HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2014

In Memory of all our Irish Ancestors

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I have chosen just two amazing women to feature. 

Our Irish ancestry begins with Bridget Heslin/Eslin/Haslin, born 1766 in Dublin, 

who was awarded a free passage to Australia in 1793 via the OLD BAILEY booking office. 

She travelled on the "Sugar Cane"with a 7 years free accommodation voucher.

"Bridget was tried in July 1792 in Dublin Ireland and was then transported to Cork by ship to await transportation aboard the Sugar Cane.  The ship sailed on 13th April 1793 so she would have been in custody for about 9 months waiting to sail.  Sh e was only 18 years old but at least had a friend or relative, Mary Hughes on board with her, along with Joseph Kearns who would have also been known to the family.  Bridget's brother, Patrick, was aboard another ship of that fleet, The Boddingtons, but whether Bridget knew this or not is unknown. Unlike Robert's trip, all aboard the Sugar Cane arrived on the 17th September 1793 in good health with the loss of one life (execution) on the trip.

Never-the-less Bridget was only 18, her father had been executed, her mother and another brother (John) had been transported elsewhere and she and Patrick were now in a new colony just over five years after it had been first settled.  Things would have looked so alien, I can only feel that she felt scared and frightened at what lay ahead of her.  At this stage we can only guess that she was either sent to the Female Factory at Parramatta or to the farms at Toongabbie, however sometime possibly in in late 1795 she met Robert Hobbs and their first of nine children was born (registered Sydney) on the 19th September 1796.  All other children after that were born in the Hawkesbury area, most of them at Pitt Town.

I often sit and think what they may have felt, initially elated that the trip was over, scared about the prospects for spending the rest of your life in a strange alien place.  Sailing into Sydney Harbour they would have seen nothing but bushland , with strange trees and huge rocky outcrops, strange birds with strange sounds, strange beasts (kangaroos), aborigines quietly observing this strange sailing vessel and the white people on board, and on arrival on shore, looking aghast at the pri mitive conditions that they would have had to accept in their daily life. They were plunged into a society primarily made up of the military and convicts - and they would have been plunged into the middle of the worst of society, all battling to cope with their own nightmares.  Hopefully for Bridget some kindly person gave her a roof over her head and helped her through these first couple of years until she married Robert.

What is known after that is that she lived the rest of her life with Robert, raised nine children, lived and laboured at Pitt Town on their own land and died in on the 25th October, 1843, four and a half years after Robert who died on the 23rd February 1839.  They are both buried together in Pitt Town Cemetery although there is no mention of Bridget on Robert's well preserved head stone. We should all feel very proud of what this couple endured and that they fought hard to survive and raise a family in the harshest of conditions."

Courtesy of Bev Woodman

Old Dublin Town

Our Irish Grandmother was Bridget Theresa/Teresa Dillon,

 born in Clonboula, Kilmaley Parish, Co Clare on Feb 10th 1901.

 She married Roy Leonard Swadling on Aug 21, 1924, had four children, 

but sadly passed away on Jan 11th, 1942, a month short of her 41st birthday.

She rests in Dorrigo cemetery, New South Wales.

I have written about her a number of times, including this recent post.

http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/happy-international-womens-day-2014.html

Around County Clare, Ireland

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Today is the day when we are surrounded by all with Irish connections no matter how tenuous.
The world dons the mantle of a green cloak, it is imperative that we wear a touch of the green, as do our buildings, our food and even our beer...

I could relate the story of St. Patrick, but that will be everywhere and you can read it at your leisure. I could show you green buildings, people with their hair coloured green.. ask if you are wearing green, but you will get that as well. I can't promise not to share a joke or two.. after all isn't that compulsory today?

