In 1789 Richard Blackwell was born, son of Richard and Ellen. Jr. emigrated at some point to Somerville, MA. I am decended from them and so I find myself in Limerick, Ireland in an attempt to flesh out ancestral history a little more, sadly to no avail. I have to be content with walking the same streets that they did and hope that one of the churches or ancestry organizations I left my card at some day provides more data. One source has told me that since Blackwell is an English name, the family probable came over during the Plantation times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantations_of_Ireland. I will have to visit the English village of Blackwell near Derby next year to see if I can find out more. And perhaps Hugh Blackwell, my grandfather, was correct when he told me were were English, but since the family spent generations in Limerick, I guess we are both!
Anyway, Limerick is an old town. Vikings landed on Kings Island (#19 in my list) in 922 and established a base where they could then raid up and down the River Shannon (The only river in Ireland that moves a greater volume of water per meter/second than the Corrib in Galway). King John, Brother of Richard the Lionheart captured the area in 1197 & his castle was completed in 1210. As amazing as it is to think of people building such massive structures so well, so long ago, I must admit that I am getting used to the idea that our ancestors were pretty amazing in their building skills.
Street art, not great art, but fun. Richard Harris as King Richard III
Hurling and rugby are the tops sports in Ireland
At first the question of why did the designers of this water promenade leave this opening with ancient steps to where boats would launch to larger ones in the harbor as it seems stairs to nowhere, but then I realized it was so I could feel the waters of one more river through my fingers! Thanks.
After posting this bird photo on FB, my friend James Kerr, a Manc Yank, informed me it is a black headed gull. They apparently gradually lose the black after mating season, hence just a spot of black and why I was baffled.
Terry Wogan is a famous location lTV presenter
The 1916 memorial at Limerick, Ireland, is one of many erected in the Republic of Ireland to commemorate the dead of the 1916 Easter Rising.[1]
King John’s Castle from across the River Shannon
A fast river indeed
St. Munchn is the city’s patron saint and has 2 churches. This RC one and an older one that was Protestant but is no longer in service
And there are two St. Mary’s. St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Limerick, and dates from 1188
I just liked the poem
And the more recent RC one.
John and Gertrude Hunt were a wealthy couple who like to collect things of interest to them. Their collection is now founding the former Custom House
The statue of Apollo is of wood and I liked these ancient watering cans
Around 1803 Robert Fagan painted this of himself and his wife in, I guess some Victorian/Greek style
A Roman skillet from about the second centruy
St John’s Cathedral RC claims that it’s spire at over 300’/100m is the highest in Ireland
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