| 1 |
Bulletin Board Forum / On-Line McGinnis Family Trees / Robert Mc Ginnis |
on: August 22, 2009, 11:18:50 AM |
| Started by maur | Last post by maur |
My grandfather Robert Mc Ginnis was one of seven brothers in a family lumber business on PEI. He emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800's landing at Ellis Island, NY.
Please let me know if you have any information about him and his family on PEI. |
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 2 |
Bulletin Board / Welcome Mat / Re:Welcoming Statement |
on: January 22, 2009, 12:10:21 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
Quote from: Texasjoker on January 21, 2009, 06:16:17 PM
Thanks for the invite to your blog.
Lee McGinnis
|
Hi Lee,
Not much activity going on here, but from My sitemeter, I see visitors from all over the world. Also, when someone Googles a search for a particular name, query, they will be directed to this board. So hopefully we could make some connections. If you have a McGinnis ancestor you are looking for, post it here.
Welcome to the board,
John B McGinnis
St. Louis
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 4 |
Bulletin Board Forum / Everything Irish/Scottish / Irish blessings |
on: November 12, 2008, 09:32:31 AM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
Irish blessings
For every petal on the shamrock,
May these three blessings
come your way:
God grant you
love health and happiness
today and every day.
A special Irish blessing from the heart of a friend:
May good fortune be yours, may your joys never end.
May your blessings be many, the sun shine above you,
Your life bring you gladness, and always... God love you!
May the sound of Irish music
And the lilt of Irish laughter
Fill your heart with gladness
That stays forever after.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you
May you find truth in the year's smallest grace
And hope in the year's heaviest cross;
May a pillar of light before your face
shine through the dark so you're never lost
May your journey be safe wherever you go,
and the angels keep you from all harm,
May you learn to take life easy and slow,
And celebrate your gift of Irish charm.
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 5 |
Bulletin Board Forum / Everything Irish/Scottish / Irish Christmas Traditions |
on: October 31, 2008, 09:01:16 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
Irish Christmas Traditions
Ireland, like most countries, has a number of
Christmas traditions that are all of its own. Many
of these customs have their root in the time when
the Gaelic culture and religion of the country
were being suppressed and it is perhaps because of
this they have survived into modern times.
THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW
The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a
house on Christmas eve is still practised today. It
has a number of purposes but primarily it was a
symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they
travelled looking for shelter.
The candle also indicated a safe place for priests
to perform mass as, during Penal Times this was
not allowed.
A further element of the tradition is that the
candle should be lit by the youngest member of
the household and only be extinguished by a girl
bearing the name 'Mary'.
THE LADEN TABLE
After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen
table was again set and on it were placed a loaf
of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins,
a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door
to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and
Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could avail of
the welcome.
THE WREN BOY PROCESSION
During Penal Times there was once a plot in a
village against the local soldiers. They were
surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a
group of wrens pecked on their drums and
awakened the soldiers. The plot failed and the
wren became known as 'The Devil's bird'.
On St. Stephens day a procession takes place where
a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to
house and families dress up in old clothes and with
blackened faces.In olden times an actual wren would
be killed and placed on top of the pole.
This custom has to a large degree disappeared but
the tradition of visiting from house to house on
St. Stephens Day has survived and is very much part
of Christmas.
DECORATIONS:
The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated
in Ireland as Holly was one of the main plants
that flourished at Christmas time and which gave
the poor ample means with which to decorate their
dwellings.
All decorations are traditionally taken down on
Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is
considered to be bad luck to take them down
beforehand.
TRADITIONAL GAELIC SALUTATION
The Gaelic greeting for 'Merry Christmas' is:
'Nollaig Shona Duit'
......which is pronounced as 'null-ig hun-a dwit'.
MERRY CHRISTMAS('Nollaig Shona Duit') EVERYONE!!
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 6 |
Bulletin Board Forum / Everything Irish/Scottish / IRISH SLAVES IN THE AMERICAS |
on: October 31, 2008, 09:00:08 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
IRISH SLAVES IN THE AMERICAS by Tom Osborne
============================
Records are replete with references to early Irish
Catholics in the West Indies. Gwynn in Analecta
Hibernica, states: 'The earliest reference to the
Irish is the establishment of an Irish settlement
on the Amazon River in 1612.' Smith, in Colonists
in Bondage, reports: 'a Proclamation of the year
1625 urged the banishing overseas of dangerous
rogues (Irish Political Prisoners), kidnapping
(of Irish) was common.'
Condon states that the first considerable
emigration from Ireland to the southern latitudes
of America was to Guiana in 1629. Newton declares
that Antigua and Montserrat were occupied as early
as 1632 and that many emigrant Irish came out
among the early planters and servants in these
islands. Dunn,in Sugar and Slaves, asserts that,
in 1636, Ireland was already a prime source of
supply for servants: as early as 1637, on
Montserrat the Irish heavily outnumbered the
English colonists, and 69 percent of Montserrat's
white inhabitants were Irish.