However, I've chosen to honour some of my Irish ancestors instead. The majority of mine came from Co Clare. One notable exception has featured before, was my 4th great grandmother, Bridget Eslin/Heslin who came from Dublin via a free passage on the "Sugar Cane" in 1793... you can read some of Bridget's story here...

http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com.au/2013_01_01_archive.html

We then skip several generations though the first of the Irish ancestors in this line have no connection to the first Bridget's line until the marriage of my grandparents, Roy Leonard Swadling and Bridget Therese Dillon in 1924, in Australia. Pa (Roy) is the link to Bridget Eslin who married Robert Hobbs.

Working back from Bridget, we find her parents, who were Patrick Dillon and Eleanor (Nellie) McGuane...


All I now know of my great grandfather (September, 2004) is that he was a farmer. The 1901 Census lists the family as living in the Townland of Cloonbooley,  DED No. 38/2    District Electoral Division of Kinturk

His age at that time is listed as 40, making his birth year c 1861. There were 5 children listed, one  name missing, that of James,  he was baptised in 1898. They were John (Jack) aged 5, Michael 4, Daniel 3, Mary (Molly) 2 and Bridget (my grandmother to be ) 2 months. 5 more children were born in later years.

Patrick could read and write.

In the 1911 Census, you can see the changes... click on the image to enlarge as needed. Susan is missing here, but I found her with a maternal Aunt and Uncle.

If we go back a generation, Patrick's parents were Michael Dillon and Bridget Keane (Kean)...
Thanks to transcriber, Beryl Meehan and her contribution to IGP, I have the following...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Church: CLARE: Baptisms in Kilmaley Parish. Co. Clare. 1828-1882.
Ireland Genealogy Project Archives
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/copyright.htm
http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/clare/
Contributed by beryl meehan
_________________________
BAPTISMS in Kilmaley Parish, Co Clare from LDS film 926094
A partial list of BAPTISMS in Kilmaley Parish, Co Clare from LDS film 926094, September 1828-March 1882
See also http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlcla/kilmaley.html
Residence placenames have been spelled phonetically by the PP in many cases.  I've use the Kilmaley Parish Townlands map
to give the present day spelling whenever the entry indicated the same place. Names shown are as in the entry.
Parish Priests: 1827 Rev Pa Corbett, date? Rev Daniel Lynist was Adm? and then PP in 1834, "11 March 1862 -abt 1902 Rev Michael Burke
With J Halpin assisting Rev Burke.
====================================================================================
NAME                      BAPTISM DATE           PARENTS                                             RESIDENCE            SPONSORS
DILLON, Pat               2 March 1853           Michael Dillon & Bridget Kean (image 207)            Clounaboula         Margaret Kelly & Thomas Doohan
DILLON, Margaret          2 March 1853           Michael Dillon & Bridget Kean (image 207)            Clounaboula         Kate Kean & John ---


There were the  possible twins as above, though the babies could have been just baptised together, followed by 'my' Patrick born somewhere around 1859-1862... two different census lead to two estimated dates... As this was the second Patrick, I can only surmise that the first had died. Ellen was next born in 1862, maybe she was a twin of the second Patrick... haven't proved any of that as yet.
Last born was Michael Dillon, born 1866.

 Still lots of loose ends to tie up, but with lots of Patrick and Ellen's grandchildren around, maybe one day.

Now for the expected...

Paddy had long heard the stories of an amazing family tradition.  

It seems that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all
been able to walk on water on their 18th birthday.                

On that special day, they'd each walked across the lake to the pub on
the far side for their first legal drink.                         

So when Paddy's, 18th birthday came around,                       
he and his pal Mick, took a boat out to the middle of the lake,   
Paddy, stepped out of the boat ...and nearly drowned!             

Mick just barely managed to pull him to safety.                   

Furious and confused, Paddy, went to see his grandmother.         

'Grandma,' he asked, "Tis me 18th birthday, so why can't I walk 'cross
the lake like me father, his father, and his father before him?"  

Granny looked deeply into Paddy's, troubled brown eyes and said,  

"Because ye father, ye grandfather and ye great-grandfather were all
born in January, when the lake is frozen, 

and ye were born in August, 

ya  idiot!"

