Born and brought up in Canada, Greg and his wife Sandie (Sandra Mary?) have returned to Ballintra in Donegal where they have established the Ballymagroarty Heritage Centre - a museum of McGroarty history. Although I have had no personal contact with them, I keep bumping into their presence on the Web. They appear to have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the family, some of which I have managed to incorporate along with mine. I hope they don't mind.
The coat of arms below was granted to Greg by the Chief Herald of Ireland - It looks like he had to fork out substantial money for it ( about $3500 ) and it's therefore his personal property, for use only by him or his descendants.
DONEGAL TIMES March 27th 2002
Mayor calls for return of Four Masters Manuscript
During the course of his recent Joe McGarrigle lecture in Donegal Town on the work of John O'Donovan, Mayor Alex Reid said that one of the only two existing copies of the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, more popularly known as the Annals of the Four Masters, should be brought back to Donegal Town 'where it more properly belongs'.
The lecture dealt with the translation of this work into English in the 1840's by O'Donovan with Notes and Commentary that are even more extensive than the original manuscript written by Michael O'Clery and his helpers between 1630 and 1636. Both the original work and O'Donovan’s marvellous reworking of it are priceless literary and historical treasures. A copy of the O'Donovan work is in the possession of Greg McGroarty of Ballintra and will be a prized exhibit in the Museum that Greg and his wife, Mary Sandra, are opening there this summer. The McGroartys were the hereditary keepers of the records of the O'Donnell Dynasty, especially of the Cathach, a copy of the Book of Psalms, carried always by a cleric for the Chieftain especially into battle, contained in a bookshrine which, along with the Bell of St Patrick and the Miseach were made at Kells.
These wonderful examples of early Irish work in precious metals are in Dublin to-day and are examples of treasures that should be returned to their places of origin. The Cathach was the subject of the second McGarrigle lecture given by Greg McGroarty during the Heritage Festival.
It is the belief of people in the Ballymagroarty area that part of the Annals of the Four Masters was actually written in the area, specifically at the home of Lughaigh O'Clery, the biographer of Aodh Rua O'Donail. The possession and display of these unique works would form the nucleus of a restored cultural heritage to the area, second to none in the country. The return of the Annals to Donegal Town would complete a triple literary heritage foundation - the Ballymagroarty Heritage Centre at Ballintra, the Franciscan Museum at Rosnowlagh and the proposed Annals repository at Donegal Town. Alex Reid suggested that this might be in a specially built room in the new Library mooted for the Town.
....There is a lot to find out and it would take a lifetime to cover it all. We have a museum here in Ballintra, in County Donegal and are from Canada. We have been here because not only does my husband, Greg enjoy the country but his name is deep in history. We also own an ancient burial cemetery dating back to Columcille (St. Columba's) time...590 AD.
Do visit his e-mail address: Gregmcgroarty@hotmail .com and you will get more on our name, etc. We own a lovely stone house which we spent 4 years restoring, built in 1590. It will be hard to leave and even harder for Greg to detach himself from all the history he has acquired. He could write a book and has spoken at some of the universities here. Well, I could go on but get it on the e-mail or search for my husband. Cheers! Sandie
... my husband' s great great grandfather was John, who was from Ballydevit and Ballintra, outside Donegal town. My husband's grandfather, William James,whose father was Bernard, had a cousin, Charles who lived in Indianapolis and Philadelphia. Anymore info, get in touch with Gregmcgroarty@hotmail. com
.....The McGroartys supplied Abbots of Kells for a few centuries. You can look at the web site of The Royal Irish Academy to find out more when you search for The Cathach - Mcgroarty... There are only about 50 Irish households now with the surname McGroarty. Also search The National Museum of Ireland - McGroarty-
Gregory McGroarty
