Information is wanted of Thomas McNamara, of Glandree,

[Jimbo]

Hi Sharon,

Thanks a lot for bringing up in another thread the probate of the will of Andrew McNamara of Laharden who left his brother Timothy the proceeds of his bank account in San Francisco.

Hi Sheila,

Yes, at one time the civil death records for the surname “McNamara” was not equivalent to “MacNamara”. Birth and marriage records were okay. Years back I sent an email to the irishgenealogy website (not NLI as incorrectly referenced previously) to fix this issue. As I recall their response was that I should use the question mark variable in my search. They may have been a bit slow to understand the issue, but at the end of the day (or month or year) it was finally fixed.

Thank you for sharing your additional research in the Mack civil records. Regarding the “MNAMARA” and “MMAHON” transcriptions, perhaps I didn’t make the situation very clear. The civil records in 1886 and 1892 are actually “McNamara”, and not “M’Namara”. It is a transcription error. Newspapers frequently type “M’Namara”, not sure why, but it is what it is and the newspaper transcriptions match. In the civil records, the Irish never spell “McNamara” as “M’Namara” in handwriting. As a test, if you were to search civil death records from 1864 to 1973 for “MNAMARA”, you would get 114 results throughout Ireland, all in the years 1886 and 1892. When you view the actual civil death record of one of these 114, it states McNamara, which has been written with an elevated “c” and transcribed as an apostrophe in error. It is a different situation than “McNamara” vs. “MacNamara”. Sure, they could just state that “MNAMARA” equals “MCNAMARA”, but it would be cleaner if they properly fixed each entry.

My approach to fix the issue is at first only to provide corrections of “MNAMARA” for County Clare reporting districts. I don’t want to overwhelm the Ministry for Tourism, Cultural Arts et al. Then, maybe a month or two later, correct “MMAHON” for County Clare. Then, MNAMARA for County Limerick. And so on. We can test the progress of the corrections by doing the same MNAMARA search for death records every month end. Will it drop from 114? I would really like to see if they will show initiative and correct all the mistakes on their own from 1886 and 1892, or will it have to be provided to them one by one. Sheila, please take no action that would modify the results of my test (have now submitted corrections for Scariff, Tulla, and Ennis).

This highlights that there are many errors in the transcriptions, which is to be expected. Thus, I am surprised when you can’t find a civil record in your research, the conclusion is frequently “it must not have been reported”. It is more likely to have been incorrectly transcribed. Sheila, one of your prior postings transcribed the long obituary for a Daniel McNamara of Cloonahella townland who died at the age of 96 years on 1 January 1872. Can you find the civil death record or shall we conclude that it went unrecorded?

http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7180

And thanks also for pointing out Sharon’s discovery of the Irish will record of Andrew McNamara of Laharden who left his San Francisco bank account to his brother Timothy. Yes, of course, I remember Andrew McNamara of Laharden. And in my defense, if you look back to my posting on 3 July 2020 (page 25), the first sentence states “Thanks for updating the discussion of the McNamara's of Laharden from pages 13 and 19”, this was meant as a polite reminder that we had already researched the McNamara’s of Laharden.

Sheila, I had meant to continue the story of Andrew McNamara back in July 2020, but we became distracted by Sister Ita McNamara of Glandree, which led to the Halpins, the murder of Michael Walsh, and Margaret Walsh Duncan of the Continental Hotel in Atlantic City. Whenever I write “to be continued” at the bottom of a posting the story it ends up being the kiss of death, and the story is inevitably hijacked. Finally, here is the story of Andrew McNamara of Laharden and San Francisco which I meant to tell in the summer of 2020:

When Andrew McNamara died in 1918 at the reported age of 80, his occupation was “gardener”. Not your typical occupation in Ireland.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 425633.pdf

In the 1875 city directory for San Francisco, Andrew McNamara, gardener, was residing at the southeast corner of Folsom and Nineteenth.

1875 City Directory of San Francisco, Andrew McNamara, gardener.jpg (33.45 KiB) Viewed 1330 times

In the 1880 SF city directory, he was still a gardener, living at 1209 Broadway. I couldn’t find him in the 1880 census, but if I searched by address he might be there under an unusual transcription of “McNamara”. Andrew doesn’t appear to have become a U.S. citizen so he doesn’t appear on the California voting registration listings (which have excellent detail, such as address, age, where naturalized if foreign born). Andrew McNamara was a gardener for Golden Gate Nursery, at the corner of Folsom and Twentieth streets, one block away from his 1875 address. The nursery was owned by a German born Frederick Bibend. The sale of the nursery would lead to Andrew’s return to Ireland.

FOR SALE—A Nursery established for a number of years. Inquire GOLDEN GATE NURSERY, corner Folsom and Twentieth streets.

The San Francisco Examiner, 26 April 1895

Andrew McNamara of Laharden must be the Andrew McNamara, age 56, who departed Boston and arrived in Queenstown on the ship Catalonia in August 1895 (per UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960). Andrew McNamara (age 55), occupation agricultural labourer, was living in Laharden at the 1901 census with his widow mother, Bridget McNamara (age 87); his brother Timothy was at the Tulla workhouse in 1901 (temporarily, as sick).

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... n/1086564/

After Andrew McNamara died in Ireland in 1918, he appears on the Hibernia Bank’s biennial report of unclaimed deposits published in a local newspaper. Andrew McNamara; last known address Golden Gate Nursery, 19th and Folsom streets, S.F.; “Dead”; held $5,652.08 in unclaimed deposits (The Recorder, 6 January 1919). A probate listing in subsequent issues stated that the will of Andrew McNamara was in probate, with a bond of $2,000 (The Recorder, 7 January 1919).

Why would Andrew McNamara of Laharden leave $5,600 in a San Francisco bank when he returned to Ireland in 1895? Very odd. That was a very large amount of money back then; his unclaimed deposit was one of the largest on Hibernia Bank’s long listing. And Andrew also held deposits at a bank in Tulla. Sheila, according to your research, on page 25, the “Rate Book for Kyle D.E.D. also shows Thady McNamara occupying a Tulla Rural District Council House, and it seems he was not keeping up with the rent”. Why were the Tulla Guardians, or I should say his rate paying neighbors in Tulla Union, subsidizing the rent of a district council house for Thady McNamara when Andrew, who I reckon as the elder brother should have been head of household, had loads of money when he returned to Ireland from California? This is fairly low level corruption, but shameful all the same.

Sheila, hopefully the story of Andrew McNamara of San Francisco has helped relieve your fixation with the name of Andrew McNamara, the witness at the 1860 marriage of Mary McNamara, the sister of the missing Civil War soldier Thomas McNamara, and James Madigan (a shoemaker).

[Sduddy]

I won’t interfere with your MNamara project. I hope it goes well and the problem resolved.

Thank you for that explanation of how Andrew came to have savings in a San Francisco bank. I had been imagining that Andrew never left Ireland, but had a brother who lived in San Francisco and who had left Andrew his savings. I thought Andrew might never have accessed those savings.
Yes, it is strange that Andrew never withdrew his San Francisco money. As for Timothy/Thady, we don’t know if he had any money of his own before 1919, and so he may, in the meantime, have qualified quite legitimately for a council house. In 1901 and 1911, it is Timothy who is the holder of the house in Derrymore East – not Andrew. Timothy died in Mar 1921, so did not have much time in which to enjoy his windfall: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 396827.pdf. Would he have had to engage some kind of legal person in order to access the savings in San Francisco?

I looked at the executors of Andrews will, made 1918: Patrick Collins of O’Callahan’s Mills, ex National Teacher, and Patrick Brennan of Tulla, shopkeeper. I think that Patrick Collins’s wife was a Brennan and that both she and Patrick (shopkeeper) were children of John Brennan who lived in Garruragh for a while. It is quite possible that Andrew chose Patrick Brennan and Patrick Collins because they were solid (respectable) citizens, and not because of any family connection.
One of the witnesses at marriage of James Maddigan in 1860 is a Thomas Brennan. I'm trying not to see any significance in that. I am coming around to seeing Andrew McNamara of Laharden as originating in Ballymacdonnell, many miles from Glendree, and probably no relation of Mary McNamara, and not the Andrew who was witness to that marriage. Just supposing that it is he who is witness, it's more likely that he was a friend or relative of James Madigan, than of Mary. But I'm not going to do any further speculation about Andrew.

Sheila

[Jimbo]

Hi Sheila,

Michael McNamara of Killanena was murdered in 1886, and yet initially I could not locate the corresponding civil death record. So I searched just for “Michael” to determine that his civil death record was transcribed as “MNAMARA” in error. We know Denis McNamara died in 1871/1872 at the age of 96, and yet we cannot locate his civil death record. Searching for any Denis who died in 1872 (the more likely reporting year), there are a whopping 668 entries. But there are only two entries for Tulla registration district. Including a 96 year old “Denis McNalty”:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... mit=Search

Examining the actual civil death record, we discover that Denis is actually a “Denis McNamara” from Coolnahella who died at the age of 96; the informant was a Daniel McNamara:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 271094.pdf

The spelling of “McNamara” looks nothing like “McNalty”, the transcription error is truly odd.

Regarding correcting the McNamara entries transcribed as “MNAMARA”, the point of only submitting corrections for Scariff (5), Tulla (2), and Ennis (4), is that ideally the person responsible at irishgenealogy for the database, should show initiative and determine if the errors submitted reflect a systemic error and correct them all. They are responsible for the accuracy of their database and should take ownership.

