How the Irish formed civilisation

Question

If you have access to Irish sources, and are familiar with them, then these notables need you! A lot of people of Irish descent in assorted "Quest for Great-Grandparents" and "Can you help connect" challenges are still lacking sources, connections, and anywhere from one to all eight (probably Irish) great-grandparents (and therefore many of them aren't eligible to be added to the Relationship Finder Quick Links page). It seems that, once the family tree runs into Ireland, most WikiTreers are outside their areas of expertise. Therefore, we need your expertise to finish the job.

Comments

These are the Irish-descended people needing help:

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Australia Edition:

• Chris Watson
• James Scullin
• Joseph Lyons
• Arthur Fadden
• John Curtin
• Frank Forde
• Ben Chifley
• John McEwen
• William McMahon

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: United Kingdom Edition:

• Andrew Bonar Law
• James Callaghan

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Canada Edition:

• John Thompson
• Arthur Meighen
• Louis St. Laurent

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Archivist Edition:

• Robert Gosnell

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Hymn Writer Edition:

• Ira Sankey

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Goodie Edition:

• David L. Clark

From Quest for Great-Grandparents: Kiwi Edition:

• Joseph Ward
• George William Forbes
• William Massey
• Michael Savage
• Robert Muldoon

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From Can you help connect a Rhode Island Governor?:

• James H. Higgins
• William S. Flynn
• Dennis J. Roberts
• J. Joseph Garrahy

From Can you help to connect an unconnected notable?:

• Albert Sharpe

From Can you help connect a head of state? (Indonesia to Pakistan):

• Patrick Hillery

From Can you help connect a Rhode Island Congressional Representative?:

• John Edward Fogarty
• Robert Owens Tiernan

From Can you help connect a patient unconnected notable? (April 2017):

• Augustus Barry

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sorry, can't help you with these, but rolling on the floor when I saw your header.  

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Didn't you know that the Irish had women's rights long before anyone else?

That their legal system was such it has never been matched, even today. 

(Talking before 1000, not "modern".  Can't remember the name of the guy whose work I read some 20 years ago, but it was good reading .. and pre-dated the more recent documentaries now available on youtube.)

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If you're thinking of the book I had in mind when I drafted this thread, it's How The Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill.

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No .. that's not the one.  (I should read it, though.  Need to see if my local library carries it.)  I gave my set of books to someone, so can't refer to them now.  I'll remember his name, though probably in the middle of sleeping!

I'll mention here someone else whose novels are well worth a read: Peter Berresford Ellis (a British historian).  As he's based in historical research he can put a spin on things that many cannot.

(Now I'm blanking on someone else who wrote historical novels based on massive research, making the storylines very believable.)

On topic: I wish I were able to help with the Irish research stuff, but I have trouble finding anything there at all.  So many walls.  :(

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As it happens, I have an Irish brick wall in my own family tree: James Waddell.

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Oh, happy day! Today, I tripped over the Irish National Archives census records! I had thought they were all burned during "The Troubles", but at least some of them have survived. Now we'll have to see how many brick walls we can knock down...

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I'm voting +1 for the intriguing header question. Sorry I can't help.