Stephen O'Mara
- References:
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- Things to do:
- Identify O'Mara house at 22 Roches St (street has since been re-numbered).
- Identify O'Mara house at 31 Roches St (street has since been re-numbered).
Stephen O'Mara and Ellen Pigott.
Detail of
1905 photo.
See
larger.
Stephen O'Mara
(see
here),
Parnellite MP, Free State Senator,
born 26th Dec 1844, Limerick.
His earliest memories were of the
Famine 1845-50:
"He could remember
the faces of hungry men, and people falling in the streets, faint from lack of food"
[PAT/1, p.5].
Successful bacon merchant.
Started work in his father's company
O'Mara's Bacon
in
1860, age 15,
and over his life helped it grow massively.
Member of radical
Fenian
(IRB)
movement,
young recruit 1862.
1925 election leaflet
says he was involved in
"the movement of '67",
i.e. the
Fenian Rising
of 1867.
[GROI]
lists him as "provision merchant", Limerick, at mar.
Stephen
mar 1867 to Ellen Pigott [bapt 3 Apr 1845].
[GROI]
records
(children's births)
list him as "provision merchant".
His wife worked in the O'Mara family business with him.
They were
living Chapel St
(beside St.Michael's RC church,
Denmark St), Limerick,
at Mary's birth 1868
[GROI].
They were
living 22 Roches St (the street
O'Mara's bacon factory
was on),
centre of new town, Limerick,
as at 1871-80
[children's birth's in
[GROI]].
Like his father, he was an
early supporter of
Isaac Butt's
Home Rule movement.
Member (with his father)
of the famous Butt Committee,
which secured Butt's election for Limerick city, in by-election, 20 Sept 1871.
This was
not the first Home Rule seat
(there were others earlier in 1871),
but its first big urban seat,
a turning point for them.
In the 1870s and 1880s Stephen went to
Liverpool
a lot on business [family letters].
Ellen kept the business running in Limerick while he was away.
In 1879 he gave evidence at the murder
of one of O'Mara's customers in a mugging.
He is not yet described as a councillor.
The murder victim, Michael Maher, a general dealer, age nearly 70,
had come from Thurles to Limerick with plenty of cash on his person.
He
purchased bacon and other goods from O'Mara's on Roches St on Fri 10 Oct 1879,
at which time he had a bit of drink taken.
That evening he was robbed, beaten and thrown into the Shannon to drown.
Stephen O'Mara gave evidence at identification of the body
on Sat 11 Oct.
See Irish Times,
October 13, 1879.
He pledged his support to the
Land League
at its founding, Oct 1879.
See Irish Times,
October 22, 1879.
Stephen and Ellen were
living 31 Roches St
from at least Nell's birth
1882
to
1886
[family letters].
Living 31 Roches St when he reported death of his 1st cousin
Mary Anne Lynch
in 1883.
Earlier political career:
He became a Town Councillor (T.C.) on Limerick Corporation.
He is listed as Town Councillor
for Shannon Ward
in
[Thoms]
at least 1882 to 1898.
While in Limerick Corporation, he successfully opposed the imposition of an
RIC tax on the ratepayers.
Nationalists were opposed to the RIC.
He is
listed as "TC" (Town Councillor)
at dinner to celebrate
the granting of the Freedom of Limerick to
Michael Davitt
in 1884.
See Politics
and Speech by Michael Davitt
in [McMahon and Flynn, 1996].
He was
Mayor of Limerick 1885 (would be approx calendar year, Jan 1885 - Jan 1886).
See the
Town Hall, Limerick.
He was the first Mayor of Limerick
elected on a Nationalist ticket.
He criticised the running of
The Limerick Athenaeum in 1885, saying:
"The Athenaeum is for the general benefit of the citizens .. not a closed borough".
See Quotations
in [McMahon and Flynn, 1996].
While he was Mayor,
the Prince of Wales
(future Edward VII)
came to Ireland on a visit
(must be the Royal visit to Ireland, 8-27 April 1885).
The
luggage train was sent on to Limerick in advance.
[Pat Lavelle] says:
"Grandfather met the train and talked to the
equerry
in his quiet, friendly way,
and explained again quite firmly that there would be no question of a civic welcome.
The luggage was not derailed. The Prince of Wales did not visit Limerick.
