Words & Music by Mike Power

To Mrs. Johanna O’Brien

Dear Madam.

The pastor handed me your letter with dollar enclosed as I have the furnishing of certificates as Clerk of the R.C. Church here in Tallow.

I searched from 1860 to 1870 and went to 1873 and back to 1859 and failed to find a single member of your family. I was thinking that you lived in some other parish close by Tallow parish. However I thought as years pass so quickly that you might be much older than you thought, so I searched further back and the first of the family I found was Margaret Power baptized on August 31st 1856. Going farther back in an older Register I found another member of the family baptized on 23rd January 1853, whose sponsors were Patrick Troy and Mary Troy. I wondered then could it be possible that you would be older still, so I searched and to my surprise I found the record of your baptism on the 1st July 1849. Sponsors as well as parents just as you stated. I enclose certificate. You must on reading it be astonished at the mistake you made in thinking that you were born between 1860 & 1870.