How this all began…

DonovanTribe was formed to reach out past our family proper in search of new family, friends, and stories of our shared history. We all have immigrants in our family trees, not so long ago either. I have been enjoying digging into the past and have resolved for 2017 to look into what the lives of our ancestors were like; traveling to the USA, day-to-day business, and family life.

Our focus here is Irish, particularly County Cork. If I have learned one thing about genealogy, it is that no discovery happens in a straight line. I have been looking for a link through DNA testing to the Donovans that lived in County Cork in the 1700-1800s. That search has me reading history about the Norman Invasion, which began around 1200, and England’s conquest of Ireland led by Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. I am no closer to learning anything about 1700 Ireland, but I have learned a bit of history, and on good days can read old Gaelic script kinda good.

The OTHER reason DonovanTribe began…a Facebook group, “Donovan Family Tree,” was started nearly two years ago. At last count, there are 106 members, many photos, memories, traditions, quips, and quirks have been shared, and it has become an ungodly mess! Facebook is great for stream-of-consciousness, immediate sharing, but has no good way to organize or index information chronologically through the decades. I think of the Facebook group as the “shiny thing,” as in “LOL!!! Look who just posted glamour shots of herself wearing Pleather. Bwaahahahah!!!”

DonovanTribe strives to be the grown-up version of the group; to take the information we have accumulated and organize it while learning more; there is always more to learn – about our ancestors, genealogy, history, etc.

I am not a writer – Surprise! This is my first-ever blog/website. I know I am a mess at punctuation and proper writing in general. If you are OCD about such things, go away. Now. My writing will make you crazy. I’m finding my voice, poking around, interested to see where this takes me.

I would characterize myself as a seasonal agoraphobe. Now that the holidays and the after-holiday detox are complete; I am ready to hunker down and go nowhere until Spring. If all goes well, I will be spending my days scanning and posting photos, looking for new leads and sources of information, asking and answering questions as they come up.

Stay tuned, People.

Check-in often. Send photos, stories, recipes, documents, etc. that you would like to share. And mark your calendars for this very special gathering of the clans in 2023!

~Angie

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