Day two in the ancestral area -- Wednesday June 12, 2013

Breakfast room at Fallon's

We start out our morning with breakfast in the Fallon's beautiful solarium!  Tom and Helen are our hosts here.  A little more reserved then the other hosts we have come across, though.  They seem very mindful about giving us our privacy.  They sure do know how to cook, though:)


Today we decide to head to the town of Strokestown.  I am taking Ed at his word that Genealogy sleuthing is going to be OK so we head for the County Roscommon Heritage and Genealogical History Center.  I can't say I have heard good things about the help this group gives you, but they may have some records that I could look at while we are here.

Similar to what I am ALWAYS advised in doing genealogy research....you should always check ahead for times and availability of help wherever you want to go.  We found the site pretty easily, but it's hours are not till later in the afternoon...oh, and the person that runs the research center won't be in today!  (This is the reason why a genealogy group NEVER has only one person doing a task!--pay attention CCGS....we need to ensure that many more people get involved!)

So I go back to my original plan of researching the Quinn's from home or hiring experts in Ireland to do this for me! 

Ancient Oak Planks in Corlea Trackway

Instead we decided to continue to drive around to enjoy Ireland.  We came across an interesting site and decided to check it out. It was called the Corlea Trackway. 

The Corlea Trackway is an Iron Age trackway, or togher, near the village of Keenagh, south of Longford town, County Longford, in Ireland. It was known locally as the Danes Road. The Corlea Trackway is made from oak planks 3 to 3.5 metres long and around 15 centimetres thick laid on rails around 1.2 metres apart. The road was at least 1 kilometre long. Dendrochronological study suggests that the timber used in construction was felled in late 148 BC or early in 147 BC and the road built then. Amazing stuff!

The area for miles around the Corlea Trackway is filled with peat.  In fact, being covered with the peat is what preserved this wood for thousands of years.

Drying Peat Bricks

Many people still use peat bricks to heat there homes!  It was interesting to see how the peat bogs are cut up and stacked to dry so families (and commercial businesses) could stay warm in the winter!


Not genealogy....but interesting enough!