The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe

knees buckle. Pete was by her side to support her.
Uncle Pete died Feb. 14, 1983. He was laid to rest
in Cathedral Cemetery next to his sister Delia. Mary recalls
Mr. Edmonds, his long-time employer, stopping by her
office at DuPont to express his condolences and sympathy.
Aunt May then lived by herself at Ingleside for
about three years. When she needed more help, she moved
to Foulk Manor South, an assisted living/nursing home on
Foulk Road. Aunt May lived there for three years. She was
in the assisted-living section the majority of the time but
was feisty until the very end. On the morning of her death,
she reprimanded the nurse’s aide for watching over her too
closely. She quietly passed away in her bed later that day,
Feb. 15, 1990.
Uncle Pete and Aunt May’s grandchildren, now
have children of their own:
Kathleen married Tim Jeffery, and they have two
children, Patrick and Erin;
Colleen married Thad Ward, and they also have
two children, Taylor and Connor;
Peter married Heather Nienhuis, and they have
three children, Ben, Emma and Ally.
MAY TIERNEY'S FAMILY
TIERNEYS AND TOHERS
As far back as anyone can
remember or document, the Tierneys came
from Carrowmore off the Convent Road near
Ballinrobe. The Tohers came from
Ballynalty, a few miles to the south, just over
the Mayo County line in County Galway.
Martin Tierney had about 9 acres in
Carrowmore at the time of the 1850
Griffith’s Land Valuation. Michael Toher had
about 50 acres at the same time in Ballynalty.
As was the case with the Gallaghers, they
leased their land from a landlord.
Aunt May’s paternal grandparents
were William Tierney and Mary Kelly, both
born in the 1830s. Mary lived until 1902 and
William until 1924. Her maternal
grandparents were Denis Toher and Biddy
McHugh. They were a little younger, both
born in the 1850s. Denis died in 1931, Biddy
in 1919.
19th CENTURY IRELAND
In the 1800s, Ireland was a very
different place. The country was still under
British rule, and in rural areas, the majority
of people worked for their landlords for a
pittance. They were not even permitted to
speak their own language. The houses were
often little more than small stone shacks with
thatched roofs.
Aunt May's mother, Mary (Toher), and father, John Tierney,
married April 17, 1902. They met when Mary's bike got a flat
tire and John came to the rescue.
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