Hi Robin
Well, I see now that the attachment “Matthew article” on page 1 refers to Bridget as the sister of Johnny Patterson the famous circus clown, but she was his daughter (she was only 17 when she married). The record of her marriage gives her father’s name as John Patterson. When Johnny Patterson married secondly to Bridget Murray in 1888, his father was recorded as Francis; occupation: Nail Maker:
Matthew Tuohy and Bridget Patterson, 1887:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 943785.pdf
Johnny Patterson and Bridget Murray, 1888:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 927242.pdf
I’ve transcribed the attachment on Matthew because it is so interesting and should be searchable, I think:
Matthew Tuohy, born in 1844, spent some years studying for the priesthood in America but due to ill health had to return home where he helped his ageing father in the classical school. Matthew married Bridget Patterson, sister of Johnny Patterson the famous circus clown, at Killaloe on 27 July, 1887. During the eighty or so years of the school’s existence it was held in various houses, wherever the Tuohy family lived at the time. The final location of the school was the house on the Canal Bank which was occupied by Matthew’s daughter, Millie, up to her death in October, 1974.
Unfortunately, no school records can be traced and we are left without such vital information as the names of pupils, fees paid, etc. The informantion contained in the census of 1901 may be typical of the number attending at any time. In that year 19 pupils, all Catholics, were enrolled. Four pupils were over 18 years; seven were between 15 and 18, two were between 14 and 15; while six were under 14. The attendance included only one girl.
Pupils walked six or seven miles to the school from Ogonnelloe, Kilbane and Ballywilliam. Pupils from the Tuoly classical school went directly into seminaries such as All Hallows, Dublin, and to the universities. One wishes that a list of all pupils who came to occupy prominent positions could be compiled. This is however, impossible, but the following list illustrates why the Tuohy classical school occupies a unique place among the schools of Clare. Past pupils included Dr. W.G. Niall; Fr. Denis Lynch, S.J., Fr. Lot Minehan, D.D.; Dr. Alec Johnson; Dr. George Elliot; James Canon Halpin; Rev. D. Courtney; Rev. T. Lynch; Rev. M. Scanlan; Michael Canon O’Rahilly; Dr. Mary Courtney; Rev. W. Scanlan and Fr. Dan Fogarty.
Matthew Tuohy died 30 September, 1930.
The obituary notice in the Nenagh Guardian of 4 October, 1930, paid him the following tribute:
‘The deceased … was a first rate educationalist and taught classics at Killaloe and in some of the principal Catholic colleges in America in his early days. He finally, on the death of his father, took charge of the Killaloe Intermediate School, then a private concern, and the great success of the school earned for him that great scholarly reputation which he maintained throughout his long span of years in the town. He was a great classical scholar and taught Greek, Latin, German and French with wonderful results … Indeed, there are many in Killaloe, Limerick and Tipperary, both lay and clerical, who owe their high positions in life to Mr. Tuohy’s teachings. His loss to Killaloe is incalculable. Here, the young people had the unique opportunity of receiving a University education at their very doors, which many of them availed of to their own advantage, and to the betterment of their position in life.’
I’ve also transcribed the attachment on Jeremiah Tuohy (Matthew’s father);
In 1835 there were two classical schools in the town of Killaloe. One was conducted by Mr. Smith and the other by Mr. Hayes [Note 1]. No further details of these schools are available. However, one wonders if the Mr. Hayes mentioned above is the Roger Hayes who left the Aillemore hedge school in 1824.
Mr. P. O’Connor held a classical school in Killaloe during the early 1840s. The Limerick Chronicle of 25 May, 1842, has a short account of an accident in Limerick in which his son, Charles, was killed. Mr. O’Connor was a native of that city.
The outstanding local classical school of the last century and of the first quarter of this century was undoubtedly the Tuohy School taught by father and son. The founder of the school was Jeremiah (Darby) Tuohy, who was born at Lacarroe, parish of Feakle, c. 1801. Early in his career he taught in Tulla, Limerick and Nenagh. We do not know the exact date of the opening of his classical school in Killaloe, but he certainly had it established by 1844. About this time he married Catherine Frost. Two children were born of the marriage, Matthew [note 2], who succeeded his father, and Mary, who died in 1879 aged 31. Darby had two brothers, John and Michael, priests in the diocese of Killaloe who went to America c. 1850.
Maurice Lenihan, the Limerick historian, was a friend of Darby Tuohy who introduced him to the antiquities of east Clare and North Tipperary. The usual arrangement was that Maurice Lenihan would take the train from Limerick to Killaloe where Darby would have a car waiting to take them to some historic site. The notebooks of Maurice Lenihan are still extant and contain many references to his outings with Darby Tuohy [note 3].
Darby was among the best known and most sought after of the classical teachers of this transition period. The diocesan publication, Molua, of 1935 states:
‘Such academics as Darby Tuohy’s of Killaloe …(was) still there as links with another age, and persevering in the good work of Catholic education, especially of students intended for the priesthood. Indeed, posterity owes them at least this passing tribute in appreciation of their labours in days when they supplied a very crying need by offering limited facilities to students athirst for learning, or conscious of a Divine urge to the most sacred Calling.’
Darby Tuohy died on 18 July, 1880.
Record of death of Jeremiah Tuohy, widower:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 859065.pdf
Sheila
P.S. Like Jimbo, I have failed to find the author of the pieces on Jeremiah and Matthew Tuohy. I would like very much to read that book.