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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At left, Pete and Judy share a toast at their Dec. 28,
1963, wedding. The ceremony was at the Church of the
Annunciation in Washington. Above, the bride and
groom are with best man Jim Goff and maid of honor
Joan Markey, Judy's sister.
D.C., area. Aunt May’s first cousins – her Uncle James
Tucker’s children Katherine Wirt, Mary Cross, Jimmy
Tucker and Helen Campbell – were all invited. Terry Wirt
(Katherine’s son) described the occasion as follows to Mary
Gallagher: “All four families caravanned down I-95
together. The Wirt children, Mark, Terry and Marilisa, did
not wear their dress clothes down. Instead, they stopped
and changed at Maryland House. Mom and Dad wanted the
kids to look their best at the wedding.” Terry added there
wasn’t a time when the Tucker cousins would get together
that the wedding wouldn’t come up as one of their most
memorable childhood experiences.
When applying for government jobs in
Washington in the early 1960s, Pete was asked why his
mother was not a U.S. citizen. He finally asked his mother
to take the step, and she complied in 1965. During the
celebratory dinner at Columbus Inn, Aunt May’s
granddaughter Kathleen was not as happy as the rest of the
family. She would not stop crying. Her mom and dad took
turns taking her out to the car to pacify her. Soon, Colleen
and Peter were added to the growing family.
Pete’s first job was for the U.S. Government’s
General Accounting Office. After law school, he worked
for the Federal Trade Commission and several law firms,
Uncle Pete and Aunt May take to the dance floor at
their son's wedding reception at the Congressional
Country Club near Washington D.C.
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