Mar 28, 2017

Grange, County Limerick, Ireland

Having been chairperson of the book committee and a participant in the editing process, reading and re-reading all of the articles was never a chore. Each article was captivating to an extent that having to read the emerging book over and over again was delightful. I still pick up the book, more than a year after its publication, and I find myself reading articles again and again, and with the photos I find myself 'lost in the past', transported back to times long ago. It was a pleasure to be involved in the book project and an honour to have worked with one of the best committees I have ever worked with. Our book is a time capsule of village life, past and present, in Grange, a village forever memorialised in this amazing book.

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Miriam

Jan 29, 2017

New York, U.S.A.

The book "GRANGE  Past & Present" is a holiday!  The book arrived in time for Christmas [2015] and was the best present ever.   It is both emotional and touching for our family, reading the stories of the People of Grange as Grange & Bruff is the homeplace of our family.  After Christmas, the book traveled around the U.S. to the Purcell families and is still making the rounds. It is very much enjoyed by all Purcell family in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Belgium, Australia, and Ireland.

After reading the book and continuing to re-visit the book....we are wanting for more! The book will serve as our map on our return visit to Grange.  It is just that good! It is so meaningful for us. It is really going to help us with further family research.

The book is exceptional in every way from cover to cover.  Our family appreciates the hard work and dedication by all who made this book possible.  What a sacrifice of time, commitment,  and a true labor of love. The outcome is a remarkable book with something for everyone.  It will be treasured always for a long long time to come, and I really mean it.  

Dianne McGuinness and Family

Feb 04, 2016

School or Irish, Celtic, Folklore & Ling, Newman Building, Belfield, Dublin

Note Received by Tommy Hourigan

I wanted to let you know that I received my copy of the Grange book after the Christmas [2015], and I can only offer my warmest congratulations on a wonderful publication. I am delighted and honoured to be included in the book, even in a small way, and I'm sure it will meet with all the success it so richly deserves. Great credit is due to yourself and everyone on the organising committee - I know only too well how much time and work it takes to produce even the smallest brochure, not to mention a volume of this size. The book will stand as a permanent tribute to Grange and its people, and you must be enormously proud of your achievement. What a pity that every town and village in the country doesn't have a similar publication.

With warmest congratulations and thanks again,

Bairbre

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http://www.ucd.ie/research/people/irishcelticstudiesfolklore/drbairbrenifhloinn/

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Feb 09, 2017

Mungret, Limerick, Ireland

I was coming out of Sunday Mass in Mungret a few weeks ago when a neighbour of mine whispered to me: "I never knew the Bulfins came from Offaly". I asked him where he heard that, and he replied that he had read it in the Grange Book which he had borrowed from the library. He told me he was really enjoying the read, and I agreed with him that it was a 'gem' of a book. 

So, what is it about the book that has captured my imagination? For me, the answer is simple, it ignited my 'senses'.

I can vividly see my Uncle George as he takes up his customary position on the Bridge on the River Camogue, waving enthusiastically at everyone. And the pride on my Uncle Tommy's face, looking at his drills of flowering potatoes, as 'straight as a die' in the haggard.

I can smell the new-mown hay in the Corcass and Aunty Breda's delicious brown bread, washed down by sugar- sweetened tea - kept piping hot in a glass cidona bottle by a chunky woolen sock.

I can hear the sound of hammer on anvil as Jim Madden plays his concerto in his forge, over the road. Or the banter coming home at night from Bruff in Uncle Tommy's car - between him, Joe Casey, Donie O'Dwyer and John Harty - with sliotars flying in every direction!

I can taste our own ice-cold milk from the fridge, and I hear the laughter at the creamy moustache left by the two inches of cream at the top of the bottle.

I can feel the touch of the newborn bonham, with its 'smooth as silk' back and its little pink nose, cold to the touch.

As I read The Grange Book, it brought me back to my happy childhood. It made me laugh a lot and at times shed a few tears. Thanks for the wonderful memories. I  treasure the book, it's a credit to everyone involved.

John

Feb 17, 2017

Grange, Co Limerick, Ireland, and Qatar

I purchased a number of copies of the book for friends and family and sent them far and wide to locations including London, Ontario, Melbourne and to many locations in Ireland. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and complimentary. My personal favourite is Pa O'Connell's account of the electrification of the Grange and surrounding neighbourhoods in 1950s. The idea that the light for the Sacred Heart statue was as big a consideration as an actual plug socket or kitchen light fitting brought a smile to my face. And the idea that the new electric illumination made visible hitherto unseen dust and dirt within households is also a very amusing thought in the more modern age. All in all, a great account and a smile-inducing read of a bygone age. Stories of local families and historical events are also of great interest.

Mike Barry

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https://michealdebarra.com/

Feb 09, 2017

Raheen, Limerick, Ireland

Of course, I am biased! After all, I was a member of the book committee and co-editor with that wonderful Grange-woman, Mary Kate Gallagher.

I am proud to have been a member of a tremendously motivated and talented team of project women and men who made our book a reality. It gives me immense pleasure to have my own writing in the book surrounded by around eighty articles, so lovingly and exactingly penned by as many authors.

In truth, the book could have been as large again - many accounts of families, personalities and events did not make it to the printers - what a pity! That is why this Grange Parish Website is so important - not only is it the means to bring our book to a wider audience worldwide, it presents the opportunity to publish the stories that didn't make it to the book - they simply weren't articulated and recorded in time.

The book is precious to me, principally because Grange is important to me. Grange runs in my veins and it is seldom too far from my mind. It is where I grew up, went to school and made friends - it provided me with a sense of belonging for life, and now that I am in retirement, I have more time to return there at every opportunity.

I owe so much to Grange. It provided a marvellous environment in which to grow up - magnificent landscapes and waterscapes, a rich history and 'salt of the earth' people in a close-knit community. How fortunate I was to have lived in Grange for those all-important formative years of my life. How equally fortunate I am now to be able to return there on a whim.

My involvement in the book production was in no small way an opportunity to say 'Thank You Grange' and to assist in providing a lasting printed account for the generations to come.

Finally, I should say that apart from the pleasure that I obtained from being a member of the production team, and the awe that I experienced when I first laid eyes on the newly printed book in November 2015, one of the most rewarding aspects for me was discovering how little I actually knew about my place, Grange, and being able to redress that deficit during the project. I now know so much more about Grange, past and present, that I would never have learned, were it not for the book. 

Thank You Grange, and may your star continue to rise.

Tommy H.

Feb 16, 2017

Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia

I was invited to talk to the students at my daughter's school about life as an emigrant in Australia. I decided  to bring along the Grange book so the kids could learn something about my life in Ireland before I left. I showed them the article about my father, Tony, which included a photo of my daughter, Caitlin, with a trophy that one of our greyhounds had won. As I passed the book around one of the kids saw the photo and exclaimed 'Wow, it's Caitlin, is she famous in Ireland?' 

I replied 'yes she is'.

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Ger

Mar 28, 2017

Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland

I would actually like to take the time to thank you for writing the book about Grange, past and present. I was very pleasantly surprised with the level of detail about the area and the history that you had in the book. I spent many happy days and hours reading and studying the book and was impressed to say the least. The standard of writing was second to none and the photo collections were entertaining, nostalgic and informative. Thank you for filling a niche at an affordable price. Your book was just what I was looking for: a great insight to the past and present of an Irish Country Village. I look forward to picking up the book in the future and reading and pondering over the vast array of articles and photos.

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Joan