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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Uncle Pat, second from left, joins other Seabees in front of the 95th CB Sign Shop, probably on Iwo Jima.
In the meantime, after the Indianapolis had completed her mission, she
sailed for the Philippines. But shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945, she was
torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank quickly. Because of the secrecy of the
mission, a rescue attempt was not immediately launched. Nearly 800 of her 1,200
crew lost their lives, many to sharks. That July 30 was the same day Uncle Pat’s
foreign service ended. The same rules on secrecy would have applied to the ship that
carried him toward home.
Sometime near the end of his service, Uncle Pat contracted malaria. After
he was discharged on Oct. 7, 1945, he had to spend six months in the Naval Hospital
in Philadelphia. For the rest of his life, Uncle Pat would suffer from the dreadful,
mosquito-borne disease. He would sometimes wake in the middle of the night,
shouting and in such a heavy sweat that Aunt Catherine would have to change the
sheets.
RAISING A FAMILY
Aunt Catherine originally took in boarders in the house on 47th Street. One
of them was a photographer, who used to practice his craft with Mary Kathryn when
Uncle Pat came home from the
service to see his daughter, Mary
Kathryn, for the first time. She is
shown at 9.5 months.
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