Grandfather had no opportunity to refuse a knighthood
and practically nobody knew anything about the incident then or later."
All the poor Limerick lacemakers
had made robes, etc, as gift for Queen Victoria's family.
[Pat Lavelle] says:
"Grandmother felt badly about leaving it in the hands of the poor people who made it"
so
she bought it off them for her own family.
This is the origin of
the O'Mara wedding veil
in which many O'Mara daughters and granddaughters have been married
(presumably pictured here).
Mayor of Limerick 1886 (second term,
would be approx calendar year, Jan 1886 - Jan 1887).
He was a
member of the
Irish Parliamentary Party
(or the Irish
Nationalist Party,
or the Home Rule party,
the
3rd largest party in UK,
led by
Parnell).
He was an
MP 1886:
Home Rule MP for Queen's County Ossory
(the W section of Co.Laois)
12th Feb - 9th July 1886.
Nominated unopposed 12th Feb 1886 when
winner of
4th Dec 1885 general election
chose to sit elsewhere.
In a letter home to his wife from the House of Commons, London, 6 Mar 1886
(see House of Commons letterhead)
he says:
"I am full of fight and rather surprised myself
at the capacity of argument I have developed."
In May 1886 he was in London, his 12 yr old son James
wrote to him: "Will you send a message when you get Home Rule?"
In one letter to his wife from the House of Commons, 12 May 1886, he writes of domestic affairs
and then says "The division bell is ringing, I must be off".
In a letter of 18 May 1886 he says he is staying at
35 Norfolk St, London,
where his son James is later found in 1895.
His old friend
Fr. Edward Thomas O'Dwyer
was appointed Bishop of Limerick in May 1886.
He did NOT practice obstructionism
(that was his son James).
He
did not stand in
9th July 1886 general election.
In a letter of 27 May 1886 he had said:
"the probabilities are, there will be a dissolution and a general election,
in that case, I am free, and Ossory will have an opportunity of finding another representative.
We will part with mutual feelings of relief and without a regret at either side."
See his contributions to parliament in 1886,
He
lived Hartstonge House, Limerick,
from 1886 [family letters]
to at least 1908 [date on a photo].
Kate Sullivan, the wife of
Timothy Daniel Sullivan, Lord Mayor of Dublin,
wrote to Ellen, 25 Sept 1886, asking her to join a delegation of the wives of
leading Irish nationalists in making a presentation to
Gladstone
on 4 Oct at Chester,
of the
"Women of Ireland's declaration in favour of Home Rule".
It is later clear that Stephen went to Chester but Ellen did not.
A letter from Stephen survives, written 12 Oct 1886 with
letterhead from the Mayor's office, Limerick.
High Sheriff of Limerick city 1888:
He was
High Sheriff of Limerick City
for 1888,
succeeding his father.
See appointment reported in Irish Times,
December 21, 1887.
He visited America in May-June 1888,
went over on the
RMS Umbria
(Liverpool to New York),
got on somewhere before the
Queenstown stop,
arrived New York on Sun 20 May 1888.
He kept a diary on board ship.
He
visited Pigott relations in New York.
He
wrote to his wife:
"to me it seems one busy seething mass of human beings in the cities,
and in the country there is a vastness and grandeur indescribable."
He
visited O'Mara relations in Canada.
When he arrived in New York he notes he left his card with
Sir Thomas Esmonde, 11th Baronet,
who was staying there.
He was
imprisoned for a week in Limerick Gaol,
around 4 Feb 1889.
[Irish Times,
Wed 23 Jan 1889
and
Tue 29 Jan 1889
and
Sat 2 Feb 1889]
describes the prosecution of
David Sheehy, MP
and other nationalists
for conspiracy
to prevent new tenants moving into
evicted farms.
The charges in particular concerned a series of public meetings held at
Castleconnell,
first on
20 May 1888,
and another on
28 (or 22) Oct 1888.
At the latter
1500-2000 people were there, including O'Mara.
Speeches were made.
It was charged that these meetings were to intimidate a tenant who was moving into an evicted farm.
He was denounced at these meetings and afterwards abandoned the farm.
The
case was held at Castleconnell, Mon 28 Jan 1889.
"Among others in court were
...
Mr. Stephen O'Meara, High Sheriff".
