In this time of world strife, let us remember the open hearts and hospitality of our Irish ancestors, who had initially been treated as poorly as all non-WASP immigrants that arrived in America in the early centuries. Let us not forget that the Native and Indigenous tribes had populated the world continents before colonization against their will and their genocides, much as the Irish had been disenfranchised of their ancient ancestral homelands through the process of religious discrimination. Even in Waterbury, Connecticut, the topic of my 2015 publication, Waterbury Irish: From the Emerald Isle to the Brass City, the arrival of Italians and other nationalities had been historically met with discrimination, including by the Irish.
My childhood friend, Dave Manzo, contributed this important photograph to Waterbury Irish that represents an evolved time when the Irish and Italians got along so well that Irish-Italian marriages had become quite common. Dave’s dad, of Italian descent, is included in the photo riding in a horse-drawn coach full of his Irish friends at a Saint Patrick’s Day parade circa 1937. Not only could Mr. Manzo quickly list every county in Ireland, but his very best life-long friend was Irish — the owner of Waterbury’s former Wacki Grill.
As I concluded in Waterbury Irish, “Irishness remains in Waterbury like the currents that flow beneath its Green, blended through the blood streams of many generations. Waterbury’s heart beats strongly in a community that continues to change and rebuild itself from hopes, dreams and hard work. May the stories continue, the dreams be realized and people of every nationality thrive there.”
I still have paperback copies of the first edition of Waterbury Irish, should anyone wish to purchase one. You can contact me through my website (troll safely typed here — janetmaher dot com), or please leave a comment, all of which are first approved by me before they are posted here.
All good wishes on this day and always, with special prayers on behalf of those suffering persecution of all kinds in New Zealand, North America and throughout this endangered planet.
©2019 Janet Maher / Sinéad Ni Mheachair
Maher Matters 
Janet, Many thanks for your kind St. Paddy’s Greeting.
I write you from snowy, windy Upstate New York, in seach of some of my Maher kin out of County Kilkenny.
Do you have any dna kits on Gedmatch or Ancestry?
At this point, I’m trying to solidify my Maher ties out of New Haven, CT and would look forward to networking with you on this.
I’d be delighted to send you info re. our DNA kits and I’d also look forward to sharing my tree with you.
Many, many thanks,
Tim O’Connor
Many happy returns Janet, I hope all is well with you and Paul.
Pat & Mary
Enjoy the day, Pat & Mary. Hope to see you in a few months, will email. Taking students to Ireland w/my colleague! Cheers, Janet
Thank you Janet for a touching email, return Happy St Patrick’s Day 2019 to you and yours : My husband is recovering from cancer surgery and was this day given a pot of Clover Leaf and wishes of Irish luck. One is fortified by kindness.
Kind regards Mary Maher De Jager (Born Pretoria, South Africa)
daughter of Brian Kevin Maher – Pretoria, South Africa son of James Maher – born in tent on banks of Modder River, Kimberley diamond prospecting area – Cape Province Colony (South Africa) : son of John Maher born ?Carlow, County Carlow and Mary Brennan born Graigue, Carlow 25-12-1856
said Great-Grandfather John Maher lies in an unknown, ?unmarked grave, having travelled from Kimberley with the (Cecil John) Rhodes Pioneers (circa 1899) to prospect in Rhodesia intending to send for his family to join him. He was never heard from again : did the Boer War, maybe an assegai, injury, illness, malaria or even a snake bite or animal attack perhaps, get him – who is to know? The history is very interesting. This very day the people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique are suffering the after effects of a devastating cyclone, which will further impact the state of famine that exists in vast areas.
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Dear Mary, may your husband recover well from his surgery! All positive energy to him, to you, and to the people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Thank you for sharing your history and noting yet another instance of devastation, this one in regard to climate change. Humans created the next extinction on the rise yet seem unwilling to collectively address it. May it be possible to slow things down, or turn them around, in the next eleven years.
Tim, my DNA is with 23 and me. I have often wondered if I should go to Ancestry.com too. Have had good luck finding my Mom’s relations she was a Flynn. My Mahers left Ireland in the mid 1800’s, (don’t know if they were from Kilkenny) I remember hearing tales that they lived outside Cork. They settled in Newfoundland and several families still remain there. Mahers married Wades, Bolands and Martins mostly. We recognized each other at the airport. So many of our features are the same. Since today is St Patrick’s Day too here in the Hudson Valley region of NY I am wearing my great great grandmothers claddagh ring which was gifted to me when I visited St John’s and Flatrock recently. What a thrill. My only suggestion is to try searching on Canada, particularly Newfoundland and the other Maritime provinces. It was the first stop on sailing ships our of Waterford which was a very established trade route to/ from Waterford to St John’s. For many it was a stop over before they could get to NYC or Boston. And for most that took years.
Thank you for your post, Mary. (I’ve answered Tim privately.)
Janet, I got your email on still having copies of the Waterbury book, but I don’t see where to order it? Will you send me the link? Nancy in Houston
I wonder if I already have the book! I have had a lot of trauma in last few years and just haven’t read a book in forever. But I remember that I wanted this one.
Hello Nancy, I’m sorry to hear of troubles you’ve had and do hope that all the energies will shift positively from here! I was selling both books on Etsy, but don’t have that shop up anymore. You can send a check to me directly at P.O. Box 40211, Baltimore, MD, 21212. ($21.00 plus $2.00 shipping) Thank you very much! Let me know how you’d like me to inscribe it. Wishing you well, Janet
Nancy, I apologize that I missed your message!! Please email me at janet at janetmaher dot com and I can send you info about this. Thank you!
Congratulations! Your blog is included in INTERESTING BLOGS in FRIDAY FOSSICKING at
https://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2019/03/friday-fossicking-22nd-mar-2019.html
Thank you, Chris
So pleased to see you posting…
Hello, Chris! It’s been a long time! Thank you for including me in this. Coincidentally, my dear cousin has just been in your neck of the woods meeting cousins in person that she has been conversing with for quite a while. Very exciting for her! Can’t wait to hear all about it. All good wishes to you! – Janet
It sure has, Janet.. best wishes to you also. Hope your cousin had a great time.