A county-specific surname was the focus of the most recent
Tar Abhaile, with members of the Brosnan/Brosnahan sept (or clan, if you will) coming home
from all parts of the world. One such person was Gayle Brosnan from Arizona. The
name itself is unusual among Irish surnames as it is one of a small amount that
are toponymic (derived from a geographical place name), probably derived
from Brosna, Co. Kerry.[1]
Her story was most fascinating and charted one of the furthest
back emigrations that has been featured on the show. Her ancestor, John Brosnan,
emigrated soon after the 1798 rebellion
with family stories indicating he had been involved.
To be successful in tracing one's ancestry back to Ireland
after an emigration that occurred over 200 years ago is a notable feat. Even though the surname
and family stories gave pointed clues to a specific county, untangling all the
Brosnan's in Kerry to uncover the correct ancestors still had to be done.
You can read more about the Brosnan gathering and East Kerry
Roots Reaching Out by clicking here.
To read a review and watch previous episodes, click: episode 1, episode 2, episode 3.
To read a review and watch previous episodes, click: episode 1, episode 2, episode 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment