Mayo families invited to Rowland/Rowley heritage gathering in Lahardane

Families bearing the Rowland or Rowley surname are being invited to a special gathering in Lahardane next month to explore their shared Connaught roots.

The event takes place on Wednesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Leonard's Pub and Grocery, Lahardane, and is open to anyone with the Rowland or Rowley name or ancestral ties to either family.

The gathering has been organised by three distant cousins, Tyler Rowland from New York City, Kathy Vreeland from New Hampshire, and Mark Rowley from Scarborough in England who connected three years ago through Y-DNA surname testing.

Since then, the trio have collaborated online tracing their family roots across a number of Mayo communities, including Addergoole, Crossmolina, Glenhest and Killasser, uncovering links between various branches of the Rowland and Rowley families.

The April event will bring together local families and visiting cousins from abroad, with organisers hoping attendees will share stories, photographs, documents and family traditions to help piece together their shared lineage.

Those with connections to the families, whether based in Mayo or further afield, are encouraged to attend.

For further information, contact Tyler Rowland at RowlandRowleyFamily@gmail.com.