history of the farrell / o’farrell nameyouririshfamilyhistory.com/.../ofarrell...history.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Your O’Farrell Family History
History of the Farrell / O’Farrell Name
As both (O')Farrell and (O')Ferrall, this name in
Irish is ÓFearghail, from the personal name
Fearghal, made up of fear, "man", and gal, "valour".
The original Fearghal or Fergal from whom the family
claim descent was king of Conmaicne and was killed
at Clontarf in 1014. His great grandfather Angall
gave his name to the territory they possessed, Annally in Co.
Longford. The present name of both the county and the town derives
from the family, the full name in Irish being Longphuirt Uí
Fhearghaill, O'Farrell's Fortress. They ruled this area for almost
seven centuries, down to the final catastrophes of the seventeenth
century, after which many members of the family fought with
distinction in the armies of continental Europe. Today the surname is
one of the most common in Ireland, with a wide distribution throughout
the country, though the largest concentration remains in the historic
homeland of Longford and the surrounding areas.
Throughout this document, the surname Farrell is often referred to as
O’Farrell and visa versa. For example, Sandra’s Great Grandmother
Julia Whelan married Michael Farrell in 1896. His father is also
listed as Michael Farrell on their marriage certificate. In the 1901
census, Julia is listed as Julia Farrell with her son Patrick Farrell.
However, in the 1911 census, she is listed as Julia O’Farrell with her
son Patrick O’Farrell. The O’Farrell surname seems to have stuck on
the maternal line since then. Conversely, on Sandra’s paternal line,
the O’Farrell surname seems to have been lost and replaced with just
Farrell when Sandra’s paternal grandfather dropped the O and became a
Farrell. The reason is not clear however rumour that it was something
to do with an unpaid debt.
More often than not, Irish names were anglicised for socio-economic
reasons so O’Fearghail became O’Farrell and/or Farrell.
Carmel O’Farrell
Carmel O’Farrell was born in 5 Lower Mallow Street, Limerick on the
23rd April 1936 to Elizabeth ‘Moira’ O’Gorman (Rathmines, Dublin) and
Patrick Michael O’Farrell (Enniscorthy, Wexford).
Pat
O’Farrell
Patrick
O’Farrell
Julia
Whelan
Julia
Cowman
Patrick
Whelan
Michael
Farrell
Jane
Kelly
Michael
Farrell
Elizabeth
O’Gorman
Tony
O’Farrell
Carmel
O’Farrell
O’Farrell / Farrell Maternal Family Tree
Carmel O’Farrell’s original birth certificate
Carmel spent the 1st 8 years of her life at 1
Ballinacurra Terrence as her father Patrick
O’Farrell was stationed there with the Irish
Omnibus Company (IOC). The IOC was the company
succeeded by Great Southern Railway (GSR) in
Limerick and Patrick worked there as a
superintendent. When Carmel and her family
moved to Dublin they lived on Rathgar Road,
just behind the car showroom at 74 Rathgar
Road. Her father was working in Sligo at
the time. Her mother Elizabeth ‘Moira’ and
the children lived there until Carmel was about
13. Moira then bought a house in Castlepark in
Rathfarnham with her mother Teresa O’Gorman
(nee Doyle of Calverstown, Co Kildare. Carmel lived in Castlepark until
around the time she started working. Carmel’s mother and father Patrick
O’Farrell moved to 40 Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin. Carmel had 2
brothers.
Patrick ‘Pat’ Michael O’Farrell (emigrated to Australia in July 1955)
Born: 6th July 1934, Limerick
Married: 1) Dorothea Antoinette Perez on 13th November 1971, Victoria,
Australia. 2) Seaviyanti ‘Julie’ Elizabeth Holak on 21st December 2002,
Brisbane, Australia.
Children: Mark, Allan
Pat O’Farrell
in 1955 &
original birth
certificate
Anthony ‘Tony’ Joseph O’Farrell
Born: 28th August 1938, Limerick
Married: Mary Nolan on 3rd April 1970, Dublin
Children: Stephen, Jean, Conor, Karyn, Cristina
Carmel O’Farrell’s Father – Patrick O’Farrell
Patrick Michael O’Farrell was born on Island Road
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford on the 25th April 1900
to Michael O’Farrell (Horse Trainer) and Julia
Whelan. It states ‘x’ indicates Julia’s mark
which normally indicates that a person couldn’t
read or write but don’t believe this is the case
here. Julia came from what was considered a
‘well-off’ family and sang opera. Also, in the actual
census document overleaf, her father has noted she can ‘read and write’.
