Another blog I just found thanks to one of my Google Alerts (searching for the keyword Boalsburg) is written by a doctor from Philadelphia. He’s written a series of posts on central Pennsylvania, including one devoted solely to Boalsburg, a town named for the Boal family from Northern Ireland, of which I am a descendant. They were [...]
Archive for the ‘Northern Ireland’ Category
On the Streets Of Belfast
Posted: August 6, 2011 in DARLING, Northern Ireland, World War ITags: Belfast, Northern Ireland, WWI
Although the writer gets his facts wrong, it’s nice to know about the monument to the American Expeditionary Force in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It’s on the grounds of the city hall. It’s known as Donegall Square. My great granduncle was on a ship in Belfast Harbor for a day or two, before disembarking at Liverpool. [...]
Eight Years of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ UK
Posted: July 29, 2011 in England, News, Northern Ireland, Pop Culture, Scotland, United StatesI just read about the latest season of Who Do You Think You Are?, the UK series, and ever since getting hooked on the American version‘s second season, shown on NBC, I am keen to watch, though I don’t recognize any of the so-called celebrities. I’ll be checking YouTube for episodes, which begin airing on [...]
Since today is Wednesday, I thought I’d write a bit about the origins of the word. It’s odd that Christianity has dominated Western culture for so long, but the days of the week remain, holdovers from the time of paganism. I have a feeling quite a few of my ancestors spoke a variety of Germanic tongues, [...]
Photos of William Boal’s grave have been posted at the Find A Grave site. These were posted by a volunteer with the Solon History Group. He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Solon, Iowa, which is about midway between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. William Boal is my four-great grandfather (as in great-great-great-great or 4G). He [...]
Baron Carrickfergus, a royal title recently given to Prince William, is causing some consternation among some Irish folk. The British decision to revive the title and clearly make sure that nationalists who live in the town are under His Royal Highness is a curious one. Is it “a deliberate effort to state categorically that a [...]
The Boal Family & Ireland
Posted: February 21, 2011 in BOAL, Northern Ireland, SHANNON, WELCHTags: Ulster
For years I had been searching for material on my great-great-great-great grandfather, John S. Boal. He was a veteran of the American Civil War and died a young man at the age of 40 or 42. (There’s some confusion as to when he was born, 1836 or 1838.) I don’t know in what unit he served [...]
British pubgoers could soon ditch their traditional pint in favor of a ‘schooner,’ a smaller measure of beer used in Australia . . . As an American, talk of pints and half-pints wasn’t really in my vocabulary until watching some memorable (and quite funny) scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring. Pippin: What’s that? Merry: [...]
The Big Freeze: Coldest December Ever In UK
Posted: December 20, 2010 in News, Northern Ireland, ScotlandBritain and its people have been experiencing a lot of cold and snow, and more is on the way. In fact, even with more days on the calendar, December 2010 has been the coldest in the United Kingdom since weather record-keeping began. Travel has been a mess across Europe. AJH
For the past couple of days I have been wearing a tweed cap straight from Ireland, the type often worn in the United States while golfing. Made by Hanna Hats Ltd. in Donegal, it’s one of the vintage models, similar to this one. Previously I’d been almost exclusively wearing baseball caps. But now I am branching out and [...]
