namesakes & history

   My ancestors came to the States from County Clare Ireland. My family is big on remembering the past, so often parents will throw the name Clare in their child's moniker. The strange thing is, most of our Clares are boys. We have Frank Clares, Ed Clares, John Clares and Claras (those are girls). As southerners many of us have double names; mine being Eliza Claire. My mother, a Parisian at heart, has great respect for the French culture and language, added an i. Claire translates to light in French, making my name mean follower of God's light. She thought it had a nice ring to it.
   As the my blog consists of a few of my thoughts, opinions, ideas and stories it had to have a name that represents me. I decided to name it Southern County Claire to acknowledge my past and my present. I often look to the past for guidance. My father, a history buff, says some of the worst things that have happened in the world are due to people who repeat history because they are not knowledgable of the past. So either that discussion was a warning to do better in history class or never repeat your mistakes, I took it to heart and you should too.