My ancestors - O'Mara - Contents

Stephen O'Mara papers (P40)

O'Mara papers in [UL Archives].
Collection IE 2135 P40.
See catalogue. Also here.

• Mainly papers of my great-granduncle Stephen O'Mara of Strand House.
• Also photos. Also a collection of Kate O'Brien papers.

• Dates 1843-1991, but mainly 1916-1959. Donated 2013. Catalogue 2019 by Anna-Maria Hajba.
• O'Mara Online Exhibition

• Photos of the papers were taken by me, and used here with permission of UL Archives.

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Listing

• P40/190. Handwritten family tree by Peter O'Mara. And notes.
• P40/191. Handwritten notes on the family of old James O'Mara. It is fairly inaccurate, notably in who married Tom Ray.

• P40/234. Address book kept by Stephen O'Mara senior around 1905-1910.

• P40/238. Book of accounts and lists of property. Dates 1920-1924.
  • 1920 page has "List of furniture property in Tuaim uí Meára".
  • The P40 catalogue thought this was Toomevara village but it is Stephen's house in Limerick, named after Toomevara, the supposed O'Mara ancestral home.
  • See pages dated 1921 and 1924.
  • The catalogue says dates go up to 1927, but I cannot see that.

• P40/288. May-June 1886. Letters from Stephen O'Mara senior to his wife Ellen during his absence in London to attend the Home Rule debate.
  • Letter of 28 May 1886. See p.1 and p.2 and p.3. He mentions his friend Fr. Edward O'Dwyer who was appointed Bishop of Limerick on 18 May 1886.
  • Letter of 29 May 1886. See p.1 and p.2 and p.3.
  • Letter of 4 June 1886. See p.1 and p.2 and p.3.
  • Letter of 7 June 1886. See p.1 and p.2.
  • Fragment. See p.1 and p.2.

• P40/615 [c. 1930s-1940s?]. Typed copies of items, including:
  • The Way to the West (part two), a short story by Alice Cashel. See p.3 and p.4 and p.5 and p.6 and p.7.
  • The Girl of To-Day, a poem by Kathleen Riordan. See p.7 and p.8.
  • A Happy Shower, a short story by Maureen O'Mara. See p.8 and p.9.
  • Sorrow, a poem by Patricia M. O'Mara. See p.10.
  • Current Affairs, by M. A. O'Mara. This would be Maureen O'Mara. See p.10 and p.11 and p.12. Seems at first to be written at end of 1913. But later it seems to be written after WWI.

• P40/654. Letters from Fr. Paddy O'Mara.
  • Letter of 10 Nov 1926 from Fr. Paddy at Rathfarnham Castle to "Nance". See p.1 and p.2.
  • Undated letter from Fr. Paddy at St.Francis Xavier's to "Ann". See p.1 and p.2. Has notes on the life of Joseph the opera singer.
  • Letter of 12 Mar 1962 from Fr. Paddy at St.Francis Xavier's to "Anne". See p.1 and p.2.
  • Postcard with 1965 stamp from Fr. Paddy to Nancy at New Strand House. See front and back.

• P40/909. Photo album.
  • Album of unlabelled, mostly unidentified photos from c.1880s. Many missing photo slots.
  • Checked all the backs of photos. For most, nothing but photographers' names.
  • Photographer locations are Limerick, Dublin, England and Ontario. (Ontario would be Andrew O'Mara branch.)
  • One of them is Ellen Pigott.
  • One of them is John Crotty.
  • See empty slot with the apparent title "Uncle Phonse".
  • See empty slot with the apparent title "Fr. Duie".
  • See page with 3 photos. What looks like Michael O'Mara and also two children, unidentified.
  • See page with 3 photos, unidentified.
  • See page with 3 photos, unidentified.
  • Photo of a man. The back says "Finucane MP". London photographer. This must be John Finucane, MP for County Limerick East 1885-1900.
  • Unidentified man.

More

There are more images not laid out above.

• Search for all P40 images.

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Augustinian photo

This photo in [P40/909] looked interesting but may be nothing.
A bit of digging shows this is at the Augustinian church in Limerick, and the photo is from Rev. James A. Anderson, an Augustinian who seems to be a friend of the O'Maras.
See larger and full size.

This photo in The Lawrence Photograph Collection [NLI] shows the location is George St (later O'Connell St), Limerick.
The location is the old Augustinian RC church at 26 George St.
Ryan's jewellers is next door. See extract from [Ashe's Directory, 1891-92, p.41].
A new Augustinian RC church was built at this location in 1938-1942.
See modern street view.

• The back of the P40 photo says "From Father Anderson, OSA, to Mrs. O'Mara". Date July 1894. It looked like "USA" but it is OSA.
• Entry in address book [P40/234] shows this is Rev. J.A. Anderson, OSA.
• [Thom's, 1901, p.1457] shows this is Rev. James A. Anderson, then based with the Augustinians in John St West, Dublin.
• 1901 census shows Rev. Anderson was born 1839, Drogheda.
• So we have location and person. But whether this has anything to do with the O'Mara family history is unknown. Probably not.

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Papers to be consulted

Have merely done a rough first pass.
Some papers to look at:

• P40/11 Family letters 1904-1916
• P40/12 Family letters 1926-1942
• P40/62 to 72. Items from 1942 to 1956. "Closed". Review at various dates 2026 to 2040.
• P40/175 and P40/185. 1939 Press cuttings relating to the centenary celebrations of O'Mara Limited.
• P40/181. 1967 Press cutting relating to the closing down of Donnelly's bacon curing firm in Dublin.
• P40/294 [c.1890s to 1927]. Letters from Stephen junior to his sister Mary Rynne.
• P40/295 [1910-1921]. Letters to Mary Rynne from her parents.
• P40/332 to 340. 1959 purchase of "Ivy Bank House". Also 646-647.
• P40/519 to 522. Adoption of Peter.
• P40/532. Letters from Mary Rynne to Stephen junior.
• P40/537 to 546. 1946 to 1956. Care of Joseph O'Mara's widow Adelaide and daughter Maureen. Some closed.