Cassidys of Killaloe

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Sean Cassidy
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Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:41 pm

Greetings All,

My father, Richard, recently passed away, and after perusing through his pictures and other belongings, I realized that information regarding his father and mother were rather scarce. Though I found several old pictures of the my grandparents in Ireland, I found little to no written geneological information. Both my grandparents perished before I was old enough to question them about their backgrounds and families.

I come to this forum with the express hope of starting the process to learn more about my forebearers and, possibly, connect with decendants who took up in other parts of the world.

Here's what I do know: my father's father, Francis ("Frank") Cassidy was born on or around 1900 in John's Lane, Killaloe, Co. Clare. According to info. from the 1901 Census of Clare, Frank's parents names were Joseph and Mary, and his syblings (all older at this point in time) were John, Mary, Joseph, Ellen, Thomas, Michael, Bridget, Peter and William. I recall my father telling me that Frank was the second to last born, so there's one more sybling whose name I'm missing.

The Census indicated that Frank's father, John, was born in Co. Limerick.

I know that Frank became an officer in the Irish Free State Army. I have a document memorializing Frank's promotion to Second Lieutenant signed by WT Cosgrave (Liam MacCosgair) in 1924, and I have his army-issued sword. I know that Frank was wounded in battle, but I never learned the extent of his injuries. Displeased with the state of politics at the time, Frank boarded a ship in "Cobh (Queenstown)" called the SS Cedric on 2/2/1927 and arrived in New York on March 27, 1927. His shipping documents indicate he was meeting a friend by the name of Thomas Burgoyne in Jersey City, NJ.

Contrary to the Clare Census information, Frank's shipping documents indicate his mother's name was "Nora." (No indication was given regarding his father's name which leads me to believe that had likely died by then).

Frank sent for my grandmother, Patricia O'Driscoll (from Schull, Co. Cork) in September 1934, and they were married in New Jersey. After briefly living in Jersey City, the couple moved to Union, NJ and lived there until their respective deaths. Frank died in 1969, and Patricia died in 1988.

Frank and Patricia had twins: Richard (my Dad) and Frankie. They also had a daughter, Peggy. Frankie died at 18 months from leukemia. Ironically enough, my father died from leukemia as well just last month. Cancer took Peggy around 9 years ago. She had two kids, Christine and Patrick. I have one sister, Claudine, who is married to Henry Czerny, and they have a son, Cameron.

That's what I know. Any help on Frank's siblings or futher history would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Sean Cassidy
Last edited by Sean Cassidy on Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.

smcarberry
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by smcarberry » Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:38 am

Condolences regarding your father's passing. Sad, too, that you have so many parts of your Irish lineage not known as yet.
However, why not cut to the chase and call this person who is very accustomed to Americans based on his B n' B business:
Siobhan Cassidy, Derg House, Kevin Parade, Killaloe, (061 375599)

While you do so, kindly inquire if the family still has any knowledge of a connection with the Donnellans, as the 1901
census showed a visitor (i.e. boarder or family friend ?) in the household by the name of Michael Donnellan, a young boatman born Tipperary. I am a descendant of a Clare-born Michael Donnellan, with a Clare-born son Michael yet missing after an 1849 eviction in a town roughly 15 miles east of Killaloe. The possibility remains that the son was taken in by relatives in another
county and remained there. His American relatives have had no knowledge of this son, although I have found all the rest of
both the Carberry and Donnellan families. My own family was in the Paramus (NJ) area when I came along.

Sharon Carberry
now in Georgia

Sean Cassidy
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:27 pm

Thank you, Sharon, for your condolences and for the suggestion re: Siobhan. I will contact him and inquire about Donnellan.

Sean Cassidy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:44 pm

I spoke with Siobhan and her husband John, and his Cassidy family is from the north. No luck there. He suggested I contact Kay at the Killaloe library. I just tried them, but they must've closed for the day.

smcarberry
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by smcarberry » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:52 am

Sean

Sorry for what turned out to be a bum steer - just hoping to provide a shortcut. Now it's back to standard resources; I
hope the Killaloe library contact is fruitful. The biographical notices on the Clare Library website may be a good place to
start, particularly if Kay in the library is willing to provide details from a look-up. Even your grandfather Frank's is there.