With the “MCNALTY” error I assumed it would only be a one off mistake, completely understandable. But, surprisingly, based upon further research today, this is not the case. McNalty is a not so common variant of McNulty; and the surnames are considered equivalent in the irishgenealogy database. Neither surname exists in County Clare (per 1901 census). Yet, a search of civil death records in Ireland for “McNalty” for the year 1872 leads to 142 results and there were 7 “McNalty” deaths reported in Tulla, including the Denis already noted. Looking at each entry, they are all clearly written “McNamara”:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... mit=Search

Search results for “McNalty” in 1872 led to 142 results. The two prior years of 1870 and 1871, had search results of 60 and 64, respectively. The two subsequent years of 1873 and 1874, had search results of 72 and 64, respectively. It appears that about 70 or so McNamara death records in 1872 were transcribed as “McNalty”. Of the 142 results in 1872, it appears that the “McNulty” results are generally correct (so the ones in error should by easy to find).

The number of “McNamara” deaths in 1872 of 125 reported is quite low compared to 1871 (160 deaths) and 1873 (179 deaths). I can understand the transcription of “MCNAMARA” as “MNAMARA”. The repeated incorrect transcription of clearly written “McNamara” as “MCNALTY” is very odd and unexpected. It would be good to get to the root cause of the error (Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?), and determine if there are similar errors in the database, but that probably won’t be possible. I’ll go ahead and find the 70 or so McNamara’s transcribed as McNalty and submit these corrections to the irishgenealogy database (it is a higher priority than the MNAMARA errors).

These mistakes do resolve a few mysteries; some that we didn’t even know were a mystery. Sheila, back in December 2018 (prior to 1872 death records being available), you made reference to the “O’Neill” letters at the Clare Library, including a depressing letter that mentioned the death of Catherine O’Neill, married to Patrick McNamara of Glandree, who died in August 1872:

Also my grandfather and grandmother are dead this long time and my Aunt, James Quinlivan's wife, was buried twelve months last August and the saddest death of all was the dear of our dear sister, Kate. She was buried a fortnight after Aunt Kitty. My sister was married three or four miles from me and was very comfortable, to a man name Patt McNamara. There is one little child after her, a daughter. She was 16 months old when her mother died. Her name is Mary Anne. Her husband did not get married since she died on her second child. She was a strong able young woman when it was God's will to take her to Himself. She is buried in Tulla. My brother thought to take her to his own place but we would not let him. I like to have her buried near where I am living.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... etters.htm

Catherine McNamara, transcribed as “Catherine McNalty” in error, of Glendree, married, age 30, died on 15 September 1872; informant Patrick McNamara, present at death Glendree (Tulla registration):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 268146.pdf

********************

Sheila, with regards to Andrew McNamara and his bank account left behind in San Francisco. The document on Family Search that Sharon discovered is the Irish will of Andrew that has been submitted by the Irish attorneys for probate in California. It is a California record. The Recorder, a San Francisco newspaper, from January 1919 published that Andrew McNamara’s will was in probate (so any of his creditors could make a claim).

When an estate of a deceased has to go through probate, an attorney will receive a statutory percentage of the estate. I assume that both the attorneys in Ireland and San Francisco would have received their cut of the $5,600 bank deposit. Not clear how much Timothy McNamara would have received of the $5,600 and how quickly. Americans generally try to avoid having the will of a deceased family member going through probate, and beforehand their assets are put in “trust”, known as a “living trust”, to avoid the costly and slow probate process.

Andrew should never have left his bank account in San Francisco. High on a hill . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC73kdOL5hk

Andrew’s will also directed, “that money on hand be used to install a monument for decedent at Killuran Church”. Not too surprisingly, I don’t see a headstone for Andrew in any of the 520 records for Killuran graveyard transcribed by Tom McDowell:

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... veyard.htm

For Andrew McNamara, I reckon, it would have been better in his lifetime to have created a monument for his mother (they were living together in Laharden in 1901), and have it engraved “Erected by Andrew McNamara”. With $5,600 in San Francisco he could have easily afforded one. Instead, he relied upon his brother Timothy, which appears to have been a mistake.

Sheila, after Mary McNamara married James Madigan in 1860, with an Andrew McNamara being the witness, the couple would move to Barnsley, Yorkshire, where James Madigan had the occupation of shoemaker. Did you notice in the San Francisco city directory of 1875, besides Andrew McNamara, the gardener, there was another Andrew McNamara, in big bold letters, a shoemaker with “retail and custom made shoes and boots” at 12 Fifth Street opposite Lincoln School?

[Sduddy]

Hi Jimbo

That is wonderful (your discovering that McNamara was transcribed as McNalty). That is a bad transcription indeed. This morning, I looked that the name McNulty in the different Unions in Co. Clare (online), and it became clear that only “McNalty”, and not McNulty, indicated a mistranscription of McNamara. As you have found, we need only looked at records for McNalty 1872 to see the full extent of the mistranscription.

I looked at the McNultys in Ennis Union records (18) and found
Daniel McNamara, who died in 1872, aged 86, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 267943.pdf

Catherine McNamara, who died 1872, aged 10 weeks, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 273817.pdf

John McNamara, who died 1872, aged 65, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 277258.pdf

James McNamara, who died 1872, aged 50, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 270912.pdf

Bridget McNamara, who died 1872, aged 55, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 277249.pdf

James McNamara, who died 1872, aged 75, Cobbler, mistranscribed as Janies McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 273821.pdf

Then I looked at McNultys in Scarriff Union records (6) and found

Catherine McNamara, who died 1872, aged 70, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 273987.pdf

Bridget McNamara, who died 1872, aged 80, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 268088.pdf

Then I looked at the McNultys in Kilrush Union records (2), both of which are mistranscriptions of McNamara: Fanny McNalty who died in 1872, and John McNalty who died in 1872.

In both Ballyvaughan Union and Corofin Unions there is only one McNalty record and both are mistranscriptions of McNamara.

In Kildysart Union there are three McNalty records – all mistranscriptions of McNamara, including an Anne McNamara who died aged 100, and surely deserved to be correctly transcribed.

In Limerick Union, which includes a large portion of Co. Clare, there are 15 McNalty records. I looked one and, sure enough, it was the usual mistranscription:
James McNamara, who died 1872, aged 54, mistranscribed as McNalty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 276883.pdf
I don't think there is any need to check the other 14.

I was very surprised, also, to see that there were no McNultys in the 1901 census, as I’d often heard the name McNulty. It was usually pronounced Macanulty (Mac an Ultaigh) and means “the son of the Ulsterman”. I associate the name with North West Clare, so I looked at the Ennistymon G.R.O. records and saw that there were 10 records for McNulty. One of those records was for McNalty and turned out to be for a Bridget McNamara, aged 2: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 277266.pdf

For anyone interested in the McNulty name, a common variation is Conoulty, of which there are 68 examples in the records for Ennistymon union.
Another common variation of the name is Kinoulty, as you will see in this record for Margaret McNulty: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 398967.pdf. There are 36 examples of Kinoulty in the records for Ennistymon union.

Jimbo, thanks for the further explanation re the Andrew McNamara savings in San Francisco. Maybe he intended to go back to San Francisco after his mother died. We will never know the full story. Yes, the other Andrew McNamara in San Francisco is interesting. Could he be the same one?

Sheila

[smcarberry]

Jimbo, I am not sure where Tom McDowell was for his 520 Killuran graveyard entries, as the Library's links no longer work on that webpage, to see either his photos taken of gravestones or the Ordnance Survey map section for the graveyard. Dates Tom recorded as being on the stones don't reach back into antiquity like the Quin friary graveyard.

There is a very good likelihood that this old MacNamara family, as of Andrew's death, was still using the ruined Killuran Church, which shows on the O.S. map as having a graveyard next to it. A similar situation occurred with Kilkishen's cut-stone church that has just 2 standing walls left, but the adjacent graveyard is still in use through to this day. A newer chapel has been in use since the early 1800s but that is on the village's main street, whereas the ruined church & the still-active graveyard are down a road near the school building of modern times, off the main street but still very accessible.

I believe the situation was a bit different for the old Killuran graveyard and ruined church, which are on the actual townland of Killuran, way over to its western edge, near the townland of Killuranbeg - more remote from the modern RC chapels in the villages of O'Callaghan's Mills and Broadford. Someone needs to hike out to the old Killuran ruins and see what may be there for McNamara graves. Here is T.J. Westropp's description:
127. KILLURAN, Sheet 36.—Parish church. 19 feet of the south wall stood in 1839. There was a window in it (not named in O. S. Letters); now entirely levelled. I found a late carved stone head in 1893. Founder unknown. “Kelldubiran,” 1302; “Ciliubrain,” 1390

https://clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/h ... barony.htm

[Jimbo]

Hi Sharon,

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Killuran cemeteries.

Hi Sheila,

Good news, I’ve determined the reason why so many “McNamara” civil death records in 1872 have been transcribed incorrectly as “McNalty”. Yesterday evening, I was in the mood to re-watch the greatest Irish movie of all time. On my TV remote, I selected “Menu”, then “Search” and was given an alphabet selection. Selecting “F”, there were 3,448 items. Then “FA”, down to 590 items. Then “FAR”, only 118 items, including at the top of the listing, “Far and Away”. That is when it hit me, the transcribing team at the Ministry for Tourism, Culture et al have a drop down box of Irish surnames when they input information into the database. The person transcribing the 1872 death records, had typed “MCNA” and was given a drop down box of “MCNALTY”, followed by “MCNAMARA”, and incorrectly selected the first choice. Why they chose MCNALTY instead of MCNAMARA, the root cause of the problem, is still a mystery. Maybe it was poor training? Maybe there is a weak or non-existent review process? Or maybe the employees are measured by the number of records input and are under great pressure to meet their targets? Given the slowness in our obtaining the civil death records from 1864 to 1870, the last explanation is unlikely. The nature of the MCNALTY error might lead us to wonder if other surnames were input incorrectly in 1872 (for example, was McCarthy input as “MCCABE”).

