2 Ann M.R. Speller
Anmr__Spell@sbcglobal.net
Location: Connecticut, USA
IP: 99.29.30.89
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 Wednesday 31-Mar-10 23:14:43 EDT   |
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Hello John Quinn: your photographs are truly beautiful, as I am sure your soul must be, for you to be so sensitive to beauty. Visiting various Clare sites today, including your own, brought me closer to Erin once again, and a yearning to visit swelled in my heart. My mother was born in New York of a Kilrush Mother. She (my mother) was raised in Kilrush, married an Englishman and raised four children between London and Kilrush--mostly London unfortunately. Eventually landing myself in NY, then to Connecticut where I've spent 46 years of my life. One of my brothers also came and lives here in Connecticut. We are from the Blunnie family in Kilrush, which actually was from Mullaney but mispelled on a birth certificate in the mid 1800's. My great great grandfather was from Carigaholt on Loop Head. My great grandmother was Briget O'neil and there are also McNamaras in there too. My great grandmother Briget, with her husband Michael Blunnie, lied in a house on Burton Street and they took in borders. She made enough money to buy a house on high street and open a shop in it. From there, she bought a house for every one of her nine children. The Famine made a huge impression on her. I believe my great great grandfather had to leave his property in Carigaholt and this was the protection for them. Your photograph of the Clare coast reminded me of the strand where my Mother used to take me to pick winkles, which we would take home and throw into a pot of boiling water. They would squeek like mad, and when they were cooked we would extract them with bent pins--Ugh. When back in school in London I would tell my teacher about my adventures in Kilrush and she wouldn't believe me--that's when I new I hated to go back to London:) One of the best stories was about going into the wood (probably the Vandeluer property), on my Uncle Paddy's truck with his timber men. They would cut down and bring back trees to make wooden boxes in Paddy's mill on high Street. Myself and some cousins would ride back on top of the huge logs. Each time I went, my mother would have to de-flea me as it was easy to pick them up back then. My teacher never like to get too close to me after that story :) One of my cousins said "Ann, you're more Irish than the Irish." I loved it.
Well, I am going on and on and we don't even know each other, but I've had fun writing this and hope you have fun reading it. Your website is great and is saved in one of my art files 'till I'm ready to purchase a picture.
All the best to you and good luck,
Ann Speller |
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