If it is any consolation, my research almost got a boost when the Clare FM radio station broadcast my cousin's letter to
the newspaper editor and our Kilkishen cousin responded. Even though she fully shared the oral history she had and
made inquiries around the town for us, no one has anything on my own family and what I have found indicates discrepancies in their family's background, which I don't have the heart to tell them. So, it was a pleasant exchange but nothing useful
for making family history progress.

Keep me in mind as a sounding board when you find something and want to talk over directions to take.

Sharon C.

Sean Cassidy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:15 pm

Sharon,

No need to apologize re: your suggestion; I had planned on contacting Siobhan anyway, as I had found her name in one of my own searches. I actually had a pleasant conversation with Siobhan and her husband, John. They were eager to try to help and were very supportive. John even gave me a good natured ribbing for being related to "Uncle Bill" (Bill Clinton). He said, "whether you're a democrat or republican, you can't change yer name, boy." Good stuff.

Even your grandfather Frank's is there.

I do have to ask for a little clarification on the above phrase if you don't mind.

I'll will be sure to keep you posted on my progress, and thanks again for taking interest in my plight.

Take care,
Sean

smcarberry
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Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: USA

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by smcarberry » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:24 pm

Sean,

I pretty well figured that you had already scoped out the Clare County Library site for Cassidy listings. In case you have
not, here is the entry for the local Clare newspaper's "biographical notice" regarding your grandfather (I can't imagine
that these details fit anyone else):
Cassidy Francis Killaloe (New Jersey) 10 May 1969 Death

That and other Cassidy items are at:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... pionc3.htm


Sharon C.

Sean Cassidy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:05 pm

The Killaloe library suggested I try to find one Annie Darcy. Kay, from the library, informed me that Annie is Killaloe's oldest citizen (I think she's 92) and that she is a Cassidy. This is the same woman with whom my father and his wife visited approximately 8 or 9 years ago.

I found her phone number, called and spoke with her daughter, Mary. Annie is indeed the daughter of Michael, my grandfather's older brother. Mary has further information on Frank's other siblings and their descendants which she kindly volunteered to write down and mail to me.

Sharon, I will further inquire as to Michael Donnellan.

Thanks,
Sean

smcarberry
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by smcarberry » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:56 am

Outstanding, Sean. A great result, thanks to a gene for long life. I hope you can meet Annie and Mary on your next trip
across the pond. Yes, indeed, if Michael Donnellan comes up in conversation, I will happily receive any details.

Sharon C.

Paddy Casey
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Paddy Casey » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:58 am

Neat work there, Sean.

This again shows the value of the telephone for picking up family history information (see also http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... =phone#p31 ). I know it costs more than email and texting but sometimes it can open up a floodgate. Seems to have done so here.

Did you manage to speak to Annie herself ? If not, cancel everything and get over there right away ! She might open up a real cornucopia of family reminiscences :wink:

Paddy

Sean Cassidy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:44 pm

I did indeed speak with Annie herself, albeit very briefly - she was having a hard time hearing me so she put Mary on the phone.

I wish I could drop everything and go pay them a visit, but it's just not in the cards now.

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone.

-Sean

Sean Cassidy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:06 pm

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:05 pm

Sharon,

Although I have yet to receive the promised geneological info from Annie Darcy's daughter, Mary, I have found my grandfather's (Frank's) original birth and baptismal certificate. One of the sponsors listed is Ellen Cassidy, and the other is, you guessed it, Michael Donnellan.

I hope the info from Mary shines more light on this for your benefit as well as mine. Take care.