Sheila, there were definitely two Andrew McNamara’s living in San Francisco. Back in 2020 to determine who was who I had researched both using only San Francisco records. I knew Andrew the Gardener was from Laharden, County Clare, but not where Andrew the Shoemaker was from in Ireland. Based upon his age according to USA Records, I thought Andrew the Shoemaker might have been the Andrew McNamara born in 1835 (see family tree on page 13) to Andrew McNamara (≈1790 – 1869) and Bridget McNamara (≈1793 – 1883) of Uggoon. I didn’t end up watching Far and Away, and instead researched the equally dramatic story of Andrew the Shoemaker, and was able to trace his roots back to County Cork.

Although not from County Clare, I’ll share his story anyway. From its tragic situation, I began to appreciate that Andrew the Gardener made the right choice in leaving San Francisco and returning to Clare where he had family. And also that while the workhouses of Ireland of 1900 may not have been great compared to modern standards, they were a safety net not always available in American cities such as San Francisco. The story of Andrew McNamara the Shoemaker is told in chronological order, the opposite how the records were traced backwards. There don’t appear to be any Irish or American descendants researching this McNamara family.

Andrew McNamara was baptized on 29 May 1836 in Kilworth Parish in County Cork, father Stephen McNamara and mother Catherine Riordan; sponsors Daniel Griffin and Norry Ryan. Kilworth Parish is in the northern part of County Cork and borders County Tipperary to the northeast and County Waterford to the southeast. Kilworth Parish baptisms, 1829-1876.

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 2/mode/1up

Andrew’s parents, Stephen McNamara and Catherine Riordan were married on 7 October 1832 in Kilworth, County Cork; witnesses John Riordan and John Connolly (Kilworth marriages, 1829-1881)

https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0072

There was also a John McNamara baptized on 4 August 1833 and likely other children.

Stephen McNamara, age 60, shoemaker; Catherine McNamara, age 56, wife; Margaret McNamara, age 20, daughter; and Andrew McNamara, age 14, son; all appear for Macroney Upper townland, in the civil parish of Macroney, in a “Collection of 1851 Census Records”, defined as follows on the ancestry website:

Since most Irish census records prior to 1901 were destroyed in a 1922 fire, Josephine Masterson turned to old age pension records, census fragments, and other documents to re-create this small portion of the 1841 and 1851 Irish censuses.

There were other McNamara’s in Kilworth townland. It is possible that the Margaret McNamara, age 20, so born about 1831, prior to the marriage of Stephen McNamara and Catherine Riordan, was not their daughter. In the 1841/1851 census substitute research completed by Josephine Masterson there are no sources viewable on-line.

On 20 April 1853, Margaret McNamara, age 22, of Kilworth, Cork, was sentenced to one month hard labour for “stealing limbs out of a wood”, and discharged on 18 May 1853. This document was likely the 1841/1851 census substitute researched by Josephine Masterson; but was she the daughter of Stephen McNamara and Catherine Riordan? On the same day, for the same charge, a Stephen McNamara, age 19, of Kilworth, was given a sentence of two months hard labour. Per Ireland Prison Registers, 1790-1924. This Stephen McNamara had a very long rap sheet, 20 plus convictions, often for the horrible crime of “breaking limbs of trees”. He might have been the Stephen baptized on 31 December 1833 in Kilworth parish to James McNamara and Mary Crowley.

At Griffith Valuation for Malcroney Upper townland, Stephen McNamara was a tenant in Plot 14c; lessor Laurence Burke, house and garden, 27 perches; valuation 8 shillings.

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith ... &wildcard=

Andrew McNamara, age 31, of Great Britain, arrived in New York on 16 February 1857 on the ship Lady Franklin (NY passenger arrival lists, 1820-1987).

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27RP-64D

On 20 April 1860, Andrew MacNamara opened a bank account (#23642) with the Emigrant Savings Bank in New York and reported several test questions which only Andrew would know (similar to a modern day password). Andrew MacNamara was a shoemaker, living at 4 Downing Street; native of Castlecook, Cork, Ireland [a neighboring townland to Macroney]; arrived August 1856 per “Lady Franklin” [one year too early]; single; father Stephen dead; mother in native place, Catherine (Reardon). Source: ancestry website. Catherine McNamara might show up in post-1864 civil death records.

Downing Street is located in Brooklyn. And despite the address I could not locate Andrew McNamara / Mack in the 1860 federal census. He is not the married Andrew McNamara, born in Ireland in 1816, living in the 12th Ward with his wife and two children.

Did Andrew McNamara fight in the American Civil War of 1861-1865? Could find no record. As a shoemaker his skills may have been needed in supplying the Union troops with shoes.

Andrew McNamara first appears in San Francisco in the city directory of 1865 as a boot maker living at 12 Sutter Street (Sutter, of California gold rush fame). The transcontinental railroad had not yet opened. Andrew McNamara may have arrived by land crossing the Rockies and Sierras; or else by ship around Cape Horn; or possibly by ship to Panama, crossing the narrow isthmus to the Pacific, and then by ship to San Francisco.

In the 1870 census for the 7th Ward of San Francisco, Andrew McNamara was “age 32”, born in Ireland, single, occupation boot maker, and boarding at the 2nd Street Hotel owned by Michael O’Neil, also of County Cork.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN65-PMF

In the 1880 census, Andrew McNamara (“age 35”) was married and living with his wife, Ellen McNamara (age 40), and children Kate (age 6) and Stephan (age 2). Andrew was a shoe-maker and living at 1062 Howard Street in San Francisco. Later census reports would indicate that he married in 1872.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6P8-8R7

According to the California voter register (“California Great Registers”) dated 27 September 1880, Andrew McNamara, “age 41”, born in Ireland, was a merchant living at 1060 Howard Street in San Francisco. His date of U.S. naturalization was 21 April 1879 in San Francisco. It appears that any U.S. naturalization documents from the San Francisco courthouse for this period did not survive the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTX9-QBJ

McNAMARA—In this city, September 9, 1893, Stephen Joseph, beloved son of Andrew and Ellen McNamara, and brother of Kate McNamara, a native of San Francisco, aged 15 years 8 months and 21 days.

☞Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral THIS DAY (Tuesday), at 8:30 o’clock A.M. from the residence of his parents, 620 Seventh street, thence to St. Joseph’s Church, where a solemn requiem mass will be celebrated for the repose of his soul, commencing at 9 o’clock. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery.

The San Francisco Call, Tuesday, 12 September 1893

In the 1900 census, Andrew McNamara (“age 64”, born in Ireland) and his wife, Ellen (age 50, born in Ireland), were living at 446 Natoma Street in San Francisco. Andrew was now a “grocer”, he reported his year of immigration as 1857 and marriage year as 1872. The 1900 census would not necessarily indicate how Andrew and Ellen McNamara were slowly but surely falling into poverty, nor foreshadow the tragic story to follow:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M95W-YL6

COMES TO AID OF OLD COUPLE
Salvation Army Rescues Homeless Andrew MacNamara and Wife From Street
ONCE RICH MERCHANT
Aged Ex-Storekeeper Sees Remaining Worldly Belongings Put on Sidewalk

Ill-luck of all descriptions has brought the one time well-to-do boot and shoe merchant, Andrew MacNamara, to the door of poverty.

Yesterday the old man’s goods and chattels, woeful to look upon, were put out on the sidewalk from the dingy basement in which MacNamara and his wife lived from some time at 444 Natoma street.

The rent owed by MacNamara amounts to $88, and the landlord, A. Oetti, has shown patience in waiting months for a settlement.

When Deputy Sheriff Galland had the judgment placed in his hands some ten days ago he put off the execution of the court’s order in the hope that the old shoe merchant might be able to find some one of his old-time friends that might be willing to assist him in his dire distress. But no one came to the rescue, and yesterday morning Galland was compelled to perform his duty.

While Mrs. MacNamara was out selling pencils, the furniture, cobwebbed and dingy, was taken from the basement. MacNamara was at a loss to know what to do. He said that Mrs. Katherine Peltier, wife of John Peltier of the firm of Peltier & Co., asphaltum roofers and workers of 1186 Mission street, was his daughter, but they, he said, had been estranged for years.

Mrs. Peltier was seen at her husband’s place of business by a representative of The Call, and when told of her parents’ plight said that she had not spoken to her father or mother for ten years, and also said that she could not help them.

In the meantime the aged man was walking Natomo street in a quandary as to what was best to be done when Adjutant J.H. Banberry of the Salvation Army came upon the scene, having been sent by Brigadier George Wood, who had heard at the army’s headquarters of MacNamara’s plight.

Adjutant Banberry lost no time, and under the circumstances did the best he could and procured three rooms for the old couple at 363 Natoma street. After paying a month’s rent the Salvation Army man had the MacNamara belongings removed from the sidewalk to the humble apartments.

Years ago MacNamara had a boot and shoe store on Fifth street, under the Windsor Hotel. He later moved to 921 Mission street, where he did a thriving business.

The ground on Seventh street on which at one time the Milwaukee Brewery stood was owned by MacNamara, and was sold six years ago for $2,250, though the property, with improvements, cost him $10,000. He also owned property on University avenue, Berkeley, but it was sold at a sacrifice.

The San Francisco Call and Post, Saturday, 26 March 1904

McNAMARA—In this city, July 21, Ellen, beloved wife of Andrew McNamara, and mother of Kate and the late David Thomas and Stephen Joseph McNamara, a native of County Cork, Ireland, aged 60 years.

