Saturday, June 12, 2010

Claffey Family of Bloomhill, Kings County, Ireland


The descendents of Patrick Claffey who live in Ireland have shared family information on those who lived their lives in Ireland and those who came to live in the USA. If you can make a connection, let me know.

Family101@earthlink.net

Claffey family of Bloomhill, Kings Co. (Offaly) Ireland

The title was registered in Folio 4477 County Kings. The property was vested in Patrick Claffey on 28th February 1918. The Land Commission advance was £176.0.0 with an annuity of £5.14.6. It was part of the Williams Estate E.C. 8152 L.R. 156/16493 Collection No:88/3292 Being 35 Acres 3 Roods and 20 Perches on Townland of Cloncraff or Bloomhill Elcetoral Division of Hinds in the Barony of Garrycastle.

It is of interest to note the difference in age in the census. It appears that a lot of Irish people aged much more than ten years between the 1901 census and the 1911 census. This is explained by the introduction of the Pension Act in 1908. Perhaps people added on a few years so they would qualify earlier for the pension.

Patrick Claffey (born 1825 died 15th Oct 1889) married Ann Flannery (born 1832 died 19th. May 1907 though in the 1901 census she gives her age as 61) .

There were twelve children of the marriage. They were 1. Mary, 2. Patrick. 3.Bridget, 4. Katie, 5. James. 6. Kieran, 7. Annie, 8. Elizabeth, 9.Mike, 10. Margaret, 11. Ellen, and 12. Rosaleen.

MARY:- Mary married a man called Duffy and had four children namely Annie, Stephen, Joseph and James. See entry at end re Gussie Claffey

PATRICK:- He died a bachelor and lived his entire life on the farm in Bloomhill. Born 7th Feb 1862. Pat died 6 March 1945 (In 1911 census age given 43)and a Probate to his estate issued on 14th May 1945 to his sister Elizabeth Daly. She died 22nd December 1947 without administering Pat`s estate and a Grant of Administration DBN issued to one Edward Daly 9 a nephew of Fr. Tom Daly) of Bloomhill a stranger in blood on 22nd June 1949. The Bond guarantors were Edward Daly and Pat Mooney of Doon. The A.M.V. by Pat Mooney gave the farm value as £500.0.0 During a Court Application to Appoint an Administrator Notice was served on Eileen Nobilio (nee Duffy, later Fabian), P.C. Moore Solicitor appeared for Eileen but said he had no instructions. By his Will dated 1st March 1943 he appointed Elizabeth Daly (sister) and Ellen or Eileen Duffy (niece) as executrices of Will. He gave a legacy of £40.0.0 to his nephew Joseph Claffey. He then gave the residue of his property including the farm and house at Bloomhill to his sister Elizabeth Daly "for her natural life". He then went on "if Ellen or Eileen Duffy who now resides in my house continues to work for me and after my death for Elizabeth Daly for our lives I give divise and bequeath my said residue to the said Ellen Duffy after the death of the said Elizabeth Daly. In the event of the said Elizabeth Daly predeceasing me then I direct my said residue be realised by sale and one third thereof be paid to the said Ellen Duffy and the remaining two thirds thereof be equally divided between the following four parties viz: Mrs. Lucy Moran, Ballyduff, Ballinahown, County Offaly Married Woman; Mrs. Ellen Galvin, Parkwood, Moate, County Westmeath, Married Woman; Joseph Egan, Clooniff, Shannonbridge, County Offaly and Joseph Duffy, Big Bog, Ballinahown, County Westmeath."

BRIDGET:- She died a spinster 1st Jan 1940 born 1864 (In 1911 census age given 45). She spent her early life in Bloomhill, and she spent some time with her brother Mike in Clerhane where she helped to rear his family. She indeed moved to Clerhane with Mike.

KATIE:- She died a spinster, not sure where she lived her life. Today 15th April 2009 Sr. Monica tells me Katie lived all her life in Bloomhill. She was a renowned singer. (In 1911 census age given was 40).

JAMES:- He emigrated to the U.S.A. where he lived out his life and died a bachelor. Born 1sr April 1873. We do not know where James lived in the USA. There was a James Claffey born in 1873 who lived in Hartford, CT on the 1900 and 1920 census. He was married to Minnie and apparently had no children. Hartford is the same city where James' sister Ellen lived. More research is required.

KIERAN:- Born 2 September 1855. Like James he also emigrated to the U.S.A. where he to lived out his life and died a bachelor. The information regarding his emigration may be incorrect. Stephen McNeill discovered Kieran was baptised on 2nd September 1855 the sponsors were James Flannery and Anne Flannery (nee Rigney). He discovered that he died in Bloomhill on 15th August 1887 aged 31 the cause of death bed `the decline`. My mother Margaret Turley (nee Claffey) gave me the original information. Today 15th April 2009 Sr. Monica confirmed that she had the same story as my mother. The `decline` was an euphemism for T.B. (tuberculosis) and it appears his death caused shame and was really a family secret. Kieran might have immigrated to USA and then returned to Bloomhill when he contracted TB.

ANNIE:-Born 10 August 1855. Anna Claffey was married to Patrick F. Gaffey and they immigrated to the USA. Their children born in Hartford CT were: Anna Gaffey b 2 Dec 1895 d 26 Feb 1968 married Edward Mccarthy; James P. Gaffey b 2 Jun 1894 d 10 May 1981 married Marie Clark; Lucy A. Gaffey b 2 Oct 1891 d Jan 1980 married Morgan J. Burk, Mary E. Gaffey b 20 May 1890 d 1987 Baileys Island, Cumberland, ME married Alfred W. Tyrol.

