Diary Excerpts from Ratoath, Ireland

"6 March 1847 Mary Rooney sailed for America deeply regretted by Pat Anderson."

The above quote was taken from the article by Peter Mulvany titled "Extracts from a Ratoath Diary 1804-1898." It was published in Vol. VI, No. 1 (1975) of Riocht na Midhe, the journal of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Here are a few more excerpts.

May 1848. The Magranes and Tom Bryant went to America and on 3 August the Lynams.
25 July 1848. Martial law proclaimed in Ratoath.
May 1849. James McCabe, John Bruton, and several others went to America and Pat Magrane on 6 June.
June 1849. Mary left Ramsey a broken heart.
Aug. 1849. Kit Foy died of cholera.

The article mentions many other deaths, emigrations, legal matters and other events. This article shows one of the reasons I love Irish genealogical periodicals: they contain information that is not readily available anywhere else. They also provide insight into the social history of Ireland.

To see if there is a journal published for your Irish locations of interest, follow this link, Archaeological and Historical Journals.

I have inquired about the present location of the original diary that the excerpts are taken from, but I haven't yet located it. I hope to find the diary, or at least a complete transcription of it someday. If you have any information about the diary, please let me know.