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Subject: [Cork] Notes on Cork Trip
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 23:33:11 EST


My wife and I visited Dublin and Cork in September. Ancestor names:
COTTER, COLLINS, HEGARTY, HOLLAND.

FIrst, I went to the National Library in Dublin. I knew that my great
grandfather, William Cotter (1840-1891), came from Schull Parish. The Genealogy
Room in the Library is the place to start. There is a computer there which
has a completely computerized version of Griffith's Valuation. This was
helpful, since I don't know the townlands where my ancestors lived. The expert in
the Genealogy Room pointed me to the microfilm for the Catholic parish records
for Schull. The name of the church is St. Mary's. I spent three days
perusing the Baptism and marriage records, which go back to 1809. I succeeded in
finding records for my great grandfather, his wife, Mary Collins, their parents,
and several siblings. William's parents were Patrick Cotter and Margaret
Holland. Mary's parents were Bartholomew Collins and Johanna Hagerty. The
Cotters emigrated in about 1860; the Collins in 1847.

I learned from the records that the name is Hegarty, not Hagerty. In her
death certificate (from Buffalo New York), Johanna Hagerty's name and that of
her parents is spelled Hagerty, and this is the name that my mother gave me.
In the Irish records, the name is spelled Hegarty. Today, there are many
Hegartys in the area, and no Hagertys.

Next we went to Schull. The town of Schull has a magnificent setting on
a harbor shaped like a horseshoe that opens into Roaring Water Bay, which has
a hundred islands. The area could not be more picturesque; really green
meadows lined with hedgerows and stone fences, sheep and cows grazing; little boats
in the harbor; a background of mountains (Mt. Gabriel is 1339 feet); the bay
outside the harbor dotted with islands, themselves with green meadows, stone
fences, sheep and cows grazing.

There is a beautiful old ruin on Colla Road overlooking the harbor. It
is St. Mary's Church, built probably in the sixteenth century (see "Short
History of the Ruins of St. Mary's Church, Colla Road, Schull," Mizen Journal, vol.
8, 2000). The grounds are still used as a cemetery. The combination of
ruins, cemetery, meadows, and harbor make for an unforgettable scene. This church
was Church of Ireland since the confiscation of church lands by Henry VIII.
There is a Catholic Church on the main street in town, also called St. Mary's.
I am told it was built in about 1828, during the period of Catholic
emancipation. It appears, though, that the cemetery at Old St. Mary's has always been
used by both Protestants and Catholics.

This region is a little off the main tourist tracks, but it is becoming
more popular. The summer months are big for sailing and sport fishing. The
B&Bs do a great business for three months of the year, and virtually shut down
the rest of the time. I was told that the weather in the winter is mild, and
that snow is rare.

We were blessed with great weather. The temperature was in the high 60s.
We saw very little rain. On some days the sky had no clouds at all - very
unusual.

We visited two of the islands via ferry: Clear Island and Sherkin Island
- extremely picturesque. We drove out to Mizen Head and down the Mizen
Peninsula along Dunmanus Bay, to Barley Cove, Crookhaven, and to the Gougane Barra
Forest Park, north of Bantry.

We had another stroke of luck. I had heard that an old friend had built
a house near Ballydehob, which is just six miles from Schull. I looked his
name up in the local telephone directory, called him up, and he was there! He
and his wife spend the summers in Ireland and the winters in Arizona. We met
for dinner at a local restaurant, and after dinner, they told us to check out
of the B&B and stay with them - which we did. Their house has a magnificent
view overlooking Roaring Water Bay, and all those islands. They were a great
help in planning our sight-seeing trips.

I did not find any cousins, but I made some contacts, and I will be
following up with them.

I recommend this area for a visit, whether your ancestors are from Schull
or not.

Paul Cotter Chestnut

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