The prosecutor was a Mr. Morphy.
Sheehy sentenced on Tue 29 Jan.
No record of sentence for O'Mara.
[Lavelle, 1961]
had a different story - that Stephen was summoned to court
before Ballyneety Petty Sessions,
with Edward Carson
as prosecutor.
He was asked as a Crown witness
to disclose what was said at a meeting of the Irish Party
leaders at which Parnell presided.
He refused, and was jailed.
This does not fit with what the newspaper says though.
His
obituary said he was jailed
"under the Forster regime"
(William Edward Forster,
Chief Secretary for Ireland
1880-82, died 1886).
This also does not fit.
He was
NOT jailed
any other known time.
A
letter survives from him to his wife from jail, 4 Feb 1889.
He does not want her to see him in jail because he thinks it will stress her,
"Many thanks for your loving letter, and still more for your self-sacrifice
in not coming to see me."
He says he is being treated very well.
Alderman of Limerick.
He is listed as "provision merchant and
Alderman"
at Kat's birth Sept 1889
[GROI].
He was
made one of the 3 trustees of the Irish Parliamentary Party funds 1890.
When Irish Parliamentary Party
split over
Parnell
in 1890-91,
he remained loyal to Parnell.
He met Parnell after his fall, alone at a railway station, with no one to meet him,
"who but a year before, had been the idol of thousands"
[Lavelle, 1961].
He
was at
Parnell's deathbed
in Brighton, 6th Oct 1891,
"and was one of the Members who accompanied his coffin to Dublin".
After the Parnell split,
he remained as trustee of Irish Parliamentary Party funds,
devoted himself to the reunion of Nationalist forces
(which occurred under Redmond
in 1900).
He was a friend of
William Abraham,
many letters from Abraham survive.
|
After the Parnell split,
Stephen continued as Town Councillor (now Alderman) on Limerick Corporation,
and bacon merchant.
He is
listed as "Alderman" at his brother Jim's death and
funeral 1893.
"Stephen O'Mara" sp bapt of his niece
Nora O'Mara 1897.
"Ellen O'Mara" sp bapt of her niece
Susan O'Mara 1898.
He is
listed as Alderman for Shannon Ward, Limerick,
in
[Thoms, 1898].
He was re-elected to Limerick City Council Jan 1899.
[Modern Ireland, 1899]
describes him as head of
O'Mara's bacon company,
and
says he was also a member of the
Limerick Harbour Commissioners,
a Limerick
Poor Law Guardian,
a Governor of
Barrington's Hospital
and
St.John's Fever Hospital,
and a Trustee of the Limerick Savings Bank.
He is
listed as "Alderman" at time of his son James'
election as an MP 1900.
See entry
at Hartstonge House in
[Census, 1901].
He is listed as "bacon merchant",
two servants living with the family.
The house has 13 rooms,
10 windows in front of house,
with 2 coal cellars as out-buildings.
He attended Dr. David Humphreys' funeral 1903
(their families knew each other,
but they were not yet joined by marriage).
He is
listed as "Alderman".
He
purchased Donnelly's bacon factory, Dublin, 1906.
He was one of the promoters of the
Munster-Connaught Exhibition,
Limerick, 1906.
President of
Limerick Chamber of Commerce.
He
resigned trusteeship of Home Rule Party funds 1908,
broadly agreeing with his son James'
recent move to Sinn Fein.
Alfred Webb
writes to him about his resignation, 11 Apr 1908.
Stephen and Ellen
moved c.1909 to
Strand House,
Limerick.
A date on a photo
suggests they were still at Hartstonge House in 1908.
There was a suggestion they moved to Strand House in 1908, but the source for this is uncertain.
They were
living Strand House as at 1910.
Ellen dies, 1910:
She died of cancer, Strand House, 26th Oct 1910, age 65 yrs,
bur 26 Oct at
Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
See death notice,
Irish Times,
October 27, 1910.
Stephen is
listed
at Strand House in
[Census, 1911].
He is "chairman of bacon factory".
His widowed daughter
Mary Rynne
is there with him.
High Sheriff of Limerick city 1913 and 1914:
He was
High Sheriff of Limerick City
for 1913 and 1914.
He is
described as "City High Sheriff" at funeral of
William de Courcy
1 May 1915.
His grand-dau
Pat Lavelle in
[PAT/1, p.4]
recalled him as
"slight and finely made with a reddish beard and grey blue eyes that saw a lot."
