Moytura's Irish
Bookshop

We now have a chat club which I hope you will join and use. It offers the chance to share and answer questions about all things Irish. Perhaps some of you will have common roots, family connections - 

If you have enjoyed your wander through the site I'd love to hear your comments, good, bad or indifferent, perhaps you'd sign my GUEST BOOK. 
Or EMAIL me with any suggestions you might have.

Name: Mary Ann Mooney
Website:
Referred by: Another Site Link
From: New York City, New York, USA
Time: Thursday, January 14, 1999 at 17:57:23
Comments:

Your site design is superb. Love the music. I am descended from Patrick Mooney who was born about 1838 somewhere in County Mayo. Whether I find his specific birthplace or not, the next time I am in Ireland, I will be sure to visit beautiful Mayo.

Name: Dee
Website: Dee's Page 
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: Virginia USA
Time: Thursday, January 14, 1999 23:18
Comments:

Mary, You have put so much work in your website and I am sure it brings many besides myself great pleasure.It is truly lovely and the music is marvelous. Thanks for linking the Yukla 27 memorial site, it gives me great comfort to know that people care. Losing a child is a difficult thing to deal with but having others take time to view the memorial and take note does help. Thank you my friend.  Dee

Name: Augustine 'Austin' Cawley
Website:
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: U.S.A. via Ireland
Time: Thursday, January 14, 1999 23:22
Comments:

Name: John C Moore
Website:
Referred by: Just Cruised On In
From: formerly Westport now Co Clare, Ireland
Time: Thursday, January 14, 1999 23:31
Comments:

technically superb, artistically magnificient, a work of art

Name: Donald Nicholson
Website:
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Time: Friday, January 15, 1999 3:59
Comments:

What a great site! I have grandparents that came from your area. Michael Hanley from Cloonif, Parish of Moycullen, Honora Darmody from Kinvarra and Maria Hannon from County Clare. Your site brightened the day for this retired 70 year old as I have been very sad this week as I'm reading a book on the famine in 45'  Your site is a thing of beauty...keep up the good work

Name: Mary Ann O'Leary
Website:
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: New Jersey US
Time: Friday, January 15, 1999 4:02
Comments:

I was in this part of Ireland in September and loved it.

Name: Patti Murray
Website:
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: born in Florida,USA-living now in Missouri USA
Time: Friday, January 15, 1999 6:49
Comments:

FABULOUS& GORGEOUS site! I'm working on my Irish genealogy...my Murray's were from Westport,Mayo and later Clifden,Galway, and later, Peterborough,Ontario. I wish I could afford to travel to Ireland! After 24 yrs. as an illustrator @ a major corp I've just now stated my own business as a freelance illust. of children's publications. I've got a LOT to learn about "business", but I'm having a ball! Never thought I'd be starting over as I was turning 49 (in April). But, I only lost my old job....not my talent! Congratulations on a very uplifting web site! You sound very KEWL lady indeed! If you were my neighbor, I'm sure we'd be best friends! Warm Regards, Patti

Name: John Gill
Website:
Referred by: Someone Sent URL
From: New York
Time: Saturday, January 16, 1999 1:39
Comments:

Your website was mentioned on the "Shamrock" website. It's really great. You should get more publicity. Good luck, John.
P.S. I have "roots" in Kilconnell and Ballinasloe. ( The Hillary's and Callanan's)

Name: Frank
Website:
Referred by:
From:
Time: Saturday, January 16, 1999 14:16
Comments:

Hello, Just spent some time at your site. I surfed over from a link on one of the Irish Genealogy sites I'm on:) Enjoyed the visit and the pics!

BTW you mentioned that 50% of your roots were in Sligo.  I've been trying to track down the birthplace, town, parish, family of Mary C. O'Beirne who was my ggrandmother. My aunt tells me that she was born in Sligo or County Leitrim.
Do you know if there are O'Beirnes in that area?  Would you happen to have an Irish Directory that might provide some contacts? I'd appreciate any thoughts or comments you might have. I sure hope the spelling is correct... O'Beirne. Imagine if somehow the surname was corrupted...that would really be a set back! Look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes for a successful NEW YEAR.

Name: Wayne McPike
Website:
Referred by: Word of Mouth
From: Galway but living in Birmingham
Time: Sunday, January 17, 1999 at 12:32:55
Comments:

One off the best sites I have ever come across in my short time on the net but it brought me home for a half an hour and the music was excellent. I will be coming back and every time I do I will sign the guest book. I used to live in the Westside till about two years ago and I too was born in Birmingham but was brought up in Galway city. I also lived in Rossaveal in Connemara and someday hope to have a site as good as urs. Anyway take care and look after urself, all the best from WAYNE

For those who have just joined me on this page why not go to the beginning of our travels and see some of the places in The Start of Our Journey through the West of Ireland. 

My Place Amongst the Stones gives the history of my company name, Moytura - a celtic heritage going back thousands of years. 

We journey to my own parish of Lackagh - a small village just 12 miles from Galway with a mighty big history. Learn all about the Battle of Knockdoe - one of Ireland's bloodiest of conflicts in the 16th century.

We then move on to take a quick jaunt around Galway City; and then to the heart of Connemara - with its wild and wonderful beauty. 

From there we journey south into County Clare and see The Burren - a place that has lain undisturbed since the Ice-age and of immense botanical, ecological and archaeological importance.

Visit Ireland's finest early monastic heritage centre in Clonmacnoise, County Offaly; and to my favourite of all the early Christian Church locations - Clonfert, South County Galway, with its beautiful tiny 12th century Cathedral of Saint Brendan. Come with me around the grounds and see the Bishop's Palace and the 1000 year old Yew Walk. 

While on the Clonfert pages, you can learn a potted history of Saint Brendan the Navigator, possibly the first European to set foot in North America in the 6th. century. And join me in the celebrations when this tiny cathedral was listed in the World Monuments Watch 2000 most endangered monuments.

Come with me on my 'Famine Journey' which starts in Westport, and moves to Sligo, my Dad's County and the departure port for many of the 'Coffin Ships'. This part of my journey ends in Grosse-Île on a tiny island east of Quebec City. 

On this page you will learn some of the history of our Famine Refugees and find the final resting place of over 6,000 of my country folk who died within sight of their first freedom in over 300 years. This is where many of the Irish roots in North America started.

Our Journey moves on to other places on that visit to Canada where we see Quebec City and some of Ontario's lovely places and then to two of Canada's famous Catholic Shrines - Saint Anne de Beaupré and to Cap-de-la-Madeleine.

Finally, join me on my pilgrimage to a peaceful haven in a war-torn country in Medugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovinia. The other areas of my Web site can be found in the drop-down box below.

I have added links pages of other places related to the places we visit, links to leisure activities in Ireland i.e. golf, fishing, horse riding, sailing in Ireland, festivals, entertainment etc. and some of my friends' home pages. 

Don't forget to bookmark this page and return to take up on more of your journeys with me. Oh .. and please sign my Guestbook if you have enjoyed your travels. Go raith míle maith agat - thanks a million

For those of you who are interested in tracing family links contact the Genealogical Society of Ireland