Patrick
Age 10
FL: Pat, Carmel and Tony in Ballinacurra
Anthony ‘Tony’ O’Farrell original birth certificate
Patrick
Michael
O’Farrell
original
birth
certificate
In the 1901 Census (below), Patrick Michael Farrell (not O’Farrell) is
listed as living at 39 Island Street, Enniscorthy with his mother Julia
Farrell (not O’Farrell either), her father Patrick Whelan, her brother
Michael J. Whelan and a servant Mary Brady. Note that Island Street and
Island Road seem to be used interchangeably in various documents.
39 Island Road, Enniscorthy was on the main road that goes into
Enniscorthy from the Dublin direction (N11) and runs alongside the
river. Although the building no longer exists, No 37 is still standing.
Further investigation could be done to investigate these buildings
through land records, old photographs and county records on-site in
Enniscorthy.
Note that Patrick O’Farrell’s father Michael Farrell is not mentioned in
the 1901 Census nor is Patrick Whelan’s wife, Julia (maiden name
Cowman). This detail is covered later in this document.
1901 Census – from The National Archives
10 years later, Patrick Michael Farrell, now an O’Farrell is listed in
the 1911 Census (below) as living in 4 Island Road, Enniscorthy with his
mother Julia, who appears to own a shop on the same premises. He is 11
years old and there are three boarders living in the house. Having
boarders living in a house was not uncommon at the time and if you
consider that Julia was a single mother raising her son Patrick, it was
probably partially born out of necessity.
The Census record shows that Patrick’s
Patrick’s father Michael Farrell is
still not living with the family. It
also shows that Patrick’s Uncle and
Julia’s brother Michael Whelan was
running a ‘Public House’ a few doors
down in No. 1 Island Road. This no
longer exists. 4 Island Road (pic 2016)
Currently under renovation by
present owners
1911 Census – from The National Archives
Carmel Farrell’s Maternal Grandmother & Grandfather
Julia Whelan & Michael Farrell
Julia Whelan was born in Island Road, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford on the 24th
July 1873 to Patrick Whelan, Publican and Julia Cowman.
The birth record doesn’t state what number in Island Road the family
were living at. An enquiry has gone into St Aidan’s Cathedral in
Enniscorthy to check if they have any more detail. Julia was baptised
in the Diocese of Ferns in the Parish of Enniscorthy on the 25th July
1873.
Michael Farrell was born on Christmas Day, 25th December 1866 in Hospital
Lane, Enniscorthy to Michael Farrell and Jane Farrell (nee Kelly). It
states that his father Michael Farrell is a servant. Hospital Lane is
nowadays a 10 minute walk from where Julia lived in Island Road.
Copy of Julia Whelan’s birth certificate from The General Register Office
Copy of Julia Whelan baptismal certificate from the www.irishgenealogy.ie
Michael Farrell was also baptised in the Diocese of Ferns, in the Parish
of Enniscorthy on 28th December 1866. Sponsors are recorded was Michael
Whelan and Mary Whelan.
The 1901 Census was the 1st complete census taken so it can be difficult
to ascertain where people resided before then (see note).
Julia Whelan and Michael Farrell were married in the Roman Catholic
Church of Enniscorthy (now St. Aidan’s Cathedral) on 27th April 1896.
+ The original census returns for 1861 and 1871 were destroyed shortly after the
censuses were taken. Those for 1881 and 1891 were pulped during the First World War,
probably because of the paper shortage. The returns for 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 were,
apart from a few survivals, notably for a few counties for 1821 and 1831, destroyed in
1922 in the fire at the Public Record Office at the beginning of the Civil War.
Copy of Michael Farrell’s baptismal certificate from the www.irishgenealogy.ie
Copy of Julia & Michael’s Marriage certificate from The General Register Office
Michael Farrell’s father Michael Farrell (…not O’Farrell), is recorded
as being a gardener. It is yet to be determined why Carmel O’Farrell’s
father is Patrick O’Farrell yet he is the son of Michael Farrell and the
grandson of another Michael Farrell. Why the ‘O’ was introduced is
unknown when it was more fashionable to take the ‘O’ away.
Following their wedding in 1896, there is no record of Julia or Michael
that has yet been found until Julia appears in the 1901 Census with her
son, Patrick O’Farrell at the age of 11 months. Michael, his father
does not appear on either the 1901 or the 1911 census records. The
reason that Julia’s husband Michael is not present is a bit of a
mystery. What information is known is through family memories of
Patrick O’Farrell’s children who were young at the time the stories were
told.
Patrick (boy on horse at left pillar) at Screen Harriers Hunt (Wexford) in 1913.
