Kealy Family Home in Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny
As the only address I had for my father's distant cousins was Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny, Ireland I did not know where to find them when we arrived in the tiny village one wintry January day. Before leaving Australia we had done our homework and, from a Baptismal certificate we had for my great-grandmother, we knew that she had been baptised in Ballyfoyle.
After visiting the churches and cemeteries at Ballyfoyle and Muckalee in search of graves and being made most welcome by the priest at Muckalee who let us transcribe Kealy family details from the Church Registers we decided to try and find the cousins.
As dusk was approaching we called at the tiny Post Office where the clerk gave us directions to the cousins house. I was apprehensive about cold calling but my husband insisted that, as we had travelled from Australia, we should knock. We were given a royal welcome, plied with whisky and offered a bed for the night which we had to decline. Visiting the elderly cousins, who were thrilled to have dropins from Australia, gave us valuable information about our ancestors and an opportunity to sit at a table made by my great-great-grandfather.
Sitting in a room of the house that members of my family had used for over 200 years made me feel so connected to my heritage. It was an awesome experience.
This post has been submitted to Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture : My key to Ireland.
I have family that hailed from Thomastown, Kilkenny, removed to the U.S. I see that you are researching the surname Ryan, and wonder if we share any relatives...please email me, I'd like to talk more about the Ryans. genblogjulie -at- gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic story! Gave me chills just imagining sitting in a room where your family had been all those years ago. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy great great grandmother, Bridget Kealy, married Daniel Ivory on February 2, 1826 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Danesfort, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Would there be any connection?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Michael F. O'Brien, onggi@aloha-state.net
If I have the correctly Birth/Baptism record, it was in Freshford in 1811, her father was Patrick Kealy and mother was Mary Mulhall. Does this mean any thing to any of you Kealys.
ReplyDeleteMichael, my Kealys are from Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny. Perhaps there is a link ....You can see what I have at http://www.geniaus.net
ReplyDeleteMy husband's Brennan family come from Muckalee. I haven't been there but other family must have visited the same priest who showed them exactly where family still lived today. We now know why his ancestor moved to Australia - the Irish family knew the story. We also know they are Moses Brennans. Apparently there were so many Brennans they were given another name to distinguish the individual families.
ReplyDelete