My ancestors - Casey - Contents

Casey

Casey of Clogheen, near Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.

• References:
  • Notes by Patricia Lavelle in [PAT/1, p.5]
  • O'Mara family tree

  • Famine in the Valley by Ed O'Riordan, 1995, online edition 2010.

---

Proof that Margaret Casey is mother of our James O'Mara

There has been confusion about whether Casey is mother of James O'Mara or mother of his wife Honora Foley.
She is mother of James O'Mara. Here is the proof.

This O'Mara family tree says the mother of James was "Margaret Casey" of "Cloheen Mills".

The top of O'Mara family tree, post-1961, gives the mother as Peggy Casey.
"Peggy" is of course Margaret.
The father is guessed as "John". This turns out to be wrong.

Another part of O'Mara family tree, post-1961.

The mother of James was definitely Margaret O'Mara (born 1779 or 1785, died 1863) as shown here on her grave.
See full size.

When Mary O'Mara acted in the film Knocknagow (1918), she went under the pseudonym "Miss Peg Casey".
This was said to be the name of the mother of James O'Mara.
Of course "Peg" is "Margaret".

The final proof is the discovery of the baptism of James' brother Andrew O'Mara, 8 Jan 1817, St. Mary's, Clonmel, with mother Margaret Casey.

The only reason we thought Casey was mother of Foley was because of these notes by Pat Lavelle.
She thinks Casey was mother of James O'Mara's wife, rather than James O'Mara.
But the account is confusing. She says her great-grandmother was Margaret Foley but that is wrong. She was Honora Foley.
"Honor Casey" and "Margaret Foley" seem to be confused references to the real people: Margaret Casey and Honora Foley.
In fact, Pat mentions "Margaret Casey of Clogheen" without making it clear who she is.
From [PAT/1, p.5]. See full page.
See also [PAT/32].

It is clear that the Clogheen link is through Casey, and Casey is mother of James O'Mara.
His wife's family Foley are from Limerick city with no link to Clogheen or Clonmel.

---

Our family

• Margaret Casey,
  born 1779 [by age in burial record] or 1785 [by age on grave].
  She had a child bapt 1826, so more likely born 1785 (age 41) than born 1779 (age 47).
  "Peggy" according to one O'Mara family tree.
  "Peg" according to Knocknagow pseudonym.
  She was of Clogheen, near Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.
  Her uncle apparently had a woollen mill at Clogheen.
  She mar pre-1817 to Peter O'Mara and had issue.
  They lived near Clonmel.
  Children bapt in Clonmel in 1817 and 1826.

Might be her brother:

• William Casey.
  He sp the baptism of Margaret's son John O'Mara at Clonmel in 1817.

William Casey, spirit store, Main St, Clogheen, Co.Tipperary, listed in [Pigot's directory, 1824].
This could be Margaret's brother.

---

Clogheen, near Clonmel, Co.Tipperary

Pat Lavelle in [PAT/1, p.5] said Casey had a woollen mill in Clogheen, Shanrahan par, S Co.Tipperary (SW of Clonmel, near Co.Waterford border, see modern map).
Pat says: "In Clogheen .. just under the mountain pass that leads to Mount Mellary there is a woollen mill in ruins. This was known up to 1800 as Murray's mill. It was willed to Margaret Casey of Clogheen about the year 1825 by her uncle. The story goes that somehow she never came into this legacy."

This mill can be identified. This is "Manor Mill" on the SE road out of Clogheen.
This was once Murray's Mill, owned by Murray as at 1839 [O'Riordan, 2010].
Murray lived in nearby Glenleigh House to the SW.
Murray sold the mill to Fennell in 1847 [O'Riordan, 2010].

There is no evidence that Casey or Foley were connected to it.
However, maybe Margaret Casey's mother was Murray, and her uncle Murray owned it.

Clogheen was a centre for milling, and there are various ruined mills there today.
There is also a Clogheen in Kilronan par, N Co.Waterford (near Ballymacarbry, S of Clonmel, across the Waterford border, see modern map).