** Remains at the parlors of J.C. O’Connor & CO, 767 Mission street, between Third and Fourth.

San Francisco Examiner, Sunday, 23 July 1905

Their estranged daughter, the San Francisco born Kate McNamara, doesn’t come off as a very sympathetic individual in the newspaper account. I suspect that “Mrs. Katherine Peltier, wife of John Peltier” was not truly married to John Peltier of the asphalt roofing business in 1904. Her scandalous relationship with a married man may have contributed to the estrangement with her conservative Irish born parents. John Peltier was clearly married to someone else: “Marie Peltier has sued John Peltier for maintenance. She alleges that they were married in Redwood City on August 5th [1903] and that her husband deserted her on the 8th and has not since contributed to her support. He is in the asphalt roofing business, she says, and makes $200 a month. She asks that $100 a month be allowed for her support”, per SF Examiner of 13 August 1903. John Peltier sued Marie Peltier for a divorce in October 1904 per later newspaper accounts. This was many months after Andrew MacNamara and his wife were evicted in March 1904 from their apartment on Natoma Street and when their daughter, “Mrs. Katherine Peltier”, or simply “Kate” in the 1905 obituary, supposedly “could not help” them.

Andrew McNamara, “age 68”, died in San Francisco on 16 November 1905 (per CA death index, 1905-1939). Five months later, the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires destroyed the city (including many records) and caused the deaths of 3,000 residents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_ ... earthquake

The story of the eviction of Andrew McNamara from his basement apartment in March 1904 is amazing in that it would be such big news in a San Francisco newspaper and that the reporter would tell their story in such detail and even track down their only surviving daughter to get help. If those living in the San Francisco of 1904 could see their city 120 years later in 2024, with the terrible situation of some 6,000 homeless people, many living in tents on city sidewalks, they would be truly shocked. The Salvation Army did a great job in quickly providing Andrew McNamara and his wife with an apartment after they and their belongings were thrown out on the street. The relationship between Irish Catholics and the Salvation Army was not always such a positive one.

[Sduddy]

Hi Jimbo

That is Far and Away the best possible explanation for the McNalty mistranscription. Well done!
And thank you for the story of Andrew and Ellen (from Co. Cork) in San Francisco; a sad story, but also a tribute to the kindness of Adjutant J.H. Banberry of the Salvation Army.

Sheila

[Jimbo]

RESIDENTS MAGISTRATE COURT.
Monday, June 18. [1883]
(Before Mr. E. Hardcastle, R.M)

ROWDY SKELETONS.—Three men, named Patrick Walsh, alias McGanaghan, Thomas McLoughlin, alias Hartigan, and Andrew McNamara, alias O’Dea, were put forward on the following charges:—Walsh with behaving in a public street in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, and also with assaulting Acting Sergeant O’Donovan; McLoughlin for having damaged the uniform cap of Constable W. Buckland, and, secondly, with having obstructed Sergeant O’Donovan in the execution of his duty; whilst the third prisoner, McNamara, was charged with obstructing Sergeant O’Donovan. The prisoners, acting under the advice of Mr. E. Shaw, who appeared for them, pleaded not guilty. Mr. Shaw stated that he had only just been instructed for the defence, and as he required the attendance of some witnesses, he should ask for a remand. The police offering no objection, the application was granted. . . .

New Zealand Times, Wellington, 19 June 1883

COURT PROCEEDINGS.
The Recent Fracas in Tory-street.

The circumstances connected with the row outside the Tory-street Theatre on Sunday were investigated by the Resident Magistrate this morning. The first case taken was Patrick Walsh was charged with having conducted himself in Tory-street on the 17th instant with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Sergeant Anderson conducted the case for the prosecution. Mr. E. Shaw appeared for the defence, a plea of Not Guilty being recorded.

The first witness examined by Sergeant O’Donovan, who deposed that on Sunday morning last he was on duty at the Princess Theatre in Tory-street, on the occasion of the first meeting of the Salvation Army in this city. Defendant and two companions were present in the hall. During the service the accused interrupted by hooting and making sundry remarks. His conduct eventually became so bad that witness walked up to him and informed him that unless he quieted himself he would be ejected. The defendant then left the hall, but before leaving he made further interruption. As soon as the man and his two companions got outside the former commenced to jump about, and invited witness to fight him. Walsh’s mates took hold of his hands and held him back, otherwise he would have assaulted witness. By Mr. Shaw—He considered that the three men were more or less under the influence of liquor. The defendant misconducted himself to a great extent outside.

. . . [several other witnesses with similar testimony. Thomas O’Loughlin charged separately with similar testimony] . . .

Andrew M’Namara, alias O’Dea, was then charged with having obstructed the police in the execution of their duty. He denied the offence.

Sergeant O’Donovan gave evidence, and it was also agreed to take the testimony adduced in the previous cases as testimony in the present charge.

His Worship fined Walsh £5 and costs, or 14 days of imprisonment with hard labour, for behaving with intent to commit a breach of the peace, and ordered him to undergo a week imprisonment for the assault. The charge against Hartigan, of damaging Constable Buckland’s cap, was dismissed, but he was muleted in a penalty of £5 and costs for obstructing Sergeant O’Donovan. M’Namara alias O’Dea was also fined £5 and costs for unlawful obstruction.

On the application of Mr. Shaw, the fines were increased by a shilling, in order to enable defendants to appeal. Mr. Shaw gave notice of appeal.

Evening Post, Wellington, 20 June 1883

The first news article stated “Rowdy Skeletons” in reference to the “Skeleton Army” who in the early 1880’s were an organized opposition group in England to the Salvation Army.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Army

Andrew McNamara appears not to have been able to afford the £5 penalty as he was reported in the New Zealand Police Gazette as being given 14 days imprisonment. Andrew McNamara, alias O’Dea, was born in Ireland, born in 1857, labourer, 5 feet 10½, fair complexion, light hair, blue eyes, large eyes, large mouth, and a large chin. His two friends were also Irish born.

Andrew McNamara, who disrupted the first meeting of the Salvation Army in Wellington, must be the Andrew McNamara baptized on 15 August 1856, with parents Matthew McNamara (≈1824 – 1894) and Joanne “Susanna” O’Dea (≈1830 - ≈1863) of Uggoon. The grandson, I reckon, of Andrew McNamara (≈1790 - 1869) and Bridget McNamara (≈1793 - 1883) of Uggoon, the townland adjacent to Glandree.

Initially, as noted in my last posting, I had thought that the Andrew McNamara rescued by the Salvation Army in San Francisco in 1904 had been the son, born in 1835, of Andrew McNamara (≈1790 - 1869) and Bridget McNamara (≈1793 - 1883) of Uggoon (see family tree on page 13). This would have been very ironic given that his nephew, Andrew born in 1856, had disrupted the first Salvation Army meeting in Wellington back in 1883. But it turned out that Andrew the Shoemaker of San Francisco was from County Cork.

Matthew McNamara (≈1824 – 1894) of Uggoon was the father of 14 children; six children with his first wife, Joanne O’Dea, who died young; and eight children with Anne Halpin who he married in 1867. See Matthew McNamara family tree on page 31 (which is an updated subset of family tree on page 13). Two daughters of the McNamara children born to Anne Halpin immigrated to Melbourne and later Western Australia; other children went to Chicago. The later whereabouts of the children of Matthew McNamara and Joanne O’Dea have been unknown, except for Mary McNamara who married the Michael Molony of Uggoon, the national teacher famous for writing the “Hills of Sweet Glandree”.

The later whereabouts of Andrew McNamara of Wellington are unknown. I feel confident that he used the alias “O’Dea” as that was his mother’s maiden name. Further support for this theory would be the discovery of any siblings also in New Zealand. His elder brother, Laurence McNamara, born in 1854, very likely also immigrated to New Zealand. “Laurence” is even a less common named than “Andrew” for the McNamara surname.

A Laurence McNamara married Mary McFarlane in New Zealand in 1886 (folio # 2740, NZ Marriage Index, 1840-1937).

“New Zealand Cemetery Records, 1800-2007”, available on the ancestry website, provide great detail for this McNamara family buried at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland (findagrave only provides minimal data based on death records). “Mary McNamara, wife of the late Lawrence and beloved mother of Michael, Ann and James, and the late Kathleen and Frank, died on 13 February 1949, in her 89th year”.

There was no NZ headstone memorial or NZ death index for the “late Lawrence” McNamara to obtain his age, and possibly country of birth. The obituary of the “late Kathleen” in 1908 provided their residence as Mackaytown and local newspaper as the Ohinemuri Gazette. A very small town, the local newspaper reported Laurence McNamara typically as “L McNamara” or just “McNamara”, and his wife as “Mrs. McNamara”. A search of “McNamara” in the Ohinemuri Gazette in the free NZ newspaper archive “Papers Past” led to a report on the death of Laurence McNamara in Australia:

Mrs McNamara received a cable from Sydney on Saturday evening, announcing the death of her husband. No reason is assigned as to the cause of his death, but Mrs McNamara believes it must have been somewhat sudden, as she only received a letter from him a few days ago. Mr McNamara, it will be remembered, was a resident of Paeroa some two years ago, and was connected with Mining and County work. During deceased’s absence he has been connected with mining on the other side [Australia], and intimated in last letter, that he was about disposing of his interest in a mine, and returning to Paeroa at Christmas. Mrs McNamara has our since sympathy in her loss, more especially as she has a family to support.

Ohinemuri Gazette, New Zealand, 21 November 1900

NZ Papers Past website:
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newsp ... 01-01-1900

Lawrence McNamara, age 47, died in Western Australia in November 1900, registration # 673 (per Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 on ancestry website).

A relatively young man, most likely he died in a mining accident, but I could find no further NZ news article explaining the cause of death. Nor any article on the trove Australian newspaper website.

