What a Day This Has Been!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was up early, as usual.  Showered and ready for breakfast waiting for 8am.  TV has a cctv feed from the barn.  Curious - two cows in pens, one seemed very restless. Could she be in labor?  At breakfast, asked my hostess Pearl - sure enough.  After breakfast, returned to my room and watched the birth of a baby bull, with a little assist by Pearl's husband, Wilson.  What nice people.  They invited me down to the barn to see the new arrival - he was about 15 minutes old.    Within a half hour he was standing and within the hour he was nursing.  Wilson even took photos for me. Awesome sight for a city (more accurately "suburb") girl. 

Then it was off to find the parish of Ballynarry, near Kilnaleck or Ballyheelan.  The genealogist at the National Archives had it narrowed down to the parish of Ballymachugh - I still don't understand.  Near Ballyheelan I saw a trailblazer for Ballymachugh - CHURCH OF IRELAND!!  uh oh.  Followed the signs which brought me to St. Paul's Church of Ireland. Now what?  I tried to find someone, without luck.  As I was about to leave two workmen went into the adjacent (what else!) graveyard.  I explained and they directed me to rhe Catholic church at Ballynarry.

About 10 minutes later I was at the church in which my great-grandparents were married in 1877.   

Catholic Church at Ballynarry  

What a pretty church - and adjacent graveyard.  Looked around inside and out - no one around, except two fellows working in the cemetery.  One suggested I ask about records at the little store nearby.  Walked around the cemetery looking for Plunketts and Morrows - found one barely readable Plunkett.  As I was walking back to the car, I walked off a curb without looking and fell. Fortunately, aside from a banged up pinkie finger, the only other thing hurt was my pride. 

At the little store, Jacqueline sold me bandages and first aid cream, brought me next door to wash my cuts and then called Fr. Gray about records.  Unfortunately, he was on his way to the hospital for a parishioner. 

To not waste the day, I drove to Ballyjamesduff, recommended by Pearl, to go to the Cavan County Museum - it was closed - will go back tomorrow.  Stopped at Gormley's Pharmacy looking for peroxide and got my cuts cleaned a little better.  Went to Coffee Cup Cafe for some lunch - and they kindly provided an ice pack.

After lunch, back to Ballyheelan - tried Fr. Gray again at 3:30 and was invited over to his home in Carrick near another St. Mary's of which he is also parish priest.  Jackpot - we looked at baptism and marriage records.  Found both for John Morrow and Bridget Plunkett.  Then we had some tea.  What a kindly man.  There is a very old looking tall structure near the church in Carrick; Fr. Gray explained it was a bell tower erected in 1832 to commemorate the 1829 repeal of a law prohibiting Catholic churches from having bells.