Martin Downes 1869 - 1935

[Dermo_D]

My great-grandfather Martin Downes was born in 1869 in Ballyvaskin, Co. Clare. His parents were Michael and Bridget (nee Honan) and they ran a small farm in Ballyvaskin South. Martin married Bridget Hynes in 1897 in Kilkee. She was a daughter of John Hynes and Margaret Sheedy who had a butchers shop in Kilkee. Martin and Bridget had three children – Michael (my grandfather) born 1898, Margaret (Madge) born 1903, and Gerardine (Ena) born 1914. They may have had two other children who did not survive, but I’m not certain about that yet. They lived in Albert Road (now O’Curry Street), Kilkee but moved to Merchants Quay, Kilrush sometime before 1911.

Bridget died in 1914 and Martin married Susan Queally in 1925 in St. Joseph's Church, Miltown Malbay. They lived in Cappagh, Kilrush.

Martin worked for the South (West) Clare Railway as a fireman and later as an engine driver. I don’t know when he started with SCR, but he retired in February 1935. Martin died in July 1935.

I would be very interested in finding out some more about Martin and Bridget. I have some basic names and dates info about Martin and Bridget’s siblings but little else. I would also like to find out more about Martin’s second wife, Susan. I’ve done a lot of research about Susan, and while I have found some leads, I’ve not been able to confirm any of them so far. Finally, if anyone has any photos of Martin, Bridget, Susan or their families, I’d really appreciate if you could post them here.

[miriam scahill]

Hi - I pressed a few buttons on http://www.clarelibrary.ie - and found that your Great Great Grandmother lived at Ballyvaskin South, Ballyvaskin, on Census of 1901 This area is in the Parish of Kilfarboy - Parish Church is in Milltown. This info can be found on http://www.clarelibrary.ie - GENEALOGY - then Research Support on bottom right of page - lots of docs. Re Kilkee - there are photos on http://www.clarelibrary.ie - foto web - select Murphy/Hynes Collection Kilkee. Ms. Hynes was Head Librarian and her Father had a Butchers shop at O'Connell St./Market Sq. - could be connected to your family. To see a great photo of Merchant's Quay - around time your Great Grandad lived there - log on to http://www.facebook.com and then Kilrush Local History Group - photo no. 45.
To find out more about Susan Quealy - you would need a copy of marriage cert. This can be got from http://www.groireland.ie - which is the General Register Office - your would need some ref. nos. There are a few Susans on the Census. Again on http://www.clarelibrary.ie - foto web - great photos on South West Clare Railway.
Hope this info is of help. Miriam.

[Kevin J. O'Brien]

I have attached a copy of the baptism records from the Kilfarboy Baptism records for the children of Michael Downes and Bridget Honan. I hope this helps.
Have fun researching.

Kevin J. O'Brien

[Dermo_D]

Miriam - Many thanks for all the pointers and the photo of Merchants Quay. I love those old photos! I suspect you might be right about Ms. Hynes being connected to the family. That's a good tip and I'll do some research on that. Regarding clarelibrary.ie, what a great website. I've picked up loads of really useful information. I've spent so much time there over the past year or so that they might just start to charge me rent! .

Kevin - this is a great bit of "new" information for me and much appreciated. It helps a lot, so many thanks for posting.

Best regards,
Dermot Downes

[miriam scahill]

Hi Dermot - glad you like the photo of Merchants Quay - I would say it was taken when Martin worked there 100 yrs ago. I too found great documents on http://www.clarelibrary.ie - Genealogy. The Clare Library won an award for the site. I have managed to identify the grave of Bridget - d 1914. No inscription for Martin or his second wife, Susan. This info is on the Genealogy page - donated material - graveyard inscriptions - then select Shankill / Old Shanakyle, Kilrush - and you will see it is grave no. 6 - just inside wall on left side of graveyard - called the east side. My own ancestors are not far from it. I also looked at familysearch.org - and saw that Susan died in 1945 (I think) - born 1892 and there is a Susan Quealy on the Census of 1901 aged 8 from the Kilmaley area - father David - not very far from Millltown. Did you see on Census of 1901 re your Great great grandmother at Ballyvaskin that her granddaughter, Bridget Fitzpatrick, was staying with her - and the Fitzpatricks lived in house No. 2 - next door to Downes's.?? There is also a photo of Cappa on the Kilrush Local History Group - taken when family lived at Cappa.
There is another site with lots of photos of Kilrush - it is called http://kilrushconnect.multiply.com/
Hope this is of help. Miriam.

[Dermo_D]

Hi Miriam - Thanks again for the pointers. I've found Bridget's graveyard inscription so that's another little nugget to add to my collection. I've seen the 1901 census for the Downes's and the link with Fitzpatrick's in house no. 2. Interesting that in the 1911 census, Fitzpatricks were in house no.1, and the Downes's (Michael, Martin's brother) were in house number 11. I think Martin's sister Bridget married Michael Fitzpatrick. I also found Bridget Downes living alone in Leeds (Ballyvaskin DED) in the 1911 census - and that conjures up a rather sad picture! Although there is a small discrepancy in her age, I think this is probably Martin's mother, so I need to try to find her death cert and see if that helps.

