Links to the Harshaw?Martin Diaries Web Site

Newry, Donaghmore, Loughbrickland & Banbridge Web Site

News

Publication of the Harshaw Martin Diaries & Book on the Newry & Surrounding Areas of Co. Down.

The Diaries

For all of you who have visited the James Harshaw and "Honest" John Martin web site at: http://www.theballards.net/Harshaw/Diaries/DiaryIntro.html you are well aware of the Harshaw/Martin Diaries. For those of you who haven't visited this site, I suggest it be a mandatory read for you. The Diaries cover in significant and great detail, the mid 1800's in Ireland, the problems of the times, and provides data on the individuals from the Donaghmore Parish areas as well as Newry, in Co. Down. To me, this has to be one of the best sources of information on this area of Co. Down and in fact one of the best recollections of Irish Families in all of Ireland that was ever recorded.

You may or may not also be aware of a book published by Rev. J. Cowan in 1912 titled "Donaghmore, An Ancient Irish Parish". This book has been considered for years as one of the best sources of information on Donaghmore and the surrounding areas. The problem is, that it is hard to find except in the major libraries. It is no longer being published and very rare to find in the market place. From what I have found in discussing the book with Marge Robie, is that Rev. Cowan came to the US and researched materials he used in the book from the original Harshaw and Martin Diaries.

Marge Harshaw Robie came into possession of the original diaries. This is all explained on the web site linked to above. She has also provided the diaries (I think the originals) to the PRONI offices in Belfast for their safe keeping and use. This is written about at the PRONI site at: http://proni.nics.gov.uk/records/private/harshaw.htm This was all done to return the diaries to Ireland from the US where they were found after many years of storage.

Well good news folks, Marge has indicated that these diaries are in the Publishers hands, but are held up awaiting the publisher to "go to press" with them. She hopes to have them available for sale soon. The proceeds of the Diaries will go to the Harshaw Martin Trail Fund.

The Book

Marge has also indicated that she has written a new book that will cover the Newry and Surrounding Areas of Co. Down, which will also be available as soon as the publisher fits it in the press schedule. It is expected that the book will be a feature of the celebrations.

As part of Marge's research she has read the Newry Telegraph which was the major Newry paper and one that James Harshaw and most of the local farmers read. In that newspaper there were lots of items on Donaghmore that are of interest.

The book, which will be a narrative history of the Newry, Donaghmore and Surrounding areas, from the year 1845 to 1862. It uses information from the Diaries, John Martin's writings, information from the Newry Telegraph and other newspapers from the area that James read, and editorials from the editor of the Telegraph who was a staunch supporter of the union and the Orange Order. At the beginning of the book, the editor was a friend of John Martin's and acquaintance of James's. By the end of the book, feelings had become so polarized that a mans character came to be determined by whether or not he supported his appropriate group in their intolerance. James and John clearly didn't, and as people of some influence, they had to be defined as bad people. James was attacked by members of his own church!!!.

This to me will become a must have item in my collection of Irish history and will aid me a great deal in reconstructing the families past in Ireland. It may well exceed the J. Cowan book in becoming "the" book on family search in the Newry and Donaghmore areas of Co. Down.

To say that I am excited in having the opportunity to obtain this kind of documentation on my particular area of genealogy interest in Co. Down, is an understatement! Marge, please put me on the top of the list for both publications! As it happens, many of the Harshaw and Martin Families share family members of mine, so my interest is obviously very high.

Norm Ruddock

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