Tahoe 2021

 

Lots of activities, lots of food ..nearly everyone showed up for at least a few days.. 

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Maol Seachlainn O'Ceallaigh

Maol Seachlainn O'Ceallaigh was born in  1326 in Gailey Castle, Co. Roscommon. He took over as de facto leader of the Ui Cheaallaigh in 1375 and assumed the kingship of Tir Mhanie when his father stepped down in 1380. 

He took over a kingdom that was on the rise and although never gaining the importance of his father he was still an intergral part of the political history of Eire, playing a leading role in the permanent split of the Ui Conchobhair. 

In 1395 Maol Seachlainn was convinced by his uncle Muirchertach, Archbishop of Taum to submit to the rule of Elizabeth I.  It was for Muirchertach that the Book of Ui Mhaine was compiled starting in 1392 when he was still Bishop of Clonfert.

A praise poem Fa urraidh labhras leac Theamhrach (Found in The Book of O'Conor Don) presents him as a national figure who should be King of Tara, is hospitable, a patron of poets and more.

Maol Seachlainn died in 1401.

Mail Seachlainn Ó Cellaigh, high-king of Ui Mhaine, ie from Cara to Grian, the most outstanding man of Western Europe, defensive tower of the Irish, the best man of his time for hospitality, alertness, and wisdom, for defending churches, for supporting foreigners, the feeble, and the exiled, a sage both faithful and reverential to the Church and to confessors, and a very charitable man to the weaklings of the Creator --- this excellent man died at the height of his rule and of his powers, after the tribulation of Penance.  He had been brought before death to the monastery of Cnoc Muaidehe [Knockmoy], and he was buried there in his own stone tomb, having left his family to succeed him. [The Four Masters]

The Ó Cellaigh  tomb is located in the north wall of the chancel at Abbeyknocmoy. a Cistern Abbey founded in 1190.  Unfortunately it was partially dismantled for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and is not in good repair.  The inscription reads: DO MULEACHLAIND O KEALLAID DO RI O MANI AGUS D'INDBUALAIND INGE(N) I CHONCHUR DORINE MATHA O COGLI IN LEABAIG SEA

[For Mael-Sechalind Ó Cellaigh king o Ui Maine, and for Fionnguala, daughter of O Conchobair, Matha O Cogli made this bed]

The illustration here depicts the tomb before it was dismantled.

Fionnguala died in 1403

Ulliam (Buide) Ó Ceallaigh

 

Uilliam Mac Donnough Moyneagh (Buide) Ó Ceallaigh of Callow Castle was born in 1297 in Co Galway.  

Uilliam's father died in 1307 His half brother Aodh took over the kingship in 1326-1332. By  1340 a puppet-king, Tadhg Og was installed by the king of Connacht in Tir Mhaine.  This is noted in the Annals as a civil war in Tir Mhaine. Uilliam refused to accept Tadhg who in turn attempted to banish Uilliam from Tir Mhaine.  Uilliam, however wounded and captured Tadhg, who later died of his injuries. It wasn't until 1349 that Uilliam gained complete lordship over the Ui Cheallaigh.  

Of note during his reign the black death came to Ireland in 1349.  The enmity between the King of Connacht and Uilliam continued until 1356 when his wife the daughter of Seoinin a Burc was kidnapped by Aodh Ó   Conchobhair who was subsequently slain.  This resulted in Aodh (son of Feilim) Ó  Conchobhair an ally of Uilliams assuming the kingship of Connact. 

Uilliam had Kilconnell Friary built for the Franciscan's in 1353.   About this time the Catholic Church was trying to crush the influence of the Irish Bardic tales.  The Irish nobles in turn took to supporting the Poets and artisans. William's 1351 Christmas Feast was perhaps the best known example but there are other notations that show he was not the only patron of the time

The Book of Ui Mhaine provides the following biography of Uilliam:

Uilliam s[on of] Donnchadh M[uimhneach], the youngest of the family, took the kingship of Ui Mhaine from Caire to Grian in defiance of his enemies, and he made the noblest Christmas feast ever heard of for the poets and chief-poets of Ireland and for all the artistic and mendicant folk of every Irish population, and he distributed food [read 'steeds'] and silver and many treasures such as had never been given before, and he was thirty-five years in full kingship of Ui Mhaine. [ Ó Muraile]

The poem Tath aoinfhir ar iath Maineach  in the Book of Ui Mhaine gives a detailed account of the rule, nobility and integrity of Uilliam.  

Uilliam died in 1381 in Galey Castle, Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Uilliam was buried in 1381 at Kilconnell Abbey.

William, the son of Donough Muimhneach O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many, a man of greatest character, worth, and renown, of his own tribe; the man who had given a general invitation of hospitality to the schools of Ireland, and had given them all their own demands, died a very old man, after the victory of penance; and his son Melaghlin assumed his place. [Annals of the Four Masters 1381] 

Albany, New York

James Madden arrived in Albany in 1850.  The year before "The Great Fire" had burned over 600 buildings on 37 acres, but it also saw a progress as roads were planked and rebuilding occurred. The Erie canal started in Albany and by 1853 it had been widened to allow larger vessels to access it.  James and eventually his sons worked on the river and lived on Colonie Street for many years.

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3803a.la000473  1854

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Albany 1853

By 1855 the population of Albany was over 57,333 with 40.4% foreign born. 25% of the population was born in Ireland and over 39% of the heads of household.  This was a growth in population of nearly 7000 after the 1850 census.  This was consistent with the growth over the years since 1820 when the population was just over twelve and a half thousand.  Only 9% of the population in 1855 was listed as laborers, most had professions or were farmers.

 Davenport, David Paul. “Migration to Albany, New York, 1850-1855.” Social Science History, vol. 13, no. 2, 1989, pp. 159–185. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1171260. Accessed 19 Mar. 2021.

History of Albany - Wikipedia

Family Gatherings - 1990 Oregon Coast

 

Cousins

Not everyone made it this time, but the Donovans were joined on the coast by the Trindles, Erich and a girlfriend and Mom and Dad.  There was a fishing excursion during which a few queasy family members leaned over the side of the boat and fed the fish and Andi actually caught some Salmon.

There was also some dune buggy driving on the sand dunes and other fun adventures.

Cousins

Family Gatherings 1994 Belmont

 

The First Grandchild wedding

I don't have many family pictures from this wedding.  But this one of Jim and Jean is great!

That tiny flower girl is Mariah!  And Meaghan is second from the left.

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Family Gatherings 1997 - The Marin Headlands

This was the last trip for Dad, the last time he gathered with the entire family. It was a wonderful weekend on the headlands.  The majority of the family stayed right there with just a few of us that didn't fit off in hotels nearby.  

Jim, Cavan and Meaghan

 

Meaghan and Mariah

Greg and Andi

Sean

Denise, Mariah and Tim