• About
  • Customs Report 1821-2 (and Miscellaneous Petitions to Government 1820-5) and some Earlier Customs Data, including staffing, salaries, duties including, Cork, Kinsale, Youghal, Baltimore, with mention of Bantry, Crookhaven, Glandore, Berehaven, Castletownsend, Enniskeane, Passage, Crosshaven, Cove, Clonakilty, Cortmacsherry.
  • Eoghan O’Keeffe 1656-1723, Glenville, Co. Cork later Parish Priest, Doneralie 1723 Lament in old Irish
  • Historic maps from Cork City and County from 1600
  • Horsehair, animal blood an early 18th century Stone House in West Cork and Castles.
  • Interesting Links
  • Jack Dukelow, 1866-1953 Wit and Historian, Rossmore, Durrus, West Cork. Charlie Dennis, Batt The Fiddler.
  • Kilcoe Church, West Cork, built by Father Jimmy O’Sullivan, 1905 with glass by Sarah Purser, A. E. Childs (An Túr Gloine) and Harry Clarke Stained Glass Limited
  • Late 18th/Early 19th century house, Ahagouna (Áth Gamhna: Crossing Place of the Calves/Spriplings) Clashadoo, Durrus, West Cork, Ireland
  • Letter from Lord Carbery, 1826 re Destitution and Emigration in West Cork and Eddy Letters, Tradesmen going to the USA and Labourers to New Brunswick
  • Marriage early 1700s of Cormac McCarthy son of Florence McCarthy Mór, to Dela Welply (family originally from Wales) where he took the name Welply from whom many West Cork Welplys descend.
  • Online Archive New Brunswick, Canada, many Cork connections
  • Origin Dukelow family, including Coughlan, Baker, Kingston and Williamson ancestors
  • Return of Yeomanry, Co. Cork, 1817
  • Richard Townsend, Durrus, 1829-1912, Ireland’s oldest Magistrate and Timothy O’Donovan, Catholic Magistrate from 1818 as were his two brothers Dr. Daniel and Richard, Rev Arminger Sealy, Bandon, Magistrate died Bandon aged 95, 1855
  • School Folklore Project 1937-8, Durrus, Co. Cork, Schools Church of Ireland, Catholic.
  • Sean Nós Tradition re emerges in Lidl and Aldi
  • Some Cork and Kerry families such as Galwey, Roches, Atkins, O’Connells, McCarthys, St. Ledgers, Orpen, Skiddy, in John Burkes 1833 Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland:
  • Statement of Ted (Ríoch) O’Sullivan (1899-1971), Barytes Miner at Derriganocht, Lough Bofinne with Ned Cotter, later Fianna Fáil T.D. Later Fianna Fáil TD and Senator, Gortycloona, Bantry, Co. Cork, to Bureau of Military History, Alleged Torture by Hammer and Rifle at Castletownbere by Free State Forces, Denied by William T Cosgrave who Alleged ‘He Tried to Escape’.
  • The Rabbit trade in the 1950s before Myxomatosis in the 1950s snaring, ferrets.

West Cork History

~ History of Durrus/Muintervara

West Cork History

Monthly Archives: May 2016

1851. Letter from Dr. John O’Donovan, Antiquarian, to Robert McAdam Esq., Soho Foundry in Belfast, Responsible for Question on Irish in 1851 Census of Ireland.

14 Saturday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


1851. Letter from Dr. John O’Donovan, Antiquarian, to Robert McAdam Esq., Soho Foundry in Belfast, Responsible for Question on Irish in 1851 Census of Ireland.

 

From Graves Collection, Royal Irish Academy.

 

https://wordpress.com/post/durrushistory.com/14088

 

Historical Letters:

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GCiBrLiBZtDkU8Ug5hZn9HnIZgfN1dvK2kkfaDUb600/edit

 

 

FROM DR. JOHN O’DONOVAN, ANTIQUARIAN

Letter to Robert McAdam Esq., Soho Foundry in Belfast from Newcomen Place, Dublin 8 (March, 17th, 1851)

‘Dear Sir,

I have received your note of the 14th and cannot but admire your enthusiasm about the census.  I do not think that a clergy of any of our religions could be of any use to us.  The Catholic Church clergy are moving heaven and earth to extinguish the Irish language and therefore it would be useless to trust them.  The Protestants could not get any true returns and I therefore think we ought to test content with the police returns.  Of course most of the Irish speakers will be found in the poor houses!  However I shall be in Belfast very soon again to deliver some lectures on the Celtic dialects.  I do not believe that you or any other friends there will be able to procure me any pupils, and I am therefore afraid to go live amongst you.  When I do see you next I shall tell you various plans of mine for advancing Celtic literature.

