Little Ireland

Little Ireland is a book which traces the history of that part of Ireland which the Mattimoes have been closely associated with since records began.  From the earliest Gaelic times through the internecene struggles between the tribes making up the ancient kingship of Moylurg this book book sets the evolvement of the Mattimoe family into the context of Irelands early history and its early relationship with its larger neighbour on the other side of the Irish sea which set the seeds for future troubles and tragedy.

The book focuses in on the Mattimoe family exploring the various possibilities in regard to the source of this unusual surname and the spread of the families of that name through the townlands surrounding Lough Arrow and Lough Key to the north of the town of Boyle.

The build up to the Famine is examined together with the terrible impact that horrific event had on the population together with the reaction and response of tenants, landlords and authorities locally.

Following the loosening of the ties between the Irish population and the beloved country of their birth the book follows the departure of Thomas and  Ann Gaffney from their homeland in 1867 to Bishop Auckland in Co. Durham England where they joined Ann's brothers in the little hamlet of Gordon Gill and found work in the local drift mines.  The population of this small hamlet was overwhelmingly of Irish ancestry giving rise to it being referred to locally as 'Little Ireland', the name chosen for this book.

These Irish families, and the Mattimoes in particular, quickly became well-respected families in the wider community of the nearby villages of Ramshaw and Evenwood participating fully in their communities.  They kept their Roman Catholic faith at a time when the predominant religion of their workmates and their families was Methodism.

The book follows the lives of Thomas and Ann Mattimoe and their children as they grew and developed.  Through the sources of family stories, census transcripts, local newspapers, the log of the local school this book is able to bring these good people back to life and lead us through the happinesses and tragedies of their lives and place them in the context of the local, national and world events which touched their lives.

This high quality printed paperback book contains over 250 pages, 136 black and white images from Victorian photographs, old maps and illustrations plus 16 colour plates covering the homeland of the Mattimoes and the area where Thomas and Ann made their lives in England.

Reviews and Readers Comments

'An impressive piece of work', Nick Barratt of BBC's WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE

'A gem of a book',  Mike Amos, THE NORTHERN ECHO

 'Beautifully illustrated', STOCKTON & DARLINGTON TIMES

'Anyone with Irish ancestry would benefit from reading the history of County Sligo and this family's reason for migration'

                                     - FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE

'... for those with roots in the region or coal-miner ancestors it could provide an insight into past lives. For in charting the paths of his forebears, the Author touches upon much broader themes: emigration, poverty, religion, politics and community.'

                                    - FAMILY HISTORY MONTHLY

'Outstanding...Your Mattimoe ... ancestors must be looking down and dancing the Irish jig!',  Herb Clark, Florida

'One of the best books I have read in a long time',  Graham Stewart, military historian

'The style is easy but the research is also evident and the maps and photographs are excellent quality', Michael Hannon, Newcastle

'The best Christmas present I received', Michael Mattimoe, Kildare

'It is quite obvious the tremendous amount of research and dedicated work...injected into the project.  The result is a tremendous winner',  Bryan Mattimoe, Blackpool

Order

Order your copy of Little Ireland.  Payment will then be made through PayPal's secure payment system and using a range of credit and debit cards.  Orders accompanied by payments in £ sterling can be made by post direct to P J Lees, 39 Old Millmeads, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 2LP, England or email for details to bookorder@mattimoe.co.uk 

The cost of the book is now £8.95 plus the following postage costs.

UK    - Postage free

European Union - Postage free

Rest of the World - £8