Family Gatherings 2018: Minnesota

PART II

(Go to Part I)

We had a wonderful time with the Cajacob clan all week.  A Sunday brunch at Mary's included a walk along Lake Harriet where the younger kids left letters at the Elf house.  They were very excited when the found letters from him waiting when they got home!

Tuesday, Peter led us on a tour of downtown Minneapolis, the move to the Embassy Suites made it an easy ride on the Metro.  We saw crocodiles in Minnesota and crossed the river twice.  One little guy took advantage a got rides much of the way!

 Wednesday was play day at the lake for the younger crowd .... 

 And finding houses and tombstones for the more ancient crowd........

English Houses on Litchfield Ave

Thursday was the big Picnic......lots of Cajacobs to visit!  A short hike to Minnehaha Falls.....Rain, rain, rain....thunder, lightening, rain!  We were wet!

We never get those good storms at home!

Finally met Mike Carroll after 20 years of corresponding!!



Check out the rain!

Here and there everyone wandered their individual ways....

Visit with Aletha

Science Museum

And then Friday night it was dessert with the Walshes......Theresa Fink came from her farm in South Dakota joined by her sister Patti, who had also helped on our adventure in Calvary Cemetery on Wednesday.  Bill and Molly Walsh also came!!!!  We celebrated Nicholas' 4th birthday with a cake and a few presents

And then everyone went home........ well except me!!!  I spent two nights with Mary and Peter before heading out to Rochester (more on that later).  Saturday night we hit the Roots, Rock, Deep Blues Festival  on Saturday night.  Lots of great music including Cornbread Harris who was still going strong at 91.

Thanks to all our wonderful cousins for making this one of the best Madden Family Gatherings yet!!

Thanks everyone for the great pictures!!!

Old Kilconly Burial Ground

The Old Kilconly Burial Ground lies in the townland of Gullane West.  Archaeologists date the remains of the church on the site to the 12th century.  

We know that the English family was in Gullane East no later than the 1820s, and we know that there are English stones for burials after Edmund left Ireland.  It seems likely that this would be the burial place of all our Gullane ancestors.  There is a "new" Kilconly cemetery, but it was a bit further away from Gullane.  


"Kilconly graveyard and the remains of Kilconly church nestle in a small field just off the scenic Wild Atlantic Way route (S) as you head towards Ballybunion on the Beale coastal road. A walk around this church and small graveyard is a spiritual and uplifting experience. The church itself is very, very old; according to archaeologists, the building dates back to the 12th century. This would place Kilconly at the end of the Early Christian Period and the dawn of the Medieval Period."  Ballybunnion.ie

• Find A Grave - Old Kilconly Burial Ground  
• Kerry Burials