County mayo, Ireland

The Story Begins

My mother often related that she was told by her mother that County Mayo was the poorest county in Ireland. We all know that the potato famine in the years 1845-1849 was an horrific event for western Ireland including County Mayo. Most of the population depended upon potatoes for survival. Families were large and could not be sustained without a potato crop. As a result millions of Irish emigrated to the United States for many years including our grandparents.

More information on our grandparents will be included later. I will now include a story about Our Lady of Knock.

The Story of Knock

At about 8 o'clock on the Thursday evening of the 21st August, 1879, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of the church at Knock, County Mayo, Ireland. Beside them and a little to their left was an altar with a cross and the figure of a lamb, around which angels hovered. There were fifteen official witnesses to the Apparition - young and old - who watched and prayed for two hours in pouring rain.

Two Commissions of Enquiry, in 1879 and 1936, accepted their testimony as trustworthy and satisfactory.

Today, Knock ranks among the world's major Marian Shrines. This shrine is located only a few miles from the homes of our grandparents and their families.

County Mayo

Being Irish was an important part of my life. My mother often talked about what had been told to her about Ireland, County Mayo and the family. I wish that I could remember what she said. She frequently commented that County Mayo was the poorest County in Ireland. From what I could see from our trips to Ireland it is a pretty County. There are areas that have bogs but these areas produce the peat that is burned in many Irish houses and produces a very pleasant order at least in my opinion.

Ellen and I decided that we would take our first trip abroad and go to England, Ireland and Scotland. This was a big undertaking. I definitely wanted to include County Mayo in our trip to Ireland. In planning the trip I talked to my cousin Sue and Dennis Mest. Sue had been to Ireland with her mother Winnie (Winnifred Stanton) more than once and knew the family in County Mayo. She gave Ellen and I great advice and a contact in Ireland. Kathleen Burke (Stanton) was my mother's first cousin. I wrote to her asking if we could meet. She was very cordial about it and agreed. I told her that I was interested in seeing where my grandmother lived and grew up. After we decided to definitely go, we invited Jack and Jane if they wanted to join us, and they agreed to go with us. The trip would be one week in Ireland, one week in Scotland and two weeks in England. With a sigh of relief heard from all the readers, only the time in Mayo will be discussed.