12 Presidents of Ireland-----help

[gill]

Thanks Christopher and Aghadowey for your interest.

The scarf was emerald green in colour and was square shaped. It had pictures of 12 presidents (of Ireland?) with their names. It belonged to my friends  great grandfather who died in 1959 in Londonderry. My friends grandfather brought it to Scotland after his fathers death, where it remained locked in a suitcase for 30 years until his death.

My friends mother discovered the scarf and set about using it as a bandana while teaching her aerobic classes for the next 10 years. After years of use as a bandana you can imagine the condition of it, and it was then thrown out.

It is only in recent years they have wondered what the scarf was, and why was it kept hidden in a suitcase. They  wish they still had it now, as it was obviously of some importance to the grandfather / great grandfather.

What is the GAA or IRFU Chritopher?

Regards Gill

[Christopher]

Hiya Gill,

What a pity the scarf was thrown out. I wonder if an ancestor of another Rootschatter had such a scarf.

The GAA is The Gaelic Athletic Association (Cumann Lúthchleas Gael). The IRFU is the Irish Rugby Football Union.  
Christopher

[gill]

Hi Christopher,
thanks again for your interest,
I dont think it was a commemorative scarf of Rugby or Athletics, as there was no one athletic in any form in the family. However, it was obviously a commemorative scarf of something with 12 men on it. My friend wondered if it represented something masonic, or worse that it could be linked to IRA or something like that (although I would imagine that to be unlikely), and perhaps that was why it was kept hidden away. His grandfather never spoke of his early life in Londonderry, but I suppose that would not be unusual of that generation.
I dont suppose he will ever know what it was.

regards again Gill

[Christopher]

Hiya Gill,

I'm a couple of names short of the twelve but someone may remember them. I think they may be the men who played a leading role in Irish history ...

Kevin Barry
Michael Collins
Robert Emmett
Henry Grattan
Arthur Griffith
Jim Larkin
Daniel O'Connell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Wolfe Tone
Eamonn De Valera

My other thought is that they may have been the leaders of the Society of United Irishmen but I'm one short ... Henry Haslett, Thomas McCabe, Henry Joy McCracken, Gilbert McIlveen, Samuel Neilson, Thomas Pearce,
Thomas Russell, Robert Simms, William Simms, William Sinclair and Wolfe Tone.

One the museums in Ireland may have a similar scarf but I'm not quite certain which museum. 

Christopher

[ning26]

#Aghadowey Why is Woodrow Wilson's Ancestral home in Dergalt?

[aghadowey]

People do tend to have more than one ancestor 

The Wilson home was at Dergalt (parental typo for paternal in this article)-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21632085

[ning26]

Aghadowey

  - Of Course!  (Duh!) Thanks