Date/Time
Date(s) - 28/09/2024
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Categories No Categories
Join us online on Saturday, 28 September 2024 at 11 a.m. EDT for our next webinar featuring Austin Bovenizer of the Irish Palatine Association.
Killeheen is one of three parent Palatine settlement colonies on the Southwell estate at Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, Ireland, and is one of only four original settlements that were successfully colonized in Ireland. The landlord Thomas Southwell, inspired by his father-in-law’s success with Huguenot refugees in England, sought to cultivate a thriving linen industry on these fertile lands at Rathkeale.
Austin Bovenizer traces his lineage back nine generations to the arrival of Johann Adam Bovenizer in 1709. Raised amidst the rhythms of Palatine farming at Killeheen, he bears witness to a bygone era of agricultural ingenuity. His home, a sturdy testament to familial endurance, was erected by his great grand uncle, James Bovenizer, in the 1840s, echoing with the whispers of generations past.
Beyond his Bovenizer lineage, Austin’s familial connections include the Delmage, Legear, Shier, and Switzer families, weaving a network of kinship that spans both maternal and paternal lines.
It is this deep-rooted sense of heritage that fuels Austin’s passion as the driving force behind the Irish Palatine Association, which he co-founded in 1989. Austin’s fervent hope is for individuals of Irish Palatine descent worldwide to recognize and rally behind the Association’s mission, breathing new life into its endeavours. As the organization undergoes a period of rejuvenation, he envisions a future where the collective efforts of its members yield a strengthened and revitalized entity, poised to preserve and celebrate the enduring legacy of the Palatine settlers.
Register here for this event. Once you register, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to join on the day.
