Youtube for Family History

In her latest blog, Lisa Louise Cook recommended that Youtube.com is a good place to get the flavor of our ancestral homes. I decided to give it a try, using Drumquin, County Tyrone, Ireland as my test case. Why Drumquin?
1. My Buchanan ancestors lived nearby in the early 1800s.
2. We have two Y-DNA matches in the area.
3. I have been in contact with several others researching Buchanan families in the area.
4. The name is unusual, perhaps unique. This should cause fewer false hits.
5. A rural Irish village is probably more like it used to be in the early 1800s than major centers I could have chosen, such as London or Liverpool.

So what did I find? There were a lot of youtube videos about Drumquin. Most were enjoyable.

The one that really captivated me was Margo O'Donnell singing "The Hills Above Drumquin". Her lilting Irish voice and the haunting Irish music was spell-binding to me. (I am also a fan of Canada's Rita MacNeil, who has a similar voice.) 

I had read the words to the song once before, but the singing and the music took this charming song to new heights. As I listened again, I heard a reference to a nearby rural area called Kirlish, which was the home of a correspondent's ancestors. I too felt a sense of "home" in a strange way.

My Buchanan ancestors left the area in 1847 during the peak of the Great Famine, and never returned.

Thanks to Youtube.com  I can revisit the area from the comfort of my own home, any time I want.

Lisa, thanks for the wonderful suggestion!