2
« on: Sunday 17 August 08 22:48 BST (UK) »
Hi Justin,
I think that I have some answers for you. Thomas Coughlan was a carpenter/contractor who married Mary Gayner who was the Head teacher for the Pallaskenry Elementary school. They lived in the house that had been Thomas Coughlan's parents house. I do not know how many children that they had but one of them was Maureen and she corresponded with my Aunt Evelyn who lived in New York City. Maureen Coughlan married a gentleman named McGarry and moved to England. They emigrated to the middle east after WWII and lived there until he retired from the oil company he worked for. I have been corresponding with XX (grandson of Thomas Coughlan and Mary Gaynor) and will ask him how many children Thomas Coughlan and Mary Gaynor had. He is currently in the process of moving.
Thomas Coughlan was born in 1879 and to the best of my knowledge was the last child of John Coughlan and Honora Lynch. Con or Cornelius was the oldest child I have found, born in 1865. He married a Julia and had three children. He emigrated to Australia along with Matthew who was the third son born 1869. One of Con's grandsons, Sean Coughlan, son of Jack became a Jesuit priest and went to Hong Kong.
Other children of John and Honora Coughlan were Michael born 1867, Mary Anne (my grandmother) born 1874, Patrick 1875, Bridget 1877. Mary Ann and Bridget emigrated to the US. MaryAnne lived in New York City all her life and Bridget married and lived in Bridgeport Connecticut. (Here is where I have a problem - there was a daughter called Nan and there
are pictures of her in Ireland but I do not know any more about her although there are pictures of another Coughlan family and it could be hers. So my mother told me there were six boys, so the other boy and girl could have been born between 1869 and 1874 since I do not have any children born during that time.
John Coughlan was also a contractor and his father was James. John Coughlan lived from about 1820 to 1900 and Honora lived from about 1845 to 1916. Thomas Coughlan inherited the house since he was the youngest and still living at home when his father died.
Mary Gaynor was a local woman from Pallaskenry as far as I know. I do have a picture of Thomas Coughlan outside the family home in Pallaskenry and will find it and send it to you.
I hope that this fills in some of the gaps altough there are still some holes. Now I need you to tell me who you are related to - which child of Thomas Coughlan's.
I am the grand daughter of Mary Anne Coughlan who married Martin Flood from Headford Galway in New York City in 1903. I will save the NY group for another time.
Best regards from your distant relative.
Paula
Moderator comment: reference living person removed to protect their privacy and prevent identity theft - please pass such details by secure Personal Message. Thanks