Earler this year, with the help of Ireland Reaching Out, Linda Doughty from Maine, USA connected with her Irish cousins for the very first time. Here she tells the remarkable story of her Great-Grandmother Maggie Costello May and her epic journey from Inverin on the west coast of Ireland to New Gloucester in Maine. We hope Linda's connection story will inspire others to uncover their Irish family histories and re-engage with the community of their ancestors today.
Picture above: Maggie May left Inverin in the latter half of the 19th century, in the wake of the great famine. She married and made her home in New Gloucester, Maine, USA, where she raised a family who are now connecting back to the place of Maggie's origins on the west coast of Galway.
Hello to all my Costello cousins! 
This is me. Great grand-daughter of Maggie Costello May, who was the daughter of Martin and Mary Folan Costello. She was born in Ireland in 1863 and was the sister of Martin, John, Mary, and Nora (Honour). Maggie and Nora left their home in Cornarone and settled in Maine, never to see their family in Ireland again. Maggie kept in touch by mail with her sister Mary, who was married to Stephen Folan in Cornarone Middle.
Sadly, the subsequent generations lost touch with the family in Ireland. My 86 year old mother has always kept the memory and spirit of her beloved grandmother alive for us. Ever since I was a child I have craved more knowledge about my great grandmother, my ancestors, and their beautiful homeland. I visited Ireland as a young girl, and was fortunate to be able to bring my own daughter there this past summer.
Above pictures: On the left is Inverin Post Office today, situated in the heart of the village. On the right is the oldest of the previous Post Offices that we located. It was possibly here that Mary collected the post from her sister Maggie in the States.
As a little girl, I was blessed to be so close to my dear great "Auntie" Margaret, daughter of Maggie. Many years ago she gave me the key that would one day unlock the door to the world of my faraway, unknown cousins in Ireland. She had written on a slip of paper the simple address: Mary Folan, Cornarone Middle, Inverin Post Office, County Galway, Ireland. This was the address to which Maggie would write, sometimes sending gifts for Mary's children. My Auntie gave me that address in 1979, and I have kept it in my memory ever since, perhaps realizing in the back of my mind that it would be the most important piece of information that would get me to my family.
Above pictures: On the left, Inverin is situated on the west coast of Ireland, with views across Galway bay to the Burren mountains and the Aran Islands. The landscape is very similar today to what it would have been like when Maggie Costello left in 1890. Pictured on the right is a field in Maine, just down the road from where Maggie lived the last decade of her life, helping her son and daughter in law raise their family during the Great Depression.
So, dear cousins, I searched for you when I visited this summer. Unfortunately, my stay in Ireland was not long enough to be able to find you. When I got home I posted a message on the Facebook page of Ireland Reaching Out, asking for help in locating my Costello and Folan cousins. It didn't take long for a lovely Irish woman named Mairead to recognize that I was related to a friend of hers! My post was re-posted on Neansai Ni Choisdealbha's page, and soon I received a message from her. We compared a few notes and before I knew it, I realized I was having a conversation with my very own third cousin, descended from the brother that my great grandmother had said goodbye to well over one hundred years ago. One of my dearest wishes had come true.
Above pictures: Inverin Cemetery is perched right on the Atlantic Ocean and there are many Costello and Folan names to be found there. Both names feature strongly in the area and no doubt, many of them have relations around the world that they have never met. The picture on the right shows the family headstone of Maggie May Costello in Maine and where she was laid to rest alongside her husband Melvin, son Chester and his wife Adeline... 2,700 miles away from Ireland.
After almost forty years of searching and yearning for a connection, of reaching out to Ireland, Ireland Reached Out to me and gave me cousins that I am now having the joy of getting to know! I would love to hear from all of you, Costellos and Folans.
With love,
Your American cousin, Linda
Click 'play' to see Linda's third cousin Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha play a set of reels on the flute with the accompaniment of Oisín Morrison on harp.
If you are interested in finding out more about your Irish ancestors and connecting with their place of origin, why not post a message on our Ireland XO message board? We would love to help you discover more about your family history and maybe connect you with relatives within the global Irish diaspora.
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