Manor Mill (Murray's Mill) on the road out of Clogheen, Co.Tipperary, heading in direction of Mount Melleray.
From 1887 to 1913 map.
Not much is left today.

[PAT/32] said Murray's Mill was "within 1/2 mile of the convent in Clogheen."
The above wider shot from 1887 to 1913 map shows that makes sense.

Manor Mill (part of) and Lamberts' House, on Convent Road, Clogheen.
See full size.
From Ed O'Riordan at Galteemore.com. Used with permission.

Street view at same location today.

---

Miscellaneous Casey

Casey of Clogheen:

• Thomas Casey, of Culpriv,
  mar Elizabeth Casey
  and had issue:
  1. Margaret Casey,
     bapt 6 Nov 1788 [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Tipperary], or poss. [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Waterford], sp Janet Farrell.

• John Casey,
  mar Margaret Piggott
  and had issue:
  1. Honora Casey, or Honor,
     bapt 8 Oct 1809 [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Tipperary], or poss. [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Waterford], sp Michael Brien and Mary White.

• Margaret Casey,
  mar 2 Mar 1824 [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Tipperary] to Thomas Casey,
  wit Thomas Casey and Ellen Conway.

Searching for Casey marrying O'Mara or Foley:

• NOT the mar of Honora Casey, 1811, Cahir, S Co.Tipperary (she mar Michael Byran)
• NOT the mar of Honora Casey, 1812, St.Michael's, Limerick (she mar Edmond O'Connor)

• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1795, St.Michael's, Limerick (she mar William Mortell)
• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1806, St.Munchin's, Limerick (she mar John Kiely)
• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1808, St.Munchin's, Limerick (she mar James Minogue)
• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1812, St.Mary's, Limerick (she mar Denis Donovan)

• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1811, Cahir, S Co.Tipperary (she mar William Barry)
• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1813, Cahir, S Co.Tipperary (she mar William Meagher)
• NOT the mar of Margaret Casey, 1816, Newport, N Co.Tipperary (she mar John Kearney)

Casey of Clogheen, Co.Waterford:

• John Casey,
  of parish of Ballysheehan,
  mar Margaret Tiarny
  and had issue:
  1. Margaret Casey,
     bapt 3 Aug 1779 [Clogheen RC par records, Co.Waterford], sp Thomas Hogan and Alice Kent.

---

Grubb of Co.Tipperary

I was told by someone before 1991 (I have not recorded who) that Fr. Paddy O'Mara said that James O'Mara's mother was descended from the Grubb family.
No evidence for this has been found.
There is indeed a Grubb family at Clogheen and Clonmel, Co.Tipperary, but they are wealthy business owners and landed gentry and it seems unlikely there is a descent from them.

• References:
  • GRUBB in [Burkes Irish, 1976]
  • GRUBB in [Tipperary Gentry, vol.1]
  • The Grubbs of Tipperary, Geoffrey Watkins Grubb, Mercier Press, Cork, 1972, ISBN 085342-289-3, [NLI] Ir 9292 G 13, [CUL] 496.24.c.95.10, [TCD] 941.92 L2, [SOG] FH/GRU

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Genealogical Memoranda of the Grubbe family, 1893.

• Samuel Grubb,
  born 1750.
  Quaker family.
  His family were wealthy and prominent millers (think mainly corn millers) at Clogheen and Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.

• Grubb is listed at Clogheen in [Pigot's directory, 1824]. See p.234.
  Grubb is listed at Clonmel in [Pigot's directory, 1824]. See pp.236-237 and pp.238-239.

• Grubb is listed at Clogheen in [Slater's directory, 1846]. See pp.172-173.
  Grubb is listed at Clonmel in [Slater's directory, 1846]. See pp.176-177 and pp.178-179 and pp.180-181.

---

• Grubb genealogy by Cheryl Grubb Christenson
• J&L Grubb cheese makers of Co.Tipperary.