He
"owned a broughm
and a dogcart
and a sidecar".
His grandchildren used to love riding in the sidecar over the cobbled streets of Limerick.
Later political career:
Stephen co-founded the
Irish National League
1916,
as an alternative to Home Rule party
in response to the 1916 Rising.
His son James helped persuade
the
Irish National League to merge with
Sinn Fein 1917-18.
In Apr 1917 he was elected member of organizing committee of the National Council
to put Ireland's case before proposed
post-war Peace Conference
(which did not happen until Jan 1919).
In Apr 1918, during WW1,
there was an
attempt to introduce conscription to Ireland.
"It was a common belief in our family that grandfather was approached at this time,
and offered a baronetcy
if he would support conscription
- and that he refused the offer"
[Lavelle, 1961].
"Just prior to the
General Elections of 1918"
[Dec 1918]
"when the Irish Party were so signally defeated by Sinn Fein, Mr.O'Mara
had espoused the latter side in politics, and to use his own words,
he 'broke with life long ties', giving all his support and encouragement to the new movement,
subscribing to its funds with his usual characteristic liberality".
See Apr 1921 interview,
during the War of Independence.
In May 1921, in a time of great strain, his son James
was
attempting to resign from his position in the US.
Stephen would not hear of it:
"Tell Jim not to stab his country in the hour of her agony. I am hurt beyond words".
But his son, for once, would not listen to him.
He lived to see Irish independence.
On 5th Dec 1921, De Valera
was
staying the night in
Strand House,
as the Treaty
was being signed in London.
Talking in the drawing room, Dev asked:
"I have always wanted to know, Mr. O'Mara, what you thought of Parnell".
Stephen:
"I'll tell you what I thought of Parnell
- if he and I were walking across
Sarsfield Bridge
together
and he said to me
jump in the river
I would jump in".
He was strongly pro-Treaty.
He is
described as an "ex-Alderman" in
his son's biography, 1923.
He was
called 'the Governor' as a pet name by his own family.
He
lived to see the 4th generation,
see picture 1924.
Free State Senator
from Sept 1925
to death July 1926.
See
cover and
body
of his election leaflet
to
Free State Senate
for the
Sept 1925 election.
He lived to see one great-grandchild,
Ruaire Lavelle (born 1924).
|
Stephen dies, 1926:
He
died Mon 26th July 1926, Limerick, age 81 yrs.
Obituary describes him as "head" of
O'Mara's bacon company,
says he was walking at mid-day from his office in Limerick to
Strand House when he collapsed,
taken home and died.
[Muffie de Courcy]
said he
collapsed coming over
Sarsfield Bridge
(the bridge leading to Strand House).
See
obituary
and
photo
in
Irish Times,
July 27, 1926.
Report
in
Irish Times,
July 28, 1926,
says the flag is at half mast at
Limerick town hall,
and notes messages of sympathy from
W.T. Cosgrave,
Sir Thomas Esmonde, 11th Baronet,
Mary MacSwiney
and
Cardinal O'Donnell
(a fellow trustee of Irish Parliamentary Party funds).
Funeral Wed 28 July,
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
Funeral
attendance included De Valera,
William Redmond,
Thomas Westropp Bennett,
Patrick Clancy,
James Ledden,
John Nolan,
and
the Mayor of Limerick
and many other local and national politicians.
Report
in
Irish Times,
July 30, 1926,
notes message of sympathy from
David Keane, Bishop of Limerick.
Funeral list in Limerick Weekly Echo, 31st July,
obituary in Limerick Echo, 31st July.
(todo) See The Times, 21 Mar 1927, p.17,
which
says he left a
personal estate in the UK
of £42,669
(perhaps £10m in
today's money).