Regarding Susan, I've got a copy of the marriage cert. It shows that Susan was a spinster of full age and had an address of Dough, Kilkee at the time of her marriage. There is no occupation recorded for her. Her father was Martin and he was a farmer. That, unfortunately, would rule out the Susan you found on the 1901 census. Susan's surname is spelt "QueaLLy" on the marriage cert but I tried the census search using both a single-L and a double-L but I've drawn a blank on both the 1901 and 1911 census.

However, one other interesting thing about the marriage cert is that the witnesses are Michael Fitzpatrick and Bridgie O'Dwyer. I'm guessing Michael Fitzpatrick is one of the Fitzpatrick's you found in house no 2 on the 1901 census. It's probably the son (Martin's nephew) as Michael Sn. would have been about 86 at the time of the marriage if he was still living at that stage. It'll be interesting to follow-up on that theory, but for now, that's for another day.

I also found a few possible matches for Susan's death on familysearch.org. You mention a death in 1945. I didn't find that but found a couple of other possibles. Both are in 1942 - one born in 1883 and the other in 1892. There's another death in 1941, but with a birth year of 1861, I think that's unlikely. I'll need to get the death certs for the first two and see if that helps.

Anyway, lots more researching to be done and thanks again for your interest.

Best regards,
Dermo

[miriam scahill]

Hello Dermot = I meant to say 1942 in my reply - I would need a second computer to check when I don't write down what I find the first time. !! The Clare Library - Genealogy page - gives a list of 1901 Census for surnames - and you will see that there aren't many names with QUEALLY - mostly QUEALY - with Susan aged 8 at Ballycooda, Kilclogher - which is in the Parish of Kilmaley - this fits Susan Downes's age in 1942 - her birthday was obv. after the Census date. - 9 in 1901. Have you got a copy of Marriage Cert for Susan & Martin ?? - this should show her father as David. I would say she was working in Kilkee as shown as 'place of residence' - but she married in Milltown which was nearer to her family home. There are differences in Census of 1901 and 1911 - the enumerator didn't start at the same house for both of them. I found it hard to figure out some streets in Kilrush - where I am from - but sometimes found a family which was still there 60 yrs. later - and so could see where house no. 1 was. !! Clare Library Genealogy also has 'Donated Material' - Graveyard inscriptions - and I see that your Great great grandfather is buried in Dromminphonta cemetery - d. Jan. 1915 - so it was sad that Martin lost his wife and father in a year. I wonder is Martin buried in grave No. 6 at |Old Shanakyle ?? There is a Registrar for New Shanakyle cemetery - and might have some info on Old Shanakyle. If it is so - wouldn't it be nice to have his name on headstone ?
Miriam.

[miriam scahill]

Hi Dermot - re my last post - apologies - I am a gombeen for not reading your reply thoroughly !! Anyway - it looks as if Susan Quealy is from Lisheenfurror which is in Parish of Moyarta - not too far from Kilkee - the parish church is in Carrigaholt. Her Dad is dead by the time of the 1901 Census - she is aged 19 and living with her mother, Bridget and brothers and sisters - - search Census 1901 for her putting in DED MOYARTA - There seems to be a mistake in age for Susan Downes who died in 1942 - it poss. should be 1882 to 1942. You could get a copy of her birth cert. to confirm her father's name. I see on family search that Martin QUALEY died in early 1890's - death cert. will show next of kin. This would be the Irish sound of the name.
I think this info will add a bit to your family tree. !! My Great grandfather was from Mullagh - not far from Milltown and also worked on railway - and would have known yours.
Miriam.

[Dermo_D]

Hi Miriam,

Apologies for not replying sooner - I've become somewhat pre-occupied with work and haven't been able to follow up as quickly as usual. Again, thanks for the pointers. Susan if still proving quite difficult to track down. At this stage, I really need to get her birth cert. so I plan to call into the GRO in Dublin to get a copy as soon as I get a chance along with the death cert. Unfortunately, that'll have to wait for a couple of weeks due to work committments.

I think the gravestone inscription you found for Michael who died in 1915 aged 53 is Martin's brother rather than his father. But this is a good find as it ties up another "mystery" and it also drew my attention to an inscription in Drumminaphonta for grave no. 167 (Fitzpatrick). I think this man married Martin's sister, Bridget. All the dates tie in with what I know about them so far, so this is another good find.

I haven't been able to find out where Martin was buried. I don't know what the tradition was in those days when someone remarried - I wonder would it have been usual for the deceased to be buried with their first spouse? There is a possibility that Martin's son (my grandfater Michael) might be buried in grave no. 6 in Old Shanakyle with his mother. He was a Volunteer who joined the Free State Army and was shot and killed in 1922. As far as I know, he was buried in the Kilrush area, but I haven't been able to track down his grave. I'll try contacting the Registrar for New Shanakyle cemetery as you suggested and see if that leads anywhere.

Anyway, thanks again and best regards,
Dermot