The findagrave website has a memorial (no headstone) for Lawrence McNamara at Boulder Pioneer Cemetery in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Aged 47 years. It also states born in Roscommon, County Roscommon, Ireland. However, there is no source for his birthplace. Did the contributor (not a descendant) send away for the actual death record that had County Roscommon as birthplace? If the Australian death record was the source, should we assume that the informant provided accurate information? In the 1901 Ireland census, in County Clare there were 2,416 McNamara’s, and only 100 in County Roscommon. The findagrave website, I reckon, which has no source is not enough evidence to prove that the Andrew McNamara who died in 1900 in Western Australia at the age of 47 was not born in Uggoon in 1854, the son of Matthew McNamara (≈1824 – 1894) and Joanne “Susanna” O’Dea (≈1830 - ≈1863), and brother of Andrew McNamara, born in 1856, who also lived in New Zealand.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178 ... e-mcnamara

Laurence McNamara (1854 – 1900) and Mary McFarlane (≈1860 – 1949) were married in 1886 in New Zealand and the parents of six children:

1) Kathleen McNamara (1887 – 1908), Mary Kathleen was born in 1887 to Laurence and Mary McNamara (NZ civil registration birth index, 1840-1902).

We regret to learn of the death of Miss Kathleen McNamara, eldest daughter of Mrs McNamara, of Mackaytown. Deceased, who was about nineteen years of age, had been ailing for four months and passed away on Monday afternoon. She was an accomplished musician and was a great favourite throughout the district. Sincere sympathy is felt for Mrs McNamara and family in their sad affliction.

Ohinemuri Gazette, 22 January 1908

2) Michael Lawrence McNamara (1889 – 1978), birth year based upon headstone; unknown civil registration birth index.

A very plucky act was performed on Wednesday by a lad named Michael Macnamara, who saved from drowning the son of Mr. S. Nelson, tailor, of Paeroa. It appears that the little fellow had fallen into the Ohinemuri River, and would undoubtedly have been drowned had it not been for young Macnamara, who jumped in fully clothed and brought the drowning boy safely to the river bank. The brave act was not allowed to pass without public recognition, and at the Roman Catholic social on Thursday night Bishop Lenihan referred to the event, and presented, on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, a handsome volume to Master Macnamara, as a small token of their gratitude. Bishop Lenihan, in making the presentation, said that steps should be taken by the people of Paeroa to have the matter represented to the Royal Humane Society.

New Zealand Herald, 12 July 1902

“In memory of Michael Lawrence McNamara, eldest son of Lawrence and Mary McNamara, born 18 May 1889, died 10 May 1978, rest in peace”. Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland (New Zealand Cemetery Records, 1800-2007).


3) Frank McNamara (≈1890 - 1925), unknown civil registration birth index. Estimated birth year sandwiched between eldest and youngest sons.

DEATHS.
McNAMARA.—On September 22, at Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, Frank, dearly-beloved son of Mary and the late Laurence McNamara, of Dexter Avenue, late of the Ninth Reinforcements.—R.I.P.
New Zealand Herald, Auckland, 25 September 1925

Unknown military record. Unknown Australian civil death record index.


4) Ann McNamara (≈1891 – 1960), birth year based upon headstone; unknown civil registration birth index.

Headstone inscription for James McNamara, below, includes: “And of his sister Ann McNamara, died 23rd June 1960, aged 69 years”. Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland (New Zealand Cemetery Records, 1800-2007).


5) James McNamara (1895 – 1954), born in 1895 to Lawrence and Mary McNamara (NZ civil registration birth index, 1840-1902).

Per headstone: “In memory of James McNamara, youngest son of Mary Agnes McNamara, born 17th October 1895, died 22 February 1954, aged 58 years. And of his sister Ann, died 23rd June 1969, aged 69 years”. Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland (New Zealand Cemetery Records, 1800-2007).


6) John McNamara (1898 – 1898), born in 1898 to Laurence and Mary McNamara (NZ civil registration birth index, 1840-1902). A John McNamara died in 1898 in Ohinemuri, Auckland (folio #742 per NZ death index).

**********************

Laurence McNamara, a gold miner, likely first immigrated to the Victorian gold fields prior to arriving in New Zealand where he married in 1886. If both Laurence and Andrew of New Zealand are indeed the eldest sons of Matthew McNamara (≈1824 – 1894) and Joanne “Susanna” O’Dea (≈1830 - ≈1863) of Uggoon, then there is a good chance that their remaining children whose whereabouts are unknown also immigrated to Australia or New Zealand. They include Bridget (born 1860), Michael (born 1862), and John (born 1863).

[Sduddy]

Hi Jimbo

Good work. Lots more great research done by you. Thanks also for the link to the Skeleton Army, which I’d never even heard of.

In the online transcriptions of the Tithe Applotment Books, all the Killuran townlands have been mistakenly filed under Killummod parish in Co. Roscommon – see Coolnahella, Silvergrove, Kilderagh, Bally McDonnell East, for instance: http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarc ... rch=Search. Can that be why the contributor of information on Laurence McNamara thought Laurence was from Roscommon? But if Laurence was born about 1853, the researcher would not have been looking at the Tithe Applotment books, I’m sure.

When I looked at Killummod, I saw that there is an Andw. McNamara who actually did live in that parish. Just a bit of a coincidence. I don’t see Andrew in Killummod in Griffiths. There is an Andrew McNamara leasing land in the townland of Annaghbeg, in Killukin parish (Co. Roscommon) and another Andrew McNamara leasing land in the townland of Cloonykerny, in the Ballintubber parish (Co. Roscommon). As you say, the name Andrew is more common among the McNamaras than is Laurence/Lawrence.

I do not doubt, of course, that Andrew, who was obstructing the law in New Zealand, is from Glendree and son of Mathew McNamara and Joanne O’Dea. And I strongly suspect that Laurence is the son born 1854. Good work, Jimbo.

Sheila

[Jimbo]

A GOOD EXAMPLE.
(Special to Bassett’s Daily Chronicle).
Tulla, Sunday.

The tenants of Glandaree in this county, the property of the eminent Irishman, Sir Robert Kane, Author of the Industrial Resources of Ireland, have reason to congratulate themselves on having such a humane and paternal landlord. He has been the first to recognise the Government valuation as a fair standard of rent. His son, who is acting as agent, visited the property a few days ago, and said to the tenants, “her I am to carry out Mr Parnell’s principle and give you the land at Griffith’s valuation” and he gave them all receipts in full. This reduction had been preceded by other abatements. The Ralahine tenants beg to return thanks to Mrs Vandeleur and her daughters for having given through their agent, Mr Maynard, 10 percent reduction on the half years rent, due 1st May last. Last year the tenants were given 20 percent on the full years rent paid.

FIRING INTO A DWELLING.
(Special to Bassett’s Daily Chronicle)/
Ennis, Saturday.

Another of those wanton and malicious outrages, which are spreading through the country like an epidemic, is reported from Creggaun, in the parish of Doora, midway between Moyriesk and Ennis. About 12 o’clock last night a shot was fired into the house of a small farmer named Andrew MacNamara, and aggravate the dastardly crime, his wife had been confined of a baby that day, and the terror and fright which the shot produced had nearly cost the woman her life. MacNamara is a tenant of Mr F N V Burton, J P, D L, and a peaceable industrious man. The only ostensible reason for the attack on him is that at a meeting of the parishioners, lately held for the purpose of forming a branch of the Land League in Doora, he referred to a farm taken by a man, and said that if the Land League had been in existence then—some five years ago—things would have taken another turn. It is almost unnecessary to say that there is no clue, beyond a well grounded suspicion, to the perpetrator of the dastardly act.

Bassett’s Chronicle, Tuesday, 12 October 1880

Hi Sheila, here is one more Andrew McNamara of County Clare. I had mentioned the above incident on the thread about the formation of the Land League introduced by Matthew MacNamara back in June 2022. Not really sure how this Andrew managed to skip your gaze given your strong interest in the name Andrew McNamara.

http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... aun#p14409

I've been aware for some time that this Andrew McNamara, Sr. (but also a Jr.), of Creggaun had a son named Andrew, Jr., who became a Catholic priest. On the ancestry website there are 15 family trees for the Andrew McNamara family of Creggaun in Doora Parish. Two of the family trees trace the McNamara ancestry back to Newmarket-on-Fergus Parish, but with no evidence, beyond an Andrew McNamara, born in 1836, the right age to be the Andrew, Sr., who died in Creggaun in 1910.

In now revisiting this family, I recalled the Halpin family of Kiltannon (Tulla) who originated from Fenloe in Newmarket and their family also included a Catholic priest, the Rev. James Halpin of Tulla parish. So I looked at the Fenloe graveyard headstone transcriptions and discovered the connection between Fenloe (Newmarket) and Creggaun (Doora) written in Irish:

“Aindreas Mac Conmara ón Clarraigean í nDúire”, written on one headstone must surely mean “Andrew McNamara of Creggaun in Doora”. The absolute proof I needed thanks to transcriptions by Pat Carrig and Martin Reidy for OBAIR Newmarket-on-Fergus as well as Canon Reuben Butler for lending the original notebook.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... veyard.htm

Sheila, since only taking a quick look at this Andrew McNamara family a few years back, I’ve now purchased “The Diocese of Killaloe, 1850-1914” by Rev. Ignatius Murphy. The Rev. Andrew McNamara of Doonbeg gets a very good edit by Murphy which I’ve included in the below research. Andrew also had a brother, the Rev. Patrick H. McNamara, who went to Dubuque, Iowa, which I also found interesting. With last year’s discussion on the Rev. James Finucane McNamara and now these two McNamara priests from Creggaun, we may need to revisit our prior thoughts that the McNamara’s, despite their large numbers in Clare, had so few priests. Although for the two McNamara’s from Creggaun, I reckon they might have become priests under the influence of a maternal uncle, the Rev. Michael Hayes (1848 – 1940).

Andrew McNamara and Bridget O’Mealy of Newmarket-on-Fergus Parish, later Creggaun (Doora Parish)

Their grandson was the Rev. Andrew John McNamara, and there is a very high likelihood that Andrew married to Bridget O’Mealy was also an “Andrew John”. Thus, Andrew must surely be the “John McNamara” who married Bridget Maley on 17 February 1830 in Newmarket-on-Fergus Parish; witnesses Thomas Slattery, James Brasil, etc. (Newmarket marriage register, 1828-1865, pg 196) as later baptism records would also indicate.