Three Irish guys go into a pub, have a few pints and are ready to leave and pay their tab. The bar back brings them a bill for exactly £30.00. Each guy gives him a tenner, and they leave. When the bar back hands the £30.00 to the bartender, he is told a mistake was made. The bill was only £25.00, not £30.00. The bartender gives the bar back five £1.00 notes and tells him to take it back to the 3 Irish guys. On their way out of the pub, the bar back has a thought... these guys did not give him a tip. (Editor's note: yes, I know they do not generally tip in Ireland, please just play along?) He figures that since there is no way to split £5.00 evenly three ways anyhow, he will keep two pounds for himself and give them back three pounds. OK! So far so good! He taps one of the guys on the shoulder and explains about a mix up in the bill, and hands the guy the three pounds, then departs with his two-pound tip in his pocket. Now the fun begins! Remember £30-£25=£5 Right? £5-£3=£2 Right? So what's the problem? All is well, right? Not quite? Answer this: Each of the three guys originally gave £10.00 each. They each got back £1.00 in change. That means they paid £9.00 each, which times three is £27.00. The delivery boy kept £2.00 for a tip. £27.00 plus £2.00 equals £29.00. Where the heck is the other pound??????????

St. Patrick's Day above courtesy of Clip art © by Dixie Allan, http://webclipart.about.com

Some lovely old postcards from Co Clare...enjoy...

http://youtube/n8RRMzcOpbA

HOW TIME CHANGES LITERATURE...

When I first met my husband's Irish grandmother, she was full of questions, as I expected...  What I didn't quite expect was that she and I would form a firm bond on that day because of a shared interest, reading...

 Nana asked me what I liked to do, other than spend time with her grandson... the first thing I thought of was 'be with family'. She told me she already knew that or I wouldn't bother coming to meet her... she was a sprightly 87 at the time, at least in mind... The second answer was reading...'"That's more like it" said Nana..."so do I, what do you like to read?"

"Just about anything and everything... there is so much to learn and so many books to read." 

With a big smile, she bade me come closer, and whispered  "I can lend you Lady Chatterley's Lover if you like... it's banned, you know..." Trying not to laugh, I whispered back... "I've read it, but I can lend you Brendan Behan's 'Borstal Boy'.."

 She couldn't wait for me to return with the book. Nana read until her eyes would no longer let her, but she remained a very interested and interesting lady till she passed at the age of 91 years and almost 9 months.

 How times have changed... those two books seem so tame these days... I actually thought that Lady Chatterly was boring at the time... a bit outrageous for the time, but not well written. I've never bothered to reread it to see how it stands up now. I would be interested to hear what you think...

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Borstal Boy

 Prior to that, Edna O'Brien was making waves in Ireland, with "The Country Girls".. not one I've read, but had heard of. This is a review of her memoirs... an interesting life for a woman who caused such a stir that her own mother 'hid' her book... how times have changed.

Country Girl: a Memoir by Edna O'Brien: review - Telegraph

Three years before the Chatterley ban and the Beatles' first LP, Edna O'Brien's debut novel, The Country Girls (1960) introduced sexual intercourse to Ireland. The book, whose subject was women in love, was suppressed and in some places burned; even the postmistress in O'Brien's home town in County Clare held that the author of such filth should be kicked naked through the streets. Many years later, O'Brien discovered that her mother had hidden her copy in a bolster case with the offending words daubed out in black ink.

Country Girl is the memoir that Edna O'Brien swore she would never write, but because her stories have tended to mine the seam between fact and fiction, much of what she tells here – her escape from the tyranny of the church into a tyrannical marriage, her journey from a time-locked Ireland to an England on the cusp of the Swinging Sixties – will be familiar to readers of her novels. For those expecting further revelations from the Goddess of Love, her reticence as an autobiographer will disappoint: O'Brien has done a good deal of kissing but does very little telling. While passion is one of her themes, the people she has felt passionate about are kept to the margins of the tale and not even the name of the "powerful" politician who broke her heart is revealed.

