Yes Christine I certainly do. They were catholics from a tiny village called Kilcommon in North Tipperary, roughly in the middle of the diamond shape formed by Limerick, Nenagh, Thurles and Tipperary towns. Kilcommon village contains the church in Kilcommon catholic parish. The civil townland of Kilcommon, which contains Kilcommon village, is in Templebeg civil parish. There's another Kilcommon near Cahir but it's not that one. It's in the heart of an old catholic refuge area among the Silvermine Mountains area from the time when the catholic religion was being proscribed. For masses back then they went up a nearby hill in the distance to a location called Laghile (sounds like loch aisle) where there was a secret mass rock. Kilcommon Legion of Mary annual newsletter, “Kilcommon Calling”, to those who have emigrated from Kilcommon - Xmas 1966 Kilcommon - mass celebrated 15th August at the Mass Rock for the first time since the penal days. Kilcommon Legion of Mary annual newsletter, “Kilcommon Calling”, to those who have emigrated from Kilcommon Kilcommon - “...the faith of our ancestors who attended mass, even though in danger.” I visited for about four hours in 1988. I doubt if there were more than 20 houses along the main street which had cow poop along it. One house still had a thatched roof and I was allowed to look inside which was pretty rugged. It may have been a reflection of the old gentleman living in it as other houses were of better construction and far better appointed. Farms all around. I was backpacking and had to tie in with a bus that went there a couple of times a day only about two or three times a week, leaving from Thurles. It had three pubs! My four hour stay was dictated by how long it took the bus to pass by on the return journey. 1911 IRISH CENSUS : Kilcommon Townland : 7 houses, 20 males, 10 females, all Roman Catholic. I spoke to the priest to ask him where I might go to search out the parish registers. A big grin spread over his face. He said just a minute, popped inside and came out again with a large volume under his arm, took me over to O'Carroll's pub where he set me up at the counter with a pint, and left me to devour the alphabetised, printed transcriptions of the baptismal registers of Kilcommon church! They didn't go back very far but at least I was able to discover that there were nine siblings altogether. The youngest four or so I was able to obtain full birth certs for later because they were the ones born after civil registration started. The transcript I think was the result of an unemployment scheme . Something like that anyway. Plenty of parishes took advantage to get theirs done I believe. In speaking with the publican's wife I learned that she'd had 9 children none of whom lived locally. They had all disappeared to big smokes in Dublin, England or the US. She said the whole village was like that, the young ones disappear as soon as they can. Very much like the West Coast here back in the day. My mother was born in Greymouth and she didn't stay either. The priest suggested I try the presbytery at Thurles for the Kilcommon marriage records, which I did the next morning. They had them all right, transcribed and alphabetised, same as the baptisms. They supervised me while I went through them. They didn't go far back either but were enough to allow me to find the 1848 marriage of the parents of the Mahony sisters, Michael MAHONY & Margaret KEATING / KEATY / KEATTY / CASEY. Margaret's name varies a lot in records, and the fact that one of them gives CASEY may be suggestive of how KEATTY was said. Other marriages were of interest surname-wise but the lack of detail didn't allow me to go back further. My memory is failing me. I can't quite remember for sure if it was the marriages I looked at Kilcommon and the baptisms at Thurles. Could have been the other way around. These days the old registers are now online at the National Library of Ireland website. http://registers.nli.ie/ The priests suggested I check out local births deaths and marriages registered at the Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles. There I was able to obtain Margaret the mother's death certifcate. 21 Jan 1870 Death of Margaret MAHONY @ Kilcummin, female, married, 40 years, Shopkeepers wife, Apoplexy, Informant Thomas O’MEARA Coroner. Registered 01/02/1870, Registrar M.Quinlan, Registration District Borrisoleigh. (Certificate - Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles) My people were literate which makes it sound as if the writer of the article in the Evening Post of 1879 was exaggerating somewhat. Mind you, my ones didn't go to Wellington, so the writer can't have viewed them. >From ‘Tipperary : History and Society’, eds William Nolan & T.G.McGrath. pub. 1985. Co]: Rear Cross - Kilcommon area 1700 - 1900 : Remote upland communities were slow to follow the trend of replacement of simple chapels or ‘mass houses’ by barn chapels, eg Kilcommon, Upperchurch, Rear Cross, Annacarty - all N of Thurles ‘KEATINGS in the Cahir area’ were entrepreneurs. Tenant farmer group - KEATINGS. Griffith’s Valuation - Kilcommon at £30 was one of the poorest parishes. Keening at funerals. One of the worst hit areas in the famine. The famine marked the death in Tipperary of the cottier and labourer class, aided by the impact of post-famine selective emigration. Anglesey roads dividing the hills in the area into 4 equal segments were engineered in 1828. This RYAN - DWYER country in Kilmanagh may have been an example from Co. Tipperary of refuge areas for old-established Gaelic communities that had been ousted from more accessible areas and among whom the patrynomics became more