In Winter 2010 -11, Eneclann provided historical consultancy for the Oscar nominated film, Albert Nobbs, starring Glenn Close. Our brief was to establish a historical context for the film, set in Dublin in 1898. Working directly with director Rodrigo Garcia and producer Julie Lynn, we provided detailed commentary on a wide range of topics, to ensure that the depiction of fin de siècle Dublin society was as accurate as possible.

A dedicated Eneclann team of Fiona Fitzsimons and Helen Moss researched a myriad of topics, from contemporary manners and speech idioms; foods, wines and consumables found in a luxury hotel; street-vendors and tradesmen; Street and interior lighting, the Dublin sewage system and the spread of contagious diseases. We also drew on the encyclopaedic knowledge of the late Dr. Stephen Sensbach for music, fashionable songs, dances and orchestras.

“It has been incredibly important to us to authentically capture the world of 1898 Dublin in our visual, spoken, and societal portrayals.  Without Fiona, I’m quite sure we would have missed the mark many times.  While we do, of course, take ‘movie license’ on several points, we are quite certain that she has guided us sure-handedly.

Fiona was invaluable to us in the preparation and filming of ‘Albert Nobbs.’  Her research skills are impeccable, the depth of her knowledge extraordinary, her responses always timely and focused.”

Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures, executive producer on Albert Nobbs.

Albert Nobbs is being released in Irish cinemas soon. Find out more at the Albert Nobbs official website.

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Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. In this issue: Ten Greatest Irish Lovers Who Do You Think You Are? Live Shopping and Technology Survey Focus: County Louth Eneclann Home Browse our Shop Family History Research House Histories Heritage Archives Records Management Digitisation Digital Publications     Dear Eneclann customer, Ten Greatest Irish Lovers� To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Eneclann has compiled its list of the ten greatest Irish lovers throughout history.� Read more Let us know your thoughts on the Eneclann Facebookwall and tell us if you agree with our list!   Eneclann at…Who Do You Think You Are? Just a reminder that Eneclann will be at stand 713 at this year’s Who Do You Think You Are? Live. The show is running in the London Olympia from friday 24th to Sunday 26th February.  We’ll have all titles at the show discounted as well as on-the-spot prizes.  In addition Brian Donovan of Eneclann will be giving a paper on ‘British and Irish records: the differences’.  This will take place on Saturday afternoon.� Further information on Brian’s talk   Shopping and Technology Survey Here at Eneclann we’re always trying to find the best way to bring our titles to you.  As part of that endeavour we’re currently running a survey on our shop and what technology you use.  The survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete if you want to give us your opinion.   County Focus: Louth This newsletter we turn our attentions to the titles we have for County Louth, the smallest Irish county. We have two Louth specific directories: Bassett’s Louth Guide and Directory 1886 and Tempest’s Jubilee Annual for 1909.� The latter lists over 2,000 people as well as giving biographies of 124 prominent people from Dundalk and surrounding areas. County Louth is also included in the 1846, 1870, 1881� and 1894 editions of� Slater’s directory, Leinster and Dublin as well as in Pigot’s commercial directory of 1824, Leinster section. You can find more on County Louth records held in the excellent Counties in Time publication which showcases the records held in the National Archives of Ireland. View the full range of County Louth titles   ————————————————— Best wishes, The Eneclann Team

The original star-crossed lovers.  Iseult was an Irish princess, betrothed at birth to the already aged King Mark of Cornwall.  Once Iseult reached marriageable age (14 years in old Irish society) Mark sent his nephew Tristan to Ireland to bring her to him. She fell in love with the young man, and persuaded Tristan to set aside family duty and allegiance to his king, to elope with her.  They escaped across Ireland, taking refuge in mountains and forests, pursued by an enraged King Mark.  Ultimately Mark had his revenge, and killed Tristan with a poisoned lance.  In despair, Iseult killed herself over her dead lover’s body.

