Agnes Cashel,
Agnes was
educ Ladies' Intermediate School, 49 Catherine St, Limerick.
There as at 1884.
[Lavelle, 1961]
says Agnes and her sisters were educ at
"Miss Moylan's school" in Limerick.
[PAT/30]
calls it
"Miss Moylan's (afterwards Lady Clarke) school".
This is the school run by
Jeremiah Moylan and Mary Fitzgerald,
whose daughter was
Lady Clarke.
[Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 21, Limerick]
says Moylan's is Ladies' Intermediate School.
In 1888 to 1893,
Agnes' father Blennerhassett Cashel
was active in the
Catholic Institute, Limerick.
And so was James O'Mara's grandfather,
old James O'Mara.
So the two families knew each other.
Soon the younger members met.
Agnes met James when she came to a dance in the O'Mara's house,
Hartstonge House,
Limerick, in summer 1891 (James age 18, Agnes age 20)
[Lavelle, 1961].
James, just finished school, immediately asked his father to take him on in
the bacon factory.
His mother was opposed to this, and argued that he should go to college.
It was his grandfather
who persuaded them to let him start work.
[PAT/1, p.7]
says
Agnes got on well with James' grandfather,
who knew her father.
"She was very fond of him and knew he liked her".
He very much approved of Agnes.
He would pass the two after mass and
"he would smile and nod at them in his friendliest way".
Agnes
taught English at convent in central France, winter 1891-1892.
James O'Mara and his father Stephen O'Mara were
admitted as members of the
Catholic Institute, Limerick
at meeting of 10 June 1892.
(Agnes' father was on the council of the society.)
James proposed to Agnes, probably in summer 1892,
at the ruined Dunlica Castle
(or "Doonlicka Castle"),
near Kilkee,
on cliffs of Co.Clare,
hundreds of feet above the Atlantic.
In the old days, the whole extended O'Mara family would gather at Kilkee, summer after summer.
James later named his house in London
"Dunlica"
after the castle.
Agnes' family moved to Cork 1893.
James moved to London late 1893.
They stayed in contact.
They were allowed marry after James was 21 (Aug 1894).
"Mother always felt that this had been brought about largely by
Great-Grandfather's
kindly interest in their romance"
[PAT/1, p.7].
She
mar 23 Apr 1895 [him age 21, her age 24]
to James O'Mara
and had issue.
They mar at
St.Saviour's RC Church,
Dominick St, Dublin
[GROI].
See notice
in Cork Examiner, April 27, 1895.
DIB
is wrong to say 28 Apr.
The ruin of
"Doonlicka Castle", Co.Clare,
on
1887 to 1913 map.
This is in Moveen West townland,
SW of Kilkee, on the W coast of Co.Clare.
Almost nothing is left of the castle ruin today.
See modern map
and
satellite view.
James O'Mara in London paying secret visits to Agnes Cashel in Ireland in 1893-95.
Extract from
[PAT/30].
Agnes Cashel, 1910.
From this picture.
Agnes Cashel, with her two youngest children, 1912.
From this picture.
Agnes Cashel.
See full size.
Agnes Cashel.
Agnes Cashel, c.1920.
See larger
and full size.
See back.
Agnes Cashel. Photo 1924.
Agnes Cashel,
The Grove, Killiney,
1955.
See full size.
Agnes Cashel.
From mass card.
See alternative version
from obituary.
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