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 Heraty homestead is located near Westport and Crough Patrick in County Mayo, Ireland.
married Kate Heraty, then about 30 years old. They
were upset enough to disown their son.
HER MOTHER’S SIDE
Aunt Catherine’s mother’s family was born,
raised, married and buried in the shadow of Crough
Patrick. As a young girl, Aunt Catherine’s mother, Kate
Heraty, could walk out the front door of her family’s
small cottage and see the holiest mountain in Ireland.
Croagh Patrick (or The Reek, as it is locally
known) is renowned for its pilgrimages in honor of
Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. It was on the
summit of the mountain where Saint Patrick fasted for
40 days in 441 AD, and the custom of fasting there has
been faithfully handed down from generation to
generation. The Black Bell of Saint Patrick was a
highly venerated relic on Croagh Patrick for many
years. As late as 1840, you could still pass the bell
around your body three times (for the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit) to cure different diseases. Reek Sunday is
the last Sunday in July. The name “Croagh Patrick”
comes from the Irish Cruach Phádraig, meaning
“Patrick’s Stack.” In the Irish countryside, turf and hay
are traditionally stacked in open-air ricks similar to the
mountain’s shape.
Aunt Catherine’s maternal great-grandfathers
were both from the West of Ireland. John Heraty was
Aunt Catherine's ancestors were from the townland
of Owenwee.
born in Owenwee, a townland of Wesport. Peter
Connor may have been born near Galway and moved
to Laghloon, the townland adjacent to Owenwee. Peter
Connor married a local girl named Kitty Coyne. They
would have at least 10 children, including Aunt
Catherine’s grandmother, Mary Connor, who was born
in 1852.
Patrick Heraty and Mary Connor had eight
children: Bridget (1872); twins Patrick and Mary
(1874); Sarah (1877); another set of twins, John and
Kate, Aunt Catherine’s mother, (1874); Edward
(1882); and Nora (1891). Kate’s twin John died of
bronchitis at only one month old. There was no
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