Terry Finnerty

Mrs Teresa Finnerty and her Daughters visit to Ireland and France, from USA

Myself and husband John had always wanted to travel to Ireland as Johns family had left Ireland in the mid 1800s and settled in New York. My own family had come from Italy and it was our life time ambition to combine a trip to Italy, Ireland and the Catholic shrine of our Lady at Lourdes France.

Our trip had been a year in the making with Sean’s company doing all the family research for us. Unfortunately my Husband John trough sickness had passed away and my daughter traveled with me instead. We contacted My Ireland Heritage as we were having major difficulty in finding Johns Family. Finnerty being an unusual name and also the fact that the records we found out may have been burnt in a fire in the Civil War in Ireland in 1922. We wrote to Sean of My Ireland Heritage and he was out standing. Although a genealogist himself he has an excellent Team member who we later met in the National archives that went trough the records as far back as 1600 without her we could never have made the Trip possible.

We decided to go for the Platinum package which gave us the flexibility to have everything done for us which included Booking Flights trough Orlando with Aer Lingus this gave us a direct flight into Dublin where Sean awaited us at the Airport. We were taken to our breakfast meeting and our itinerary was given to us. We headed into Dublin City and met our Genealogist at the National Library. It was wonderful to see John Finnertys records which spanned many generations in Ireland.

We stayed at the Knightsbrook Hotel in Co Meath which would turn out to be a fantastic venue for our up coming two day trip in Co Meath.Over the next two days we visited a 5000 Year old World Heritage site at Newgrange. At Bru na Boinne , Newgrange the sun shines into the chamber once a year on the 21st of December .To stand in this Neolitic site and to know that this site was built so long ago was one of my best feelings on this trip as the guide switched off the lights and simulated the soltice by gradually increasing the light showing us exactly what happens on that day in December.

We saw many different heritage points including the Hill of Tara which was the seat of the Irish kings 3000 Years ago. We then traveled to the Town of Trim and saw Trim Castle the Largest Norman Castle in Ireland used in the Film Brave Heart. The Highlight of Trim was an Archeology dig that Sean organized for my daughter to take part in at the Black Friary 800 years Old.

Finnerty is a West of Ireland name and on our Fourth day we headed west of the Shannon staying at the wonderful Ashford Castle . My Family have long admired the film the Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O Hara many times my Husband had looked at this Film which reminded him so much of where is Heart lay in Ireland. Sean brought us all around the Connemara loop including Kylemore Abbey and Clifton the scenery was truly spectacular.

There were so many highlights on this trip but it was surpassed when we arrived at a little Town called Ballinrobe in Co Mayo and were able to see the small holding of land that the Finnerty Family once owned. Sean pointed out that the reason we could never find our Family in Ireland was solely to do with the fact that we did not understand the fact that Finnertys originated from the Towslands in Co Mayo and I had been looking at only the records after 1864. If I had checked the Griffits Valuation of 1854 I could have identified where Johns family Parish was. We did not find any Family there but there was a local election on at the time and it was fantastic to see an Election Poster up with the name Finnerty as it is such an unusual name in Ireland.

There was no feeling quite like standing at the Field where Johns ancestors had left all those years ago after the famine of 1847 to travel for a new life in the States. My daughter is interested in Archeology I laughed as she put a Small Connemara stone (and there were millions of them) in her purse to bring back as a keep sake.

On our second last night we returned to stay in the marvelous Ritz – Carlton Hotel our stay here was way too short as it is set in Wicklow with some of the most beautiful scenery imanable.We visited Glendalough founded by St Kevin in 600 AD. This monastery with its High Cross and Tower is in the Wicklow mountains and it gave me great solice to know that I could finish my Trip in Ireland having achieved mine and my Husbands life time ambition of Walking in the Footsteps of his family. I cannot thank Sean and his wife enough for their hospitality . We took the full package which included a Beautifully Painting of the Townslands of the Finnertys and a manuscript of the Family history detailing the Irish History going back to the Stone age period which goes trough the ages of Irish history up to the heritage of the Finnertys and includes their new lives in America.

