My ancestors - O'Meara - Contents
James O'Meara (later O'Mara)
James O'Mara and Hanora Foley and some of their children.
This is the younger group of 4 boys (12 years younger than Stephen) and Hanora.
Baby and older children absent.
Must be: Back (left to right): James O'Mara, Jack (bapt 1856), Jim (bapt 1858),
And: Front (left to right): Hanora (bapt 1860), Hanora Foley, Joe (born 1864), Frank (bapt 1862).
Photo must be c.1868.
James O'Meara (later O'Mara),
born 1817, Toomyvara, Co.Tipperary,
rose from nothing to found the O'Mara's bacon company, Limerick city, the source of generations of family wealth,
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as a young man, c.1835, he walked out of the village of Toomyvara
across Co.Tipperary to the town of
Clonmel, S Co.Tipperary,
where he met his wife
(probably through working in the woollen mills there
- her father owned woollen mills there),
it seems that he worked in the woollen mills on the Co.Tipperary / Co.Waterford border before he came to Limerick, the story was he met his wife in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary, and they married there, and they both moved to Limerick where he set up the bacon factory in 1839, however it seems he may have set up the bacon business first in Limerick in 1839, then married his wife in Limerick in 1841,
he
settled in Mungret St, NE end of the new town, Limerick city,
in Kate O'Brien's epic of the rise of the
"Considine" family of Limerick,
Without My Cloak,
the Considines start out as horse thieves
and eventually rise to great prosperity,
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living Mungret St temp 1844-60 (their children baptised in nearby St.John's),
"It was in the basement of this house in Mungret St that bacon was first cured by them"
[Pat Lavelle],
his wife worked in the business with him,
slowly, over the years, he worked his way up to become one of the
prominent businessmen of the city,
Hanora worked with her husband in setting up O'Maras through the terrible years of
Famine after 1845
as "straggling, ragged groups of county people crowded into Limerick looking for work,
looking for food"
[Pat Lavelle],
he adopted the spelling "O'Mara",
the story is he
was putting up name on bacon business, felt "O'Meara"
was too long commercially, took the "e" out,
all descendants since called "O'Mara",
since
then many other O'Mearas in the region have standardised to
O'Mara,
not connected with this family at all,
think he is "O'Mara" in all children's baptisms after 1844,
"James O'Mara" is listed in
[Griffiths Valuation, 1850]
as occupying 28 Mungret St, St.John's par
(near Ebrill and Gould), leasing from Joseph D. Crips (or Cripps),
a dedicated
O'Mara's Bacon Factory
was set up
on Roches St, Limerick,
living Roches St as at 1862-66
[GROI],
children bapt in St.Michael's
a little to the N
on Denmark St,
listed as "James O'Mara", "provision merchant" at
children's births and marriages
[GROI],
"James O'Meara" sp bapt of Mary O'Mara 1868,
death notice says he was "an ardent Nationalist",
he was an
early supporter of
Isaac Butt's
Home Rule movement,
member (with his son Stephen)
of the famous Butt Committee,
which secured Butt's election for Limerick city, in by-election, 20 Sept 1871,
he is listed in contributors to
"The Butt Testimonial" in
Irish Times,
May 5, 1875,
there was a Christmas dinner custom in the O'Maras
that none of the many children or their husbands and wives or the grandchildren
were allowed to speak a word during dinner, no matter how old they were,
great opportunity for the parents to expound their views,
"James O'Mara", of St.Michael's par, Limerick,
is among those writing an open letter, 4 May 1877, to the
Bishop of Limerick,
expressing their wish to organise celebrations of the
Golden Jubilee
of
Pope Pius IX
