Meeting the ancestors
GRAND TOUR
Ireland
BENIMAR
Benivan 122
DURATION
7 days
WHEN
Autumn
Lush landscapes, fascinating history and a chance to discover family connections
Like many people in the UK, my family tree is firmly rooted in the green hills of Ireland. Unlike some, though, many members of my family have more than a passing interest in genealogy.
Thanks to a distant cousin, my dad’s side of the family has been traced as far back as the 16th century and linked to several others in County Wexford – the Gifford, Glascott, Elmes and Brownrigg families, to name but a few.
There’s even been a book published about the family connections, An Irish Lineage. Co-author Rosemary Gifford regularly organises clan gatherings to bring the extended family together; what better reason for a trip to Ireland?
Unfortunately, at a late stage in our preparations, we heard that this year’s gathering had been cancelled. But my parents and I weren’t ready to change our plans: there were too many places we wanted to explore in the area.
Over the water
Colleague Claudia was also intrigued, so we packed up our motorhome – a Benivan 122 on loan from Marquis’s Surrey branch – and hot-footed it to Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, to catch the Stena Line ferry to Rosslare.
This was an overnight crossing and we rolled off the ferry in darkness, at 4am. Driving through the countryside across to Duncannon, where we planned to pitch up for the week, felt almost otherworldly as the sky lightened
