One Million Letters – Here are 10 of Them

There are many special milestones in life that may mark birthdays, graduations, or other achievements and ceremonies of various kinds. In this Letter from Ireland, a very unique milestone is reached as the letter reaches a number of great significance.

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One Million Letters – Here are 10 of Them

We’re just back from a week in Dublin City – doing all the usual “touristy” things. However, we also got some great “behind the scenes”  perspective and interviews in places like Trinity Library, The Book of Kells, Kilmainham Jail, the new Epic diaspora centre and Glasnevin cemetery (a lot more entertaining than you might expect).

Have you been to any of these places?

So, we’re back now – well-worn – but plenty of stories to share at a later date. I’m having a nice cup of Lyons tea as I write, and I do hope you’ll have a cup of whatever you fancy as we start into today’s letter.

Has This Ever Happened To You?

Just yesterday, I was looking back over the Letters that we have sent out over the past three years – and something came to my attention. I realised that I missed a significant occasion last March. Has that every happened to you? You know, crossing a significant line – but being too busy to notice. I realise that I missed the occasion of our one-millionth Letter from Ireland going out.

I had to do a double take – about the third week of March – we reached the milestone of having sent out one million Letters from Ireland. And, at the moment, we are sending out one million each year.

Little did Carina, or myself, realise that we would ever reach this point. So, we would like to say a heartfelt and genuine thank you!

You see, every time we send out the Letter from Ireland – we get so many replies, questions and stories in return. These return letters provide us with wonderful stories and questions to answer – which are woven into future letters. So, you could say that all the Letters are a product of our shared community that we have built up over the past three years.

We thought it would be a great idea to celebrate this moment by sharing ten letters from the past three years. I chose them because they bring up themes we see in our correspondence again and again. The themes of Irish identity, personal ancestral stories, travelling to Ireland and the different peoples on the island of Ireland.

We do hope you enjoy them – and please do leave your comments and questions at the end of each!

Here are the chosen Ten Letters:

  1. Starting off with Irish identity, this letter asks if you see yourself as Irish? Click here to read the letter.
  2. Many of our readers are concerned with how their Irish “cousins” view them. Here is just one reader’s concern. Click here to read the letter.
  3. One of the things we were most surprised at when we started the letter, was just how many readers we had of Ulster-Scots descent. This letter gives one perspective on their story. Click here to read the letter.
  4. Many different creeds and peoples feature in Irish history – here is one such group and a surprising link with County Cork. Click here to read the letter.
  5. Individual stories show up many universal truths. Here are the stories of one ancient and one modern woman – and how they had to fight to be accepted in a man’s world. Click here to read the letter.
  6. Sometimes, a story seems just too fantastic to be true. Here is one such story – of a man who left a little town in West Cork one day to travel the world. And he did, but not in a manner you might expect. Click here to read the letter.
  7. I’m often asked questions about parishes and townlands in Ireland. In this case, one woman decided to name here children after her own local parish and local saints. One of them went on to become a Hollywood movie star and director. Click here to read the letter.
  8. Irish surnames fascinate us – especially our own surnames! These Irish surnames tell us about where we come from. Click here to read the letter.
  9. Have you been to Ireland? Maybe you’re planning a trip to Ireland? Here is the “recipe” we most often suggest when asked for travel advice. Click here to read the letter.
  10. When travelling to Ireland, the best thing you can often do is slow down and connect with the landscape and the locals. We show how this might be done in the company of one of our readers. Click here to read the letter.

We do hope you enjoyed that selection of Letters from Ireland from the past three years. Do you have a favourite of your own?

Thank you again for turning up each week, for asking your questions and sharing your stories – and the many, many kind words of encouragement and support. We look forward to many more years of letters to share together!

That’s it for this week. As always, do feel free to comment below if you would like share a story or the Irish surnames in your family.

Slán for now,

Mike and Carina.

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