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 6/mode/1up

There are 14 McNamara’s listed in the Tithe Applotment books, dated 10 December 1825, for the civil parish of Tomfinlough. Not sure which one might be the father of Andrew John McNamara who married in 1830.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... gh_tab.htm

Andrew McNamara and Bridget Maley were the parents of four children between 1832 and 1842 baptized in the Newmarket-on-Fergus baptism register. Sometime prior to the 1855 Griffith Valuation the McNamara family moved to Creggaun townland in the parish of Doora, a distance of nearly nine miles. Andrew McNamara held Plot 1, lessor Duchess De Rovigo; house, offices, and land; over 26 acres; valuation £14 and 5 shillings.

The Andrew McNamara of Griffith Valuation in Doora Parish would unlikely, I think, be his son, the Andrew born in 1836 who did not get married until 1868. Plus, there is no Andrew McNamara in Griffith Valuation for Tomfinlough Parish (unless he is the John McNamara in GV?)

Andrew McNamara was still living in 1861 as when his youngest son, Patrick, died on 18 March 1861 at the age of 18 years old, Andrew had the below headstone #1 (P23 on headstone listing) erected at Fenloe graveyard:

[Headstone 1] Here lies the body of Patrick McNamara who left this life 18 March 1891 [should be 1861] aged 18 years. Erected by his father Andrew McNamara for him and family. Requiscante in Pace.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... urname.htm

Andrew McNamara, married to Bridget O'Mealy, likely died prior to the 1864 start of civil birth records and would be buried at the same spot as his son Patrick; “for him and family”. Headstone #2 (also P23 on headstone listing) was for another son, “Aindreas Mac Conmara ón Clarraigean í nDúire”, who died in 1910 (see further below).

There are no unidentified civil death records for an Andrew McNamara who died between 1864 and 1870, the period where on-line records are unavailable. The two Andrew McNamara’s who died in Tulla Parish in 1867 and 1869 were identified as both being from Glandree townland (thank you Sheila for obtaining these records years ago). Bridget Maley McNamara may have died between 1864 and 1870; there are two good possibilities from the Ennis registration district.

Andrew McNamara (1800? 1810? – prior to 1864?) and Bridget O’Mealy/O’Mally/Maley (1800? 1810? – unknown) were the parents of four children in the Newmarket-on-Fergus baptism register (1828 - 1866).

1.0 John McNamara (1832 – unknown) was baptized on 26 May 1832, sponsors William Liddy and Anne Malley. His mother was reported correctly as “Bridget Maley” in the Newmarket-on-Fergus register. However, the father of the child was reported by the priest as “Andrew McMahon”, which, I reckon, was a mistake. There is no other Andrew McMahon reported in the Newmarket parish registers.

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 3/mode/1up


2.0 Andrew McNamara (1836 – 1910) was baptized on 3 September 1836, mother reported as “Bridget O’Mealy”; sponsor Ellen Lyons (Newmarket baptisms, 1828-1866).

Andrew McNamara, a farmer, of Doora parish, son of John McNamara [aka “Andrew John”], married Bridget Hayes, of Balleen townland, daughter of farmer James Hayes [and Catherine Frawley per 1837 Kilmaley baptism], on 25 February 1868, at the Catholic chapel at Kilmaley, by the priest Michael Burke; witnesses Pat Collins and Kate Moran (Ennis registration, also reported in Kilmaley parish marriage register).

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 207058.pdf

Andrew McNamara, farmer, of Creggaun, married, age 71 years, died on 23 November 1910 at the Clare infirmary in Ennis; informant John Butler Clancy (Ennis registration in 1911). His wife, Bridget Hayes McNamara, died in 1926 according to her headstone, but I cannot locate civil death record. They were both buried in Fenloe graveyard and share the same headstone with their daughter, Mary, who died in 1900.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 503168.pdf

[Headstone 2] Ór do Aindreas Mac Conmara ón Clarraigean í nDúire do cluain do eagaib an treas la fichead di mís na Samna í mbliain 1910 í gcionn a aon bliaona déag ar trí fichid. Ór ar an hadlacad anseo dá chiniu agus ar duine dá sliocht í Máire a ingean fuair bás an naomad lá déag do mís na Bealtaine i mblíadain 1900 agus a bean Brigh? Nic Conmara a fuair bás ar an 12u lá Eanair 1926.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... urname.htm

Andrew McNamara (1836 - 1910) and Bridget Hayes (1837 - 1926) were the parents of eight children between 1868 and 1882, including four with religious vocations: <Creggaun, Doora, House 8, House 8>

………………… 2.1 Catherine McNamara (1868 – 1964) was baptized on 14 December 1868; sponsors James Hayes and Anne McNamara (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882). Sister Matilda died in 1964 according to on-line family trees.

………………… 2.2 Patrick McNamara (1870 - 1936 in Iowa) was baptized on 27 February 1870; sponsors Michael Hayes and (?) Hayes (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882).

ORDINATIONS AT ALL HALLOWS.

The annual Ordinations at All Hallows College came to a close on Friday. The scene was, indeed, as picturesque and as touching a one as could well be witnessed. The three tiers of stalls in the long-drawn and lofty nave were filled with the main body of students—about 160 in number—dressed in surplices. Under the rose windows of the transepts knelt the parents and relatives of many of the young apostles. Across the spacious sanctuary stretched the long line of deacons, and when the time for the imposition of the hands arrived the stately consecrating Prelate, and All Hallows missionary of 40 years’ experience, and the sixteen assistant priests grouped in a semi-circle in front of the beautiful altar, and with outstretched hands completed a most solemn and harmonious picture. Long will the memory of yesterday linger, like sweetest incense, in the hearts of the young priests, and when hereafter, perhaps in the autumn of life, they come back to revisit their Alma Mater, the grace and joy of their ordination will be re-kindled in their souls.

Deacons (on Feast of Corpus Christi)—Rev. James Hynes, P J Hennessy, P M’Namara, Dubuque; . . .[20 or so other priests going to Nottingham and Brisbane]. . .

Weekly Freeman’s Journal, Saturday, 2 July 1898

There were two priests from County Clare named Patrick McNamara who were ordained at All Hallows in the 1890’s and sent to the Dubuque diocese in Iowa. And it is very easy to confuse the two in the federal census reports for Iowa of 1910 through 1930. Patrick from Creggaun went by Rev. P.H. McNamara and is not the Patrick McNamara, born in 1868, who immigrated in 1891 (ordained in 1890) and lived in Taylor, Dubuque County from 1910 through 1930.

The 1925 state census for Iowa is unusual in requesting the religion as well as the names of father and mother for each person. Most Irish immigrants settled in Iowa in the decades immediately following the Civil War, and you have to be lucky to still have an Irish born ancestor still living in 1925. Rev. P.H. McNamara of Allamakee County reported his parents as Andrew McNamara and Bridget Hayes in the 1925 state census (on page 2 of the 3 page census report).

1925 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQW-QBLS

Funeral of Father McNamara Tuesday

WAUKON—Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s church in Lycurgus for the Rev. P.H. McNamara, pastor of that church, who died Saturday, a week after the death of his close friend, Msgr. John C. Stuart of Waukon. Lycurgus is five miles northeast of Waukon.

Father McNamara was born in County Clair, Ireland, Feb. 27, 1873 [s/b 1870], and on July 11, 1898, he was ordained to the priesthood in Hallows College, Dublin. He soon came to America, entering the archdiocese of Dubuque. Father McNamara had served as pastor of Charles City, Sheldon, Ryan and Oxford Junction before coming to Lycurgus in 1912. Through his efforts a new church edifice was erected at Lycurgus.

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, 11 May 1936

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152 ... h-mcnamara

The below website provides the history of St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Lycurgus quoting a 1950 news article entitled “Spartan Lawgiver's Name Perpetuated by Group of Irish People”. Nice photo of the church which unfortunately is now closed permanently. The article mentions that P.J. [typo, should be P.H.] McNamara died in 1936 and “his grave in the church cemetery is a hallowed shrine”. The website also includes a photo from about 1913 with a priest blessing the cornerstone for the construction of a new church which must be the Rev. P.H. McNamara.

https://iagenweb.org/allamakee/church/s ... curgus.htm

………………… 2.3 Andrew John McNamara (1872 – 1971) was baptized on 2 November 1872; sponsors John Meere and Mary Meere (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882).

Andrew MacNamara, who was parish priest of Doonbeg when he died in 1971 just one year short of his hundredth birthday, went to Down and Connor with Daniel MacNamara and John H. Maloney after their ordination in 1896 and all remained there for three or four years.

The Diocese of Killaloe, 1850-1904, by Monsignor Ignatius Murphy, Four Courts Press, 1995 (pages 355-356)

DIOCESE OF DOWN AND CONNOR.
DIOCESAN CHANGES.

His Lordship the the Most Rev Dr Henry has made the following changes and appointment in his diocese:—. . . Rev Andrew MacNamara, C C, St Brigits [Malone Road, Belfast] to be C C, Newtownards [St. Patrick’s]; . . .

