While driving through Co. Limerick to visit my uncle over Christmas, my mother and I had the following conversation.
Her: You know that woman who had an affair with an English politician?
[Here I spare you details of how we whittled down the list of potential candidates until we came to Christine Keeler]
Me: Yes.
Her: Her people come from in there [pointing through hedge at farmland].
Me: I thought she was English.
Her: Well, yes, but her people were from here, her aunt was the reverend mother in Charleville.
I thought that you would like to know.
Can’t think how you or I have survived so long not knowing that vital fact. Please thank your Mum – she is clearly an oracle much like mine.
It’s clear that ancestry.com is entirely unnecessary in Ireland.
I KNEW you would like to know.