Lenihan writes: in 1650 '25,000 Irishmen sold as
slaves in Saint Kitt's and the adjoining islands,
petitioned for a priest...'
In 1641, Ireland's population was 1,466,000 and
in 1652, 616,000. According to Sir William Petty,
850,000 were wasted by the sword, plague, famine,
hardship and banishment during the Confederation
War 1641-1652. At the end of the war, vast numbers
of Irish men, women and children were forcibly
transported to the American colonies by the
English government. These people were rounded up
like cattle, and, as Prendergast reports on
Thurloe's State Papers (Pub. London, 1742), 'In
clearing the ground for the adventurers and
soldiers (the English capitalists of that day)...
To be transported to Barbados and the English
plantations in America. It was a measure
beneficial to Ireland, which was thus relieved of
a population that might trouble the planters, it
was a benefit to the people removed, which might
thus be made English and Christians ... a great
benefit to the West India sugar planters, who
desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and the
women and Irish girls... To solace them.'
Article taken from an Irish newsletter:
http://www.ireland-information.com/nov06.htm
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 8 |
Bulletin Board Forum / Everything Irish/Scottish / A BIOGRAPHY OF SEAN LEMASS |
on: October 30, 2008, 05:51:17 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
==========================
A BIOGRAPHY OF SEAN LEMASS
==========================
Sean Lemass was Taoiseach (leader) of Ireland
from 1959 to 1966. He is regarded by many
historians as the greatest of all political
leaders of Ireland and is credited with laying
the foundations of the modern economic success
in Ireland.
Born in Dublin in 1899 Lemass was a veteran of the
Easter Rising in 1916. He fought in the War of
Independence and was imprisoned in Ballykinlar in
County Down for a year. He opposed the Anglo-Irish
Treaty and fought against the Michael Collins Free
State in the subsequent Civil War. He was among
the rebels who occupied the Four Courts which
were famously bombed by the Free State forces. He
was again interned in Mountjoy and the Curragh.
He was first elected to the Irish parliament in
1924 as member of Sinn Fein and was re-elected
from his Dublin South constituency at every
election that followed, up until his retirement
in 1969. With DeValera he was a founder member of
the new Fianna Fail party in 1926 which had
abandoned armed struggle in favour of using
political means to achieve its goals. He served
as Minister for Commerce, Minister for Supplies
and finally as Tanaiste (Deputy-Taoiseach) before
being elected leader in 1959. His dealings in
economic matters on behalf of the State were to
serve him well.
Ireland during the 1950s and 1960s was an economic
wasteland with little industry and huge
emigration. Costello worked incessantly to develop
industry and trade. His Programme for Economic
Development saw the creation of Bord na Mona, Aer
Lingus and the Irish Shipping industry. He worked
to develop and expand the tourist industry, to
extend the supply of electricity countrywide, to
develop the sugar industry, and a myriad of other
schemes and developments.
Irish society was changing at a rapid pace, with
RTE being set up in 1961. The old conservatism
was being challenged as never before. Ireland had
applied for membership of the EEC and was becoming
part of the wider modern European society.
Lemass favoured an attitude of co-operation with
the new political entity that was Northern Ireland.
In 1965 he became the first Irish leader to visit
Stormont for talks with Prime Minister Terence
O'Neill. The subsequent controversy as well as
failing health may have convinced him that it was
time to step down.
Sean Lemass retired as Taoiseach in 1966 and
eventually retired from politics in 1969.
He died in 1971.
His legacy of economic reform in Ireland is
perhaps his greatest achievement and is being
evidenced in the economic boom which began in
the mid-1990s.
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 9 |
Bulletin Board Forum / Everything Irish/Scottish / Vacation(Holiday) Idea: House swap with a family in Ireland |
on: October 30, 2008, 05:48:34 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
Vacation(Holiday) idea: House swap with a family in Ireland.
TOURIST TIP: IRELAND HOUSE-SWAP
==================================
You can add your home-swap details to our new free
listing service at: http://www.ireland-information.com/irelandhouseswap.htm
If you are looking for a different type of Irish
holiday experience then you might consider a
house-swap! The idea is simple: you move home
for a specified time with a family in a
different country - they stay in your house
and you stay in theirs.
Of course the big concern anyone has when doing
this is that their house will be damaged by
your partner family. Guess what? They think the
same thing about you! A certain level of trust
is required if you are to embark on this venture
but the rewards can go beyond merely getting
'free' accommodation. 'Partner' families have
been known to go on holidays together after the
initial ice is broken and some web-sites report
that marriages have resulted from their home
exchange program.