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Customised Genealogy & Historical Tour

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser Oct 2024 By • Family TomBarron2013 New York City, NY2

Once in a lifetime experience

Oct 2024 • Family

We highly recommend My Ireland Heritage for anyone who wants to learn and be guided to their Irish “roots” and much, much more. Sean Quinn and Ian Darragh of My Ireland Family Heritage have deep knowledge or the areas we wanted to visit in Meath, Sligo and Kilkenny. While we knew about one side of the family history back to 1690, there was nothing known about the other that arrived in the US in the 1870s.

Ian, Sean, and Nicola did thorough research on our localities and locations from which our ancestors left for America in 1849 and later. In addition, Ian and Sean did separate day-long “recons” in advance of our time with them, seeking out local people and the specific properties with maps and whatever records still available. Their results were absolutely outstanding! In both our cases, they found and took us to our still-existing cottages and shops from the early 1820s.

It was so enjoyable to be with Ian for three days and for a special day with Sean. Whether it was the Newgrange World Heritage sites 5,500 years old , the Battle of the Boyne 1690 , or the local cemeteries and churches of our ancestors. Ian was especially attentive to my wife throughout the travels after she twisted her ankle in a rain-soaked old cemetery.

Throughout the process of trip preparation over months to giving us the final, wonderful books of Meath and Sligo, Aisling was highly professional and responsive with all the many details. The bound books she prepared are treasures! Thanks to all for truly exceptional experiences.

Newgrange World Unesco Site 5500 years old
Battle of the Boyne 1690 AD
Customised Historical Tours Trim Castle
Entrance stone at Newgrange

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Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser by Shelley L @ sjlively

Exceptional in every way!

Over the last few months of preparing for our trip, every single detail was meticulously attended, not only professionally, but helpfully, and in such a friendly manner, that I felt as if I knew Sean, Aisling and Ian before I even stepped off the plane.

The amount of work these wonderful people put into our personal history is mindboggling. My mother was an avid amateur genealogist, and had worked for decades to bring to light the trail our family took, but our resources are limited.

Sean knows exactly where to look, and was able to fill in so many gaps that had eluded us for generations. Some of the information he found, unbeknownst even to him, actually solidified the findings we had amassed over the years. Ours was a family in coal mining – I only found on our tour that they had originated from a mining area, and their arrival on the  border coincided exactly with the decline in the mining industry in County Wicklow.

I would have been overjoyed simply with the knowledge of why they left when they did, about 12 years before the famine. Breaking through our brick wall of great grandparents even farther back on the family tree was a dream come true, but to be able to set foot on not only the area they lived, and find that the house is still there was overwhelming. Seeing the family church and cemetery where our ancestors and extended family still rest is a truly moving experience.

The care taken by this company in each and every aspect of the journey cannot be overstated. Only about 2 weeks prior to my trip, Sean contacted me to let me know that he had also stumbled across some of my husband’s family name in the process and included them as well in his research. How often can anyone say that they not only got what they paid for, but more than they ever imagined? I can say that. They were even kind enough to answer a few follow-up questions after my return home, as I was so stunned on my tour with Ian that I didn’t think ask at the time.If you have the opportunity to make the trip to Ireland, contact My Ireland Family Heritage before you go.

If your family was there, Sean will go above and beyond to find them. Even without family, contact them anyway. Ian is a walking encyclopedia of history, and so fun to talk to. Aisling will make sure every “I” is dotted, and every “T” is crossed.  Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime, and the opportunity to pass on everything we have discovered to future generations

The Consultation at Hotel / Office or by Phone opens all doors
Genealogy gets you off the Beaten Track to see the Real Ireland

Unique to Every Address with My Ireland Family Research