A chapter of the Corcoran family history came full circle last month with Ruth Corcoran making a pilgrimage to the region.
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The trip was in celebration of Ms Corcoran's brother, Owen's, 70th birthday, who passed away two and a half years ago in Ireland, while they were both on a trip to visit the Corcoran clan in County Tipperary.
A descendent of Roger Corcoran, who was sent to Australia in 1816 after burning down an English barracks, in protest of military coercion, Ruth said the trip to Boorowa was a fantastic way to celebrate her brother's birthday and their connection to history.
"It's just bringing together some more Corcorans and learning about our history," she said.
"If it wasn't for Roger, none of us would be here now, so it's more of a pilgrimage for Owen, Roger and all the Corcorans."
Joining Ruth on her journey was Ciara Corcoran, one of the descendants of the Corcorans who remained in Ireland.
Ruth said the trip was also an opportunity for Ciara to experience Boorowa.
"I went and met Ciara's family and all the Corcorans over there, I felt like I'd come home when we went there," she said.
"I felt like I'd been adopted and found my natural family, Owen had already met them, so when we went back together in 2019 none of us realised what would happen [Owen passing away] two days after we landed in Ireland.
"It just put a whole new context on the whole thing.
"So, it's a bit of a ceremony for both myself and Ciara, Roger Corcoran was born on her family's land and now she is here to see where he was buried."
Ciara said it was a surreal experience to be one of the few Irish Corcorans to make it out to the Boroowa region.
"There's been Australian cousins coming to my house for as long as I can remember," she said.
"Fran's (Frances Corcoran) book, "From Unlikely Beginnings" was written, and all of these Aussies started following their roots and after having so many years of people visiting my house, it's quite strange and surreal to be on the other side.
"The original story of Roger burning down the barracks and getting sent over here, the whole history of England and Ireland isn't strange to me, but it's funny when it hits your own door 'Oh, my family were involved in that'.
"It is cool to finally put it all together because everyone who came to my house is a daughter of this person or a cousin of that person and I would think, I don't know who any of these people are.
"Now it makes sense, seeing everything around here.
"My brother has come over and my Aunt Mary has been here, so I am one of the few that have been over, but like I said, it's a little bit surreal to put faces to names."
Upon seeing the region Ciara said she could see why Roger had decided to stay.
"It's weird at the moment because it's green, everyone has told me that in summer it's not normally green," she said.
"It's also very strange seeing the Corcoran name around the place and other Irish names and place names.
"There is Irish history in a lot of places, but when you walk into somewhere that's not commercially Irish and you have your own connection to it, it's surreal.
"It makes you a bit homesick too because I've seen everybody visit so much at home, my Mum would love to see this, or my Dad would love to see this."
Ruth said she always thanks Roger for his 1815 political protest.
"For me, I've always struggled to be patriotic about Australia, I'm Australian and live here, but you have all these other people who have history in other countries," she said.
"You go to England or Europe and there is such a history, while ours is so young.
"But to trace that history, thanks to Frances, linking us all together and then to go over and meet the Corcorans over there.
"Seeing the likenesses and physical appearances, it's helped me find meaning, those roots and that connection."
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