In 1908 a bright, fair complexioned little girl with blue eyes
called Leah left Loughan's National School on a journey that would
take her many miles away. With her brother William she travelled to
Londonderry to board the SS. Furnessia*. She had less than 50$ to
call her own and, as she sailed out of Lough Foyle she must have
wondered what was to become of her - many emotions including
anxiety, hope, excitement and probably a little dread must have
stirred within her. First she crossed the Atlantic Ocean and, after
a stay in New York she headed even further west to join her aunt
Tillie in Dubuque, Iowa, USA.
The years slipped by and, no doubt during these she must have
often thought about the home and friends she had left behind in the
"land of green". However, she was never to return. Life was busy
enough helping run a dairy farm, never mind rearing her children
and later, helping with the upbringing of her grandchildren too.
She was an excellent cook - did she ever introduce her hungry brood
to the "fadge" and "champ" that must have graced her kitchen table
as a young girl at Loughans I wonder? By now she was an elderly
lady and too old to travel such a long distance - however, thoughts
of Ireland lingered in her memory.
More years past and her grandson Jim started to geocache using
the title "tuxcacher". Jim had an idea. Why not dedicate a Travel
Bug (called "Going Home" code TB34MPE) to Leah - and release it in
the USA with the goal of returning to Loughan's National School. At
this stage Jim contacted me and, to create a "window light" to
guide the T.Bug I have placed this cache in a little corner of
Ireland that would have been well known to Leah over 100 years
ago.
Will it make it back to Leah's "Roots"? You can track its
progress as it moves from cache to cache - hopefully ever eastwards
on its way back "home".
Thanks to Mr. Robert Coote (who attended Loughan's National
School which closed many years ago) for allowing the cache to be
placed adjacent to his farm. There is no need to enter the farmyard
to find this cache.
The cache box has been placed inside a black bag - after finding
please return carefully and conceal well.
Please park thoughtfully and take care along these narrow
country roads.
*Much of this information came from the LIST OR MANIFEST OF
ALIEN PASSENGERS FOR THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION OFFICER AT PORT
OF ARRIVAL.