Yours very sincerely,

John O’Donovan

 

1860. The Pope’s Irish Brigade and Named Subscribers to Papal Tribute from Bantry, Durrus, Kilcrohane, Caheragh, Drimoleague.

13 Friday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment


Cork Examiner 08 June 1860

 

1860.  The Pope’s Irish Brigade and Named Subscribers to Papal Tribute from Bantry, Durrus, Kilcrohane, Caheragh, Drimoleague.

 

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-13 at 10.30.29

Screen Shot 2016-05-13 at 10.33.02

Screen Shot 2016-05-13 at 10.32.33

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-13 at 10.34.41

Screen Shot 2016-05-13 at 10.31.34

 

 

1759. Will of Edward Evanson, Antigua, West Indies to my Kinsman, Nathaniel Evanson, Senior, Four Mile Water (Gearhameen, Durrus), Bantry, £200 a year and if he comes to the West Indies after my Death My Wine and Old Rum and £30 Sterling to The Society for the Promoting the English Protestant Schools in Ireland, Dublin.

12 Thursday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


1759. Will of Edward Evanson, Antigua, West Indies to my Kinsman, Nathaniel Evanson, Senior, Four Mile Water (Gearhameen, Durrus), Bantry, £200 a year and if he comes to the West Indies after my Death My Wine and Old Rum and £30 Sterling to The Society for the Promoting the English Protestant Schools in Ireland, Dublin.

In other wills recited Evanson Christian names such as Charles occur.  Names common in the greater Bantry area in the mid 18th century occur Symms, Warner.

 

Will 1800, Mrs Eliza Gethin (late husband Percy), Cork, extensive property owner including Upton (Garryhenkera) mentioned Dr. Boyle Coughlan, leaves £20 to ‘To the mulatto boy known as James Kelly, the sum of £30 the interest to provide for his clothing’

Pedigree and Will of Daniel McCarthy, 1702, Estate Owner, Slave Owner, Extended family Include Hallorans, Burkes, Connells other Irish Pedigrees Lyons and Morre of Offaly names include Donovan, Driscoll, Evanson from Vere Langford Olivere’s , 1896, History of Island of Antigua.

Marriage:

1696 Thomas Evanson Elizabeth Looby Probably pre Durrus MLB

 

1724, Antigua,West Indies Nathaniel Evanson the 2nd, Mary (Martha) Alleyn Edward Alleyn of Ballyduvane Issue Charles, Alleyn, Nathaniel, Richard, Martha, Susanna, Charles m in Antigua a widow Knight two children Nathaniel and Martha. Aleyn second son of Martha Alleyn married alos in Antigua Susanna Seely (Ceely)near cousin to Sir W Young Governor of Antigua Governor related to Montague and Nibbs family (Miss ceely’s niece married a Mr Gordon). Nathaniel died unmarried. Richard married Miss Harris whose mother was Miss Beamish Married in Antigua, Carribean? In 1810s and onwards Nathaniel Evanson is mentioned as are other Evansons as slave owners in Barbados, they are viewable on ancestry

Some families in the Cork area in bold:

 

Pedigrees and genealogical information for many prominent Antigua families were published in:

