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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The family is together for Pete's graduation from Georgetown Law School. Pete went on to work for the Federal
Trade Commission, several law firms, the U.S. Railroad Administration and finally the D.C. Metro System.
The engagement
announcement of Pete
Gallagher and Judith
Ann Markey was made
in July 1963. It
mentioned she was a
nursing school graduate
on the staff at
Providence Hospital in
Washington, D.C.
the previous purchase. Around that time, Mary had a few
girlfriends at the house. Unknown to Mary, on the table was
the payment book for the car. After the girlfriends left, Aunt
May let Mary know she was horrified the girls would have
seen/known they had to buy the car on credit. There needn’t
have been such worry. Aunt May’s financial sense would
have protected the family from most money problems. To
her, though, it was important to be certain to live within
their means. To that end, Aunt May would even keep cash
hidden under the dining room rug to pay for the periodic
delivery of oil to heat the house.
Uncle Pete and Aunt May’s son attended
Archmere Academy for high school, Mount St. Mary’s for
college, and then Georgetown Law School. In 1963, Pete
married Judy Markey, and a reception was held at the
prestigious Congressional Country Club in the Washington,
Mary and Pete in the garden at Woodlawn Avenue when
she graduated from A.I. duPont High School. Mary
went on to a career with the Dupont Company.
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