Located in the west of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, is County Galway. The first inhabitants in the Galway area arrived over 7,000 years ago, indicating the existence of people as early as 5000 BC. Originally comprised of several kingdoms, including Aidhne, Uí Maine, Maigh Seóla, Conmhaícne Mara, Soghain, and Máenmaige. County Galway contains several inhabited islands, such as Aran Islands (Irish: Oileáin Árann) and Inishbofin (Inis Bó Fine). Nearly 20% of the population of County Galway live in the Gaeltacht, Irish-speaking districts.","The Irish Potato Famine, also known as The Great Famine or Great Hunger lasted from 1845 to 1850 and resulted in a great exodus of Irish refugees fleeing to Britain, Australia, and North America, one of the most dramatic waves of Irish migration in history. It was one of the world's worst disasters in world history - over one million people died in a five year span.","Founded in 1788, New South Wales (NSW) was the first penal colony for England. British explorer, Captain James Cook, first discovered the east coast of Australia while attempting to examine the planet Venus in order to determine the distance from the Earth to the Sun in 1770, he first named it New Wales, then later New South Wales.","Grattan and the Irish Volunteer army obtained an independent parliament in 1782. Continued Irish unrest and Wolfe Tone's rebellion in 1798 led to the Act of Union in 1800 and Irish representation in British Parliament. Daniel O'Connell's agitation resulted in the granting of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. The Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s decimated the population and caused mass emigration. ","From its founding until the last prison ship set sail in 1868, Van Diemen's Land was the primary penal colony in Australia and over 75,000 convicts were transported there.","The First Fleet departed from Portsmouth, on the south coast of England, on May 13, 1787 and sailed for around 250 days. The fleet was comprised of eleven ships - six prison ships, three equipment ships, and two navy ships, Sirius and Supply. After an extremely long journey, the First Fleet finally arrived at Botany Bay, located in Sydney, New South Wales, between January 18 and 20, 1788.","County Mayo (Mayo, Contae Mhaigh Eo)
Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Galway, Roscommon, and Sligo, County Mayo is part of the province of Connacht. The county's boundaries, which were formed in 1585, reflect the Mac William Íochtar lordship at that time. The history of County Mayo is long, with evidence of occupation going back to Mesolithic communities around 4500B. The county has experienced perhaps the highest emigration out of Ireland. From the 1840’s to 1880’s emigrants left the rural townlands of the county initially triggered by the great famine, as well as searching for new work in the United Kingdom and the United States. Today the county has beautiful landscapes and historical sites, such as the tombs.","Dutch navigator Willem Jansz aboard the Duyfken was the first European to land in waht is now known as Australia in 1606. He charted much of the Gulf of Carpentaria, located on the northern coast of Australia. In 1616, another Dutch captain, Dirk Hartog, landed on the west coast of Australia near Shark Bay.","England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It occupies more than half of the land of the area. It shares its borders with Wales to the West and Scotland the to its north. Laced by great rivers and small streams, England is a fertile land which has supported a thriving agricultural economy for millenia.","Wales, or Cymru a region of rugged mountains, Moors and forests, is noted for its large coal deposits. Its people are known for their strong Celtic heritage and renowned choral groups. This region was originally populated by an Iberian people, who were overrun by the Celts in the 6th century BC.","County Dublin (Dublin, Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath)
Part of the province of Leinster, bordered by Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, and the Irish Sea, is County Dublin. Ireland’s most populous county is divided into the local government areas of Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin; the latter three were created in 1994. Discoveries of inhabitants dating back to the late Mesolithic period make this county the oldest in Ireland. With a rich history from the Vikings through to expansion in the 1960’s it is clear to see why there is a strong influence on tourism, but don’t underestimate the new draws such as the Guinness Storehouse.",null],"lnksHoverSummaryImgURL":[null,"/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/books.webp?pos=floatRight","/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/connacht_province.webp?pos=floatRight","","/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/county_galway.webp?pos=floatRight","","","","","/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/first_fleet_ship.webp?pos=floatRight","/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/county_mayo.webp?pos=floatRight","","","","/cdn/webp/i/kb/200w/dounty_dublin.webp?pos=floatRight",null],"mode":"f","s":"Kirwan","sU":"KIRWAN","oC":"IR","o":"Irish","o2":null,"cOk":true,"c":"/dpreview/KIRWAN/IR/Kirwan/family-crest-coat-of-arms.png","c2":"/dpreview/ANDERSON/SC/Anderson/family-crest-coat-of-arms.png","v":"1","sections":["","SettlersUS","SettlersCA","SettlersAU","SettlersNZ","SettlersZA","SettlersWI","Settlers","ContemporaryNotable","ContemporaryNotables","HistoricEvents","RelatedStories","Motto","SuggestedReading","Citations",""]}
Remove Item
WARNING!
Removing this item from your shopping cart will remove your associated sale items.
Are you sure you want to delete this item from your shopping cart?
HouseofNames E-Newsletter Sign Up
Over 50 years of Research | Vast Database of Histories