SNGF: Ireland Is My Dream

I love Saturday Night Genealogy Fun! Randy at Genea-Musings is always posting some great things to get fellow genealogists to think about their research and have fun doing so. This week, his post centers around Ancestry.com’s contest, The Ultimate Family History Journey! You can enter this contest daily through 30 Apr 2010!

The question’s he is asking:

Where would you go? Tell us your dream genealogy trip, using the prize money.

Here is my reply to Randy’s question?

If I won the Ancestry.com contest I would love to dig deeper into my Irish roots. As my readers already know, this is the hardest line in my family to research. Before any travel takes place, the 8 hour session with a professional genealogist would a wonderful consultation to help me prepare for this excursion.

Beginning my journey in Washington County, NY to get the final pieces of information I need, such as John O’Connell’s death certificate (one of the items on my 2010 goals). Since I  am unemployed, and have been for almost a year, I have not been able to order this record yet.  While in NY there are a few things for me to see. Where John and his son Dennis were buried, it is the same cemetery. Visit some of the address’s where the family has lived. Check out the paper mill that the family worked at. Move to Warren County and visit the cemetery where John’s wife was buried. See if the Church Dennis had been baptized at is still standing. It closed almost 1 year ago. Then finally move on to Jefferson County to meet with family members. Once I have completed this, I would live to visit Canada.

Thorold, Canada is where John O’Connell’s son, Dennis moved in 1917. Dennis is my Great Grandfather. I want to see where Dennis lived and worked while he was in Canada.

Now that I have the death certificate and seen where Dennis moved to, the next stop on my journey is Ireland! This is truly why I entered this contest. I am not 100% where my Irish ancestors came from in Ireland, which is why I need John’s death certificate. Hopefully, that will have my final clue!

I have looked up some pricing and if I go to Dublin, for 26 days for flight, hotel and car, the total cost would be $2494 per person (I searched for 7/1- 27). That would leave $15,012 for spending. I have not looked into pricing for the NY/Canada part of the trip. I could technically do that by car and it should cost less than $1500. So that would leave $13,512 for spending, $519 per day for 26 days! I believe I can do a lot of sight-seeing and eating for that amount.

Once in Ireland, I would like to find the church that the family attended and see what records are left. I would love to go back further than John’s family. But, I refuse to get excited about anything else. 10 years of searching has only given small hints into the life of this family.

As for this trip, I am planning the NY part for this summer. I have found cousins of my Grandfather Larry O’Connell and they both 80 + years. This is not a trip that should be put off any longer. If I do, it is possible I would miss the opportunity to meet these relatives.

To walk were our ancestors once walked is what is all about!

So, what would you do?

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