The love-triangle of Iseult, Tristan and King Mark, has inspired artists for a millennium.  Mallory based his tale of Queen Guinevere, wife of King Arthur, who loved Sir Lancelot on this story, and Wagner wrote an opera “Tristan and Isolde.”

The Dublin village of Chapelizod (seípeal Iseult) is said to take its name from Iseult’s burial place.

Oisín and Niamh

Oisín, a young hero of the Fianna, gave up everything – his family, friends and country – to be the lover of Niamh “of the golden hair.”  He went with her to the land of Tír na nÓg, the land of perpetual youth in the western seas (the Atlantic).  For three years they lived happily, until Oisín overcome by home-sickness, decided to visit Ireland.  Niamh, a daughter of the sea-god, lent him her horse that could travel over the waves, but warned him on pain of death not to dismount and set foot on Irish soil.

What Oisín didn’t realise was that three years in Tír na nÓg were the equivalent of 300 years in real time.  When he arrived in Ireland Oisín found his family and friends long dead, and his father’s house in ruins.  In sorrow he turned his horse back towards the sea, but stopped to help some men clearing stones from a field.  He leaned from the saddle to scoop up a boulder, and fell to the ground as his stirrup broke.  The young hero aged 300 years in an instant.  As an old man Oisín could no longer return to Tír na nÓg, and so he lost the woman that he had given up everything for.

Strongbow and Aoife

In August 1170 Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, popularly known as ‘Strongbow’ married Aoife, daughter of Dermot MacMurrough king of Leinster.

MacMurrough had invited in Strongbow and his men to try and reconquer his lost kingdom of Leinster.  As part of the deal, MacMurrough agreed to let Strongbow marry his daughter Aoife, so that Strongbow became his heir, and was next in line to inherit Leinster through marriage.

As such it wasn’t a love match, but sealed a political and military alliance that was to change the course of Irish history.
The army of Anglo-Norman mercenaries quickly realised that Ireland was theirs for the taking, and the events that followed became known to us as the Anglo-Norman invasion.

John Sely, Bishop of Down and Lettice Thomas

A lesser known story, but remarkable nonetheless. John Sely, the Bishop of Down, was threatened with excommunication in 1434 by Archbishop Swain if he did not cast off his mistress, a married woman by the name of Lettice Thomas. Sely had been publicly living in his castle at Kilclief, County Down with Thomas and despite the promise of excommunication, continued to do so for a further seven years. In 1441 the archbishop finally managed to remove Sely from his position. Nothing is known of what happened to Sely and Thomas afterwards.

Daniel O’Connell and the Women of Ireland

Daniel O’Connell married for love against the wishes of his rich uncle, who wanted him to make a marriage alliance based on wealth and social status.  This rich uncle held the purse-strings, and had raised Daniel as his heir.  He subsequently withheld part of the inheritance because of the marriage.  O’Connell and his wife kept a strong bond for the rest of their lives, but throughout his political career there were continuous rumours of O’Connell’s infidelities.  Some historians have ascribed this to the fact that traditionally in Ireland, virility was understood as the mark of a heroic man, so that O’Connell’s supporters were simply lionising him.  A more recent biography found that while there was a lot of evidence about O’Connell’s adultery, it was inconclusive.

A popular ballad summed up Daniel O’Connell’s reputation as the father of a slew of illegitimate children.  The song takes the form of a discussion between an old woman and a tinker who meet on the side of the road:

It’s that damnable rogue of a Daniel O’Connell,
He’s now making children in Dublin by steam.”

“Oh, children, aroo,” replied the old woman.
“ainm an diabhal! [by the devil!], is he crazy at last?
Is there sign of a war or a sudden rebellion
Or what is the reason he wants them so fast?”