A safe assumption that the Whelan relatives are in the photograph as
they were considered ‘well to do’ and ‘horsey’ people
The family story goes; When Michael Farrell and Julia Whelan married in
Enniscorthy in 1896, shortly afterwards they left Ireland and emigrated
to America. This was not unusual at the time for many families as many
emigrated to America and Australia from Wexford to seek a better life.
However, the reason why they emigrated is not known. Julia appeared to
have a good life in Enniscorthy. In the 1901 census (below), her father
Patrick Whelan is listed as a publican. In the ‘House and Building
Return Form’ section of the Census record, it shows that the house he
was living in, No. 39 Island Road was a Public House. It appears that
Patrick Whelan also owns No. 40 and 41 which are classified as ‘Malting
House’. So, it doesn’t sound that there were no prospects for her and
they were clearly not destitute.
Nonetheless, she came back to Ireland at some point prior to the birth
of her son Patrick in 1900. Before or after the birth of Patrick in
Enniscorthy, she sought counsel from the local parish priest over
‘something’ major, and never returned to America. Her husband never
returned to Ireland and they never saw each other again.
I have been unable to locate any reference to Michael and Julia’s
travels to America or anywhere else. This is unusual as shipping
records are well documented. I consulted another genealogist and they
couldn’t find them
any reference to
them either. Work
would be required
to investigate
further.
Copy of 1901
Census from
The National
Archives
Extract from Slaters Royal National Commercial Directory - 1881
Patrick ‘Pat’ O’Farrell, grandson of Michael
and Julia, recalls when he was living in
Limerick and was probably about 10 years old
that his grandmother Julia received a telegram
informing her that her husband Michael Farrell
had died. This must have been around 1944.
Who sent the telegram is unknown and where it
came from is unknown – the impression was
given that his name was not to be mentioned
nor was his absence ever ‘noted’ by his
grandchildren.
To add a further twist to the tale, when Julia’s son Patrick Michael
O’Farrell married Elizabeth O’Gorman in 1933, his father is listed as
Michael O’Farrell (not Farrell) and under ‘Rank or Profession’ he is
noted as ‘Dead’. This is physically impossible in 1933 as the telegram
was received around 1944. He was clearly ‘dead’ to the family.
Pat O’Farrell in Australia suggested that maybe their ‘disappearance’
had something to do with the fact that Enniscorthy was the only town or
city outside Dublin to be seized by the Irish Volunteers in the course
of the Easter Rising in 1916.
Patrick Michael O’Farrell
(son of Julia & Michael)
Brass plate from a crystal
decanter, presented to
Patrick O’Farrell and his
new wife Elizabeth
Copy of Patrick O’Farrell and Elizabeth ‘Moira’ O’Gorman Marriage certificate from The
General Register Office
There was a very strong Irish Republican Brotherhood presence in
Enniscorthy and there are stories about how often residents were told to
‘leave town or else’. Whether this is a factor is unknown. It could
also be possible that the relationship
between Julia and Michael was not welcomed
or approved by her father. Michael is
listed as a ‘gardener’ when they married
and his father is listed as a ‘servant’.
It may have been considered that she
married ‘beneath her’ and this may have
contributed to them leaving.
Julia moved to Limerick in about 1935 to
help raise her grandchildren Pat, Carmel
and Tony. She died in Ballinacurra,
Limerick in 1940 at the age of 65.
Her son Patrick O’Farrell died in Terenure, Dublin on 21st February 1969.
His death certificate states that he died of coronary thrombosis which
is blood clot in a coronary artery, arteriosclerosis which is hardening
of the arteries (5 years), hypertension which is high blood pressure (6
years) and 6 years prior to his death he had a previous coronary
thrombosis. He was 68 years old when he died.
Julia Farrell (nee Whelan) with
her grandson Pat O’Farrell
Bohreen Hill, Enniscorthy, 1937
Copy of Julia’s death certificate from The General Register Office
Elizabeth ‘Moira’ O’Gorman with her
husband Patrick Michael O’Farrell
Julia Farrell
(nee Whelan)
A major contributing factor in his death was probably cigarettes. He
was a very heavy smoker and in most of the pictures of him, he has a
cigarette in his right hand (even in the professional photo below).
Patrick Michael O’Farrell’s original death certificate
+ Julia‘s mother Julia Whelan (nee Cowman) is not found in any census records. There
is a death record for a Julia Whelan in 1893 which maybe her and this record has been
ordered from The General Register Office.
Original In Memoriam Card
for Patrick O’Farrell