The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe
IN MARCH 2020, Pat Gallagher had an idea. He asked his brother, Owen, what he thought of writing a book about the family of their father, James Gallagher, who grew up in the early decades of the 20th century in the West of Ireland in the small town of Ballinrobe, County Mayo. The shutdown from COVID-19 was just beginning, and the thinking was they would have more time on their hands than usual. What better way to spend quarantine than exploring the stories of our aunts, uncles and other relatives. The task turned out to be much more complicated (and rewarding) than anticipated. It involved sifting through ship manifests, census, birth and marriage records, newspaper archives, and, most enjoyable, sessions delving into the memories of extended-family members. Sorely missed was the chance to hear first-hand the tales from our deceased cousins John O'Brien and Pete Gallagher. This book's stories and more than 500 images are the result of the past year's journey. The goal was both simple and ambitious: making the memories of the Gallaghers of Ballinrobe ours forever.
IN MARCH 2020, Pat Gallagher had an idea. He asked his brother, Owen, what he thought of writing a book about the family of their father, James Gallagher, who grew up in the early decades of the 20th century in the West of Ireland in the small town of Ballinrobe, County Mayo. The shutdown from COVID-19 was just beginning, and the thinking was they would have more time on their hands than usual. What better way to spend quarantine than exploring the stories of our aunts, uncles and other relatives.
The task turned out to be much more complicated (and rewarding) than anticipated. It involved sifting through ship manifests, census, birth and marriage records, newspaper archives, and, most enjoyable, sessions delving into the memories of extended-family members. Sorely missed was the chance to hear first-hand the tales from our deceased cousins John O'Brien and Pete Gallagher. This book's stories and more than 500 images are the result of the past year's journey. The goal was both simple and ambitious: making the memories of the Gallaghers of Ballinrobe ours forever.
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Above is Mary during a 1952 visit to see Uncle Pat. The
car is a 1950 Buick Special Deluxe. At right are
portraits of the young family. The top photo is from
Mary's First Communion in 1951.
spend some of their pay on a few beers.
A major move to grow their small business was
the addition of a television set, around 1948-49. Milton
Berle, Red Skelton, Ed Sullivan, The Voice of Firestone
and boxing matches were a real draw. These weren’t easy
years, with just Uncle Pete and Aunt May, and occasional
part-time help, doing all the work. Uncle Tom would fill in
from time to time. Aunt May worked the kitchen, making
sandwiches for the lunchtime crowd. Both husband and
wife tended bar, alternating to let each other grab a nap.
They worked six days a week, with Sunday the day the
family could go to Gettysburg, Lancaster County’s Amish
country, Valley Forge, Crystal Cave in Reading, Pa., or
Atlantic City, where they loved eating at Captain Starn’s in
the Inlet. Philadelphia trips would have the family visit
cousin Francis Sheridan, his mother and aunts, along with
Pete’s brother Pat and family. In summer, there were
picnics at Valley Gardens and Rockford Park.
Young Pete had started school at St. Thomas the
Apostle at Fourth Street and Bayard Avenue. But after the
move to the bar, both he and Mary attended St. Paul’s
Elementary School at Third and North Van Buren.
Patsy (O’Brien) DeAscanis can remember her
cousin Pete, along with Lassie, making his way up the hill
to their house on Van Buren Street after school. He enjoyed
playing with Patsy and her brother Johnny. Patsy also
remembers when she was about to start eighth grade her
family moved from Van Buren to 27th Street. Patsy did not
want to leave school in eighth grade and was allowed to
finish elementary school at St. Paul’s. That year, she would
go over to the bar many days at noon to eat her lunch. She
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