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Catherine Hurley was born in 1905, the daughter of Timothy (Thade) Hurley and Elizabeth Dwyer of Tonavane, Blennerville, Co. Kerry. By the time of the 1911 Census, Catherine's mother Elizabeth had given birth to 10 children, of whom 7 were still living.
John, known as Jack, was born in 1898. Michael was born in 1899, James in 1900, Timothy in 1903, Catherine, my Granny, in 1905, Mary in 1907 and Bridget in 1909. Timothy and Elizabeth, their parents, married in 1897. Timothy Hurley gives his occupation as railway milesman and Elizabeth Dwyer, as a dressmaker. At the time of the 1911 Census, my Granny's grandparents, John Hurley and Catherine Gallivan, were still living in Tonavane. I was surprised to find that my Granny had so many siblings. Growing up I was only aware of two. Like many women of her generation, my Granny spoke little of the old times. As we sat by the fire, I could see the faraway look in her eyes when she remembered. Suddenly, the subjects we studied in school began to come alive for me as I realised that my Granny had lived through the Black and Tans, the Irish Civil War and the foundation of the Republic. My Granny had lived in the America I knew only from television programmes. I began to see all the connections branching out from one small village. And I realised that I was part of these connections. If you are interested in finding your Irish ancestors, the 1901 and the 1911 Census are online at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/ and you can find records of marriages and births on http://irishgenealogy.ie/
2 Comments
I am enjoying reading your posts so much, especially your theme of connection. I believe all Americans who trace their roots to Ireland are seeking connection, longing to find the threads of their ancestral, patchwork quilt. That is wild Mairead, your granda being Timothy Hurley also! I love your phrase "longing to find the threads of their ancestral patchwork quilt" The desire for connection is a theme that I see again and again in my work... then negotiating the balance between connection and independence. No two people ever do it the same. Leave a Reply. |
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