Dublin Daily Nation, Monday, 8 August 1898

By the 1901 census, Rev. Andrew J. McNamara (age 29) had returned to the Killaloe Diocese and was a curate in Borrisokane, County Tipperary. Unable to locate him in 1911 census. <Shesheramore, Borrisokane, Tipperary, House 16, unknown in 1911>

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... e/1690549/

Some of the priests ordained in the late 19th century came close to challenging Patrick Curtin’s record as the only centenarian in the history of the diocese. . . Andrew McNamara was a few weeks past his 99th birthday when he died in November 1971, after 75 years in the ministry and having been parish priest of Doonbeg since 1934. Fr. McNamara was a much loved and almost legendary figure in West Clare. The many stories in which he featured included some about his reputedly haunted presbytery in Baltard, an 18th century house built by a landlord which was demolished in the 1960s. However, most of the stories were about his driving. At a time when road traffic was relatively light, Fr. Andy, as he was known, was still driving a car at the age of 90 despite an apparent inability to remain on the correct side of the road. (ibid, p. 405)

On the topic of “mode of transportation”, Msgr. Ignatius Murphy tells of the controversy of priests adopting the bicycle at the end of the 19th century to get around their parish. Some thought it should be forbidden to “prevent them from becoming objects of laughter” as well as due to the danger, but the bicycle won out in the end.

The dangers involved in the use of bicycles were very real because of the uneven surfaces and roads. . . [deaths of Rev. Patrick Kennedy in November 1911 and Michael McCormack in March 1918] . . . Eight years later in April 1926, David Flannery, curate in Killanena, died in a similar accident when he collided with the motor car of his parish priest, Andrew McNamara. The car was virtually stationary when struck by Flannery’s bicycle. However, Father Andy’s later reputation as an erratic driver led to the embellishment in oral tradition of the story of an accident for which he had no responsibility, a point that was emphasized by the jury at the inquest when they exonerated him from all blame. (ibid, page 428)

Andrew McNamara, retired parish priest of Doonbeg, died on 2 November 1971 at the age of 99 years old per Ennis civil registration. He is buried in Doonbeg graveyard; his headstone, along with the others buried at the priests’ plot, was transcribed by Paddy Waldron:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 043796.pdf

I ndíl cuimhne ar anam Athair Aindrias Mac Con Mara Sagart Paróiste an Dún Beag ó 1934 to 1971. D'éag 2 Samhain 1971 in aois a 99 bliain. Sa Creagán, Dúire a rugadh é. D'oirdneadh ina sagart é i Maigh Nuad sa bhliain 1896. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé.
Barrett Ennis.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... ptions.htm

………………… 2.4 James McNamara (1875 - 1945), of Creggane, was born on 20 April 1875 per Ennis civil registration. To avoid a late penalty in reporting a birth to the registrar, it would be fairly common to report a birth date a few months later than actual. The baptism record for James must be one of the five entries from February 1875 which have been covered up by a white paper in the Doora and Kilraghtis baptism register (1862-1882). See top left side of page 29 in below link. <Creggaun, Doora, unknown in 1901, House 8>

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 9/mode/1up

McNAMARA (St. Patrick’s Missionary Society, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, recently Chaplain to St. Columba’s Nursing Home, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway and late of Abakaliki, Nigeria) — Sept. 15, 2005 (peacefully), in his eighty-ninth year, at St. Patrick’s, Kiltegan, Fr. Edward, son of the late James and Mary McNamara of Creggaun, Knockanean, Ennis, Co. Clare, deeply regretted by his sister Mary (Sr. Enda), St. Joseph of Cluny Sisters, Trinidad, his sister-in-law Frances, his nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces. . .

Irish Independent, Saturday, 17 September 2005

………………… 2.5 Michael Peter McNamara (1876 – after 1911), of Creggane, was baptized on 28 June 1876; sponsors Martin Hayes and Catherine Frawley (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882). <Creggaun, Doora, House 8, House 8>

………………… 2.6 Mary Isabella McNamara (1878 – 1900), of Creggaone, was baptized on 24 March 1878, father reported as “Andy Mack”; sponsors Stephen Culligan and Catherine Hayes (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882).

Mary McNamara, of Crogane, age 21, died on 19 May 1900; informant father Andrew McNamara of Crogane (Ennis registration). She shares the same headstone at Fenloe graveyard as her parents (see above transcription).

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 623947.pdf

………………… 2.7 Bridget McNamara (1880 - 1977), of Cregganne, was baptized on 8 October 1880, father scribbled as “Andy Mac” (transcribed as “Mare”), and mother scribbled as “Bridget Hayes” (transcribed as “Mares”); sponsors Pat Burke and Bridget Lenane (Doora and Kilraghtis baptisms, 1862-1882).

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 6/mode/1up

Her baptism on the 8th was on a Friday, the next day at midnight the McNamara home was fired into by moonlighters in a shocking outrage. Understandably, the McNamara’s were a little slow in reporting her birth to the civil registrar on 8 February 1881, and to avoid a late penalty stated that Bridget was born on 5 December 1880 (Ennis registrar):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 039790.pdf

Sister Agnes died in 1977 according to ancestry family trees.

………………… 2.8 Teresa McNamara (≈1882 – after 1901) was a 19 year-old daughter in the 1901 census. Unknown civil birth record or later whereabouts. Her mother was a widow at the 1911 census, thus number of children, born and living, was not reported. <Creggaun, Doora, House 8, unknown>


3.0 Anne McNamara (1839 – likely after 1868) was baptized on 28 April 1839, mother reported as “Bridget O’Malley”; sponsors William Liddy and Bridget Liddy (Newmarket baptisms, 1828-1866).

Anne McNamara was likely the baptism sponsor of her niece, Catherine McNamara, in 1868 (see 2.1 above). Later whereabouts are unknown.


4.0 Patrick McNamara (1842 – 1861) was baptized on 6 August 1842, mother reported as “Bridget Maley”; sponsors Michael O'Neil and Mary Maley (Newmarket baptisms, 1828-1866).

Patrick McNamara died in 1861. His headstone #1 is adjacent to headstone #2 for his brother, Andrew; both are located at P23 in the Fenloe graveyard cemetery listing at the Clare library:

[Headstone 1] Here lies the body of Patrick McNamara who left this life 18 March 1891 [should be 1861] aged 18 years. Erected by his father Andrew McNamara for him and family. Requiscante in Pace.

https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... urname.htm

************************

The outrageous shooting into the home of Andrew McNamara of Creggaun townland (Doora parish) on 9 October 1880 was only a few months after a similar midnight shooting into the home of William Halpin of Kiltannon (Tulla parish). Coincidentally, both the Halpin and McNamara families originated from Tomfinlough parish and might have been considered “outsiders” in their parish. While there might be “no clue, beyond a well grounded suspicion” to the perpetrators of the McNamara shooting, there are more clues to be revealed as to who shot into the Halpin household, and, I reckon, they might well be the same person.

AGRARIAN OUTRAGE NEAR TULLA.

On Friday morning, between twelve and one o’clock, shots were fired into the dwelling house of William Halpin, land bailiff to Major W. Mills Moloney, D.L., Kiltannon. It appears that the shot was fired through the bedroom window from a revolver, and struck the old-fashioned camp bed-stands on which Halpin and his wife were sleeping. In made an indentation, but the bullet could not be found, as the bed itself was an immovable fixture. Another window at the back of the house was smashed in by a stick. In the morning a threatening notice was found posted on Halpin’s door, of which the following is a copy:—Halpin, I am informed that you are going to buy the hay at Bonavaree, and you are aware of the fine powder and balls I have prepared for you ! If you attempt to take one perch of that meadowing I will shoot you!” There was a drawing of a coffin, with the inscription, “This is ready for you if you like, proceed if you dare.” The farm of Bonavaree was lately surrendered by Mr. J. Kelly, J.P. Port, with the view of getting an abatement of rent, and as no person would take the land Major Molony intended selling the meadowing. This is only one of a series of threatening notices in the district.

Weekly Irish Times, Saturday, 24 July 1880

William Halpin (1843 – 1914) of Kiltannon was a first cousin of Anne Halpin (1845 – after 1911), who married the widower, Matthew McNamara (≈1824 – 1894) of Glandree and thus she was the step-mother of Andrew McNamara (1856 – unknown) who was arrested in New Zealand in 1883 for obstructing an arrest when he and two friends disrupted the first meeting of the Salvation Army in Wellington.

Some 18 months after the two midnight shootings in 1880, Andrew Sheedy McNamara (≈1843 – after 1901) of Glandree was arrested for protesting the arrest of Bridget McCormack of the Ladies’ Land League, along with Denis and Michael Murphy of Laharden (see page 16).

Miss Bridget M’Cormack, a member of the Dublin Executive of the Ladies’ Land League, was arrested at Tulla yesterday and sent to gaol for three months. She was followed by an immense crowd to the railway station, whence she was conveyed to Limerick and lodged in Limerick Gaol. Three farmers, Denis and Michael Murphy, of Laharden, and Andrew M’Namara, of Glendaree, who figured in the demonstration, were arrested and also sent to Limerick Gaol for six months.

Belfast News-Letter, Saturday, 21 January 1882

When the two Murphy’s were arrested in January 1882, their neighbor, Andrew McNamara (1837 – 1918) of Laharden was working as a gardener at a nursery in San Francisco. When Andrew McNamara, the gardener, returned to Laharden in 1895, flush with cash, he purchased several cows which often when into the Murphy lands, such that the Murphy’s were frequent complainants against the McNamara brothers of Laharden in the petty session courts (above and page 25).

On 9 July 1882, John Delahunty was returning from Sunday mass in Ennis and was murdered near Knockanean School. The location of the murder of John Delahunty (often spelt Doloughty) was only a very short distance of the Andrew McNamara family of Plot 1 in Creggaun townland, Doora parish. In the 2005 obituary for Father Edward McNamara, the grandson of Andrew McNamara and Bridget Hayes, the McNamara residence was even reported as Creggaun, Knockanean. One of the first witnesses on the scene was the young Michael Considine, a victualler from Ennis, of a famous family of victuallers. He was returning from making a delivery at Cullane House (the residence of Robert Wogan Studdert, then being boycotted), and would have passed right by the Andrew McNamara home just prior to arriving at the scene of the crime.

