| Re: 462.27
Maybe we have the material now for the creation of a new ballad.....
"THE FLIGHT OF POSTIE keVin BURNS"
Let's see the creative genius, imagination and wit of the celt file
members at work. See if between everyone we can't come up with a
song to rival CHRISTY'S.
Get those imaginations steamed up and keep it WITTY, lewd if necessary,
but emphasis on the humourous.
Yours Mischievously,
Murphy.
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| Kevin: in re .1, I left Cobh for the U.S. on 2 October, 1948 on
the U.S.S Washington; landed in New York on 7 Oct. Who are your
parents; did they, also, come on the "Washington."
Pat Manning
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| If you fellows will excuse a REAL answer, my mothers's maternal grandfater came
over in the late 1850's. He came over alone, though he was only 12 or so. His
older sisters were already here. I'd guess that they came over in the really
bad years of the famine. He settled in New York.
He fought in the War Between the States, although he was under-age and not yet
a citizen. I assume that he went in place of someone else. After the war he
became a citizen. The woman that he married also lived in New York. She
remembered seeing blacks lynched during the draft riots.
His name was Luke Sullivan. I believe his wife was named Ellen Foley.
kathy
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| My father's side of the family (3 of my great-grandparents) came to
America in the late 1880's due to the potato holocaust. They
were from Galway and Roscommon.
My mother's side (2 of my grandparents) came over relatively later,
during the late 1920's, during another smaller wave of emmigration.
I really don't know why they left. Did the stock market crash affect
Ireland? Maybe someone can enlighten me on the period of the later
1920's.
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| ...those not interested in other peoples families will want
to skip the following...
My great-grandfather Michael Lyons immigrated to the
US, (Hoboken, NJ), in 1884 from Bury, England. He was originally
from Mayo but spent several years in England where he married my
great-grandmother, Mary Boland, also from Mayo. She followed
him to the USA several years later.
My other great-grandfather on my fathers side was Martin
Flanagan, who came to the USA (New York, NY) in 1868 at age 6. We've
lost track of the Flanagans and only know he came from Ireland. His wife
was Margaret Quinn from Armagh, who came to the USA in 1885.
My grandfather, Patrick Kilcommons, arrived in the early
1900s in US, (New York, NY). He married my grandmother, Anne
Hannon from West Meath in 1911.
From what I know, they all left looking for better opportunities
elsewhere... just about all the families were either farmers or labourers
of one type or another.
...potentially boring excerpts from family letters (of related interest) follow:
(From my great-grandfather Matthias Kilcommons (Boughill, Ballygar) to his
uncle Dan Cummings, living in Peabody, MA dated April 22, 1880)
"...Those three last years were the worst years that come in
Ireland since the year 47 cheefly last year it was the wetest
and coldest that ever was know there would be starvation were it
not for the relief that is given cheefly Connaught where are
a good in this neighborhood getting it I never applied for it
or will not as long as God gives me enough without it the most
of the village people are getting it the government are giving
at all the workhouses seed oats and potatoes on time they say
they will have to be paid back for them again and well oats and
potatoes are dear...
...there are a great deal of girls going from this locality to
America..."
(From my great-granduncle Dan Kilcommons (Tuam, Co. Galway) to his
uncle Dan living in Peabody, MA, dated February 1885)
"This country is about as poor as itever was owing to the
failure of the crops in '79 and '80 and the great depression
in market value of all kinds of farm produce owing to foreign
competition. There were pretty fair crops for the past few
years. My sister Mary and family are in good health she has
a large family to maintain - eight boys and two girls - the
three oldest boys are now grown up. indeed fine specimen of
the Irish man each one over six feet high but for want of
respectable employment at home she is getting it rather hard
to keep the family together. I wrote to Mary and her husband
four years since advising them to let the two eldest boys
join the R I Constabulary [MDL - he was a Sgt in the RIC]
but they paid no heed to my advice...
...So I may say they have to live on the produce of the small
farm. Luke the second eldest boy is in England at present
and did not return home since he went there last year wrote
home to his mother a few days since remitting a few pounds
in cash to her and doing what he can the poor boy - as indeed
they are all very good and obedient to their mother - requested
that Mich'l would be communicated with the view of paving his
way to America if he would think such a course prodent. It
appears that he does not at all like the farm labour in England
besides being in danger of losing his health and degrading to
a young Irish man of spirit to be in such a low position...."
(From my great-grandfather Mat Kilcommons (Boughill, Ballygar) to his
cousin Tom Cummings, living in Peabody, MA dated February 23, 1895)
"...it was a good day for you when you left Ireland I
am sure you had better times there times are very dull
here at present no earning or public works of any sort
going on prices of cattle are very low were it not for
as plentyful and cheap as flour is here at present there
would be starvation in Ireland the most of the potatoes
rotted here last season I believe it was never known in
Ireland severer weather with frost and snow than what we
had sinse Christmas
The land is covered with frost and snow at present..."
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