Regards,
Sean

smcarberry
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Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: USA

Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by smcarberry » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:03 pm

Sean,

That is actually startling. Thanks so much for telling me. Such a mystery, but in time perhaps there will be more. I could
use any details about this Michael Donnellan, such as traits, skills, and of course, any related family, as well as places that
they lived. As for physical appearance, the Donnellans of Galway (from which mine descended) have a particular look,
which is a broad forehead, very rectangular face, and a strong, straight nose. On this Forum there are photos of my ggrandfather Patrick Carberry and his daughter Bernadette who have that appearance due to Patrick's mother Catherine being by birth a Donnellan (sister of the missing Michael b. 1837 Clare). Those can be retrieved by using Bernadette as a search word in the Forum's search engine (see the upper right of the screen for the small blue "Search" link). When you visit with Annie, hopefully there will be access there to the Internet so she can see the photos and see if that jogs any memory. With no oral story in my family as to Michael, it may well be that he was farmed out to someone after the family's 1949 eviction and so he could have ended up in Tipperary, staying in Eire while his sisters came to the U.S. Of course,
they did not read and write, so no communication was not possible. And it was common to let the big tragedies recede in
time, without re-telling or mention of long-lost relatives.

Well now we should hear more about that Michael D.'s relationship with the Cassidys. What a great story. Thanks for sharing.

Sharon C.

Paddy Casey
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Cassidys of Killaloe: using identi-sketches

Post by Paddy Casey » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:11 am

Although I am not related to this family I am fascinated as I "watch over your shoulders" while you add these heterogeneous bits of information to the "jigsaw". A real detective story ! Please continue !

Re. showing photos to "witnesses" to see whether they can identify a relative, there is an alternative way of doing this using quasi-Identikit technology. If your witness has the time and patience to sit with you in front of a computer screen for a few minutes you can assemble a sketch of the relative in question to match your witness's description, i.e. you ask the witness "Was the face broad or narrow ?", "Was her nose sharp or blunt ?", "Were her eyebrows prominent ?", etc., etc., and in a very short time you have your sketch.

The attached image was assembled in literally 180 seconds using the free Ultimate Flash Face ( http://flashface.ctapt.de/ ). If you are ambitious and artistic you can improve it with Photoshop or another image editing programme (e.g. change the colour of the hair or the tint of the skin) but this kind of basic sketch provides most of the information needed for identification.

This method has at least two applications in the field of family history. If you have a photo of the relative you wish to identify, rather than immediately showing it to your witness and thus suggesting an answer which may be in error (errors like this have even got innocent people hanged), you can first assemble an Identisketch with the help of the witness and then compare it with the photo. The method is also invaluable where you have no photo. You can ask acquaintances of your Uncle Joe what he looked like and in a short while you have a sketch which has his acquaintances saying "Yeah, exactly, that's him !" (they mean, of course "that's he", but there's probably not much one can do about that).

Try it out. If nothing else you'll probably have fun with your witnesses and relatives.

Paddy
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Sean Cassidy
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Re: Cassidys of Killaloe

Post by Sean Cassidy » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:52 pm

Ok, Sharon, I have a bit more info for you.

I again called Annie and Mary. Though I'm not pushing her, Mary assured me that she's working on putting together the geneological information for me, but I called to ask specifically about Michael Donnellan. Mary consulted with the encyclopedic Annie to deliver the following information.

Michael was indeed a boatman who worked on the canals in Killaloe delivering, among other things, coal and Guinness. And, according to Annie, Michael married one of my grandfather's sisters, Molly.

(Now, Molly wasn't included in the 1901 census, so she obviously came along after my grandfather Frank (in 1900) - unless, I'm overlooking the "nickname" factor - perhaps "Molly" is actually "Mary" who was 19 during the 1901 census. This would make more sense because Michael Donnellan was 22 in 1901).

Annie does report that M.D. came from "Banagher" or perhaps a town even closer to Killaloe. Molly ended up returning to Killaloe, but M.D. never did (for whatever reason - they did not know). Molly is buried with the rest of the Cassidys in Killaloe, but they don't know where M.D. is buried.

Mary is going to do more research as to Michael Donnellan for us - she is very sweet and accomodating. So, that's all I have for now, and I hope there's more to come.

Take care,
Sean

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