My ancestors - Cashel - Contents

Conacher

NOT Connacher.

James Conacher,
of Scotland.
Son born 1877 in Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
Moved to Worcester in 1881.
He had issue:

1. William M. Conacher,
   Dr. William Morison Conacher, "Connie",
   born 11 Oct 1877, Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
   He was educ University of Lausanne. Studied French and German.
   He was educ University of London. Studied French and English.
   He taught for 8 years at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. He was Head of Moderns.
   He emigrated to Canada 1911, age 34.
   In 1911-1913 he was Master of Moderns at Upper Canada College, prestigious private boys' school, Toronto.
   He returned to Europe to marry Madeline.
   Listed as teacher, living Toronto, at mar 1914 [GROI].

   He mar 16 July 1914 to Madeline Cashel ["Dot", born 23 July 1882, descendant through Blennerhassett of Edward III].
   They were on honeymoon in Switzerland when WWI broke out on 1 Aug 1914. They fled across Continent on the last, overcrowded trains before the invasion of France.
   In 1915 he became lecturer in French at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, where he remained for the rest of his career.
   Editor of Queen's Quarterly. Secretary of "The Saturday Club". One of original members of the Queen's Faculty Players.

   Ireland in 1922:
   William visited his relations in Scotland in early spring 1922, leaving Madeline with her sister at Cashel House, Connemara.
   After the twins died at Cashel, July 1922, the Conachers had great difficulty getting back across Civil War-torn Ireland.
   James O'Mara could not hire a car in Dublin to get down to Connemara, so he bought one, on the understanding that if it returned to Dublin safely, he could sell it back. See [Lavelle, 1961].

   William got PhD from University of Montreal.
   In 1931 he became Associate Professor of French at Queen's University.
   In 1936 full professor.
   He retired 1947, though still wrote.
   Author of "Arnold Bennett and the French Realists", Queen's Quarterly, vol 56, no 3, autumn 1949.
   He died morning of Fri 20 June 1958, Ongwanda Sanatorium, Kingston, Ontario, age 80 yrs.
   Obituary in Kingston Whig Standard, Fri 20 June 1958.
   See obituary in unknown newspaper. Might be same as previous.
   Funeral Mon 23 June 1958, bur St.Mary's cemetery, Kingston. See findagrave.
   Madeline moved to Toronto.
   She died think 10, Sept 1965, Toronto, age 83 yrs.
   She was bur St.Mary's cemetery, Kingston. See findagrave.
   William and Madeline had issue:

   
   

   1. Jim Conacher,
      James Blennerhassett Mary Conacher, born 31 Oct 1916.

      
      

   2. Desmond Conacher,
      Des, born 27 Dec 1918, Kingston, Ontario.

      
      

   3. Blennerhassett Conacher,
      Blennerhassett Kevin Mary Conacher, Blen,
      twin, born 9.30 am, 21 Feb 1922.

   4. Hugh Conacher,
      Hugh William Mary Conacher,
      twin, born 9.45 am, 21 Feb 1922.
      The twins were born 21 Feb 1922 at Madeline's sister's house, 13 Myrtle Hill Terrace, Lower Rd, Cork [GROI].
      They both sickened and died in a few days at Cashel House, July 1922, age 5 months.
      Deaths not found in [GROI] 1922-23.
      They were bur in the graveyard on Cashel Hill.
      (todo) See burial records in Cashel church.
      Eithne O'Mara thought maybe one died in Cork, other in Cashel. Though probably not if both bur Cashel.

(Left to Right): Dot, Maureen O'Mara, Desmond, (obscured) Eileen O'Mara, Eithne O'Mara, Connie.
Roundstone, Connemara, 1927.

Cashel House, Connemara, Co.Galway.
Photo 1927.

From above.
(Left to Right): Jim Conacher, Eithne O'Mara, Desmond Conacher.

Conacher and Cashel group.
Back (Left to Right): Una Lavelle (born 1927) and Helen Cashel (born 1899) and William Conacher and James O'Mara and Agnes Cashel and Madeline Cashel and Bee Sheahan and Alice Cashel.
Front: Steen O'Mara and Sheila O'Mara and Jim Riordan (born 1905).
Photo 1948, Killiney (just before James O'Mara died).
See larger and full size. See other version.

Photo 1948, Killiney. Clearly same event.
Back (Left to Right): Bee Sheahan and William Conacher and Madeline Cashel and Agnes Cashel and James O'Mara and Steen O'Mara and Alice Cashel.
Front: Jim Riordan (born 1905) and Una O'Mara and Una Lavelle (born 1927) and Helen Cashel (born 1899).
See larger and full size. See back.

Agnes Cashel and Madeline Cashel (Dot).
Killiney, 1948.
See larger and full size.
See back.

Grave of William Conacher and Madeline Cashel, St.Mary's cemetery, Kingston.
See larger and full size.
From findagrave.

---

Conacher twins' grave on Cashel Hill

The Conacher twins died in July 1922 at the O'Mara house, Cashel House, Co.Galway.
They were bur nearby in the graveyard on Cashel Hill.
The graveyard, called "High Cashel", is 1 mile up a track on the hillside behind Cashel church. See old map.

This is meant to be the grave of the Conacher twins.

---

• Madeline was a teacher before marriage. There was a story that she taught in Mary MacSwiney's school, St. Ita's School for girls, Cork. But that school was only founded in 1916. She would be married with a child in Canada. This must be confusion with Alice.