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Article: AN IRISH TALE.(Arts & Literature)(A Eugene woman's search for her roots helps unlock the secrets behind a nation's independence)
- Article from:
- The Register Guard (Eugene, OR)
- Article date:
- December 21, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Register Guard. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Bob Keefer The Register-Guard
County Roscommon, in western Ireland, is a flat, inland farm region that somewhat resembles a prettier version of Kansas. Though its name is much less familiar to Americans than those of its neighbors - counties Sligo, Galway and Mayo - Roscommon nevertheless produced the likes of actress Maureen O'Sullivan; the Chieftains' flute player Matt Molloy; and Oscar Wilde's father, Sir William Wilde.
It also produced a man named Ned Hegarty, the great uncle of Eugene writer Kathy Hegarty Thorne. Therein hangs a tale.
In 1992, Thorne and her husband, Lew, traveled to Roscommon in search of her family roots. All she ...