Carrucan Family of Fanore and Fisherstreet

[Jim Martin]

CARRUCAN FAMILY HISTORY FELLOWSHIP ~ Interest Fisherstreet & Fanore ,in mid 19th©

Greetings Carrucan kinsfolk and interested Family History contacts, wherever you may be.

We are delighted to hear of the continuing and unstinting hospitality of the Irish family in Fanore.

This year John Martin and Frank & Kathy Carrucan have spent time with Patsy & Anne. Over the years nearly twenty Australians have made their pilgrimage to Fanore, perhaps to the amazemet of the locas!

Now Melbournians have had the opportunity to reciprocate.  Michael and Gillian Carrucan are visiting Victoria.  Michael's father, 'Mick' is now the Patriarch of the Irish family,living in Ballyvaughan.

Our guests visited Eltham, where the members of the family from Fanore & Fisherstreet settled on Tuesday 2nd December and met seven descendants. The Eltham Historical Society Museum opened it's doors wide in welcome with a special display of Carrucan family material. It is centred on the the Old Courthouse and Police Station. After lunch at the Eltham hotel, the party visitrd the family sites the School, “Culla Hill' and the Cemetery.

For the rest of their stay, Michael and Gillian have embarked on a self drive tour around Vistoria being welcomed by family at Woodford, Maldon, Ballarat and Echucathrough some of Australian's finest scenery and historic towns. We are grateful to our hosts for their welcome and cooperation.

The Dispersion of the Carrucan family commenced in 1853-4 with the emigration of Bridget. The family living in Fisherstreet, County Clare and had a farm a few miles distant at Fanore.

Bridget came to Melbourne in Victoria, Australia and two years later married and settled at Eltham, a settlement some 20 miles north east of Melbourne. She was quickly followed by her brothers Patrick and Peter who also setled in Eltham [1857]. Five years later, after their father, Patrick, died, their mother, Bridget [neé Gorman] joined them, leaving their elder brother Michael on the farm.

At about the same time, Denis, of another Carrucan family in Fisherstreet also emigrated [1866]. In later years two of Micahel's children migrated to the USA. One branch of Peter's line has settled in New Zealand and another in West Australia

It is four years since the celebration in 2004 of the Sesqui Centenary of the beginning of the dispersion of the Carrucan family from Fisherstreet and Fanore to Australia, the USA and New Zealand.

At those celebrations we  published Volume II of "Dirt Poor ~ Spirit Rich" the family Tree as exact as possible [copies in the Clare County Library and the Clare Heritage Centre].  This is now out of print.  We should like to update it as the first Volume of family histories, recollections and stories, is now taking shape.

We are interested to contact any researchers focussing on life in Fisherstreet/Fanore and surrounding areas of the Burren during the mid Nineteenth Century.

Jim Martin <jandh@alphalink.com.au>