Mom and I got to Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland two days ago. It’s amazing how long it takes to get anywhere in the UK. We left my apartment at 11:45 because the cab didn’t show up, and walked across Oxford to Gloucester Green, the bus station. We barely made it, and caught the 12:15 bus to Gatwick airport. Then, we rode 2 hours to the airport and were actually 45 minutes early for check in. After waiting a bit, we checked in and “queued up” to go through security for about an hour. I got patted down. By a dude. Bummer. Then, it was a walk across the airport to the Ryanair terminal, and then right onto the plane for a 1.5 hour flight to Knock, and then a 20 minute drive to Swinford.
main street in Swinford
Swinford is small, it’s basically a tiny town that cropped up where three roads come together. It’s given me a picture of modern day small town life in Ireland, and while the absence of rock shows and hipster clubs might bum me out after a while, I still really enjoy the tone of the place. Why Swinford? My mom’s great grandmother Mary O’Donnell left Lagcurragh, a townland of Swinford, for Boston when she was 20 years old, in 1887. Basically, a townland is sort of a farm country suburb of a small town like Swinford. In the case of Lagcurragh, it’s a lot of fields with a few little clusters of old houses and a bunch of new fancy country homes built for rich foreigners, all connected by really old winding narrow roads. Passing other cars out here essentially requires that one party move over to the side of the road.
mom on a Lagcurragh road
a small car makes country driving feasible
We found an 1832 Ordnance Survey of Ireland map of Swinford and Lagcurragh, and were actually able to sort of follow it around. The funny thing is that this was the only internet map we could find with the tiny Lagcurragh roads actually shown. I got some ok photos of old buildings, but mom got better ones. I’ll post those when I get a chance, for now these will have to suffice…
We also went to the Swinford graveyard to look for relatives, which was pretty spooky since it had decayed significantly over the years…
this one could make it onto tales from the crypt
mom in the boneyard
We found a headstone that may have been from one of mom’s great grandmothers’ brothers, although it’s pretty hard to say for sure, given that his birth-date isn’t shown, and given that his name was Michael O’ Donnell, a fairly common Irish name.
way out in Lagcurragh: pretty
more of the same, with better lighting
3 comments:
Hi, I am an O'Donnell from Logcurragh. Same place as you mention but dare I say it - you are spelling it wrong. I was interested to read your impression of your visit to Swinford. The gravestone you have pictured belongs to cousins of mine & most definitely cousins of yours!! If you are a relative of the Swinford O'Donnell's - then we are all related. the pictures you have taken of old houses were unfortunatley the wrong ones. The original one's were there although only this year some were removed. The o'Donnells who settled in Logcurragh all originated from the ODonnell's of Donegal following the 'flight of the Earls'. If you are unfamiliar with this term -google it. The clann (family)meets every year in Donegal. I would be interested to know the names of your grandmother's siblings?
Hi, I am also a desendant of the O'Donnell's of Logcurragh. you were quiet correct in your spelling of the village name, however the local's over time have come to spell it with an "o" rather than the original "a",but on any official land registry maps etc. it is still spelt Lagcurragh.
I also had a look at your picture's, and the one of the grave particularly interested me, as that is a picture of my great-grandparent's grave. I am sorry to inform you, but we are not related. My O'Donnells' and your O'Donnells' are two separate families.
I know this with certainty as my late grand-uncle told me so. He passed away in 2003, aged 92. His grandmother had told him that there were three other families in Logcurragh, one of which was your family of O'Donnells' but they left for America the time of the potatoe famine in the 1840's.
I hope this information is of some help to you in your search for your family.
Do any of you folks from Logcurragh/Lagcurragh know whether there is or was a townland near Swinford called Ballinard, or Ballinard Cross? I am looking for a trace of my only Irish ancestor, who according to one source came from Co Mayo nr. Ballina, and according to another source came from Ballinard Cross.
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