MY IRISH HERITAGE

I have traveled throughout the world but, I have never been to Ireland.  This is really sad since I have such strong Irish roots. The history of Irish influence in America is long and varied and my family has been part of it FROM THE BEGINNING...

The first of my Irish ancestors to arrive in America were surnamed O’REILLY and arrived in Virginia in 1638. I know that this REILLY/O’REILLY family was of pure Irish blood because I can trace them back to Myles “The SLASHER” O’REILLY who died in battle at the Bridge of Finea.

I trace my CROW(E) ancestry back to the late 1600’s and early 1700's with a collection of CROW surnamed families who settled in Spartanburg, South Carolina. We know that the progenitor of this family was a Levi CROW who came from Ireland. However we don’t know if this Levi CROW was of actual Gaelic blood (the CROW/CROWE surname could originate with the Gaelic name, McENCHROE) or if his ancestry was from the “Old English” settlers in Ireland. However, many of the Old English settlers became “More Irish Than Irish” and many of them perished fighting for the cause of Irish freedom. My great-grandfather, born in Mississippi in 1857 is said to have been proud of his Irish blood and always wore green on St. Patrick’s Day.

I am one of the few Americans of Irish heritage whose ancestors had no connection with the Famine of the Mid-19^th Century.  The last of my Irish ancestors who came over to America arrived in late 1820’s to settle in South Texas as Mexican citizens on a Mexican land grant.  Mexico was trying to populate their Texas territory with Catholics to offset the Anglo settlers coming in from the U.S.. However, my Irish ancestors supported the cause of Texas Revolution and several died in support of that cause.

Other of my ancestors from Ireland were of Scots-Irish ancestry and were descended from Scottish patriots. One of the Scots ancestors was the standard bearer for William “Braveheart” Wallace and another was the shield bearer for David The Bruce who became King of Scotland. These ancestors bearing the surnames IRVINE, IRVIN, and ERWIN were not the Scots-Irish who were settled on the Ulster plantation during the 1600’s. Rather they were Scottish Catholics who fled from Scotland during the English Civil War and later during the Jacobite Rebellion in which they fought for "Bonnie Prince Charlie" who was a cousin. They took refuge in Ireland for several generations, intermarried with the local Irish and in the mid-1700’s seven IRVINE brothers, known as the “Seven Lads of Drum”arrived in Pennsylvania and spread out throughout the American South.

I am proud of my Irish heritage mixed with that of Scottish Patriots and will be proud to join the St. Patrick’s Celebration and Parade in San Diego, California, this Saturday. HAPPY SAINT PADDY'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE IRISH OR WISH THAT YOU WERE!