Her concern is with impression rather than confession, and, as someone who has done her time in psychoanalysis, O'Brien follows the logic of free association rather than the strictures of narrative chronology. This gives her prose, from the start, a dreamlike, hallucinatory feel, and the opening chapter begins with a dream in which O'Brien is "walking up the avenue towards Drewsboro, the house I was born in, and it is a veritable temple".

The resemblance to the start of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca – "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" – is surely intended: O'Brien's memory is marinated in literature, and the seductive power of words and writing have shaped her life.

Born in 1930, Edna O'Brien was from peasant stock on her mother's side and landowners on her father's, although the family wealth had been gambled away by the time she was born. Her dual heritage, she believes, reveals itself in her "two sides": she is both party animal and recluse; a sexually independent woman, she has no interest in the "sisterhood", and her life itself has been divided between England, where she has lived for more than 50 years, and Ireland, from which her writing comes and to which it endlessly returns.

As a child, O'Brien's longing for fulfilment was directed towards women, first her mother – "everything about her intrigued me: her body, her being, her pink corset" – and then a pale-faced nun with whom she fell in love at her convent school.

 Read more here...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9586710/Country-Girl-a-Memoir-by-Edna-OBrien-review.html

TOM FRAWLEY OF FRAWLEY’S PUB, CO. CLARE, IRELAND

Tom Frawley of Frawley's Pub, Co. Clare, Ireland | The Beachside Resident

Tom Frawley of Frawley's Pub, Co. Clare, Ireland

Paddy McDrinksey

Tom Frawley

Forget "Bartender of the Month;" Tom Frawley, 91, the recently retired owner of the P. Frawley public house in Lahinch, Co. Clare, is our favorite bartender of all time.

Though he probably couldn't mix a margarita if he tried, Tom was the embodiment of all that is noble about the profession.

He ran a tight ship with quiet authority (a fluorescent sign inside his pub read: "No Stag Parties Welcome Here"), was spry and attentive beyond his years (when he wasn't dozing on his stool), spun a great yarn, sang like an angel, and was, above all, a character — of a kind that proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the existence of an almighty, all-knowing, and highly creative God.

Tom Frawley, an avowed bachelor, pulled his first pint at the age of 9 in 1928 in this tiny, grocery-cum-pub, which has been in his family for an astounding 138 years. When his mother died in 1961, he took over P. Frawley and ran it until he begrudgingly retired due to poor health this past August.

For more on this story, please go to

http://thebeachsideresident.com/2012/03/bartender_tom_frawley/

Note the absence of refrigeration... Aussie pubs would go broke...

A NIGHT IN THE HEART OF ENNIS

The Irish Times - Monday, January 30, 2012

ROSITA BOLAND

Paddy Ryan and John Cahir of St Michael's Villas, Ennis, having a pint in Fawl's pub

Has nightlife died in Irish towns? Not if a recent Friday night in Co Clare is anything to go by. Retailers, restaurateurs and revellers on O’Connell Street, Ennis explain how life goes on

8PM 

It’s a Friday night in mid-January in Ennis, population 24,000, and O’Connell Street is busy. The narrow, curved street, lined with period buildings, is defined at one end by a distinctive commemorative pillar topped with a statue of Daniel O’Connell, who was declared an MP for Clare here in an 1828 by-election.

A rough tally of premises on the street comes in at 77, not counting those above street level. They include six bars, a hotel, six phone shops, two groceries, four shoe-shops, two florists, 12 clothes shops, a charity shop, two jewellers, two newsagents, two travel agents, a Milano, two fast-food restaurants, a camera shop, a bakery, a bookies, a Euroworld discount shop, a Boots, six vacant premises, and the entrance to a shopping centre, anchored by Dunnes Stores, that was built in the early 1990s.

A steady line of cars slowly navigates the one-way street, which is so narrow that there are scarcely three steps from one side to the other, and motorists are usually forced to crawl along to accommodate the jay-walking pedestrians who treat the street as if it is traffic-free.

