I am often amazed by coincidences. For instance, I can’t tell you how many times I have been reading with a radio or television on in the background and have read a word at the same time it was said on the radio or TV. I imagine this happens to everyone at some time or another, but it never ceases to amaze me. Is it an indication of some sort of metaphysical phenomenon? I seriously doubt it; it’s just good old coincidence; along the lines of the Infinite Monkey Theorem.
I had not done much genealogical research before our trip, other than finding Meath Street upon which, according to family lore, some distant relative had lived
For my sixtieth birthday, my wife gave me a trip to Ireland. We spent the first week of March 2020 on the Emerald Isle and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. None of the memories have been tainted by the Pandemic, as we just missed it by mere days. During our week there, we visited many sights and many more pubs. My ancestors on my maternal Grandmother’s side were Irish, although, like many in the 1800s they hopped over to England.
I had not done much genealogical research before our trip, other than finding Meath Street upon which, according to family lore, some distant relative had lived. However, once we returned I had been bitten by the research bug and did some digging. One of the bits of information that I found was about my Great Grandfather’s baptism.
According to parish records, my maternal Great Grandfather, Matthew Deegan was born and baptised in Dublin, Ireland, in 1854. In fact, I was able to discover that the ceremony took place on September 21,1854 at the parish of St. Michael and St. John.
Doing a little more research I was able to determine that this parish, known as S.S. Michael & John, was deconsecrated due to falling numbers of parishioners in 1989. The building is now home to the Smock Alley Theatre (Amharclann Scabhat Smock).
While strolling about Dublin on Monday, March 1, 2020, my wife and I came upon this sculpture of a Viking Ship. Being a good tourist, I took the opportunity to have my photo taken with the artwork. It was only when I returned to Montreal and picked up my research that I realized that the building over my left shoulder in the photo is, in fact, the one-time S.S. Michael & John in which my Great grandfather was baptised some 166 years prior. Talk about a coincidence!
DCMontreal 