1890s Irish County Clubs

[corky3]

  I am presently reading "Inventing Irish America" by Timothy J. Meagher concerning the history of the Irish in Worcester during the 1880-1928 period. 

   In his Ethnic Revival chapter he talks about various Irish clubs and groups formed by recent Irish immigrants to Worcester i.e. Sligo Club. Now since my Curtin ancestor immigrated to Worcester in 1889/1890 I was curious if there is any way of finding someplace to a) see if there was such a club formed for County Clare natives and b) membership list. In my research I did find one of my ancestor's pallbearers did belong to Irish National Foresters which was formed according to Meagher more for insurance purposes. I found that in a Worcester City directory and that did have a membership list. I am curious is there another possible source for these clubs and their memberships?

[merski]

TIARA (The Irish Ancestral Research Association) which has a great website has acquired all of the Massachusetts Forresters records and is working on them and asking for donations of $ to help with this project.  These records are unbelievable.  Because they are insurance related there is a lot of info and I've been told by the head of the Forresters project that place of birth in Ireland might be on these records.  For people like myself who just have a county and not a parish or townland, this will be invaluable!  MERSKI

[corky3]

 I guess I am still curious about the other more specific clubs. Does a list-even in an old Worcester City Directory exist? Do any form of these earlier Irish county clubs still exist?

  If I could even find one from County Clare and see if Michael Curtin was a member-at least that would go miles from where I am now -to establish that he was at least from that area. He actually is my best shot of establishing some kind of geographical Irish area of all the Irish ancestors. Other ancestors like the Doyles are a total mystery-not even family lore to go by there.

[corky3]

 Thank you Colleen. Your information is a great help.

   I will give top grades to Meagher's book as well. At least it has given a few directions in which to explore that I did not have before.

[corky3]

  Well I am not going to tell you it is "exciting" reading-it is a text book but if you are like me-very Worcester innocent it is a helpful source. I was not born in this area-I was born and raised in New Bedford, Mass and went to school in Framingham at the state college-my knowledge is limited and why I was thrilled to find this site. It has been a wonderful help when you are floundering.

   The families of Worcester is only one branch of the inquiries I am making but it is proving to be one of the must fruitful. And it is my husband's family. My own family search is hintered by a language barrier.