The Story of Ancestral Water
The Grady family journey begins in County Galway, Ireland when Mary Dolly is persuaded by her brother, John, to go to "Amerikay". They leave parents and family and sail to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1844, a year before Ireland's Potato Famine. Mary and James Grady, who was also from the town of Tuam, County Galway, married in late 1847. A baby, born in early 1848, died in infancy.
Excited by the news of gold in California, James took a steamer to Chagres, Panama from New Orleans in early 1849. Realizing she was again pregnant, Mary followed James on the steamship "Falcon" and overtook him in Panama City, where he was sick with fever. Eventually they gained passage on the Chilean bark "Eugenia" and landed in San Francisco in early November 1849. Their baby, James Thomas, was born on Christmas Day 1849.
Jack Grady O'Neil was born in San Francisco, California in 1951. He is the oldest of five children and a musician since the age of 11. Jack originally played drums but switched to guitar by his late teens so that he could better front and sing in groups. Over the last twenty-five years he has been in numerous cover bands. Jack also plays mandola and piano.
Always a songwriter, Jack wrote the song "Ancestral Water" for his mother's family reunion in 1999, which celebratied the familiy's 150 years in San Francisco. The song tells the story of James and Mary Grady's journey from New Orleans to San Francisco. Over the next few years, Jack added more original songs, rounding out the story of his great-great-grandparents' lives.
In October of 2006, Jack, in partnership with musician, arranger and producer Bryan Daley, began making the album ANCESTRAL WATER. The CD is a total of 16 tracks: two original instrumentals, nine original songs with vocals and five short instrumentals from the public domain. The music is a rhythmic, acoustic-based, Celtic-influenced folk-rock.
Designed by fellow Grady family member, cousin Greg Skewis, the CD is available in a rich and beautiful package utilizing celebrated lithographs from 1850, and includes a ten page lyric fold-out with historical references.
ANCESTRAL WATER by Jack Grady O'Neil is a worthy addition to your music collection.
. Jack at the 12 Bens Mountains
in the Connemara Region, Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher, County Claire, Ireland
The song playing is "Sunrise On Ancestral Water"
