Landing Day

Monday, 21 July 2013

Our trip thus far has been filled with small miracles.  We know that prayers are being said and answered, and we appreciate all of our family - we can feel your support.

On Saturday, we left Salt Lake a little over an hour late because of mechanical problems.  With just 90 minutes scheduled between flights at JFK, we were very worried about making the connection.  What are the odds, though, that we would land at Gate 67 and depart from Gate 68?  We got off the plane, and immediately boarded the next one.  Small miracle.

Sunday was exhausting but absolutely amazing.  Rich said that if we wrote everything we did, you wouldn't believe us.  It was incredible.  Here are a few highlights:

1.  We went to church - twice.  The first meeting was at a Catholic service in Newry where John Taylor preached the gospel in 1840.  The second meeting was in Mullabrack at a Church of Ireland low church meeting, a lot less pomp.  Mullabrack was where Robert Singleton lived, and we talked to someone at church who was a Singleton.  Lewis, that's his name, is going to talk to his aunt, and we will be going back to talk to her.  We also talked to the rector ( who gave an excellent sermon, by the way), and he showed us their records.  We can go back anytime, and he will let such spend as much time as we need to look at the tecords.  We did take some pictures of some Singleton entries in a book from the late 1700s.  Small miracles.

Interior of St. John's Parish Church in Mullaghbrack

2.  We met Colin and Rosaleen Kerr at church as well, and Colin invited us to look at a map he had of the area at his home, named Mullabrack House because it was built in the 1820s as the rectory church.  There us only one word to describe it- wow!  The map was cool.  But what was so incredible was that they took us on a tour of their home.  There is a basement, into which we just peeked; a main floor with a drawing room, a living room, a dining room, a HUGE kitchen, and various other rooms; a second floor with four large bedrooms, all with dressing rooms attached; and a third floor with six bedrooms - where the servants lived and where the nursery was located, back in the day.  New friends.  Another small miracle.

Mullaghbrack House - the Rectory House built in 1820

View from Robert Singleton home in Mullurg

3.  Robert Singleton's property on Mullurg Road is now owned by William Hale, whom we met after he noticed us taking pictures of his property.  We did ring the bell first!  But when he didn't answer, we figured they were "on holiday."  When all was said and done, William was another friend, and said we could come back anytime.  Small miracle that he wasn't an angry landowner kicking us off his property!  What we've had reinforced is the great value we get from being here and putting everything into perspective. This is an aerial photo of the land taken in 1968. The Hale family has owned the original Singleton's 6-acre piece since 1970 and has added the surrounding acreage into their farm.

Aerial view from 1968