Christmas Cards by Brian O'Higgins

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Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Christmas Cards by Brian O'Higgins

Post by Sduddy » Fri Dec 24, 2021 9:33 am

Many older people will remember Christmas Cards made by Brian O’Higgins. O'Higgins (b 1882 in Co. Meath) was elected Sinn Féin MP for West Clare in the 1918 general election. In 1926 he went into business, making greeting cards such as this one here*: https://www.certainbooks.com/pages/book ... -o-huiginn
He was assisted in this by the artist and illustrator, Ailbhe Ó Monacháin (b. 1889 in Belfast**), who also has a connection with Co. Clare: after the 1916 Rising, Ó Monacháin, also called Alfie Monahan, spent some months in hiding with Liam Mellows and Frank Hynes in the mountains at Balloughtra, Knockjames (see page 10 of Witness Statement by Sean MacNamara: https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collect ... WS1047.pdf).

* “Ag seo mo ghuidhe dhuit” = Here is my prayer for you.

** https://www.dib.ie/biography/o-monachain-ailbhe-a6408

Nollaig shona. Happy Christmas.

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Christmas Cards by Brian O'Higgins

Post by Sduddy » Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:18 pm

In his witness statement, Frank Hynes describes the stay in Balloughtra, and mentions that he, Liam Mellows and Alfie Monahan had set out to go to Liam Mellow’s uncle in Scarriff, but they went astray and were found eventually by a man searching for his horses: https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collect ... WS0446.pdf (see page 20 - 29). Liam Mellows was born in England in 1892 to William Joseph Mellows, a soldier in the British army, born in India, and Sarah Jordan, from Co. Wexford (They were married in Fermoy, Co. Cork, in Dec. 1885). So I wondered who Liam Mellow’s uncle in Scarriff could possibly be, but found him quite easily in the 1911 census: he was Patrick Jordan, National School teacher, aged 53, from Co. Wexford, living in Scarriff village with his wife Annie [Terrett], from Co. Clare, and their children. Patrick Jordan and Annie Terrett had married in 1893: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 858634.pdf.

I would like to know more about Michael O’Brien, the illustrator of the Brian O'Higgins greeting cards until the 1950s (when Ailbhe Ó Monacháin became the illustrator). I think he must be the Michael O’Brien, who is living in Whitworth Row, North Dock DED, Dublin, in 1911, aged 18, who gives his occupation as Illuminating Artist: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/r ... 000054775/, but I’ve failed to find anything more about him.

Sheila

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