Send Colin O'Gara to Sligo, Ireland: Moygara Castle and O'Gara family research

Colin O'Gara Start Date: Sep 14, 2014 - End Date: Dec 12, 2014
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Sligo, Ireland

My Travel Story

by: Colin O'Gara Start Date: Sep 14, 2014 - End Date: Dec 12, 2014
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
  • Cultural Exchange
My name is Colin O'Gara. I am a 21 year old college student currently attending Towson University just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. I have always dreamed of traveling the world to places that now seem so out of reach. I cannot stop wondering how it would feel to wake up in a different state or country every day or week with new faces and new stories from people who have experienced life in ways so unfamiliar to me. As a student, all of my current income is going towards school and rent which, unfortunately, has caused me to put my dream adventure on hold for a while. With that being said, for the longest time I have figured what better way to start my journey around the globe then to explore my family's country of origin, Sligo, Ireland. Why not discover more about my own culture and lineage before I trek off into the world to appreciate the lives others. The O'Gara side of my family is very small and widely spread throughout the country so it has been difficult for me to gain any new knowledge of my family's past especially since my parents, aunts, and uncles know so little themsevlves. My main point of interest would be Moygara Castle located in the Connacht province of northwestern Ireland which was the stronghold of the O'Gara clan and the Princess of Coolavin for most of the mid 19th century. After being attacked twice in 1538 and 1581 the castle was burned, but some of the ruins still stand today. Hopefully the castle's ruins and the people of Sligo will help guide me through the mysterious history of my family, the O'Gara clan while also gaining a better understanding of what it means to be an Irishmen. The O'Gara motto is fortiter et fideliter which translates into "boldly and faithfully" and I will apply that as best as I can in my travels and wherever life may take me. 

Any funding will be appreciated more than you know!! Thank you for reading and safe travels!
  • Sligo, Ireland