Jo Walsh is on her way to dinner in Brogan’s bar and restaurant with friends visiting from Dublin, Fiona and John Power. They’ve booked a table and reckon on spending at least €100 tonight between them. “I love the fact this is still a proper street and not a mall,” Fiona Power says. “It has atmosphere.”

 For the full story, see the link below...

A night in the heart of Ennis

THE FAMILIES OF KILMALEY PARISH.. A 200 Year Review.. UPDATE

When you set out to research your family, and then find that that leads to helping others research theirs, it suddenly starts to snowball... who can resist adding just a little more, or finding the link to the family you knew the name of, but weren't quite sure whether they were related or not?


 It helps that you know not only the names, but the parish, and the history and the details that others are searching for...what to do then?


If your name is John Mayer, you decide to help others, who may never be able to visit the homeland of their ancestors and before too long, your kind deed has become far greater than you imagined...


Meet John Mayer.. the author of THE FAMILIES OF KILMALEY PARISH A 200 Year review...


John is a member of Clare Roots Society and as such has contributed a great deal for the benefit of others. Look on the Clare Library site, genealogy, to see his contribution of photographs and inscriptions of the gravestones of Kilmaley cemetery.

John's Irish connection began in Kilmaley Parish and so, on frequent family visits, he decided to explore the history of not only his own family, but that of 200 families within the parish. The result is the massive tome you see in this photo, which encompasses dates and photos ( where possible) of people or gravestones, of details of connections to other families and so much more, much of which has helped me in my own research within Kilmaley Parish. 


 For full details of his book, and where to purchase, you can see my earlier article at 


http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html


 John covers families from  FURROOR, KILCLOGHER, KILLANIV, KINTURK and all the towns and villages encompassed within those townlands...


 John's experiences when visiting the land of his mother's family stayed with him... just to quote a little of these..


"As a six year old boy growing up in Chicago, Kilmaley was such a different world to me. In those days my uncle's home was still thatched and I would get water for my grandmother at Sharry's Well. Going to the creamery at Tobin's was a great adventure. Whether I was heading there by horse and cart from John Hehir's in Feighroe, or on a big shiny new tractor from Patsy McMahon's in Lecarrow More, life couldn't get better."

 For details on the book www.lulu.com and search for Kilmaley, or use this tiny URL to go directly.

http://tinyurl.com/7jjlxxu

 Now, if only all Parishes were so fortunate... be sure to let John know where you heard about his book.

From a very satisfied researcher....

Liz Haren  Nov 27, 2011 "Yay! I just got my Kilmaley book!! It is huge!!! And it has my Haren's all over it. I'm thrilled. "

SPEAK UP AND BE HEARD

CLARE CHATTER

Have you heard of fracking?
Clare County Council Ban.

Speak up now...in Australia, we have the same thing happening... the gas exploration companies seem to have the rights to enter any properties they want to to drill for gas.

Farmers are often paid a pittance and assured that here will be no change in their lifestyles and no lasting damage to their properties. If only that was true.

 Ask someone who has huge rigs and lots of machinery where cattle used to graze... A lot of the workers are very arrogant and state that it is their right to enter the land and their right to drill for as long as they want/need to. Of course, the farmer doesn't seem to get the profits if gas is discovered. It's about time we stood up to governments on all levels and demand our rights, not just let them tell us what to do.

 Read more here...  

http://theconversation.edu.au/explainer-coal-seam-gas-shale-gas-and-fracking-in-australia-2585

http://www.northweststar.com.au/news/local/news/general/study-finds-gas-extraction-problems/2416024.aspx

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-02-21/farmers-count-cost-of-coal-seam-gas-rush/1951670

 These are just a small number of articles about this... Google 'fracking' and Queensland, or Australia or USA and you will find plenty more comments.

CLARE COUNCIL BACKS BAN ON 'FRACKING'

Clare County Council has moved to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" within the county.

The technique is used by oil exploration companies whereby water, sand and certain chemicals are injected at high pressure into a bedrock to extract natural gas.

