Hello List, My GGgrandfather JAMES WALSH from MUCKALEE,Kilkenny and his wife ANN CONRON emigrated to Sydney Australia c1862. Their son Matthew WALSH (my ggranfather) arrived in Sydney c1859 and sent for James & Ann, also his brothers, John & Martin, Mid 1860's. and sister Ann, They all died in Sydney. In the family bible that came with the family another son was mentioned=PATRICK WALSH b c1937 Kilkenny. We don't know why he did not emigrate, perhaps he was not living at that time. We were in contact with a priest who did a look up in Muckalee and said that records showed that the father of James Walsh was MATTHEW WALSH b. c1790 and that his wife appears to have been Caroline (?). In the family Myth/Legends there is a story that has some substance, having found it in part on the internet. My jaw dropped when I saw it, almost word for word as my WALSH Aunt (died at 90yrs in 2003) gave us as kids, as did all the other aunts & uncles give to their kids. The Story: Two brothers came from Wales into Ireland and were given land after the Cambro- Norman invasion. They had a disagreement and one went north (Dublin) and one went south (Kilkenny). Their origins appear to have come from NESTA in Wales. Now researching NESTA has proved like getting stuck in a revolving door. NESTA was a little bit loose in her friendships and it seems she was responsible for starting new family lines in several directions. It is said that the one that went to Kilkenny was named Philip. There was also an Anthony WALSH (from the Dublin branch?) who migrated to France and was a Ships captain. He is said to have sailed Bonnie Prince Charlie to Scotland. For Anthony's efforts he was given a castle/Chateau in France. (Not confirmed but the story was also found in some Irish History on the internet. Also mentioned in the stories was the problem one of the emigrated WALSHES had a great deal of trouble in that he refused to bend a knee to the monachy and had his name stripped from everything and he, together with thousands of others, became a non person and was eventually marched under guard to a ship heading for Australia where he was fed only. When arriving in Sydney he took back his name MATTHEW WALSH and within a few years owned a large part of Randwick in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney where he married and one of his children was Patrick WALSH who was my grandfather. The other brothers Martin & John also married and had many children, Matthews sister Ann disappeared without record a few years after arrival. Other things mentioned in the stories were Walshtown and Castle Hoel (var. spelling). The fate of Patrick may have been only that he became a priest but I was never able to confirm that. Waterford was mentioned in conjunction with Patrick & priesthood. So: I have Matthew b. 1790 m Caroline? his son James b. c1814 m Ann Conron his son Matthew b 1840 Kilkenny m Maria Graham b. 1849 Kilkenny 1867 in Waverley, Sydney NSW Aust his son Patrick b 1873 Randwick, Sydney NSW m Mary Ann McGinity b1880 in Wellington NZ, m 1899 Eandwick NSW These were my grandparents. his son Francis Walsh b 1904 Randwick NSW m Annie May Bardsley b 1903 Waverley NSW 1922 Waverley NSW his son Francis Carlyle Walsh b 1924 Bondi NSW m Betty Mackellar b 1923 Adelaide Sth Aust. 1944 Dulwich Hill, Sydney NSW Francis is my brother. his son James Walsh b 1958 Kensington Sydney NSW Would appreciate any info on Matthew Walsh b 1790. A grace stone inscription might tell a story In all my years of research this is the thickest brick wall I have had. Matthews brother Patrick b 1837 Kilkenny but did not emigrate to Australia is a chalenge as well. I have no info on him at all, he didn't even get himself into the family bible. Bits that would help: Death date of Matthew b c 1790 probably Kilkenny confirmation that his wife was Caroline. Marriage date. How many children did he have, James my ggrandfather was one. Death date of Patrick b 1837 Something I saw while going through some papers gave me the suspicion that James Walsh had married in Kilkenny prior to his marriage to Ann Conron and may have had children by the first wife. Any help on even a small piece of the above would be appreciated. Paddy Walsh