Mickie Daly's Diary, May 1935

 

Thursday. Family history! I'm suffering for it. It is my own forlt. I was a big mug to go and tell Croftie all about the anishint glories of my family, I might have known he would not apreesheate the story. It was this way. I was looking at some of my father's books, One was views of Kilkenny. I like pictures about Ireland, espeshilly about Cork and Kilkenny, because my grandparents came from there. I saw Kilkenny Carsil-one of the oldest buildings in Ireland, and St. Canice's Church. When my father came in, I was looking at pictures of a little town called Goran.

"Ah, Horris,” my father said. "If your grand-dad was here now, he'd reel you off some fine old tales about Ireland."

"I wish he was," I said; for I love old tales.

"Your grandfather's grandfather was born in that little town of Goran; and his name was Fitzpatrick- it's the grandest name in Kilkenny."

"Is it? Tell us about it."

This is what he told me.

"Senchuries ago, when Ireland had kings, the King of Kilkenny was 0' Dunphy. He had such a love and venerashin for St. Patrick's memory that he called his son Mac Giolla Phadraig (my father told me how to spell it), which means the son or servant or one devoted to Patrick. The name was adopted as a family name. It became MacGilla Patrick, and when the Normans came it was called Fitzpatrick. Fitz is the Norman form of 'son of,' See?"

I nodded. It was very interesting to me. "Go on," I said, "tell me more. I like this kind of history."

"The Mac Gilla Patricks-were the rightful rulers of Kilkenny, Ossory." There was a map of Ireland in the book. and we had a look at it. "Henry II of England invaded Ireland. He was King of almost all of France as well as King of England; but he wanted Ireland, too,"

"Gee! He was greedy,"

"He landed here-Waterford with his Norman and English soldiers. They overran Munster. Henry could not speak English, although he was the King of England."

"Gee! That's funny,"

"He was a Norman. Well, Horris, that was the beginning of the English king's power in Ireland, and enough history for you, I think. When you are older you can study the history of Ireland if you want to. Henry rewarded his favourites with titles-made them earls and dukes and gave them land."

"Gee! What cheek! Giving away what wasn't his,"

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