restricted with increasing physical inaccessibility. Farm holdings were not consolidated units but scattered parcels of land which frequently involved complex share arrangements in open fields. It was seen as an area where traditional values and lifestyles were upheld. ‘Chapel villages’ - embryonic service centres attached to a parish system, eg Kilcommon. Often a very poor village, "...its condition in keeping with a carefully cultivated image of a fugitive church, caring for a proscribed people and whose limitations were initially largely ascribed to the punitive nature of colonial legislation.” In 1962 two of my mother's aunts, Nell and Daisy FURNESS with nephew Ken FURNESS and a close friend in tow, all born in New Zealand, visited their parents' village Kilcommon during a world trip. >From Nell's travel diary: 4 Apr 62 Wednesday. Eily’s day off. Tipperary. " I have a filthy cold We have just pulled away in a taxi for Kilcommon. M.O’Brien is driving We are going into Kilcommon getting excited we are out on the street Daisy dashes across to Carroll Hotel Doreen & I make for the church with camera ready Ken one yard behind Daisy Raining a bit I said Annie Mahony give me some sun & out came the sun our cameras were going full steam dogs kids & all for half an hour down comes the rain as soon as our film ran out so I said thanks Annie Mahony for letting me use my camera We left Kilcommon at five oclock Booked into the Ormond Hotel dinner a bottle of sherry my cold getting better now Daisy has one so good night must get to bed ready for an early trip tomorrow I will buy a bottle of whiskey at Carroll’s pub to take home to Tot Jack & Shaun from Kilcommon. I must get a scooner for Kelly also bought Totties watch in [Nealon?] the best in the shop. So cheerio Savoy Hotel. 5/4/62 Thursday cat day. On train to Galway to watch the sun go down on Galway Bay. I went back to Kilcommon also Ken & Doreen we put some flowers on grand parents grave Went to mass in mothers church gave the Father [McGloughlon?] one pound to say a mass for the Mahoneys Bought some s___? to take home The car cost 2 pounds one day & 4 pounds the next day. Well we are on the train sailing along to Galway. I met Madge Doherty in the Post Office in Kilcommon a real Irish woman She said she was born in mothers house there was twelve children all dead except Madge & one brother. I promised to write to Madge I must send her a photo I snapped. Daisy asleep Ken asleep. We arrived in Galway at half past six They cooked us bacon & egg Irish bread & home made jam gee it was good So I am off to bed now it is half past ten & we are off again tomorrow to Sligo Town. Cheerio all." When I visited Kilcommon in 1988 I asked which had been Madge DOHERTY's house, and it was pointed out to me. That gave me the house that Annie MAHOINY was born in. 1981 Kilcommon - Poems [Kilcommon Legion of Mary annual newsletter, “Kilcommon Calling”, to those who have emigrated from Kilcommon] -------------------------------------------- KILCOMMON MY HOME Bright home of my childhood There is no place like thee O’er the Mountains the wildwoods, the vale and the lee No matter where’ver I’m bound for to roam I will never forget you Kilcommon my home. Where the beautiful church tower goes high in the air And the Angelus bell calls the faithful to pray The beautiful sound of the iron and tone seems to say Heaven bless you, Kilcommon my home. But there is a spot that is dearer than all And that is enclosed by our new chapel wall ‘Tis often I knelt there in silence and prayer. O’er the grave where our brave Fr. Heelan was laid ‘Twas he had a heart to dare and to do A noble fine clergy so good and so true How cheerfully he died to give Erin her own, On the bright sunny side of Kilcommon, my home,” ----------------------------------------------- KILCOMMON LONG AGO I salute my youthful companions, I call up my playmates all, Some have passed onto the promised land, They will not come at my call. We, that were happy together, Trudging to school in the snow, A sod of turf under our oxter, In Kilcommon long ago. Soon we left school in the village, Our “learning” indeed was obscure, Facing a tough and cruel world Our footsteps very unsure. Some walked tall and were lucky’ We all got it hard, now, we know, A shovel under our oxter, In Kilcommon long ago. We played the old games of our fathers, Hurling and football held sway, We went courdeach to the neighbours, To while the long winter away. We had fights too, we squared out and settled, In Haye’s inch down there below, With black eyes for the victor and vanquished, In Kilcommon long ago. Gone are the days of our boyhood, When, happy contented, though poor, We shrugged off the trials and troubles, Keeping the “wolf” from the door. The evening of life is upon us, Our race is soon run here below, Let’s pray God will forgive all our “antics”, In Kilcommon long ago. We were born as slaves of the British, Our country in bondage and tears, Till freedom’s call rang over the hillside, You’re wanted in the Volunteers. We heard the call in our valleys, Soon we were after the foe, A shotgun under our oxter, In Kilcommon long ago. ----------------------------------------------- Peter -----Original Message----- From: Christine Tregonning Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2017 8:33 PM To: 'Peter Dillon' ; [email protected] Subject: RE: [nz] Query re newspaper shipping report 1879 I think there was a lot of discrimination against the Irish and not all of it was justified. I think you have to put it down to ignorance. Peter, do you have any information about where your Mahoney sisters lived in Tipperary. Regards, Christine J Tregonning