Stephen and Ellen had issue:
- Mary O'Mara,
born 8 May 1868, Chapel St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt Maria, 10 May 1868 [St.John's, Limerick],
a letter survives to her mother from her father (who has just gone to
Kilkee), July 1872, which mentions her existence:
"I was thinking all along the way that Mary was sick from all she cried yesterday
and you may be sure I blamed myself for being the cause of it.",
died of diphtheria
[NOT typhoid], Roches St, Limerick, 22 Sept 1872
[GROI],
age 4 yrs,
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
- Patrick O'Mara,
Paddy, born 22 Mar 1870
[family bible],
can't find birth in
[GROI],
bapt 24 Mar 1870 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
died of diphtheria, Roches St, Limerick,
11 Oct 1872
[GROI],
[family bible],
or
8 Oct 1872 [grave],
[P40/190],
age 2 yrs,
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
- James O'Mara,
Jim,
born 11 Nov 1871, Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt 12 Nov 1871 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
died of diphtheria, Roches St, Limerick,
8 Oct 1872
[GROI],
[family bible],
or
11 Oct 1872 [grave],
[P40/190],
age 11 months,
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
As at mid-Sept 1872 they had 3 children.
One month later they had none.
All three children were dead.
- (other child) O'Mara,
died immediately after birth.
See notes
in
[P40/190].
This
lists the 3 children who died in 1872, and their ages at death,
and
then has "(illegible name) died immediately after birth".
Name looks like "Angel".
Maybe the baby was never named.
- James O'Mara,
Jim [second James], James Mary,
born 6th Aug 1873, Limerick,
bapt 8 Aug 1873 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
sp Andrew Lynch
and
Margaret O'Mara.
- Fr. Paddy O'Mara, S.J.
[second Patrick],
Patrick Joseph O'Mara,
[family bible]
says Patrick Mary O'Mara,
every other
sibling had Mary as first or middle name,
born 13th Mar 1875, Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt 15th Mar [St.Michael's, Limerick],
Martin J. O'Mara
writes from Canada in June 1875:
"I am ... still prouder to hear we have one Pat
in the family anyhow may he live long to enjoy the name."
(perhaps insensitive because they already had a child Patrick who died,
this second Patrick lived until 1969),
a letter of May 1881 survives from his father (in Limerick with some of the children)
to his mother (away in Dublin):
"poor Paddy cried last night when saying goodnight to me
and when I asked him what ailed him, he blubbered more and said he wanted his Mama."
- Mary O'Mara [second Mary], "Aunt Moll",
born Limerick, 11 June 1876
[family bible],
can't find birth in
[GROI],
NOT Mary Ellen, Limerick, 1876,
bapt Mary, 12 June 1876 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
see picture 1890,
educ for a time with the nuns of Sacrè Coeur
at Highgate, London, c.1894,
mar 1 Sept 1898, St.Michael's, Limerick
[GROI]
to Dr. Michael Rynne
[possible descendant of Edward I]
and had issue.
-
Joe O'Mara
[Joseph Mary], "Uncle Joe",
born 21st May 1878, 22 Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt 22nd May [St.Michael's, Limerick].
- Norrie O'Mara,
Nora, Nonie, Noney, think NOT Norah,
"Hanora Mary" in
[family bible],
born "Nora Mary", 3rd Mar 1880, 22 Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt "Honora Mary", 4th Mar [St.Michael's, Limerick],
her name comes from Nora, NOT from Noreen,
although her daughter is definitely Noreen,
must be named after her grandmother
Hanora Foley
who had just died 1878,
see picture 1890,
educ for a time with the nuns of Sacre Coeur at Highgate, London, c.1894,
wit Mary's mar 1898,
Pat Lavelle's notes
mention a dance in Hartstonge House, Christmas 1902,
"to celebrate the engagement of one of my aunts"
- this must be Norrie,
she was living Hartstonge House at mar,
mar 26th Apr 1904, St.Joseph's, Limerick
[GROI]
to Dr. Bill O'Sullivan and had issue.
- Nell O'Mara,
Ellen, Nelly,
born "Ellen Mary", 6 June 1882, 31 Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
bapt "Mary", 7 June 1882 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
[family bible]
incorrectly says born 13 June,
see picture 1890,
think educ Highgate, London also (like her sisters),
she was living Strand House at mar,
mar 1910 to Jim Sullivan [born 6 January 1870]
and had issue.
- Stephen O'Mara,
of Strand House, Limerick (his father's house),
born 5 Jan 1884, 31 Roches St, Limerick
[GROI],
or 4 Jan 1884
[family bible],
bapt "Stephen Mary", 5 Jan 1884 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
NOT 1886,
his father writes in a letter to his mother, Oct 1886:
"Stephen loves me "that big much", but his arms are not long enough to show how much he loves his Mama. Your own Stout",
see picture 1890.