Fracking has proved controversial in countries where it is carried out, due to alleged negative environmental consequences.

Concern had been raised in Co Clare over the past few months that the practice could be employed in the county as feasibility studies are carried out.

Last night members of the public and campaigners attended Clare County Council's monthly meeting in Ennis to hear a presentation by Dr Aedin McLoughlin, who has campaigned against fracking in counties Leitrim and Roscommon.

Council members unanimously supported a motion to write to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources seeking a total ban on fracking in Ireland.

Councillors also supported a second motion from Green Party councillor Brian Meaney that the County Development Plan would be amended to ban fracking in Clare.

After the meeting, anti-fracking campaigner Roisín Ní Ghairbhíth said that they were delighted with the result.

Ms Ní Ghairbhíth said that Clare is the first county in Ireland to move to amend the County Development Plan to ban fracking.

She added that she hoped other councils and local authorities around the country would do the same.

• Keywords:  
• hydraulic fracturing,
• fracking,
• gas exploration,
• environmentalists

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0110/clare.html

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY REFLECTS

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS CHEER FROM ENNIS, CO CLARE

MERRY CHRISTMAS ... enjoy the video of Christmas in Ennis....

Click below

http://vimeo.com/33035402

GRAVESTONE INSCRIPTIONS CLARE CASTLE/ BALLYEA

We often complain about the lack of records for Irish research, but now there is so much being released due to the work of volunteers, as well as some of the paid sites.

As many of you know, I'm involved with Clare Roots Society and am so pleased to be associated with this hard working group. One of the most recent achievements has been the documenting of around 2,000 records from the Clare Castle/Ballyea  churches... see full details below.

This book looks to be going to it's second print, which is fantastic... it sells for €10 plus postage, and was under €5 to post to Australia...

However, to go ahead with the second print, we really need names of those who genuinely would like a copy of the book. If you are one of those, could you please contact Clara Hoyne, secretary of the CRS (Clare Roots Society) at

 Clara  Hoyne <secretary@clareroots.org>

Clara will be able to help you with further details. Perhaps you could also tell Clara where you heard about this book.

Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers

2 November 2011 saw the launch of a book written and compiled by Eric Shaw entitled Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers. In conjunction with Clare Roots Society, Eric has documented all the readable gravestone inscriptions in Clare Abbey, Clare Hill, Killoo, Killone, and Ballyea & Clare Castle Churches. These amount to about 2,000 records, some dating from the late 1600s. The book will help to preserve the inscriptions and to make them available for family history research. It will also help to draw visitors and fits in with development plans to promote the attractions of the Parish.

                                                                           

CLARE CHATTER

ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY

IGP Archives have just added the RIC men who enlisted in 1842 and who were from Clare.

The names are:
BARRY, John
CUNNEEN, John
DOOLIN, Michael
HUDSON, Richard
KEOGH, Michael
LOFTUS, Edward
MALONE, John
McHUGO, Edward
MORONY, Thomas
WOODS, James

If you are interested in seeing more go to:

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/

Click on CLARE and then Military & Constabulary

More details on site above...including other years...

 courtesy of Christina Hunt

IRISH CHATTER

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/1107/1224307162868.html

A runaway success

The Irish Times - Monday, November 7, 2011

Madeleine Peyroux's abiding fascination with the retro sound comes from her admiration for women such as Billie Holiday who were 'pioneers of their style'

ALAN O'RIORDAN

ON HER first night after moving to Paris, a 13-year-old Madeleine Peyroux set out with a friend from her mother's apartment near Père Lachaise cemetery and walked south through the city, across the Seine and towards the Boulevard Saint-Germain.

What was she looking for? She doesn't know, she says, more than 20 years and six albums later, but what she found that night on the Left Bank changed her life.

"We saw these musicians performing and some of them were phenomenal. It was a new and exciting discovery. There was one group I later ended up joining, with amps, and wacky instruments that fascinated me."

