The Offaly Independent hits the streets of Noosa!
by Fran Manning
So, how and why did the Offaly Independent dated of February 3 last find its way from the Midlands of Ireland to Noosa in Queensland, Australia? My connection with Offaly stretches back centuries. While I was born in, and have lived in Australia for my entire life - 74 ½ years - I, like so many of the descendants of Irish ancestors that emigrated, feel a very strong pride in my Irish heritage. Ancestry tells me that I am 61% Irish! That must count for something!!
My granny, Mary Donlon, was born in Gillen (Gallen) near Ferbane in Offaly in 1880 and in the late 1800s she, with her mother, Mary Egan Donlon, siblings, and aunt Bridget Brennan sailed to the harsh, rugged and undeveloped lands of far North Queensland in Australia, to join her father, Owen Donlon, who had gone before and was working in the mines.
In 1998, when our children had fled the coop, my husband and I visited Ireland for the first time. I yearned to visit the home of my courageous, hard-working, and resilient ancestors, and walk along the Canal Line in their footsteps; walk where they lived, laughed, cried, played, worked, prayed and planned for their future. I want to learn about their pre-Australian lives.
That quest is ongoing, and I have visited Ireland several times since. Besides spending many hours in the Dublin library poring through realms of microfiche, and visiting churches and cemeteries, I have enjoyed the Irish hospitality of so many friends and relatives. I was welcomed into their homes and I sat by their hearths, and listened attentively to their wonderful stories of days gone by. The Irish are the best story tellers and have a great sense of recall.
My most recent visit to Ferbane was last August/September. Breda Campbell who is also a descendant of folk from the area started a Facebook Group, Descendants from the Canal Line, Gallen and Ferbane Co Offaly. Through this group an idea of a gathering of descendants was born and on 8 September many of us gathered at various events in and around Ferbane to remember and to honour our ancestors.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ferbane, followed by a Meet and Mingle Brunch in Hennessys. A few of us braved the heat and strolled the Ballylin Bog Boardwalk in the afternoon, and we topped the whole thing off with an event at the Heritage Centre, 'Our Past Connections', which was streamed by Aidan Wynne. We listened to local historians, Brendan Ryan and Aidan Doyle, shared stories with each other, and enjoyed the music of Ciaran 'Brownie' Guinan and Brendan Flanagan, and enjoyed our supper. The following Sunday some of us gathered at Hennesseys again to welcome descendants from America who dropped by during a tour of Ireland.
By now you’re probably wondering what has any of this to do with the Offaly Independent turning up in Queensland Australia. Well, during my stay last August/September I stayed in the home of Annette Egan and Paddy Egan. Paddy and Annette visited Australia earlier this month. They know and understand my love of all things from the home of my ancestors. The Offaly Independent arrived with them!
* Fran Manning lives in Point Vernon and caught up with Annette Egan and Paddy Egan from Ferbane in the surf resort of Noosa.