Charles Stewart Parnell and Kitty O’Shea

Charles Stewart Parnell first met Katherine O’Shea, wife of his fellow Irish MP, Captain William O’Shea at a political dinner in July 1880.  Recent research by Paul Bew has suggested that Katherine at first flirted with Parnell with her husband’s connivance, in an attempt to try and further O’Shea’s career.  However, Parnell was serious in his pursuit, and Charles and Kitty fell in love.  They had three children, the first of whom was born while Charles was still imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol.  In response O’Shea challenged Parnell to a duel, then in 1889 petitioned for divorce naming Parnell as co-respondent.  Parnell, eager to marry Kitty did not contest the divorce, although it contravened Victorian notions of respectability.  Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, refused to accept Parnell as leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, which led to a split in the party and to Parnell’s political demise.

In June 1891 Charles Parnell married Kitty O’Shea at a Brighton registry office.  The strain of the previous years affected his health, and less than four months later he suffered a heart attack and died in his wife’s arms.

Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan

Michael Collins met Kitty Kiernan in May 1917 at her family’s hotel, the Greville Arms Hotel in Granard, Co. Longford.  Collins initially fell for an older Kiernan sister, Helen, but on learning she was engaged turned his attentions to Kitty.  A love triangle between Collins, Kiernan and Harry Boland developed.  The couple wrote frequent letters to each other – over three hundred between late 1921 and his death in August 1922.  The couple became engaged and a wedding date was set for November 1922.  It was not to be.  Michael Collins was assassinated on August 22 1922 and Kitty was left heartbroken.

James Joyce and Nora Barnacle

Not many couples can claim that the anniversary of their first date is celebrated all over the world.  James Joyce first met Nora Barnacle on 10 June 1904 while she was working as a waitress in Finn’s Hotel in Dublin, but they did not ‘step out’ together until 16 June 1904, the date later chosen by Joyce for the action of his novel Ulysses, now celebrated as Bloomsday.

Joyce and Nora eloped to Europe later in 1904, but didn’t marry until 1931.  On the day before their marriage in London, Joyce joked that to confuse the newshounds “the bride would be dressed as a lifeguard while the groom would wear green satin and a white veil and carry an orange umbrella.”

Hilton Edwards and Micheal Mac Liammoir

Dublin’s first openly gay couple, who founded the Gate Theatre in Dublin in 1928.  Their personal and theatrical partnership continued for more than 30 years, and they helped both the young Orson Welles and James Mason at the start of their acting careers.  Edwards and MacLiammoir were known to friend and foe alike as ‘sodom and begorrah’.

Your Ancestor?

Sometimes the most romantic stories can be found within our own family history – do your ancestors deserve a place in the top ten? Let us know your story.

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Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. In this issue: Research Q&A Who Do You Think You Are? Live Co. Sligo Registers Project Eneclann Home Browse our Shop Family History Research House Histories Heritage Archives Records Management Digitisation Digital Publications Dear Eneclann customer, Research Q&A This newsletter Fiona Fitzsimons, Research Director at Eneclann answers Sheila Shanley’s question. Hello Fiona – trying to find information on my great-grandfather, Christopher Leonard, born Meath 1863 – worked as a Wagon Fitter for Irish Railway, probably at Broadstone, Dublin – he is mentioned in 1911 Irish Census. Cannot get any trace in 1901 Census. I tried a couple of letters enclosing S.A.E to Irish Railway Association, plus e-mails, and didn’t get any reply. Would like to know more of him and his family – any advice greatly appreciated.  If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask Fiona, post it on our Facebook page or send it to us at marketing@eneclann.ie   Eneclann at…Who Do You Think You Are? Eneclann will be at stand 713 at this year’s Who Do You Think You Are? Live, the biggest family history show in the world.  This year’s show is running from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th February 2012 in the Olympia, London.  As usual, we will be offering special discounts and competitions at the show – further details will be announced in the next newsletter. In the meantime, take a look at the show’s website   Featured Project: Parish Registers Project This edition we look at the digitisation of parish registers Eneclann undertook for www.irishgenealogy.ie Find out more   County Focus: Sligo If you are trying to find ancestors in Sligo in the late 19th century, but have hit a brick wall, you might be interested in two of our rarer publications. ‘The Sligo Chronicle’ Almanac and Directory for 1878 contains a complete business directory for Sligo for the year 1878 as well as fantastic background information to add some context to your family history. The Sligo Independent newspaper County directory, almanac and guide from 1889  is one of the only county directories for the west of Ireland.  It includes a street and business directory for the borough of Sligo as well as information on each town in the county. You may also find Ward and Lock’s Pictorial Guide to Connemara� which provides information on counties Galway, Mayo and Sligo for tourists interesting. Sligo is also covered in our range of Slater’s Commercial Directory of Ireland, Connaught section, view these titles and more   ————————————————— Best wishes, The Eneclann Team