Of course there is always a flip-side to this and
there are plenty of reports of people who have
regretted getting involved with the idea. The f
act remains that your idea of cleanliness and
care of another persons possessions may not be
the same as your holiday home exchange partner.
From a financial viewpoint though this idea can
save you thousands as short-term holiday home
rentals are very expensive, especially if you
are travelling with a few kids in tow, or as a
part of group.
Cars can be included as part of the deal. Of
course both parties will want to make sure that
their 1984 Ford Escort (lets be generous and
say it has 'character') is insured and
that the person driving it knows the rules of
the road, is licensed and insured.
To get started you simply put the information
about your home on a web-site and wait for the
hundreds of calls to flood in (if only life were
that easy!). Just like everything else you will
need to promote your home as a desirable place to
stay. Honesty is by far the best policy and is
exactly what you would expect from the person you
are going to be swapping with.
There are dozens of websites on the web where you
can list your home for exchange. Some are free
- some are not. It would be no harm to try the
free web sites first just to get an idea of what
is involved. It is fair to say though that, if
someone is willing to pay a fee to have their
home listed (can vary from US$10 to US$100
upwards) then they are probably serious about
this venture. That said, what is most important
is that you find someone who is on the same
'wave-length' as you (this should become obvious
after a few emails and a telephone call or two).
This last part is important: make contact! Talk
to them (email is great but what it enjoys in
convenience, speed and succinctness it lacks in
charm, personality and nuance).
Dont be put off by an offer of a home that seems
much better than yours. While you may live in
small-bedroom terraced house in the city centre,
the fact that your home is in the city centre may
give it great appeal to someone who has a rural
Chateau in France or a fabulous cottage
overlooking the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry.
Once you have agreed on the dates for a swap and
are comfortable with the people you are swapping
with try to spend a few minutes listing exactly
what would please YOU most when you walk through
their door. Perhaps these might include:
* A spotless clean house.
* New bed-linen and towels.
* Plenty of sanitary supplies available
for cleaning.
* Written detailed instructions about central
heating system, fire alarms, burglar alarms,
complicated door locks.
* Any issues with a car (if being swapped) such
as where the nearest gas station is, how to
start it! (turn the key in the ignition, wiggle
it twice to the left and once to the right,
say a prayer, put fifty pence in the meter
and hope for the best).
* Details on how to work the TV, satellite and
up-to date TV listings.
* A list of contact information for local police,
doctors, dentists, chemists, location of nearest
shops, etc.
* A supply of the very basic foodstuffs (bread,
milk, coffee, tea, sugar, butter, etc. - a few
bits and pieces would be nice).
* A de-cluttered home with as much stuff as
possible out of sight. Most valuable possessions
are usually left with a friend or relative
(unless they are more likely to rifle-through them
than complete strangers, in which case they can
be put in storage). House attics with a lock are
great places to hide stuff.
* A contact number for a friend, relative or
neighbour of the person you are swapping with.
Now, once you have completed this list of what you
would like them to do for you make sure that you
do everything on the list for them!
An important issue to consider is that of house
insurance. You really need to contact your
insurance provider and tell them what you are
planning a house swap. Most insurers will no
problem with this as it means that the house is
occupied instead of being vacant, but you need to
get this confirmed as there is an urban legend of
an insurance company that did not want to pay out
on a policy because of a technicality. Really.
When your holiday is done it goes without saying
that you should clean up as much a possible and
even leave the place better than you found it!
(fill those ice-cube trays, straighten those
picture-frames, but try to resist rearranging
the furniture).
And remember, even if your first experience is
not all you wanted, persevere. Some families have
been swapping with each other on an annual basis
for decades. Reports of families who have house
swapped fifty times or more are not uncommon.
With a little effort ans bit of trust, the rewards
can be great.
You can add your home-swap details to our new free
listing service at: http://www.ireland-information.com/irelandhouseswap.htm
|
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
| 10 |
Bulletin Board Forum / McGinnis History Board / Re:A McGinnis Family History; James & Elizabeth McGinnis |
on: October 25, 2008, 09:37:41 PM |
| Started by John B McGinnis | Last post by John B McGinnis |
Quote from: Chris Staats on October 25, 2008, 08:55:03 PM
John - Thank you for the link to my site. My earliest McGinnis is from the mid-late 1700's in PA. My earliest confirmed McGinnis is Henry McGinnis (father of James), born 1792 in Lancaster, PA. He died 25 May 1850 in Boggs Twp, Centre, PA. The newsletter I started focuses on the descendants of James and Elizabeth Moore McGinnis. They lived in Boggs Twp, Armstrong, PA, near Kittanning.
Good luck with the site!
|
Chris,
Feel free to post your newsletter here and /or invite other McGinnis' to subscribe and how to subscribe.
John |
|
Reply | Reply with quote | Notify of replies
|
Return
to the board index.
|
|
|
