Memories of Ireland 2016
- Aug 31, 2016
- 3 min read
In 2015, the Marty Currans of Norwood decided to plan a trip to the "olde country" of Ireland to connect with our McLean and Curran roots on the west coast in County Galway, specifically Connemara. Our paternal grandparents were both born there, Winifred in the tiny village of Carraroe and Bartley in Spiddal, a few miles west.
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Bart immigrated to the US in 1910 at age 25, Winnie three years later at age 20. They did not know each other in Ireland, but met at a dance in Dedham and married some ten years later. Bart was 35 and Win 29 years old. Before they were married, Bart became an American citizen at age 29. At age 36, Win also became an American citizen.
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In 1924, their first child was born, Martin Bernard Curran. Here is a rare professional photograph of the family when young Marty was one year old, Bart 39, and Win 32.
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Bartley and Winifred came to America to escape the poverty of Ireland. The McLeans were a family of ten, living in a small stone home with a dirt floor and a thatched roof. All of the family has since passed on, but the remains of the house can still be found in the back yard of the O'Donnell Family.
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The picture above shows the gable end of the structure with the fireplace. The roof is long since gone, and saplings have grown into trees inside on the floor where our Nana used to play. Below is the group sharing a mid-day libation with Marty's cousin Bartley O'Donnell.
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Above is the same house in 1992, with Marty, Tom, Mary O'Donnell, and Mamie Keane in Bartley's kitchen. Pretty much everything has changed, except for the painting hanging behind Dan and Padraic!
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We drove to the cemetery on the beach, just about a mile east. There we found the gravesite of Padraig McLean and Mary Curran McLean. Curran is a very common name in Galway. Patrick McLean married Mary Curran, whose father was Bartley Curran. Years later, their daughter Winifred married Bartley Curran and her sister Annie married Patrick Curran. Neither is related (that we know of!).
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Here is a picture of Carrie and Padraic at the grave of their Great-Great Grandparents.
The centerpiece of the family trip was surely the pilgrimage to the west coast. We stopped in the small town of Spiddal for lunch along the way. There, Kathy, Maggie, Meara, and Julia walked over to a church to see if any of Bartley's records may be found. His parish was actually in Inverin, which Kathy estblished with a friendly parishioner whose name was, not surprisingly, Kathleen Curran.
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Here is the family tree for those intrepid readers who are still following:
What follows is a journal blog of the two week trip, in reverse order. The Currans stayed in a lovely castle in Bansha, Tipperary, for a week, and then the McCrossans stayed on another week in the fishing village of Dingle in the southwest corner of Ireland.
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These last two images are of the Curran families taken in 1947 and 2016. You can see that these two hard working immigrants lived the American Dream. With their 6th grade educations, Bart and Win bought their own home and raised three wonderful children who went on to college and law school, and that trio raised 15 children of their own. Below is a picture of some of their grandchildren and great grandchildren at the Blarney Castle.
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An amazing trip for this very grateful family!
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Read on for day by day accounts.
That sounds like such a beautiful reflection! Ireland always leaves lasting memories with its breathtaking landscapes and rich culture. One of the places that truly captures that timeless beauty is the Ring of Kerry, with its stunning coastal views, charming villages, and historical landmarks. It’s the kind of destination that makes every visit unforgettable.