THE MEDLAR'S GOTCHA Presentation on PJ Medlar for Dublin City Library and Archive Family History Day 27 March 2010 The best way to view the powerpoint presentation is to right-click on this link and download the file to your computer for viewing with a Powerpoint viewer. To view online just left-click on the link. At present the file is very big (c.60 MB) . This is my second Powerpoint so I am still feeling my way. Background Having done a presentation on Ballybrack for the Local History Day in September 2008, I sort of got a taste for it, and as I was also doing my family history I wondered if Máire Kennedy might be interested in a presentation for Family History Day. My subject is PJ Medlar, who is not a direct ancestor, he is more of an in-law, but his family are very interesting and, between them, they demonstrate a close integration into the administrative, business and cultural life of the City of Dublin. They also illustrate connections between the Dublin branch and the family's origins in Carlow/Kilkenny. This venue is also appropriate as PJ Medlar spent much of his life as a Dublin City Councillor and was an Alderman for a few years. The Presentation The presentation is in Powerpoint and draws in an online customised Google map to illustrate various residences, areas and connections. More detailed background material is available on this site, as set out below. The Google map can also be accessed separately. Handout This short 2 page handout was distributed at the presentation. Handout (doc) Relevant material on my website These are pages or posts of mine which are relevant to the present topic. I have a number of cameos as follows: PJ Medlar PJ's brother Larry (includes 1978 interview on his 90th birthday.) I have done a page each on the places of origin of PJ's mother and father: Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny (Medlars) Ballyellin, Co. Carlow (Brennans) You can see death/funeral related material here: Death Notice Obituary and Funeral Attendance Will Reference to Family History index page on my site. Relevant material in my blogs. Posts relevant to the present topic. Eucharistic Congress 1932 Rome Rule Some general reflections on doing my family history Shoots, leaves and branches Dublin in the rare oul times My Tachondria and other trivia From small acorns Traitors all Tadhg a' dá thaobh Vótáil as Gaeilge Contributions to other publications Pue's occurrences PJ Medlar (1885-1949) Google Maps You may wish to check out separately the map used in the presentation. It is fully interactive and can be zoomed and moved around. Hovering the cursor over the coloured control buttons at the top of the map will activate tooltips which describe their functions. If you get lost, clicking the red "clr" button will clear all overlays, so you can start again, and, clicking the black "CntPJ" button will return the map to its original centre and scale. [Use the F11 key on the browser to toggle a full screen view] Medlar connections in Dublin, Kilkenny & Carlow     - Customising Google maps This requires some knowledge of Javascript, CSS and the Google maps Application Programming Interface (API). Some useful links are included below Javascript tutorial. Some basic API code snippets to start you off. Slightly more advanced API tutorial. Get point coordinates in decimal form. Full reference guide to the API. Other sources I referred to this fruit in my opening remarks at the presentation. The truth is much deeper. Wikipedia on the Medlar Fruit TG4, in a recent programme on the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921), had some footage and quotes on PJ Medlar's transporting the prisoners home on their release from Kilmainham Jail. Transporting and feeding the prisoners Much of the Medlar history is tied up with the Grand Canal, both at the Dublin and Carlow/Kilkenny end where it links into the Barrow River. Brian J Goggin has a documented the Dublin end, as it is today, in fascinating detail. The Grand Canal Other talks in DCLA Ballybrack 1500-1900 A short history of Ballybrack/Killiney The Shoemaker's Daughters The Family of Christopher Burgess A Policeman's Lot The Dwyer Family The Corsican Defence Restoration of Martello Tower No.7 (Dublin South) AFTERNOON SESSION Sources for Family History This is (more or less) the text of my comments on sources and presentation during the afternoon session. Comments (doc) Go to History Page Go to Family History Page