- Phons O'Mara,
Alphonsus, Phonso, Phonsie,
born 13 Oct 1887, Hartstonge House, Limerick
[GROI],
[family bible]
is wrong to say 1886,
bapt "Alphonsus Mary", 13 Oct 1887 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
see picture 1890.
- Kat O'Mara,
Kathleen Mary, born 9th Sept 1889, Hartstonge House, Limerick
[GROI],
NOT Katherine or Catherine,
bapt 14th Sept [St.Michael's, Limerick],
see picture 1890,
not at home in census 1901, maybe at boarding school,
see picture 1910,
mar 1917 to Billie de Courcy
and had issue.
The Irish Parliamentary Party, April 1886
(when Stephen O'Mara was an MP).
Image courtesy of
Cork Multitext Project, UCC
(see
here).
Used with permission.
Originally from
Illustrated London News, 10 April 1886.
Stephen O'Mara, his wife and children, must be 1890
(by age of Kat).
Back (Left to Right):
Joe,
Paddy, Mary, James.
Middle:
Nell,
Norrie,
Stephen O'Mara, Ellen Pigott.
Front:
Phons (born Oct 1887),
Kat (born Sept 1889),
Stephen.
The house where Parnell died in 1891, 10 Walsingham Terrace, Hove, Brighton.
Stephen O'Mara was at his deathbed.
Walsingham Terrace was what is now the stretch of Kingsway between Carlisle Road and Walsingham Road
(see map).
It is now re-developed.
The Parnell house is gone,
but there is a plaque
on the apartment block at the site.
See street view of plaque.
Image from here
at English Heritage.
Baptism of James O'Mara,
8 Aug 1873 [St.Michael's, Limerick].
In Apr 1921, during the
War of Independence,
Stephen O'Mara was interviewed by the British writer Wilfrid Ewart.
This was published in
A Journey in Ireland 1921,
Wilfrid Ewart, published Apr 1922.
See
p.85
and
pp.86-87
and
p.88
and
p.92
and
p.94
and
p.96.
Stephen O'Mara's son, the younger
Stephen O'Mara, the new Mayor of Limerick,
had just been arrested, on the morning of this interview.
Ewart quotes old Stephen O'Mara as saying,
looking back on the last 5 years:
"The rising of 1916 gave a new soul to Ireland; she found her soul that day."
Old Stephen O'Mara
says that if a settlement is reached:
"Ireland can be counted on as a loyal friend.
England, you must bear in mind, is our natural market for eggs, butter, bacon, cattle, and linen.
We might find other markets for ourselves, but England is the natural one and
always will be."
Wilfrid Ewart describes old Stephen O'Mara:
"One of the most temperate and broad-minded men I came across in the South
was Mr. S. O'Mara ... Of him it was said by a British officer,
"If all Sinn Feiners were like O'Mara, this Irish question
would soon be settled.""
"Dear Nell, You are a goose .. to imagine it possible that I do not care for you as much this year as last.
...
I thought you understood me so well, you could see that
the world gives me no joys, unless shared with you,
and no trouble, sorrow or affliction affects me when I have you to comfort and console me.
I love you so well, that I can imagine nothing that would cause me a sigh as long as God leaves you to me,
unless it be the loss of your love or regard.
...
I am still unworthy of so good a wife. ...
You are my first, my only, and my last love please God.
Your own Stout"
- Nice letter from Stephen O'Mara to his wife, July 1875.
"I have been just a little lonesome
not after the children for I don't miss them,
does your heart tell you who I am lonesome after
and who I am longing to give the shelter of my arms to."
- Amusing letter from Stephen O'Mara in Limerick
to his wife in Kilkee, 1876.
I think every parent of small children can sympathise with his honesty!
"I have got a letter"
[when ship stopped at
Queenstown]
"from my dear wife, full of cheerfulness,
sanguine
and hopeful, so like herself, unselfish.
I know she forced herself to write in that strain,
for she always loved her Stout,
...
I wonder what would become of me if I had not met her,
most likely an early death, for I had no good in me when she married me
and whatever is in me now, is due to her gentle and long influence"
- Diary of Stephen O'Mara on board ship
on his trip to America, 1888.
