Why Did The Gallaghers Leave Adara Donegal Ireland in 1880?

Rural Life


Early 1900's

Most people lived in countryside
Many people were poor

Many were seasonal migrants to Scotland or England
1. Grace was born in Scotland 1878
2. Patrick and Hannah Gallagher with their daughter, Grace immigrated to the USA in 1880.

Many forced to emigrate to USA or UK
Lived in small, thatched 3-roomed cottages
Kitchen was main room - open hearth fire
Very little furniture - wooden tables, chairs and dresser
Lighting was either oil lamps or candles
Main fuel was turf or wood
Cooking done on open fire - iron pots and pans
No piped water supply - relied on pump or a well
More prosperous farmers lived in 2 storey houses with slate roofs
Work was done mainly by hand or with horses
Women played a very important role
Cooking, churning, ironing, looking after children and elderly relatives
Helped at harvest, gathered seaweed

Gallagher, Adara, Church of the Holy Family

Ardara (Irish: Ard an Rátha, meaning "Height of the Fort") is a small town located in Southwest  County Donegal. The community has a population of 731 (per the 2011 Census). The town has seen some great growth with a lot of the pubs and shops being renovated. Some of the main scenic points near the town are the Maghera Falls and the views out over the Atlantic from Loughros Point.

 

Church of the Holy Family is the parish of the Gallaghers and we were fortunate enough to meet a Gallagher in the churchyard cemetery who told us the Gallagher clan pronounced "Ga La Her" has been in the town of Adara since its inception which is a very long time since Adara has been around since the middle ages. It is a small textile village surrounded by ocean. I was told our Gallaghers were Fishermen though some did weave.

What struck us the most was the village reminded us of Manayunk where the Gallaghers settled in the USA. Adara has the same type of hills as Manayunk.

And the village is surrounded by the ocean which makes sense as the Gallaghers were fishermen.

Ireland

It has been a busy weekend getting ready for our trip. We stopped at Macy's and Kohl's for a few articles of clothing we may need, a stop at Best Buys so Bill could update his cell phone, CVS for toiletries, Boscov's for travel pillows times three, and a nice lunch outdoors on Saturday followed by a nice outdoor brunch on Sunday. We are packed. We are nearly ready and despite all the grief over the last few days, I am excited.


I am looking forward to going to St. Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity Church in Dublin. Of course we will be in the historic Templar Bar area were is it known for its pubs and shops. Trinity Church has underground crypts that go back to the middle ages. I am sure when I come home I will be writing about all the history.


Good Friday we will drive Northwest to Donegal and stay at the castle. Bill wants to drive further North then travel South along the coast where there are magnificent cliffs that meet the ocean. We will visit the town of Adara where the Gallaghers are from and Lough where the McCaffertys (McCafferys) are from.


County Mayo will be the area we explore starting on Easter Sunday with Killala and Ballina towns at the forefront. This is where the Bolands, Caffertys and Dohertys are from.  Lots of open farmland complete with thatch houses (we will stay in one) and more cliffs that meet the ocean. If we have time, we will travel further South into Galway.


The final leg of our trip will take us back to Dublin before we fly to Boston then to Philadelphia,


We do not do group tours. We are renting a car so we can travel at our pace and mix in with the locals. I am more interested in meeting family, experiencing culture, and gaining an understanding of the Irish life. I do not need to visit places that make crystal or kiss stones:)

Moving On

Trying to adjust to this new way of living.


Hoping my trip out of the country will help.


Leaving for Ireland soon. Will be out of the country until the end of the month.


Spending Easter in Donegal.


Need to gather my research so I know exactly where to stop. Adara (Gallaghers). Killala (Bolands).


Staying in three specific spots

1. Dublin (Templar Bar Area)
2. Donegal (Castle) 
3. County Mayo ( Authentic Farmhouse)

Thinking we will try a little urban, royal and rural life.

A Week in the Life

I have thrown myself into "everything" Irish this past week. Researching. Planning. Booking. Recognizing a dream come true. I have been to many places, seen many things, had different experiences but this trip will be special because after two decades of researching my family, I am going to walk the places they walked, see the sights, they seen, I hope to uncover more details about their lives. I recently discovered my Gallagher clan is from the parish of Adara. I always knew they were from Donegal but I never knew the exact village.

Reservations are made. I wanted to stay in three distinct locations, Dublin (Urban Life), Donegal (Royal Life) and County Mayo (Rural Life). That being said, we will fly into Dublin and spend the first two nights in the Temple Bar section of the city. My goals are to visit Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and National Irish Museum. I look forward to the cobblestone streets and the artsy culture.

Next it is off to Donegal. As per my grandson's request, we will stay in a castle. 2014 is the year my eldest grandchild turns 13 years old so he will come with us. My goal is to bring each grandchild to Ireland in and around their 13th birthday. Memory Making.

While in Donegal, we plan to visit the towns of Adara (Gallagher Clan), Letterkenny (McCafferty/McCaffery Clan), the cliffs overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. We will spend Easter weekend at the castle, the most relaxed and expensive journey of our trip.

After Easter weekend, we will drive down to County Mayo, I wanted to experience the rural side of Irish life, so I rented a cottage. on the border of County Mayo and Sligo.

The grounds surrounding the cottage are filled with sheep.

I did not want to stay in the crowded town of Ballina and the tiny town of Killala did not offer much in the way of lodging, so I picked this area to stay. However, the goal is to explore Ballina (Boland, Doherty Clan) and the village of Killala (Boland, Doherty Clan). The plan is to experience the coastal and rural parts of County Mayo. Where the hills and mountains meet the sea.

The last night we will spend in Dublin since that is where we will fly home. In the coming months, I will research specific areas to visit in and around the three locations in which we will stay.

Other News:

I tried out a new recipe for authentic bread pudding. Here are the results.

 

As it baked in the oven, the aroma filled the house. I made a sauce to go over the pudding. Yummy! I will bring a tray to my son this weekend along with a chocolate truffle babka.

 

Nikolas on Halloween night with his goodies.

 

 

 

These boots were made for walking.

 

 

 

Hanging with my long time friend, Regina. We know each other since a teenager.

 

 

 

Carmel to die for pudding.

 

 

 

Look who came to visit outside our bedroom window.

 

 

 

She made me this.

 

 

 

Flowers are forever on my table.