(50th anniv of him becoming a
bishop),
see
Freemans Journal,
9 May 1877,
p.2,
Hanora died
Kilkee,
Co.Clare,
30th [grave]
or 31st [GROI]
Aug 1878,
age 56 yrs [grave]
or 60 yrs [GROI],
[GROI] lists her as "Honor O'Mara",
bur 31 Aug or 1 Sept [burial record]
at Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick,
James erected grave, spelt name "O'Mara",
in 1878 he moved house to
17 Thomas St
(just N of Roches St),
one of the old town houses,
the factory stayed on Roches St,
his wife's address is still listed as Roches St in burial record 1878,
he is listed at Thomas St from 1878,
he is listed as "James O'Meara, merchant"
at Jack's mar 1880,
he was a Limerick
Poor Law Guardian,
listed as such
at time of appointment as Sheriff 1887,
High Sheriff of Limerick city 1887,
see appointment reported in Irish Times,
December 10, 1886,
on Sat 26 Nov 1887,
while High Sheriff,
he received an Irish-American Fenian come to Limerick
to deliver an oration at the unveiling (Sun 27 Nov)
of
a memorial to the
Fenian
Manchester Martyrs
of Nov 1867 (20 years before),
see Irish Times,
Mon 28 Nov 1887,
his son
Stephen
(who was a Fenian in his younger years)
was also present,
poss. an Alderman,
death notice says he was nominated for
Mayor of Limerick
but declined,
known as "The Grand Old Man" in later life
[Pat Lavelle],
there is a letter Dec 1889:
"Give my best love to dear Mr. James O'Mara - our own Grand Old Man
- to see him jumping into the Pollock Holes last summer"
[deep pools off Kilkee]
"like a young boy.
I never saw anything like his vitality.",
in 1891 he bought the rights of the
Russian Bacon Company,
and until 1903 they leased and worked the slaughter and curing houses,
situated in or nr Gryazi,
on the railway line,
nr Lipetsk, Russia,
"A Russian manager carried on the business
and produced bacon which was shipped to Dad
in London"
[Pat Lavelle],
he is "James O'Mara"
listed as
T.C. (Town Councillor)
in
Limerick Chronicle, 14 January 1892,
and at
Thomas Ray's funeral 1892,
he is "James O'Mara"
listed as
T.C. (Town Councillor) for Dock Ward, Limerick,
in
[Thoms, 1893],
described as a Justice of the Peace at his son Jim's
death and funeral 1893,
Limerick Corporation passed a Vote of Condolence, saying that the father
was "long connected and much associated with the Corporation",
death notice 1899 says he represented the Dock Ward until he resigned at
"the termination of the old council",
listed as J.P. at son Jack's mar 1895, and at death 1899,
[Modern Ireland, 1899]
says he was also a member of the Limerick Harbour Commissioners,
a Governor of the Fever Hospital,
and a Trustee of the Limerick Savings Bank,
death notice says he was a magistrate of Limerick,
and a "Visiting Justice of the Male and Female Prisons",
died 20th Apr 1899,
17 Thomas St, Limerick, age 82 yrs
[grave],
[GROI],
NOT Feb,
death announced same day,
Limerick Chronicle, Thur evening, 20 Apr 1899,
says he died "this afternoon",
funeral 21 Apr [burial record],
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick,
attendance included
Bishop of Limerick,
see newspaper report of funeral, Sun 23 Apr,
"James O'Mara", "bacon manufacturer",
probate of will granted to his sons Stephen
and Frank,
estate £5,000
[NAI],
this is about £2m in
today's money,
had issue:
- Bridget O'Mara,
NOT Nora, born 1841-43 (according to age at death),
bapt not found in [St.John's, Limerick],
though (todo) see original entry for Bridget O'Mara, bapt [St.John's, Limerick] 29 Dec 1842, dau of James O'Mara and "Hanora Mulcahy",
she is described as "formerly O'Meara" at son's birth 1868,
mar 11th Sept 1861 [St.John's, Limerick], wit John Hayes and Mary A. Lynch,
to Michael Cusack and had issue.
- Stephen O'Mara,
born St.Stephen's Day, 26th Dec 1844, Mungret St, Limerick,
bapt 26th Dec [St.John's, Limerick],
he signed his letters "Stout".