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Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. In this issue: New Publications Business Expansion Scheme National Flood Hazard Mapping Project Co. Down Last Order Dates for Christmas Eneclann Home Browse our Shop Family History Research House Histories Heritage Archives Records Management Digitisation Digital Publications     Dear Eneclann customer, New Publications Parish RegistryThe Irish Tourist Association,see Ireland First Galway and Mayo, circa 1930′s Published by the Irish Tourist Association as part of the See Ireland First Series, Galway and Mayo is a small but extremely pretty publication … More info Donough Bryan, Gerald Fitzgerald, The Great Earl of Kildare, (1456-1513), 1933 This biography of The “Great Earl”, Gerald, 8th earl of Kildare by Donough Bryan is an important landmark in the scholarship of late mediaeval Ireland … More info . Find out more information at the Eneclann shop Parish Registry Society of Dublin, The Register of St.,  Catherine, Dublin, 1636-1715, 1908 � There are 300 pages in this publication covering the registers of St. Catherine’s from 1636 to 1715. Located in the Liberties, this parish catered for the artisan community of Dublin…More info Find out more information at the Eneclann shop John Roby, Traditions of Lancashire, Volume II, 1930 Originally published in 1831, this second series prove to be an excellent companion to the first series, containing another eighteen stories, again accompanied by engravings … More info Find out more information at the Eneclann shop The First and Second Reports of The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, 1870 & 1871, The first two reports by the HMC cover 520 pages, and covers dozens of private archives throughout Britain and Ireland … More info Find out more information at the Eneclann shop Kelly’s Directory of Essex, 1989. Spread over 745 pages this publication is a treasure trove of information for Essex in the late Nineteenth Century. This directory includes every parish, town, village and township … More info   Find out more information at the Eneclann shop John Guthrie Smith, Strathendrick and it’s Inhabitants from Early Times, 1896 Spread over 450 pages this is an enormously detailed history of Strathendrick, its lands and its families. Including images, a large map and the family trees, this publication is a must for anyone with an interest in Strathendrick … More info Find out more information at the Eneclann shop All new publications ordered before Christmas will be dispatched but depending on your location we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.� Take a look at our last order dates to be sure! � Invest in our Business Expansion Scheme Are you an Irish Taxpayer seeking tax relief for 2011?  Investing in a Business Expansion Scheme (BES) is one way to reduce your tax liability.  Eneclann are running a unique BES this year that focuses on our Irish heritage.’� Find out more information on the Eneclann BES   National Flood Hazard Mapping Project Each newsletter we showcase some of the work our team has been involved in. In this edition we introduce the national flood hazard mapping project. Interested? Read on…   County Focus Down This month our focus is on Co. Down, which is located in the Province of Ulster. Take a look at our Co. Down Page for information on all our publications relating to this county   Last Order Dates for Christmas � The last order dates to ensure the arrival of your order for Christmas are as follows: Republic of Ireland  – 12 December � Christmas Gift Guide With the holiday season here why not take a look at our unique Irish genealogy starter packs ideal for those with an interest in researching their family tree.   ————————————————— Best wishes, The Eneclann Team