My Dad, Jim McDonald left Arles and went to England at the
start of the war and joined the Irish Guards, then he met Mum. He went back
to Arles twice in 1946 after the war with me and my Mum, and then after my
gran died at his brother Charlie's house in London around 1956.
I visited Arles graveyard in
1994/1995 to find my Granddads' grave, Bernard McDonald, but I didn't manage
to find it which I
thought strange because by Irish standards in those those days they were quite well
off. They had a servant listed in the 1911 census.
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Images of the McDonalds of Arles c1945/46 |
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- Jim McDonald on his wedding day 5th October 1940.
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- My Dad Jim McDonald and my Gran
Elizabeth & myself at the side of the house.
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My Dad & me c1946.on the wall of Arles Graveyard.
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- Local girl that used to look after
me, but I cannot remember her name, maybe someone will know her.
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 - Taken 1994/1995 outside the family house
in Arles.
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More images of the McDonalds of Arles c1945/46 |
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- From the left; Young girl
unknown?. Molly Brennan?. Bill Moran Ballynagall.
- William Muldowney, Johnny Moran,
Arles. Peg McDonald, The Monument (no relation). Jim McDonald. Pat
Redmond, Ballynagall. man on right unknown?.
- Taken on the steps of the Arles
Technical school is my Dad Jim
McDonald, he is the man in the white
trousers.
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- The Arles Alter boys from the
Sacred Heart Church, my Dad is on the right, Mrs Kate Shanahan (or
Shannon) in the middle
and on her right Uncle Toddy. I don't know who the
other two boys are.
- Photo taken about 1927 and Kate was 62 years old and a widow.
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- My Uncle Toddy McDonald holding the dog with two
other people I don't know.
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- The McDonald's homestead,
Arles c1994/95
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How do I go about doing a search? I know very
little about my Granddad Bernard Mc Donald or my Gran Elizabeth nee Kelly, but
I see from your website that my Granddad had a brother Tom who had the High Trees
pub. I don't know where my Granddad was from or where he is buried. I had a look around Arles
cemetery but could not find his grave. Any help you could give would be
great.
Hi Michael, much the same I was born in 1942 in Birkenhead, My dad joined
the Irish Guards in about 1940 during war.
He was very proud that he was the
Batman for the Prince John of Luxembourg, and received a telegram from Prince
John in the 1950s when Prince John got married (still have telegram).
Anyway
we went back to Arles in 1946 after War but shortly after we were
back to the UK. I joined the British Army, The Queens Own Hussars
(Tanks). Had to retire early through arthritis problems. I always had very
hard jobs i.e.; was a main layer for British Gas, a lot of digging involved
those days, so I retired in 2004 and decided to move back to Co. Longford.
Bernard. McDonald c2008