  • Oliver, Vere Langford. The History of the Island of Antigua: One of the Leeward Caribbees in the West Indies, from the First Settlement in 1635 to the Present Time. 3 vols. London: Mitchell and Hughes, 1894-1899. FHL Collection; digital versions at Internet Archive:
    • Volume One includes genealogies of †Abbot, Abbott, Alexander, Alexander (see Dasent), †Allen, †Anderson, †Archibald, Ash, †Athill, Athy, Auchinleck, Ayres, †Baijer, †Bannister, Barnes, †Barter, Barton, †Bendall, †Bethell, †Blackman, Bladen, †Blake, †Blizard, Bodkin, Bolan, †Bonnin, Boone, †Boraston, †Bott, Bradshaw, †Brown, †Buckley, †Burke, †Burt, Burton, †Butler, †Byam, †Cade, Carden, Carlile, †Carpenter, †Carter, †Cary, †Chester, Christian, †Clarke, †Clogstown, †Cochran, †Codrington, †Collins, †Colquhoun, Cosby (see Eliot), †Coull, Crabb, †Crawford, Crump, Cusack, †Daniel, †Dasent, Davis, Delap, Denbow, †Dewar, De Witt, Doig, Donovan, †Douglas, †Dow, Drax (see Codrington), †Duer, †Dunbar, †Duncombe, Dunn, †Dunning, †Edwards, †Ellyatt, Eliot, †Elmes, †Entwisle, Erwin (see Dasent), Evanson, †Farley, Fergusson, Ferris, †Field, †Fleming, †Foote, †Franklin, †Fraser, †Freeman, †French, and †Frye families.
    • Volume Two includes genealogies of †Anderdon (see Manning), Blackwell (see Jarvis), Gale, †Gallwey, †Gamble, †Garrett, Gaynor, Gilbert, †Gilchrist, Gillyat, Glanvile, †Gloster, Glover, Goble, †Gordon, †Grant, Gravenor, Gray, Grear, Greenway, †Gunthorpe, Haddon, †Halliday, Halloran, †Hamilton, †Hanson, †Harman, †Hart, Harvey, †Hawes, †Herbert, †Hill, Hillhouse, †Hodge, Hodges, †Horne, †Horsford, Hughes, †Humphreys, Hurst, Huyghue, †Hyndman, †Iles, †Jarvis, †Jeaffreson, †Johnson, Jones, Keeling, Kelsick, †Ker, †Kerby, Keynell, †King, †Kirwan, †Knight, Knightley, †Laferty, †Laforey, Langelier, †Langford, Laroche, Lavicount, †Lavington, Ledeatt, Ledwell, †Lee, †Leonard, Le Roux, †Lessly, Libaert, †Lightfoot, Lindsey, Lingham, Lisle, †Livingston, Looby, †Lovell, †Lucas, †Lucie, †Lynch, †Lyons, †McCarthy, †Mackinen, †McNish, †Manning, Manwaring, Marchant, †Martin, †Mathew, Mathews, Maxwell, †Mayer, Middleton, Millar, Monke, Monteigue, Montero, Morgan, †Morris, †Morson, Muir, †Murray, Musgrave, †Nanton, Newfiele, †Nibbs, Nicholas, †Nihell, †Nisbitt, †Nugent, Oesterman, †Oliver, Osborn, and †Ottley families.
    • Volume Three includes genealogies of Pare, †Parke, Parker, Parry, Patterson, †Payne, Paynter, Pearne, †Perry, †Pigott, †Pollington, †Powell, †Poyntz, Prynn, Pyle, Redhead, †Redwood, †Richardson, †Roach, †Rodney, Ronan, Rose, Rossington, Royall, †Russell, Salmond, Sampson, †Saunders, Sawcolt, Scholes, †Scotland, Sedgwick, †Shand, †Shephard, Sheriff, Shervington, Shirley, Skerrett, †Smith, Sones, †Stapleton, †Swete,†Symes, †Tankard, Tempest, Tharter, †Thibou, †Thomas, †Tobin, Tomlinson, †Trant, †Traveis, Tremills, †Tudway, †Tullideph, Turner, Turney, Tyley, Vaughan, Vernon, Walrond, †Warner, Watkins, Watson, Weatherill, †Webb, Weir, Weston, Wethered, †White, Whitehead, Wickham, †Williams, Willock, †Willoughby, Winthrop, †Wise, †Woodley, †Wyke, †Yeamans, Yorke, and Young families.

†Additional information on these families appears in the Appendix to Volume Three, which begins on page 41

 

 

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/The_History_of_the_Island_of_Antigua_One_of_the_Leeward_Caribbees_in_the_1000869829/429

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 22.48.51

Creation of Baron of Kinsale, Co. Cork Originally by Tenure by Writ of Summons and By Patent in 1397, 20th Richard 2nd. Baron Carbery Created 1715.

