counihan family limerick

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matthewmacnamara
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:38 pm

counihan family limerick

Post by matthewmacnamara » Fri May 08, 2020 12:06 pm

In the 1880s a Counihan was alderman and mayor of Limerick.
He was also proprietor of the newspaper the Munster News published in Llmerick
at that time.
Another was a solicitor.
The name Counihan appears on a plaque on the Sarsfield Bridge.
Would anyone know?
Were the Counihans a Clare family?
What was the source of their wealth?

murf
Posts: 365
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Qld Australia

Re: counihan family limerick

Post by murf » Fri May 08, 2020 11:12 pm

Hi Matthew
One of my McInerney cousins was married to Gerald M Counahan, who was the Galway County Registrar. He died in July 2, 1959, and I realise this may be a generation or so from your focus. But there is a report of his funeral on the front page of the Connacht Sentinel of 7 Jul 1959, and I have a note in my file that there were extensive tributes to him in this and several other newspapers of the time, so you could pick up something of interest to your query.

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

Re: counihan family limerick

Post by Sduddy » Sat May 09, 2020 10:22 am

Hi Matthew

I wonder if the person you are thinking is Frank Counihan, who was founder and editor of the Munster News. He was born near Killarney, Kerry, about 1807, according to an article in the Old Limerick Journal, No. 10, “A Brief History of the Munster News 1851-1935”, by Brendan Burke: http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/olj%20 ... %20014.pdf
The association of the Counihans with Co. Clare comes about when Frank Counahan’s son, John F. Counihan, M.D., marries Jane Borough from Querrin near Kilrush, Co. Clare. They were married in Dublin, on 3rd Jun 1873. The record gives John F’s father as Frank Counihan, Editor, and gives Jane’s father as Randal W Borough, Querrin. The name Randal was given to one of the children of John F. and Jane. Their children were baptised in St Senan’s parish (Kilrush).The 1901 census shows John F., aged 56, Jane, aged 51, and 6 children – Randal, John and William are living in another house in Kilrush. According to the 1911 census, John F. and Jane had 16 children altogether of whom 12 were still alive. You will notice that John F. gives his birth place as Co. Kerry in both censuses. Only 5 of the 12 surviving children are still living at home in 1911. Maurice, aged 16, is in Clongowes Wood secondary school, Co. Kildare. Randal, aged 35, is living in Bindon Street, Ennis; occupation: Medical Doctor and Surgeon. He had married Norah Digby French in Kilrush chapel in 1904. She was the daughter of Robert Digby French, a clergyman of Church of England. Mary Helena had married John Sillers, of Bedford Park, London, a property owner. I don’t know where the other 4 children had gone to by 1911.

John Francis Counihan, Physician and Surgeon, died in 1922, at River View, Ennis, aged 78; informant: J.H. Counihan, his son.
Later records show that Richard Counihan, M.D., married Enid Glynn, of Pella House, Kilrush, in 1926. William Counihan married Harriet Healy, from Moyarta, in 1911. He gives his occupation as Farmer. Jerome Counihan, M.B(?), married Mary O’Meara, in Ennis in 1915. There must be plenty of descendants living in Clare today. Dr Frank Counihan, a well known doctor in Ennis - died 2014, aged 91 – may be a descendant of the original Frank Counihan.

The 1911 census shows two other Counihan families living in Co. Clare (in the parish of Feakle), and there were some Counihan families living in south Co. Galway. Murf, your Gerald Counihan may belong to one of those families - I haven't done any searching.

Sheila

matthewmacnamara
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:38 pm

Re: counihan family limerick

Post by matthewmacnamara » Sat May 09, 2020 6:36 pm

Many thanks Sheila, as always.

I was struck by the fact that the Munster News in 1880 seemed a bit more
sympathetic to Land League activity than the Limerick Reporter. Both papers
had a predominantly Catholic readership.

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

Re: counihan family limerick

Post by Sduddy » Mon May 11, 2020 9:50 am

The Counihans in Kilrush appear several times in the Senan Scanlan's Kilrush Notes 1760 - 1960: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... iages3.htm

And there's a piece on Querrin House on the Landed Estates site: http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/Lande ... sp?id=1743

Sheila

deirdre carroll
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Re: counihan family limerick

Post by deirdre carroll » Fri May 15, 2020 1:24 pm

Hello Sheila,

My Grandmother Delia O'Connor/ Carroll worked as a dispensary nurse and midwife in Ennis and at times Kilrush from sometime in the 1920s to 1940 and spoke frequently about Dr. Counihan, her boss and mentor (following her early widowhood). She always spoke of him warmly and had many stories about that time in her life, including having to cycle frequently to Kilrush and back to her children in the evening in Ennis, after carrying out her midwife duties.

Deirdre Carroll

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