The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe

INTRODUCTION
The decades between 1840 and 1950 were hard times for our parents,
grandparents and great-grandparents. That they not only survived, but thrived and made a
better life for each succeeding generation is a testament to their character. They would
endure famine, two pandemics, two world wars, a war for independence, a civil war and
economic depression. All whose families lived in the West of Ireland in those days
should not only be aware of the struggle and sacrifice, but be proud of the resilience.
We were too young to appreciate it at the time, but the greatest and strongest
people we would ever meet were in our own homes as we grew. They would on occasion
visit each other on holidays or other times and share wonderful stories, but we did not
then recognize the importance of what was being shared. It is only now that we are much
older and have time to reflect, that we truly cherish what wonderful people they were and
the wisdom they gave. We are writing this book so they will not be soon forgotten.
On Oct. 18, 1896, in Ballinrobe, a small market town in County Mayo, Pat
Gallagher married Mary Sheridan. Their story, however, started much earlier, when a
young farmer from Donegal leased a farm just east of town, in Cornaroya. Over the next
eight decades the family would see land disputes, deportation, robbery, untimely deaths,
and the devastation of the Great Potato Famine. The hardships of the family’s past,
tempered Pat and Mary Gallagher and made their family much stronger. They would
need that toughness. They would have 12 children, including a daughter who died in
infancy. Two more would die as young men, one of a devastating disease and the second
in a terrible accident. The Irish diaspora would continue, as six would immigrate to
America and one to England. Only two would live out their lives in their hometown.
Despite the challenges, the family maintained a closeness that has been part of
the inheritance passed down. The intimacy was usually tempered by the natural reserve
of the Irish and an instinct toward privacy, but it has proved to be a deep and lasting
bond. The family moved forward, with each generation building on the successes of the
previous. The farms in Cornaroya our ancestors worked are long gone, but the memories
created there are ours forever. Our ancestors left tracks in history that can never be
erased.
Their bonds may best be illustrated in how Pat and Mary’s youngest son, Owen,
told visitors how the deep emotional memories he had of the day his older brother John
was killed tragically in a bicycle accident were never far from his mind. Similar
emotions were undoubtedly present for his brothers, sisters and parents. Following are
the stories of the Gallaghers of Ballinrobe, in hopes that their history will continue to be
cherished for generations to come.
July 2021
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