12 Thursday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


The Gentleman’s and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer, 1741-1794

 

Creation of Baron of Kinsale, Co. Cork Originally by Tenure by Writ of Summons and By Patent in 1397, 20th Richard 2nd.  Baron Carbery Created 1715.

 

 

 

 

Baron Carbery Created 1715:

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 22.32.30

Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 22.20.37

Screen Shot 2016-05-12 at 22.21.55.png

Discovery of Lost Vellum Manuscript, documenting the Genealogy of the Very Ancient and Illustrious House of the O’Reillys, formerly Princes and Dynasts of Breifne O’Reilly, now called the County of Cavan in the Kingdom of Ireland, over 1,000 years in Munich 2008, Irish presence in Cuba, 18th century and Irish named street escape Castro embargo on Spanish Street Names Havana.

12 Thursday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments


durrushistory's avatarWest Cork History

Discovery of Lost Vellum Manuscript, documenting the Genealogy of the Very Ancient and Illustrious House of the O’Reillys, formerly Princes and Dynasts of Breifne O’Reilly, now called the County of Cavan in the Kingdom of Ireland, over 1,000 years in Munich 2008, Irish presence in Cuba, 18th century and Irish named street escape Castro embargo on Spanish Street Names Havana.

John Kileen, Librarian of the Linen Hall Library, Belfast gave a lecture in the RDS documenting the history of the O’Reilly Genealogy located in Munich in 2008. The enquires determined that the Genealogy was commissioned by Count O’Reilly an Irish born senior Military figure in the late 18th century. Thecost was over £1,000 equaring to over €100, 000 in present day values.

It was done by Chevalier Thomas O’Gorman an Irish born Genealogist (1722-1809) based in France. The Linen Hall library are bring out a limited edition of the Genealogy…

View original post 99 more words

1834 Listing of Cess Payers of Baronies of Bere and Bantry and Carbery, West Cork

11 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


 

https://www.google.ie/maps/@51.6497011,-9.4265841,11z?hl=en

 

 

1834 Listing of Cess Payers of Baronies of Bere and  Bantry and  Carbery, West Cork

Thanks to Wikipedia.

The cess to pay for roads, bridges, and other public works was set per barony. “Presentment sessions“, where petitioners applied for funding for such works, were originally held as part of the county assizes, though the costs were paid from the barony cess if the work was of local benefit only. The county grand jury was supposed to have included jurors from each barony, though this did not always happen.[28] From 1819,[29] significantly modified in 1836,[30] baronial presentment sessions were held for these purposes, with a local jury picked by the county grand jury from among the barony’s highest rate-payers, according to a complicated formula.[31] The baronial presentment sessions were a convoluted process, lacking public confidence and marred by allegations of corruption and favouritism.

There was a growing recognition in London of the inadequacies of these ascendancy-dominated structures by the early nineteenth century. Thirty-six out of ninety-nine chartered boroughs were eliminated as corrupt and inefficient by the Act of Union in 1801. Subsequent to a series of damaging select committee reports on the grand jury system in the 1820s, legislation regulating annual salaries for county officers, instituting uniform methods of assessing county cess and providing for limited representation of cess payers when grand juries were deliberating road expenditures, brought some minor improvement in the 1830s.

The composition of the cess payers listed here reflects a shift in power from the Landed Gentry to the Catholic, Church of Ireland and Methodist business people and strong tenant farmers.  This process accelerated throughout the century.