ELIZABETH:- Born 7 Feb 1874. She married a man called Daly, and there were no issue of the marriage. She died 22 December 1947 and a Grant of Probate to her estate issued to Edward Daly of Bloomhill, a stranger in blood, on 9 March 1948. She only had a life interest in Bloomhill given to her under her brother Patrick`s Will but she clearly believed she owned the Bloomhill property outright. By her Will dated 14 July 1947 she appointed Edward Daly to be her executor, and then bequeathed the Bloomhill property to her niece Mrs. Lucy Agnes Moran subject to the payment of £100.0.0 to her grand-niece Kathleen Galvin. She then went on to deal with the rest of her estate including her property in Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare She directed that this property and contents be sold and from the proceeds to pay £120.0.0 to Christopher Ryan of Navan, County Meath provided he accepts this as full payment for work and repair he carried out to her house. The balance to be given in equal share between my nieces Mrs. Mary Ryan, Mrs. Margaret Turley and my Grand Niece Mrs. Mollie Duffy.. She made a codicil the same day, in which she gave the life policy on her own life to her niece Kathleen Galvin and the two policies she held on the life of her brother Michael Claffey to her grand niece Mrs. Ellen Mary Galvin

MIKE:- This man was my grandfather. He married one Elizabeth Molloy from Parkwood, Moate in February 1914. Mike lived in Bloomhill until 1910 when he bought his farm at Clerhane. Mike and Elizabeth had three children, Margaret my mother born 29th December 1914 and who died 30th May 1997, Joe who died 18th Dec 1976 and Annie. Annie who became a nun with the Sisters of Cluny and took the name Sr. Monica is still alive. She is aged ninety and would talk to you if you think she could be of help to you. She lived in Bloomhill from 1936 until she entered the convent in 1942 as indeed did Eileen Duffy a granddaughter of Mary Duffy nee Claffey. Eileen lived there until 1944 when she went to the U.S.A. (In 1911 census age given 42).

MARGARET:- Born 8th February 1862. She married Pat Mooney of Doon. They lived in the old R.I.C. station. The walls of the old barracks are still in place although there is no roof. Mick and Mamie Ryan built their new house a couple of hundred meters up the hill.

ELLEN:- She went to the U.S.A. where she married a man called Hynes. They had two children Margaret and Mary. Ellen spent forty years in Hartford, CT. and returned to Eire in the twenties. She was widowed and her children came home to Ireland. Margaret lived with Pat Mooney and Margaret. She died 13th Oct. 1973. Mary married a man called Crawl and had no children. Mary her daughter predeceased her by one day in we think 1938. My mother and Sr. Monica were at the funeral of Mary Crawl.

ROSALEEN:- Born 29th March 1860 we think. (In 1911 census age given 46) She married John Egan ( b. Feb 1866, d. 16th Nov.1950 who in 1911 census age given was 48) and she had four children namely Annie Jane (In 1911 census age given 15), Joe (In 1911 census age given 10), Ellie or Aileen Mary (In 1911 census age given 14) and Agnes or Lucy Agnes (In 1911 census age given 12). Agnes may be of interest to you; she married Bill Moran of Clonaderg and had four children namely Willie, Johnny, Michael and a baby who died very young. Some of the Moran boys still live in Clonaderg and might be able to help you.

Question:- Was Anne Flannery a sister of James Flannery married to Anne Rigney. I discussed this with my aunt last evening and she feels the answer may by yes. She thought it was Martin Flannery, but it could have been James. There was certainly a marriage between the Flannery and Rigney, and my aunt was aware that she had Flannery cousins some of whom went to live in Athlone. It seems Anne Flannery had more sisters, one married a Kennedy of Bloomhill, one married a Hunt, and one married Henehan. There is monumental cross to the Kennedy family in Clonmacnoise just to the left of St. Kierans Chuch if you are coming from the Pilgrims road. One member of that family was a Fr. Michael Kennedy C.S.S.p., a Holy Ghost father who became President of St. Mary College, Rathmines. On 16 March 2010 Fr. Patrick J. Henehan died. He was a nephew of the above mentioned Fr. Michael Kennedy. Fr. Henehan was born 26 November 1926 in Ballykeeran, Athlone, County Westmeath, he was an only child his parents were both teachers. He was Ordained on 8th September 1946. He was known as Paddy Joe all his life.

There is a monumental headstone in Clonmacnoise to Patrick Claffey and Anne Claffey (nee Claffey). It was in the old cemetery but was moved to the new one and is now located in the new cemetery.

I and Sr. Monica believed that Ann Flannery came from Corrigeen.

Stephen McNeill informs me that Bloomhill was sold in 1952 for £1,200.0.0

Also information Annie (Sr. Monica) Claffey was engaged to Tom Claffey, who subsequently married a Coakley.

Gussie Claffey nephew in law of James Duffy married Maura Mitchell

New Haven, CT


There was a Claffey Clan from Nicoll St in New Haven Ct. Deceased are Margaret (1987) and Daniel (1974) Claffey parents of Barbera Claffey Ross (2009), Daniel (2008), Elizabeth Claffey Chapell (1983), William ( 1994) , 3 siblings still living