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The current environment has reduced our opportunities for financial support and we are asking for your help through, Membership, Patronage or Donation. We would like to thank all those who have contributed and supported us through the years and particularly in 2020 by Membership, Donations or Patronage and would actively encourage anyone who has an interest in Irish Palatine Heritage to support our endeavours in 2021. The IPA is a voluntary organisation and we rely on worldwide support from people of Irish Palatine Heritage to help with the operation of the museum and organisation. Membership of the Association is 35.00 euros per year. The membership year runs from January to December each year. When membership is received in the course of the year, any literature published in the prior part of the year is mailed at the time of subscription
To learn of the many different ways you can help support the Irish Palatine Association please visit our SUPPORT section for details.

12th Sept 2021
Unfortunately due to the continuing restrictions resulting from COVID-19, the Shier Reunion scheduled for the end of June will not now proceed. HOWEVER, this does not prevent from delaying the reunion until later in the summer or fall and hopefully as the weeks pass, flexibility for travel and gatherings will be eased further. Accordingly you are asked to mark Sunday, Sept. 12th on your calendars for this year's Shier Reunion. Please keep in mind this is still very tentative and participants will be advised, either way, when a clear indication about any limitations on gatherings for the fall. If the Reunion proceeds, it will be held in either Cannington or WiIfrid, depending on weather conditions.

The Irish Palatine Association recently received the gift of a new exclusive publication titled Some German Origins of The Irish Palatines by Henry Z, Jones. Jr. This book is intended as a companion volume to Hank’s seminal book The Palatine Families of Ireland. In this new publication, some of Hank’s recent discoveries about the definite, probable and possible German origins of some of the Palatine families are set forth, documented, and discussed. This publication is exclusively available from the Irish Palatine Association and can be ordered from our Shop.

In this issue (no. 27) we have an article about the Irish Palatines in Sherrington, Quebec, plus an article about tracing Palatine Heritage from the Hudson Valley. We have an article on the German Winestreet experience in the Palatinate and one of discovering Great Grandfather Francis Teskey who was born in Ireland and emigrated to Australia. The Genesis of my Palatine Journey relates the story of Bill & Ena Lowes from Adare, Co. Limerick. Daniel Dafoe's 'Journal of a Plague Year' examines what life was like during a public health outbreak in 1665 London. We also have appreciations of Dudley Levistone Cooney & Norma Earl who are sadly no longer with us.....(more)

You may have read Louie Ann McDonogh’s article “Dreaming of the Homeland” in our Journal No.23:16–20. Now retired, Louie worked as an interpreter for the German consul and taught in the German circle. With Fitzell ancestry she decided to visit Essenheim, the German ancestral home of the Fitzells in 2014. She has retained a relationship with the people of Essehheim since and recently received a copy of a magazine, Essenheimer Heft in which an article by Essenheimer Stefan Mossel titled “Besuch von der Grünen Insel” (Visit from the Emerald Isle) on the Irish Palatine story, Louie’s visit and the publication of her original article in our IPA Journal featured (all in German). She has kindly allowed us to include that article on our website and it can be found in the members area.

Austin Bovenizer of the Irish Palatine Association will give a virtual tour of Irish Palatine Centre exhibition to the IP-SIG of the Ontario Genealogical Society on Saturday 8th of May 2021. IPA members are invited to join in on that day.

I traverse a road between townlands.
Enniscoush on the right is trim and tidy, nursery of a rural order;
Courtmatrix on the left catches the ribbons of modernity
Spilling out from town. I meet with and old Palatine in a car,
His craggy, lived-in face a testament to humour and diversion.
He salutes as he passes. We are in the waving zone.
The sun dances in a blue sky and irradiates the earth.
Hedges and ditches carry the mayflower in full glory
And sumptuous displays of foliage. Rhythms of land and season
Weave into the rhythms of life.
Copyright © Dr. Patrick J. O'Connor 2017 from his book 'Home and Reach-a life in writing'

It has been decided that our Palatine Ancestral Homeland Tour cannot now proceed until at least 2022. The tour which was originally planned for September 2020 had been deferred due to the concern over the global pandemic of Coronavirus. While a vaccine will probably be rolled out in the first half of 2021 we are of the view that things will still not have settled adequately enough to allow us to proceed with confidence. We thank all who had booked for this event for their support and patience as matters unfolded. We live in hope for 2022!!!

The Irish palatine Association have organised a 10-Day tour for our Members and Patrons in the German Palatinate which will take place in 2022. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the German heritage of your Palatine ancestors including the history and culture behind the story of the Irish Palatines.
We will visit the ancestral villages of some of the more familiar Irish Palatine families. We will also visit some of the larger towns and sample what they have to offer the visitor, some of which include Castles, Cathedrals, Museums, guided tours, shops and more. This trip is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the ancestral German homeland of the Irish Palatines.

April 2020

We are conscious of people isolating in their homes around the world at this dreadful time of Covid-19 and we would like to send you greetings by way of this IPA Newsletter.

In the summer of 2019 The Irish Palatine Association had a visit from journalist, Kristin Hunfeld. Austin Bovenizer spent some time with Kristin and was interviewed for a radio documentary for Radio Bremen public radio in Northern Germany. It was aired on December 28th and again on January 4th. The title of the documentary is Pfälzer Auswanderer in Irland (Palatine Emigrants in Ireland). Listen or download (mp3).

We regret to announce the death of Irish Palatine Association committee member Rev. Dudley Levistone Cooney on the 16^th of November 2019. Dudley entered the Methodist ministry in 1969 and served in the Irish Republic and Northern
Ireland. He was a

wonderful orator and could preach a sermon without notes straight off the cuff. Many of our members will remember Dudley when he gave his lecture on The Switzers of Grafton Street at a number of Irish Palatine Association events over the years. He was also a regular contributor to our Journal. He was a great historian and writer and has written several articles and books on the history of Irish Methodism including histories of Limerick and several other Methodist circuits. His book The Methodists in Ireland: A Short History was published by Columba Press in 2001. He was on the editorial panel of the Methodist Newsletter, the official newsletter of the Methodist Church in Ireland and wrote reviews on many books of Methodist interest. He was president of the Wesley Historical Society in Ireland and of the Old Dublin Society. In addition he served on a number of other boards and committees connected with his work as a Methodist minister. He was superintenant to the Methodist Circuit of Adare and Ballingrane in County Limerick Ireland for a number of years. After his retirement he moved to Glenageary, County Dublin where he continued to be involved in many Methodist and historical pursuits. Dudley donated some of his extensive library to the Irish Palatine Association

Following are his contributions to our Journal:-
A Preachers Life - life as a Methodist itinerant preacher – Journal 7:14.
The Southwells of Castle Matrix - a brief history of landlord family – Journal 7:18.
Trench of Castle Oliver - a brief history of the landlord family – Journal 7:19.
Wesley among the Palatines - extracts from his journals – Journal 8:2.
Parish Minutes come to light - parish of Kleinich & some details of the winter of 1708/09 – Journal 12:2.
A Volcano erupts – Journal 12:4.
Defoe and the Palatines – Journal 12:5.
Switzers of Grafton Street – Journal 13:24
Charles Wesley 1707-1788 - A Tercentenary Tribute – Journal 15:2
Ludwig I builds Palatinate Castle – Journal 16:4
Visits to the Palatinate – Journal16:6
Rev. Dr. William Crook (1823-1897) Methodist Minister and Author – Journal 18:19.