The Never-Ending Irish Search

 I have spent numerous hours that have totalled days - weeks of research on my Irish side of my family. I am blessed with having many Irish lines, and can trace families back to specific Counties in Ireland or to the general Country of Ireland.
 I am super proud of my Irish ancestors, and appreciate my connection to the Emerald Isle. Although ecstatic to have these Irish roots, it is not the easiest place to research.

 In watching the Google presentation on-line through the Roostech seminar, I was motivated to again do a search on the Melody family who were living in New Inn, Galway, Ireland.

My great grandmother Bridget Melody left Ireland when she was 16 and came to Canada. The story is she came to help an aunt who was here, but we have never found anything about the aunt.

Bridget Agnes Melody 1864-1927

 Bridget married and had 13 children in Canada. In 1926 she made the journey back to Ireland, about 45 years after she left. Bridget had 2 brothers and a sister still living there, one brother married but Bridget, was the only sibling to have children. In retrospect it was timely that she made this journey, as she passed away the following year.

 We recently rediscovered photos she had taken in Ireland and knowing a distant relative was still living in New Inn, Galway we mailed copies of the photos to him. We had huge hopes that he would be able to recognize some of the people. He, with the help of a retired Pastor, was able to identify all the photos but 3. We were thrilled to have names put to faces!

Melody siblings - Magaret & Michael

Another great picture is of a turf wall -  the people unidentified.

Turf Wall

This photo is hauling turf the turf home -

Hauling Turf

Other than these photos, little is really known about the Melody family. So after listening the seminar I
wanted to have another "Google" look around the internet. That is when I discovered the link below.

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/gabriel-bounin/sinn-fein-rebellion-handbook-easter-1916-lbu/page-19-sinn-fein-rebellion-handbook-easter-1916-lbu.shtml


It lists a Michael Melody from New Inn was involved in the Easter uprising of 1916. At this moment that is all the information I have but I hope this link will lead to more finds on the Melody family, their beliefs, roles they played, or about their lives in general.

I would encourage you to keep looking, even the hardest to find ancestor may have a tidbit out there waiting for you to discover!