This year we appeal to you for support and we are asking for this help and support through, Membership, Patronage or Donation. We would like to thank all those who have contributed and supported us through the years and particularly in 2021 by
Membership, Donations or
Patronage and we actively encourage anyone who has an interest in Irish Palatine Heritage to support our endeavours in 2022 by these means.
The IPA is a voluntary organisation and we rely on local and worldwide support from people of Irish Palatine Heritage to help with the operation of the Irish Palatine Museum and organisation. Membership of the Association is 38.00 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 us, please visit our
SUPPORT section for details.
Irish Palatine Association Journal 2022
In this edition of the IPA Journal (No.29), we present an overview of the Irish Palatines living in Kilcooly, County Tipperary. There is a Little Document with a Big Story to Tell which features how some incidental papers which were accidentally found, turned out to be a listing of Irish Palatine names copied by Tennison Groves. Also we have a story of an old Palatine custom known as 'the Waltz'. The story of the Barbara Heck Medallion which features on the cover of this issue and how it came to be donated to the Irish Palatine Association. A Question of Identity explores the varied backgrounds which comprised the migration of some 13,500 individuals comprising mostly family groups and speaking different dialects. Somewhere along the journey, unsure of what to call the disparate group of migrants speaking different dialects, the term Palatine was applied and persists as a marker of identity to the present day......(more)
Shier Reunion 2022
June 26th 2022
The 99th Shier Reunion 2022 will take place on Sunday 26th of June at 12.30pm in Wilfrid, Ontario. See the following invitation for details.
The Shier Reunion wish to take this opportunity to announce the 100th Shier Reunion which will be held next year on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at the Udora Hall, 24 Victoria Road, (Georgina Twp.), Udora, ON. The facility can accomodate 200+ people and has a large outdoor activity area for picnicking and games.
Recent visitors to the Irish Palatine Museum
Sunday April 24th 2022
Last Sunday, 24
th of April saw the first large group of visitors to the Irish Palatine Museum since the outbreak of Covid. Driving their Model T Fords and dressed in period costume, the very colourful group consisting of up to fifty people, arrived at approximately 12.00 noon. With the distinct sound of vintage engines in the air, these beautiful and precious machines were carefully parked before drivers and passengers disembarked. We presented a brief account of the Irish Palatine story to all assembled before browsing through our exhibition and enjoying a cup of coffee in the coffee shop. This group of Model T’s, their owners, family and friends had gathered in County Limerick for the weekend where local Model T owner, David Cuddy and his wife Marian, had organised this veteran car run on local roads using some of the interesting stops along the Limerick Greenway route for the group. The event certainly was a most uplifting experience for all on the day.
Webinar-Explore the Rheinland Palatinate
Sunday April 3rd 2022
The Rhineland-Pfalz, or Rhineland-Palatinate, is nestled in the rich Rhineland valley in the southwest of Germany, a region known for its warm, sunny climate and a wine-making culture that extends back to Roman times. This presentation explores the history of the Palatinate from Celtic times to the present. It explores why so many people emigrated or were forced to flee over the centuries and also includes today’s sights of interest. This presentation is designed for genealogists, travellers, foodies, oenophiles, and anyone who enjoys learning about other cultures, places, and times.
You are invited to join the Webinar hosted by the IP-SIG of the Ontario Genealogical Society, on Sunday, April 3rd at 2.00pm (EDT) 7.00pm (GMT) when Claire Gebben will be presenting
Explore the Rheinland Palatinate. Claire is the author of a memoir and an historical novel and has had articles published in
Your Genealogy Today and
German Life magazines, as well as genealogical society newsletters and other publications. She’s a public speaker on genealogy, history, and writing, and is currently working on a novel about Highland Scots immigrants to Ohio in the early 1800s.
Carolina and the Palatines
Sunday January 23rd 2022
The 1709 migration from the Palatinate to Queen Anne's England not only affected Ireland, but also had an impact on America. Some of those who sailed to London made their way directly to New Bern, North Carolina in 1710. This is the subject of historian Philip Otterness’s most recent research and he will share his findings in this presentation.
You are invited to join the Webinar hosted by the IP-SIG of the Ontario Genealogical Society, on Sunday, January 23rd at 2.00pm (EST) 7.00pm (GMT) when Philip Otterness will be presenting
Die berühmte Landschaft Carolina and the Palatines: The Founding of New Bern, North Carolina in 1710
New Publication
Some German Origins of the Irish Palatines
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.
A Rathkealean Traverse
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'
