Harry Geary of Limerick

[Shifter]

I am looking for the 'Irish Connection'  My grandfather was named Harry and according to sketchy family memory, was born in Ballysimon, Limerick on the 26 January 1900.  He was killed in a mining accident in Staffordshire in 1949.  He had a sister, Patricia, who is supposed to have become a Nun in Australia.  The Irish Registrar cannot help me on the flimsy evidence I have presented them

Family story says, Harry was bought up by relations, after his parent moved to the USA. Harry was supposed to have trained for the priesthood, but seems to have had other ideas. Harry joined the army but was bought out by his family as he was underage at the start of WW1

[magsbutler]

Hi
If Harry was born in 1900, good chance his family was still living in Ballysimon at time of 1901 census.
You can order films from your local LDS library (familysearch.org) and look through the entire census for Ballysimon to see if the family are still there.
(You need to go to the Library in person to order the films, and check the correct District Electoral Division numbers, which is how the censuses were enumerated - there is a website somewhere that lists the numbers, I seem to recall).
My son is called Harry, but actual name on birth certificate is Henry - is this the case for your Harry too?
Do you have his marriage certificate?

There are several townlands called Ballysimon in Ireland; I see from thecore.com/seanruad (database of Ireland Townlands) that there is only one in co.Limerick, so if your info is correct, then your Ballysimon is in the civil parish of Kilmurry. You could look up any background info on the parish/area on google.

Hope you get somewhere!

Cheers
Mags

[Shifter]

Many thanks for the reply.  My mother is still alive, Harry's daughter.  She says that Harry rarely talked about his past.  I think his family disowned him once he went to England.  My mother seems to think that Harry's parents were Commercial Travelers for Cleves (Cleaves?) of Limerick.

That's a good point about the Marriage Certificate, I do not have it, but I know the date of his marriage to my Gran at St Mary's Church, Cannock.  So the records will be in Cannock, where we now live.

I think the name is Harry, but cannot confirm this.  I have Harry as one of my names.  We are seriously thinking of looking first hand in Limerick as part of our annual holiday next Summer,  I hope I pick the right Ballysimon

Thanks again - all help is appreciated

[Shifter]

Thanks for the advice mags.  I've just obtained a copy of the wedding cert and he is indeed called Henry and not Harry.  I have also found his father was called Henry and Not Joseph

So I'm also looking for Henry Alphonse(o) and Helen Geary

[magsbutler]

Hi again
Good, glad you got the marriage cert, and that the name is Henry - a fine name, also my brother's name and my grandfather's.
The Cleeves factory was in Limerick city near the docks I think, it's not easy tracking down info on it. If you google for it, you'll probably see that it was a creamery/condensed milk factory, producing toffee etc. Seems to have been other branches in nearby towns too.But main one in the City.
Ballysimon seems correct, there is a Ballysimon Rd.
This is a link to an interesting site, it might be worth your while contacting the site owner for more local info/history etc:

http://www.limerickslife.com/index.htm

Good luck!
Mags