Irish Origenes interactive castles of Ireland map part of project to pinpoint Irish ancestors

I am Bunker Hill's wife as he is sick. Actually most of my family is still in Ireland; they own a great deal of land are all extremely successful. My parents chose to come here along with a few other family members and you would instantly recognize a few of their many successful descendents. Can you tell me the age of the Rock of Cashel? Can you tell me how many castles there were in England and Scandinavia? Next the Irish will be telling everyone a flying saucer landed and built Newgrange. Were the O'Briens of Clare invaders? My Irish father could never understand why the Irish always take such a lowly stance, (stage Irish), and he didn't like that trait. My mother frankly didn't give a darn. I am sure you will all be happy that they left. They were happy too. The Irish are their own worst enemies.

Bunkerhill, a quote for future reference … Harold G. Leask, late Inspector of the National Monuments in Eire, in his benchmark work on Irish castles states (in 1977) “no comprehensive survey of the whole country has yet been made…the total of over 2,900 castles is certainly too small, though it is much greater than the number existing today – even in a very shattered state – since it includes many castles occupied in the 16th century which has more or less disappeared. “ He goes on to state the total of 2,900 does not include castles and motes which had gone out of use and memory by the 16th century. Given the steady disappearance of motes and ruins, Dr. Bowes coordinates list for 1,375 castles should prove no small resource for scholars, both young and established, doing some research on Irish castles. Hopefully these scholars will have adequate funding to make valid contributions to a consolidated database.

bunkerhill, while "800 years of domination" and "invaders" may have considerable poetic appeal, it seems a lasting consensus has been reached on Normans transitioning to Anglo-Normans, to Anglo(or Cambro)-Irish, to "Irish"..."invaders," bunkerhill (like "...the whites of their eyes...",)has long ago yielded to "settlers," or "Irish patriots."...note on castles follows...

IrelandNorth, it was Michael Collins who wanted the largely catholic counties of Ulster to be part of the Irish Free State. He thought he could even carve out Catholic portions of the counties largely unionist as well to reduce the number of people there and make partition unworkable. He was wrong. The people of Northern Ireland chose not to join the Free State, the right they were given in the Anglo Irish Treaty Collins signed. Partition was further cemented as a result of the Northern Ireland UK Good Friday Agreement 1998 to end the Provo IRA Terrorist campaigns.

bunkerhill, you're wrong, the castles weren't built by the original Irish as you call them. There were a variety of builders of Irish castles and several hundred castles in Ireland. Newgrange isn't a castle, no "family" was involved in its construction. It's neolithic similar to neolithic monuments elsewhere in Europe. Commoners in Ireland and elsewhere didn't have castles. There are castles built in Ireland by various groups, you need to research each castle to find out its history. They vary considerably. English castles go back to the neolithic period. Do you research and find out about Scottish castles and those in Scandanavia. Given your antipathy for what you call "invaders", why couldn't your ancestors make it in Ireland? Why should you and your ancestors be given any status in the US. Couldn't you and they make it in Ireland where you came from? If you practiced what you want your so-called invaders to practice, you certainly wouldn't be in the US.

joan1954, if you don't know that information you haven't done enough US research to find it. And Cavan is NOT Northern Ireland UK, it's a county in Ireland. Northern Ireland was established in 1922, after the US 1920 census. Hence Irish emigrants in the 1920 Census would say Ireland as their country of birth.

From my understanding the castles were build by the original Irish. Certainly the Rock of Cashel or Dromoland were not built by any invaders. Neither were the roundtowers. I have read that the early English built wooden structures and their early stone castles were actually built by imported Irish. Certainly the pre-historic Newgrange and similar structures were not built by invaders. Why do people insist in giving "invaders" any status. Why couldn't they make it where they came from? Where is the Newgrange where they came from? I had seen this site before and know in one case it is amazingly accurate, but the family involved was Irish. I also know all the other castles shown in that area were also Irish, so I don't understand this. Do the "commoners" of England or Scotland, or Scandinavia have any castles as I have seen the number on the map as 1,375. If the "commoners" of these countries do not have a similar number of castles, and this is only a fraction of the number, then the castles were built by the native Irish and not "invaders." Is there a castle in England as old as the "Rock of Cashel?"

Those Anglo-Norman/Saxons sure knew how to carve up conquered terro[r]tries! Made the subsequent Minnesota land grab seem like a Girl Guides Jamboree. Those 16th century Elizabethan cartographers did a good job mapping out ancient - middle (and modern?) Ireland into parishes/townlands/baronies/counties/provinces. Largely around demarcated tracks of land granted by the English Crown to their conquering heros. (County Cavan was one of 3 of the 9 Ulster counties declined by Unionists in their new gerrymandered state due to Catholic majorities that would have meant a reunited Ireland long before now. A la carte democracy leading to the tragedy of the Troubles. Top marks to innovative 'Ori-genes', and best of Irish luck in reconnecting our exiled children with the land of their forebears.

Actually, Cillowen, they were Normans (previously Vikings who settled in France).

Cyn, You are lucky. I know the names of my great-grandmothers and their father's name, not mother's, but the counties of origin are not really known. Oral tradition says Cork and Cavan but in the 1940 census for my grandmother her mother's birth area is written as Northern Ireland so does that leave Cavan out, I don't know? In the previous census 1920 and before it is written as just Ireland. But 1930 and 1940 says Northern Ireland. As I said you are lucky.

Why go to the expense? Irish Libraries are a wonderful source of genealogies. I knew my great grandparents names, where they were from and went from there.

Sounds like a good idea. Will the castles have corporate logos?