Does genealogy get your pulse racing? Are you excited about finding out where your family originated? Do you spend hours on those family history websites? Yep, me too! But I already have my paternal family tree dating back to the 10th century – I kid you not! One of my cousins spent 7 years of her life researching our family tree and it’s a couple of inches thick.
One of my ancestors was wet nurse to an infant child of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. (I don’t think she was a very good wet nurse as the male child obviously didn’t survive!) And when my Mum was researching her own family tree, we had a fabulous trip to the Cotswolds to visit the church where her great great grandparents were baptised and married, and we found the house which they ran as a bakery and grocery. It’s amazing what is waiting to be discovered and the excitement of finding a house still standing, or a name on a tombstone is such a thrill.
So, if you’ve started tracing your Irish ancestors or you’re thinking of getting started, you could start here in Fermanagh at the Genealogy centre at Enniskillen Castle, where they can give you lots of tips and help with delving into your family’s past. And if that’s not enough to wet your whistle, another day would be well spent at the Ulster American folk park and their family history centre. You can spend your day learning why and how so many Irish folk found their way to America and see just how they lived their lives in both Ireland and America.
Rossclare Lodge is ideally located for you to do both. You could even visit the Workhouse in Enniskillen and imagine what it might have been like to be so poor that this was your only option. And just up the road in Irvinestown you’ll find the Famine Memorial, a truly stunning walk through the story of the great famine, with incredible wood carvings depicting life at the time. Yes, you can immerse yourself in history here, and you’ll find a very willing audience to trade stories with over breakfast or afternoon tea. And if castles interest you, we have plenty of those as well, some still standing and some in “well maintained” ruins.
Of course, to do all of these things takes time, but that’s fine, because you’ll be so comfortable and well fed here that you’ll be more than happy to stay for three or four days whilst you explore all that Enniskillen and the area has to offer. We’re always happy to pore over the map with you and help you plan your itinerary, or you can sit in the garden and listen to the bird song whilst you pore over documents.
And remind me to tell you why I’m really a Welsh princess!