CHANGES HAVE COME TO OUR WEBSITE!
With many thanks to Taoiseach Finbar O Mahony and webmaster Larry Baker, the first phase of website reorganization has been completed. Please take time to explore the tabs for the two distinct but inter-related disciplines of genealogy: traditional and genetic. We are excited about this reorganization of valuable information and hope that you will be, too!
Society Get-Togethers around the World
The down-under Get-Together this past 6 April 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand was a great success! Look for an update in the next Newsletter.
2020 Annual Gathering: CANCELLED
The officers and council of the O Mahony Society have made the difficult but responsible decision to cancel the 2020 Gathering due to the corona virus pandemic.
We hope everyone stays safe and healthy, and will look forward to seeing you all in 2021! Our plans for 2020 were so good, we're going to use them again in 2021.
Please mark your calendars now for version 2 of the
66th Annual Gathering of the O Mahony Clan
June 18-20, 2021!
Gougane Barra, the source of the River Lee and the site of St. Finbar's Oratory and the retreat spot of 18th Century priest Denis O Mahony. While we are profoundly grateful for Coolcower House's flexibility, we are hoping for fair weather for our outdoor activities!
Once again, Coolcower House, Macroom, Co. Cork, will serve as the headquarters for the 2021 Gathering. This 19th-Century home, largely rebuilt after a 1920 fire, offers twelve (12) ensuite rooms, multiple sitting areas, a cozy bar, meeting and banquet rooms, and a dining room. Much updating has been completed in this charming home, including a redesigned conservatory for indoor casual dining and expanded outdoor seating on the patio overlooking the River Lee. The breakfasts at Coolcower House are outstanding, and an evening bar food menu has now been successfully introduced.
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU BOOK YOUR ROOM(S) EARLY: www.coolcowerhouse.ie or email proprietress Bernie O Callahan directly at coolcowerhouse@gmail.com. Remember that your reservation deposit will secure your accommodation and allow you to remain in the hub of Gathering activities!
There are other accommodations available in the nearby town of Macroom: http://www.macroom.ie/tourism/accommodation, http://www.discoverireland.ie/where-to-stay/ Additionally, some may want to investigate Airbnb options, including The Earl's Bungalow, which is on the site of Castle Mahon/Castle Bernard and sleeps up to eight. www.airbnb.com/rooms/9337681?source_impression_id=p3_1562203481_4NjOZ4ynD1ukESa%2B
Please note that these websites are listed for your convenience, and do not represent an endorsement of, or other affiliation with, any of the facilities.
Preliminary Schedule of Events:
Please note all events take place at our headquarters, unless otherwise listed. Kindly be advised that while we sincerely appreciate notice of your intention to join us in June, no advanced registration (nor payment for dinners, etc.) is required. At our headquarters, one or more of the Council members will be available to accept your cash payment for those specific events.
Friday, June 18, 2021:
Six-ish pm: We will kick off the weekend's events with the O Mahony Society's long-established evening of informal socializing. This is a very casual evening, meeting new friends and Clanspeople, as well as greeting ones well known. Typically starting in the six o'clock hour, this relaxing event lasts as long as we want! Our hosts at Coolcower House are serving bar food in the evening, so feel free to make your on-you-own food orders from the comfort of the cozy snug.
Saturday, June 19, 2021:
10 am: Nora M. Hickey, Cartlannai , and Dr. Finbar O Mahony, Taoiseach and yDNA Project Administrator, will present traditional and genetic genealogy workshops. Come spend approximately two hours to learn more about conventional genealogy methods and resources as well as an update on the O Mahony y-DNA Project.
Lunch on your own.
2:00 pm: Afternoon outing to a local site of interest, weather-dependent.
The Council will meet at 5 pm.
7 pm: Annual General Meeting
To follow: Buffet supper. Reliably generous , this buffet meal
is a perfect way to end a day of O Mahony fellowship.
20 Euro per person includes the full buffet
and tea or coffee.
Sunday, June 20, 2021:
1:30 pm: (Bring your own) Picnic at our Rally point,
Gougane Barra, Ballingeary, west of Macroom, Co. Cork.
FOR THOSE WISHING TO CARPOOL, MEET AT COOLCOWER HOUSE NO LATER THAN 1 PM
Learn more about some of the history of this site here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gougane_Barra
We have asked the Kanturk Wild Boar Warriors to return to provide their informative and highly entertaining medieval life and battle reenactments.
3 pm: March of the Council and Rally speakers.
The annual auction for an O Mahony Society crest rug will also be conducted.
7:30 for 8 pm: Annual Society Dinner.
A served 3-course meal, this is a great highlight of the weekend. 30 Euro per person. The annual raffle drawing occurs during this evening. Raffle tickets will be available throughout the weekend, and are 1 Euro for one chance, or 5 Euro for six chances.
We will be continuing the Party Piece tradition (see below), so start thinking about your piece now. The bar was set high this past June, with every single banquet attendee offering a unique and lively entertainment!
The charming Coolcower House and its view of the River Lee. Macroom, Co. Cork.
Macroom Castle, with its 12th Century origins, and a street scene of this Co. Cork market town. Brian Boru fought in a nearby battle c. 987. This town and its surrounding areas are full of points of history worth exploring!
St. Finbar's Oratory, Gougane Barra
Reconstruction of a 5th C hut near the shore of Gougane Barra (L), and the gravesite of Fr. O Mahony in the nearby cemetery (R).
Continuing an Irish tradition: Bring Your Party Piece!
by Mary McConnell Haislip, Membership Coordinator
This longstanding Irish tradition isn’t well known in many parts of the United States. My mother, whose grandparents were from Ireland, used to tell of family parties and about everyone’s "Party Piece." She remembered details about each one.
So what is it? Very simply, a way of sharing our talents and laughter with one another. Everyone comes prepared with something to entertain: a song, poem, dance, joke or impersonation, magic trick, musical instrument, etc. etc. It’s part of the social fabric of family gatherings, so for this year’s Gathering bring your Party Piece, because we are going to be the entertainment!
We’ve done this in years past, and were accompanied by and entertained by the late Canice O Mahony’s mouth harp and his wife Eilish's spoons for several years. I remember my first O Mahony gathering in 2001; my sisters and I weren’t prepared for a "Party Piece." But we were given the mic anyway, and the only song we could remember all the lyrics to was America the Beautiful. Boy, did we feel silly!
Making your own party by singing and laughing together is a marvelous, entertaining way to spend the evening. You really get to know everyone better, and share a lot of fun. So what will your Party Piece be for 2020?
Events of Interest from Around the World
Renowned tattoo artist Mark Mahoney is featured in the
Irish Family History Centre's latest free newsletter
Tattoo artist to the stars Mark Mahoney is featured in this interesting piece that focuses on an ancient art form. To signup for this free newsletter, click on this link: http://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com