Courtesy Gordo Kingston:

https://kyngeston.wordpress.com/author/gjrkingston/page/5/

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.13.25

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.13.35

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.13.45

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.14.13

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.14.13

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 23.14.21

1832 Cholera in Bantry, 1838 Address of Subscribers to John Symms Bird, on Retiring as Treasurer of Bantry Dispensary.

10 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


1832 Cholera in Bantry, 1838 Address to John S. Bird, on Retiring as Treasurer of Bantry Dispensary.

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 13.16.54
1810, 1831, 1840Dr. Thomas Burke1824, Surgeon, HP, Blackrock-road (NGC). Possible The Square, 1810 Thomas Burke Half Pay Surgeon married Margaret McCarthy, (1784-1831), possibly through her he acquired lands at Caheragh, she was likely of the Muclaghs (Clann Tighe Roe Scartaigh) and the lands from McCarthy Gurtnascreena.May be from Caheragh the person that poet JJ Callanan stayed with for around 2 years when he wrote Gougan Barra and Lamesnt to Morty Oge. memorial to Father Walsh PP leaving Bantry. Attending Great Meeting re Poor Law in 1840, Bantry, gave a speech promoting reeclamation of waste, mine development, employment rather than charity. 1846 distress meeting Bantry.1832 contacted fever attending Cholera Hospital Bantry voteof thanks by John Y. Kingston.Southern Reporter and Cork Commercial Courier 28 April 1831

Death from Cholera Skibbereen 1830s:

James Swanton Vickery (C1837-1908) from West Cork, to Stockbroking in Australia.

Southern Reporter and Cork Commercial Courier 26 May 1838

The Birds were prominent in Bantry for centuries as fish merchants, adn land holders.

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 13.17.43

…

…


Screen Shot 2018-10-14 at 20.34.10

‘ok-pat-bl_0000876_18380526_018_0003 (2)

…

..

Gallery

Slides or Jigs? Polkas or Reels?

10 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

This gallery contains 7 photos.


Originally posted on Roaringwater Journal:
Two young musicians – from the collection of Tomás Ó Muircheartaigh, who documented life in rural Ireland…

Linen Weaving Convent of Mercy, Skibbereen, West Cork, 1889, with the assistance of Sir William Ewart, Belfast.

09 Monday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


durrushistory's avatarWest Cork History

1-IMG_2604

Courtesy De La Salle, Skibbereen, publication.

Flax West Cork
https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/flax-growing-in-west-cork/

Sir Richard Cox, Flax,

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/3264/

View original post

Dicul, Irish Monk and teacher at Court of Charlemagne, geographer and author of De Astronomium 814 AD taught by Brother Fidelmus of Fermanagh who went to Egypt to measure Pyramids and Astronomy in Ireland AD 442-1133.

09 Monday May 2016

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment


durrushistory's avatarWest Cork History

Dicul, Irish Monk and teacher at Court of Charlemagne, geographer and author of De Astronomium 814 AD taught by Brother Fidelmus of Fermanagh who went to Egypt to measure Pyramids and Astronomy in Ireland AD 442-1133.

From Google Books:

http://books.google.ie/books?id=0fgIAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT97&lpg=PT97&dq=diciul+geographer&source=bl&ots=6yCaAowXRF&sig=0evntInzpAeCmQsUgOOSSrrwZkU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HicwVISjEYTd7Qa76oDwAg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=diciul%20geographer&f=false

View original post

← Older posts
Newer posts →

Blog Stats

  • 840,672 hits

16th Regiment of Foot assisted female emigration australia ballyclough bantry bay caithness legion cavan regiment of militia cheshire fencibles coppinger's court inbhear na mbearc Irish words in use 1930s lord lansdowne's regiment mallow melbourne ned kelly new brunswick O'Dalys Bardic Family. o'regan Personal Memoirs rosscarbery schull sir redmond barry sir walter coppinger st. johns sydney Townlands treaty of limerick Uncategorized university of Melbourne victoria

16th Regiment of Foot assisted female emigration australia ballyclough bantry bay caithness legion cavan regiment of militia cheshire fencibles coppinger's court inbhear na mbearc Irish words in use 1930s lord lansdowne's regiment mallow melbourne ned kelly new brunswick O'Dalys Bardic Family. o'regan Personal Memoirs rosscarbery schull sir redmond barry sir walter coppinger st. johns sydney Townlands treaty of limerick Uncategorized university of Melbourne victoria
Follow West Cork History on WordPress.com
Follow West Cork History on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 518 other subscribers

Feedjit

  • durrushistory's avatar durrushistory

Archives

  • December 2025
  • November 2025
  • October 2025
  • September 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • West Cork History
    • Join 518 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • West Cork History
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...