Smithing Ireland, a preface

“Smithing Ireland” will attempt to recount daily highlights of the Smith Cousins Tour of Ireland, 2013—an adventure that has its roots in extreme southwestern Ireland 152 years ago—even before Bill was born.   It was in 1861 that 20 year-old Patrick Sullivan and his widowed mother boarded a ship and sailed from famine ravaged Ireland to America.  He supported himself and his mother as best he could in New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois for eleven years, and then at 31 he returned to his boyhood home in County Kerry, married Margaret McDonnell (a.k.a. McDonald), and brought her back to America where they established a family.    
Thanks largely to organizing efforts by Patrick’s great grandson Bill Brass—seen here with his wife Jan in front of their backyard water feature near in North Little Rock, AR--fifteen cousins in the fourth generation of that family in America are returning to Ireland to get a sense of whence they came—or maybe they’re going just to see the sites an sip a wee cup o’ Irish coffee.   (Perhaps you’re thinking that might be a pint of Murphy’s Stout?  Or a shot of Jameson?  Remember, Aunt Mary will be looking down on the lot of us.) 
The point of blogging the trip is so that our relatives and friends who opted out of the adventure might enjoy it vicariously with no danger of drinking too many pints of Guinness with us.     And when we get home, those on the trip who—like me—can’t remember why they went into the kitchen can look at the archived entries to see what they did on the tour.
One word of caution.  Use your discretion about giving young grandchildren this blog address, as there are bound to be some among us who misbehave.  They’ll be easy to spot—they’re the ones having the most fun.  What’s the old expression?  “What happens in Sneem stays in Sneem.” 
Stay tuned to this station for the exciting adventures of The Smith Cousins Ireland Tour, 2013.