My ancestors - O'Meara - Contents

Joe O'Mara

• References:
  • "Another McCormack?", TIME, 19 Mar 1945.
  • "Irish Tenor", TIME, 7 Oct 1946.

Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard.
Detail of 1905 photo.

Joe O'Mara, born 21st May 1878,
see picture 1890,
he was best man and wit at his brother James' mar Apr 1895, only age 16, listed as living Hartstonge House,
went to Canada to run bacon factory in Palmerston, W of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (not far from London, Ontario),
[Lavelle, 1961] says: "grandfather bought a bacon factory in Palmerston and one of his younger sons was sent out to manage it",
went back and forth a number of times,
he is listed as arriving at Ellis Island, NY, 2nd Apr 1904, on the Lucania from Liverpool, see passenger record, listed as single, living Limerick,
he is listed as arriving again at Ellis Island, accompanied by his brother James, on 14th May 1904 on the Campania from Liverpool via Queenstown, him described as living London (as well as James), see passenger record (or here),
mar 1905 to Adelaide Sheppard [of Toronto, Canada, NOT "S. Shepherd"],
children born in Canada, came back over,
as at 1920 he had summer house up on the Muskoka Lakes, N of Toronto,
living Toronto 1921,

he set up tyre company in Toronto, he was Managing Director of K & S Tire and Rubber Goods Ltd, Toronto, manufactured tyres and other rubber goods,
Dick Humphreys, family friend of the O'Maras, set up business in Dublin 1922, importing Joe's tyres into Ireland as "O'Mara's tyres", later "K & S tyres"
a letter of 15th Jan 1923 from Joe to his brother Jim says "Adelaide and the children join me with love to you all",
his tyre business got into trouble in late 1920s, Britain's control of rubber plantations pushed up price of rubber in US and Canada [Tommy O'Brien],
Dick Humphreys (who married Joe's niece in 1929) finally dropped O'Mara / K&S tyres in favour of Pirelli tyres,
[John O'Sullivan] says Joe and Adelaide separated,
Joe retired to Ireland,
he was a Director of O'Mara's bacon company at time of O'Mara's centenary, 1939,

in the early 1940s Joe became the agent for Christopher Lynch, a young Irish Tenor,
Lynch (born Rathkeale, Co.Limerick, 1921) sang from the stage of a Limerick movie theatre in 1942, the O'Maras were in the audience, they arranged for him to study in Dublin,
Joe got Lynch a job singing on the weekly Radio Éireann program sponsored by Donnelly's sausages,
with Joe's help, Lynch moved to America 1946 to become the lead tenor on "The Voice of Firestone" radio show sponsored by Firestone tyres,

Joe is listed at death as "company director", of Lisnamara, Corbally, Limerick,
he died 30th Dec 1950, age 72 yrs, at his sister's house, "Greenfields", Milltown, Co.Dublin [GROI],
see obituary, Irish Times, January 1, 1951,
wake in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin,
funeral at Church of the Assumption, Milltown, Co.Dublin, think 1 Jan 1951,
his wife and children (all living in US) were not at his funeral, but the President was represented by his aide-de-camp,
bur in New Cemetery, Limerick, he is listed on Stephen O'Mara grave, Mount St. Lawrence cemetery, Limerick,
see funeral report, Irish Times, January 2, 1951,
Adelaide fl 1951, living in US,
had issue:

1. Maureen O'Mara,
   born 1909, Canada,
   living in US as at 1950.

   
   

2. Michael O'Mara,
   born Joseph Michael O'Mara, 1918, Canada,
   mar 1stly to ---- [from Dun Laoghaire, father in civil service] and had issue:
   1. (son) O'Mara, poss. Stephen.

   they lived Paris,
   he was poss. Reuters correspondent in Paris,
   she died,
   mar 2ndly, Paris, to ---- [poss. American],
   living in US as at 1950.

   Had Stephen O'Mara accepted the baronetcy, the 4th Baronet would have come from this line (succeeding from Steen O'Mara 1972).

Wedding of Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard, 1905.
NOT 1910.
Left to Right: (unknown), (unknown), Adelaide Sheppard, Joe O'Mara.
See larger and full size.

 

Wedding of Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard, 1905.
The 2 parents, the 9 surviving children, and their 4 spouses so far.
Back (Left to Right): Joe, Adelaide Sheppard.
Middle (Left to Right): James, Agnes Cashel, Stephen, Kat, Phons, Bill O'Sullivan, Norrie.
Front (Left to Right): Nell, Fr. Paddy, Ellen Pigott, Stephen O'Mara, Mary, Michael Rynne.
See larger and full size.

 

Photo 1905 at time of wedding of Joe O'Mara and Adelaide Sheppard.
Back (Left to Right): think Stephen, Mary, Stephen O'Mara, think Norrie, Agnes Cashel, think Phons.
Front (Left to Right): Kat, Fr. Paddy, Ellen Pigott, Michael Rynne, think Nell.
See larger and full size.

Joe O'Mara.