- Peter O'Mara,
bapt 11th Mar 1847 [St.John's, Limerick], his mother incorrectly read as "Hanora Daly",
died as a baby,
the story goes that his father had some business that took him to Liverpool for a while,
on his return "he embraced his wife and all the children and distributed the small gifts he had brought back. After a while he asked casually: 'And where is the baby?' Then Great Grandmother answered: 'I meant to tell you that he went to heaven one day last week.'" [Pat Lavelle].
- Margaret O'Mara [Maggie, Maggy, NOT Minnie],
bapt 28th Aug 1848 [St.John's, Limerick],
she must be "Margaret O'Mara" who wit mar of her 1st cousin Catherine Lynch in 1875,
living Thomas St, Limerick, at mar,
mar 1878 to Michael Judge and had issue.
- Mary O'Mara, "Poll",
bapt "Mary-Ann" Oct 1850 [St.John's, Limerick], sp Michael Dillon, Anne Kennedy,
mar Tom Ray and had issue.
- John O'Mara,
bapt 27th Dec 1852 [St.John's, Limerick], sp Denis Gunes, Mary Lynch,
died in infancy.
- Kate O'Mara, Katie,
bapt Catherine, 10th Nov 1854 [St.John's, Limerick], sp James Hartney, Alice Shughrue,
she must be "Kate O'Mara" who wit her sister Margaret's mar 1878,
she is written "Kathleen" at death,
mar 1881, Limerick, to Dick Ray and had issue.
- Jack O'Mara (second John),
bapt 26th Dec 1856 [St.John's, Limerick], sp William Sheahan, Bridget Lynch.
- Jim O'Mara,
bapt James, Nov 1858 [St.John's, Limerick].
- Hanora O'Mara,
"Nora" on grave,
bapt Hanora, 24th Oct 1860 [St.John's, Limerick], sp Michael Lynch, Mary Lynch,
died 1st Oct 1878, age 17 yrs [grave], just after her mother died,
bur Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick.
- Dr. Frank O'Mara,
born Limerick,
bapt Francis, 18th Sept 1862 [St.Michael's, Limerick].
- Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer,
Joe,
written as "Joseph F. O'Mara" at death,
born 16th July 1864, Roches St, Limerick [GROI], NOT 1866,
bapt Joseph, 16th July [St.Michael's, Limerick].
- Nan O'Mara,
born "Anne Mary", Roches St, Limerick, 15th Sept 1866 [GROI],
bapt "Ann", "21st Aug" (presumably an error for 21st Sept) 1866 [St.Michael's, Limerick],
her mother died 1878,
she must be "Anne O'Mara" who wit Frank's mar 1894,
didn't marry,
lived with her father at 17 Thomas St, Limerick,
her father died 1899,
had serious illness, confined to bed for long time before died [Pat Lavelle],
died 28th Jan 1905, 6 Alexandra Terrace, Limerick, age 38 yrs, of "dilatation of heart", condition of duration 4 years [GROI].
- A letter shows a nephew of
Stephen O'Mara,
apparently on his side (not on his wife's side),
called Ryan.
He can therefore only be the son of a sister of Stephen O'Mara who married Ryan and had issue:
James O'Mara (formerly O'Meara).
See full size.
James O'Mara (formerly O'Meara).
O'Mara family,
Kilkee, 1895.
2nd row from front has line of
old
James O'Mara,
Ellen Pigott,
Stephen O'Mara.
Front RHS looks like
James O'Mara.
Think front far RHS is NOT
Mary O'Mara.
See larger
and full size.
4 generations photo, 1898.
James O'Mara (formerly O'Meara),
his son Stephen,
his son James,
his son Stephen
(born Sept 1896).
See larger
and full size.
See close-up of old James.
These are the sisters
Mary O'Mara (think back)
and
Margaret O'Mara (think LHS front)
and
Kate O'Mara (think RHS front).
Think 1874.
See larger
and full size.
Joseph and Nan (the two youngest children).
See larger
and full size.
Unidentified O'Meara / O'Mara photos
- Mungret St, Limerick, appears to be totally re-developed today. Looks like not a single old house survives.