She came back the next night, looking for the same music, and was directed by a hash dealer to the Cafe Mazet, where the buskers would gather because the barman could always be relied upon to change money for them. The Mazet is still there, next to the pretty arcade of the Cours du Commerce Saint-Andre, but these days it's a British-theme pub, flying the Cross of St George under its obligatory Guinness sign. Such are the streets around the Latin Quarter nowadays, but they retain their charm for Peyroux and hold dear memories.

Soon, she was passing the hat for one of the busking groups. A few years later, she was singing with the Lost Wandering Jazz and Blues Band on the streets and in the clubs of Paris. She dropped out of school, but had a musical education that has made her the artist she is today: with a voice like an ethereal Billie Holiday, steeped in blues and folk jazz.

"I was brought up with early jazz and blues," says Peyroux, who was born in Athens, Georgia, to parents she describes as hippies, and moved to Paris with her mother when they divorced. "But with the band I was introduced to artists like Bessie Smith and I got a huge education when it comes to blues, ironically not while in the States."

Peyroux's repertoire has grown from her first album, Dreamland , in 1996, which showcased a young singer unafraid to make standards her own, to her emergence as a songwriter on later albums, mixing interpretations with her own, usually melancholy, meditations. Her hallmark jazz-folk style has broadened its musical palette, too, over the years. Of course, it's always been a smooth blend, and for a certain type of music fan, Peyroux will always be damned with faint praise for her crossover appeal and placed, with her millions in sales, alongside Norah Jones.

Yet, she is more interesting than she's given credit for – witness the backward-looking reinventions of songs such as La Javanais on her 2009 album Bare Bones , a Serge Gainsbourg number written for Juliette Greco in the 1960s but transported back a couple of decades by Peyroux, with added delicacy and poignancy. Ditto her version of Leonard Cohen's Dance Me to the End of Love , which makes a 1980s classic sound like it was first sung in a smoke-filled 1930s jazz club.

Peyroux's abiding fascination with a retro sound comes from her admiration for women like Holiday who were "pioneers of their style". For her, these artists are "not as straightforward and traditional as we maybe have come to believe. When I go back to those early songs, I see they are more complex not just musically, but in their story, in their drama."

Peyroux doesn't hesitate to call her songs pop, but she aims to bring to them the broader perspective of folk. She instances her 2009 song Our Lady of Pigalle , about a Paris streetwalker, as an example of how she tries to capture that "personalised, emotional complaint you find in pop but also give an individual, emotional voice to social commentary".

So, is there something of the left-wing bohemian still lurking in this successful, world-touring artist? "Well," she says, "I'm not excited about going out busking now. I am mature – by which I mean I'm tired! But I am still looking for that special place, where we can be bohemian and survive. I think in that life in Paris we did fall into that make-your-own-way-of-life philosophy, and I wish I could find that again. I still look for it."

It's tempting to wonder if she'll find it in Ireland, but she's already searched the place. Her grandfather came from Co Clare and Peyroux has traced his footsteps. She even carries an Irish passport. Martin Malone was her grandfather's name, she says, and in the 1920s he went Awol from the British army to catch a ship to New York. There's a little laugh: "He was the only person who seemed proud when I ran away from school."

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Madeleine Peyroux plays the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on Tuesday. See nch.ie

CLARE CASTLE AND BALLYEA – THE PARISH REMEMBERS

Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers

2 November 2011 will see the launch of a book written and compiled by Eric Shaw entitled Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers. In conjunction with Clare Roots Society, Eric has documented all the readable gravestone inscriptions in Clare Abbey, Clare Hill, Killoo, Killone, and Ballyea & Clare Castle Churches. These amount to about 2,000 records, some dating from the late 1600s. The book will help to preserve the inscriptions and to make them available for family history research. It will also help to draw visitors and fits in with development plans to promote the attractions of the Parish.

CRS website at http://www.clareroots.org/index.php/2011-06-29-19-06-17/publications

See also Drumcliff Cemetery - the Hidden History of Ennis