The Rev. Andrew McNamara (1872 – 1971) of Creggaun townland would have been going on eight years old when his family home was shot into by moonlighters in 1880. When John Delahunty was murdered in 1882 near Andrew’s home by Knockanean School, he would have been just one month shy of ten years old. The Rev. Andrew McNamara, “a much loved and almost legendary figure in West Clare” who lived to be 99 years old, was known for his stories especially regarding the haunted rectory at Baltard House in Killard (Doonbeg) Parish. Might Father Andy also have told his parishioners a few stories about the agrarian violence of his youth in Creggaun townland? The Rev. Andrew McNamara died in Doonbeg in 1971, there must be a few long-time parishioners about who might remember his story telling and provide a few clues or interesting bits of information. Although it has been over 140 years since the outrageous shootings and murders by moonlighters in East Clare and thereabouts, I reckon the local residents might still be reluctant to talk to a foreigner. The traditional code of silence, to “Say Nothing”. However, incredibly, I reckon a visit to West Clare might be very promising as their residents actually might be more than willing to share the stories passed down to them by the Rev. Andrew McNamara of Creggaun.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

[Sduddy]

And a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you too, Jimbo, and to everybody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pop2ivFUOw8.

Thank you, Jimbo, for that latest very interesting post – I’ve read it just once and will read it again later.

Sheila

[smcarberry]

As well, I must do this quickly but I send greetings of the day.

I will expand soon on a recent discovery of a McNamara of Newmarket-on-Fergus in NYS (location named in the court order, allowing notice by publication of the decedent's siblings in Clare), found when doing the AI-based searches of wills and probate administration. The end of March is tax season for U.S. citizens and has 3 birthdays in my family. However, I ran across this old reference in my notes which I must mention, although the National Library in Dublin may have a newer catalogue number for it:

NLI Genealogical Office: Ms.175, pp.255-71
Pedigree of Macnamara of Rosroe and Kilmurry, of Rathfolan, of Douras Burren, of Kilgurtine, Slioght Donall Ballagh, of Monoginagh, of Ayle and of East Clancollean all in Co. Clare, and of City of Dublin, c.1150—1842

Sharon C.

[Sduddy]

Hi Sharon
I am looking forward to reading that McNamara will you have found.

Hi Jimbo
I read your post again and, as I’ve come to expect, it is a great piece of work.

Jimbo, The white paper that you think might be covering the baptism entry for James McNamara in 1875 is not covering it. The white paper is the back of a letter from the Archdiocese of Boston seeking a letter of freedom for John Sheedy to marry Anna Daley. Whenever a piece of paper like that was stuck into a register the person digitalising made an extra copy with the paper lying in the other direction. So, if you go again to the original and move up one page, you will be able the read all of the page concerned (page 28): https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 8/mode/1up

I am puzzled about James McNamara, the fourth child of Andrew and Bridget Hayes, or, rather, James's son, Edward, who died in 2005, aged 98. If that age is correct Edward would have been born about 1907, but the 1911 census shows James still unmarried (aged 37): http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... un/354330/

Yes, we were wrong to think that there was a shortage of McNamara priests.

Sheila

[Jimbo]

Hi Sheila,

Thank you for your feedback and also for pointing out that my explanation for the missing James McNamara baptism entry in 1875 was incorrect. I reviewed the Doora baptism register of 1861-1881 for any possible mistakes by the priest or unusual transcriptions without success. Andrew McNamara (1836 – 1910) and Bridget Hayes (1837 – 1926) appear to have named their first born son after Andrew’s brother who died in 1861; second born son after Andrew’s father; and third born son after the father of Bridget, James Hayes. A slight variation from the Irish tradition. Bridget Hayes originated from Kilmaley parish, and since the child was named after James Hayes, perhaps they went to Kilmaley parish for the baptism? No luck when searching the Kilmaley baptism register (1828-1882). My only remaining explanation is that Andrew McNamara returned to his home parish of Newmarket-on-Fergus. However, their on-line baptism register only goes until March 1866, so I could not test this theory.

I made another attempt to find the Rev. Andrew McNamara (1872 – 1971) in the 1911 census and found an important clue in the newspaper archives as to where he was living:

THE GAELIC LEAGUE.
NENAGH BRANCH.

Rev. A. J. M’Namara, C.C., Toomevera, presided.

On the motion of Fr. O’Houlihan, seconded by Mr. Meagher, the old officers—Father MacNamara, Miss Crowley and Mr. D. Nealon—were reelected to the positions of chairman, treasurer and secretary, respectively.

Cork Examiner, Tuesday, 14 November 1911

I knew Nenagh was located in County Tipperary, but I still could not find Andrew McNamara in the 1911 census (or even locate Toomevera townland in the census). Andrew McNamara was chairman of the Gaelic League in Nenagh. Also his headstone in Doonbeg was written in Irish. So, of course, Andrew completed the 1911 census in Irish. I first searched for Andrew in Tipperary using only “Aindrias” (per his headstone) and then “Aindreas” (his father’s headstone), but with no luck. A final search for “Mac Conmara” led to “Aindréas Seán Mac Conmara”, age 38, of Toomyvara Town:

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... wn/834405/

The search results are confusing. If you search the 1911 census using “Aindreas” you get 17 results: “Aindreas” (12), “Aindreas Bhincent” (1), and “Aindréas” (4), but no “Aindréas Seán”.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... ageSize=50

If you search the 1911 census using “Aindréas”, with an accent on the “e”, you also get 17 results: “Aindréas” (4), “Aindréas Seán” (1), and “Aindreas” (12), but no “Aindreas Bhincent”.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... renLiving=

As in the above example, searching the 1901 / 1911 census can be challenging. When the 1926 census becomes available it will be a real struggle finding someone if Irish was more commonly used. And hopefully for 1926 all the information will be transcribed when written in Irish (occupation, religion, birthplace etc); only the surname and foreman were transcribed for respondents writing in Irish in 1911 as in links above.

Andrew’s mother, Bridget Hayes McNamara (1837 – 1926) died in 1926 according to the headstone at Fenloe cemetery in Newmarket-on-Fergus, but I could not find her civil death record. Her headstone was written in Irish, so I searched for any “Mac Conmara” in 1926, but without success. Surprisingly, “Mac Conmara” was not used for any civil record (births, marriage, death) in any time period across all Ireland. It’s possible that the Bridget McNamara headstone’s transcription as 1926 is incorrect, or even that the actual headstone was engraved incorrectly? Or perhaps, like the “McNalty” errors in 1872, there is an odd transcription of her civil death record. Her civil death record is still a mystery.

Sheila, with regards to the Rev. Edward McNamara, his parents James McNamara and Mary Vaughan married in 1912:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 607271.pdf

The website for St. Patrick’s Missionary Society has biographies written for all their deceased priests. “Father Edward (Ned) McNamara – affectionately known as Uncle Ned – was born in Creggaun, Co Clare, on the 16th of January 1917. His primary education from 1921 to 1929 was in Knockaneen National School . . .”. From his biography, he spent about 42 years in Nigeria, and he would have spent longer but his arrival was delayed due to the Second World War. His age reported in the September 2005 obituary (see prior posting) was just slightly off, rounded up, as Edward Andrew McNamara died four months shy of his 89th birthday.

https://www.spms.org/mac-mc-fullness

My subsequent search for the civil birth record for “Edward McNamara” in 1917 led to zero results. My search for any “Edward” born in 1917 led to “Edward Mac Namara”, with a space after “Mac”.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... mit=Search

Sheila, this is a very frustrating feature of their search engine. The Ministry for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, obviously does not include Mathematics. The “Transitive Property of Equality” states that if “a” equals “b”, and “b” equals “c”, then “a” equals “c”. For the Irish civil record database, “McNamara” equals “MacNamara”, and “MacNamara” equals “Mac Namara”, but “McNamara” does not equal “Mac Namara”. Hence, I was unable to initially discover the civil birth record when searching for “Edward McNamara” in 1917.

[Sduddy]

Hi Jimbo

Well my maths* are bad too, but it was my reading that failed me this time. In the newpaper report of the death of Fr. Edward McNamara, I read “eighty-ninth year” as “ninety-ninth year”. Sorry about that.

Well done finding Andréas Seán Mac Conmara in the 1911 census. When I first saw it, I had a moment of heartsink. In the topic “Surnames in Irish 1911”, I thought I’d done a fairly thorough job of finding the Clare people, living in other counties, who had given their names in Irish. That, too, was not easy, as it was not just a case of going to “Other Options” and going through the people who had given Clare as their place of birth – No, anyone who wrote “Co. an Cláir” was not included among those – Cláir was not recognised as Clare - so the job was a lot more tedious. But, anyway, I see now that Andréas Seán gave Co. Tiobraid Arann (Tipperary) as his birthplace, a mistake on his part I’m sure, and the reason I did not count him in.

Some of the census enumerators expressed annoyance when presented with a form completed in Irish (a couple of examples are included in the topic of the surnames: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7311), but they got a kind of revenge by giving the name in English in the Buildings form – see Andrew McNamara here: https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ ... 003354034/, However, it was only the heads of households who got this lash.

I have heard that some registrars did not accept reports of births, deaths and marriages that were given in Irish, but I don’t know how true that is.

When I was doing my project, I expected some objections to the whole of idea of “translating” names given in Irish. After all, I was negating the whole point of giving your name in Irish in 1911. If there was more traffic on this site, I probably would have got a good telling off. I suspect that transcribers of the 1926 census will not do any “translations”.

Going back to the 1911 census, I did find a Franciscan brother, An br. Didacus Mac Connara, aged 35, from Co. Clare, living in Friary Lane, Athlone East Urban, Westmeath: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... ne/875778/. I don’t know if there is any way of finding out who he was, but this time it is not the Irish language that causes the problem, but the practice of giving names in religion (quite often).

*Jimbo, are you telling me that Mac Namara is treated as separate from McNamara and MacNamara in the online records? That is hard to believe. And very tiresome.

Sheila