordan’s patience and persistence, I was able to clarify my history. The utter joy of the Irish people to make connections with anyone who was part of the Diaspora experience will encourage my continued research. What a lovely visit, with sunshine and clear blue sky. The people and beauty of Ireland will remain with me forever.