The chippings and the station where my mother left for America

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July 20, 2012 Friday

I got up very early as I am still on Texas time so when I get up at 5AM it is actually 11AM according to my biological clock. I invested the time on various projects on my computer and taking some pictures.

The cousins had bought a bag of chippings to put on their parents and our Grandparents graves. One bag proved not to be enough and they had to go get another for the job. I asked to be allowed to pay for one of the bags but they wouldn’t let me. I felt the chippings and was surprised with just how heavy they were. They felt like what they were…a ton of rocks.

While my cousins went to the cemetery to work on the graves I walked to the train station for Ballinasloe because I wanted to take some pictures of the station where Mom and my oldest brother left from Ballinasloe to go to Texas. Along the way I stopped at a café to have a BLT and a pot of tea. The tea in Ireland is soooooo good. I don’t know if it is the water or the tea bags but it is good here.

Everyone had told me it was only a mile walk to the station so I walked but it must have been an Irish mile which is quite a bit longer than a Texas mile……another one of those famous Irish 10 minute walks you hear about. I finally came to a sign for a train crossing so I knew I was getting close.

Finally I got to the station. Mom told me that a neighbor and her husband gave her a ride to the station so that was good. From Ballinasloe she went to Dublin and then to Belfast in the North where where she caught the ship the SS James Parker which had been converted to bring war brides from Europe to the US.

The stationmaster told me that this walkway over the tracks was in the movie “The Quiet Man”.

After exploring the station a bit more I called a cab to take me back into town and to the grocery store. When I visit someone I believe in bringing something to the table. I got a few things and then called the cab again to take me to the cousin’s house. It cost me €5 each time I took the cab. When I questioned the cab driver about the same cost for a much shorter trip he told me that it was a flat rate for in town.

Everyone told me my cousin had a bicycle I could borrow so I resolved to see about borrowing it for a few days.

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Photos

The station platform
This is the station and platform from which my mother left for America with my oldest brother in her arms to meet my Father whow was already back in Texas following the demobilization after WW II

The crosover the track used in the Quiet Man
The stationmaster told me this crossover was used in the movie "The Quiet Man".

1851
The station was built in 1851

The chippings
Chippings for adding to our Grandparents grave in Ballinasloe

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Fantastic checking down family history
I'm glad you took pictures of the train station.

[Sojourner1208]

The station in Ballinasloe
It has such a special significence to me as it is from that very platform that my mother left from Ireland to America in April 1946.