RootsChat.Com

Hello,

I’m searching for traces, anecdotes, photos, press articles etc about Barney, born in Belfast, but lived most of his life around Dublin.

He never married; sometimes worked as a teacher, and initially lived in Dunlaoghaire (with his boxer dog, near to Cyril Cusack ). He also lived for a few years at Clane, County Kildare, and Great Denmark Street/Gardiner Street in Dublin. Emigrated to America around 1973 and died there in 1986.

Bernard loved to tell jokes, sing, and even take to the stage (with a nasal Northern accent). He was reputedly “The Life & Soul of the Party” wherever he went, and is said to have run “bingo sessions” and other activities to raise cash to support those impacted by the long strike in 1970.

Something of a “local character”. Does anyone remember him?

Many thanks to Aghadowey for the incredibly effective & diligent researches.

Wow!!

We suspect that you have certain attributes which we lack:-
    • a lightening fast broadband connection
    • basic human intelligence
    • perhaps a very smart internet trawling program?

It is indeed surprising to note that Elizabeth Ellen Martin made “her mark X” for the registrations of her first child’s (Catherine 1874-75) birth and death (uniquely those 2 events).

Later, she signed (although many registrations were done by a Mary McLaughlin of 17 New Dock Street – apparently a local midwife; we found her on over 20 birth registrations in the area).

Patrick O’Neill, the labourer, was literate (census returns, marriage record with Sarah Lyttle & registration of Stanislaus’ death). He was reputedly harshly domineering and said to have posted written ‘rules of behaviour’ for his family (a trend his own son, John, later continued with Victorian rigour).

Interesting as all that may be, it does not explain the enigma of Elizabeth Ellen Martin (nee Kearney or Kearny or Carney etc) from Norfolk VA?. Perhaps it was not her at all? The family may have built a myth. Back in 1891, they did not have internet to help construct a story, just scraps of mouse-chewed paper!

We’ve been through the Kearney museum in Perth Amboy (Paul Wong, curator), the church in Norfolk VA and the US Navy archives. Lot’s of great ‘possible stories’, rather a shortage of facts.

Did we shout "Don't give up the ship" then sink with it, or keep firing until the water reached the gunwales, did we charge with Napoleon in France and Italy, did we massacre our comrades in the civil war, or just murder Amer-Indians? We’ll probably never know the truth… it would still be nice to show that we really do own 25% of the New York Stock Exchange thanks to Elizabeth Ellen. There’s a 10% reward to the first RootsChatter who can show that (payable in arrears after the expiry of the statute of limitations)!

Hi. I'm picking up a very old thread about the Ball and Dingle families.

I have far too much material to post in just one shot. It covers the families Ball, Dingle, Moore, O'Neill for over 10 generations and across 4 continents.

28/01/1894 Thomas Dingle married Jane Ball on (daughter of John Ball & Anne Ball - née Kearns). Amongst other children (Margaret - 17/11/1894, Mary Teresa - 01/08/1896, Thomas Joseph - 16/06/1897), they had Anne Eva (29/10/1899), Kathleen (23/08/1905) and Christine (28/12/1907).
Anne & Kathleen were placed in foster-care at Cellbridge, Co Kildare. Christine became a domestic servant in England.

Anne/Annie Eva (won a lottery & bought a shop & house) married Richard Moore in 1920. They were friendly with & entertained Joe Lawless, Sean T O'Casey, Dan Breen & Frank Aiken in their house on the North Circular Road  (5 children: Maria/Maire, Kathleen/Kay, Carmel, Eamonn, Bernadette/Bernie). Later moved the shop to the Whitworth Rd & home to St Bridgids Rd.

Kathleen married Joseph/Joe McDermott in 1938 (no children).

Christine married Horace Gruby in 1942 (1 daughter, Patricia - married to John B Rose in 1964)

If any of this is of interest, let me know & I'll try to find time to post more.