Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Hartstonge House, Hartstonge St, Limerick. Near The Crescent.
Harris family:
Hartstonge House
was the home temp 1860s-1880s of the wealthy Harris family,
of Harris' bakery, Henry St, Limerick.
Ellen Pigott worked in
Harris' bakery in 1860s, before she married in 1867.
Later she would come to live in Hartstonge House herself.
Richard Harris
is listed at Hartstonge House in
[Bassett's, 1880-81, p.33].
Later from the Harris family came the actor
Richard Harris (born 1930).
O'Mara family:
Stephen O'Mara
bought Hartstonge House from the Harris family
and settled here in 1886.
Letter of
21 May 1886
shows O'Mara are now in Hartstonge House.
Stephen O'Mara
is listed at Hartstonge House in
[Ashe's Directory, 1891-92].
Stephen's wife writes on 18 Nov 1893
from Hartstonge House.
Stephen O'Mara is
listed
in 1901 census at Hartstonge House.
The house has 13 rooms,
10 windows in front of house,
with 2 coal cellars as out-buildings.
See Christmas card
from Hartstonge House, 1904.
From P133/2/19.
Pat Lavelle in
[PAT/1, p.4]
describes from her youth:
"what I saw, the comfort and well-being of Hartstonge House,
the crowds of relations, the stables with carriages and horses,
had all been achieved by the work and energy of two men,
my Grandfather
and his father James".
Stephen O'Mara is living there in 1908.
He left c.1909.
Stephen is gone by 1910.
No O'Mara is listed on
Hartstonge St in 1911 census.
No O'Mara is listed on the street in
[Guy's directory, 1912, p.72].
Hartstonge House became the office of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians,
Limerick City Division 550.
They are listed there in
[Guy's directory, 1914].
Did Joseph O'Mara live there?
A
plaque
to Stephen's brother,
Joseph O'Mara, the opera singer,
was erected on Hartstonge House in 1967.
The plaque
says Joseph lived there.
But it is unclear when.
This may be wrong.
His brother lived there.
Modern history:
The house survives today.
Now occupied by the
Mid West Region HQ
of the Irish branch of
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
They re-named it Ozanam House
after their founder
Frederic Ozanam.
The name "Hartstonge House" is now used
by another building on the street,
think across the street.
Hartstonge House (red cross) on
1887 to 1913 map.
Richard Harris
is listed at Hartstonge House in
[Bassett's, 1880-81, p.33].
Stephen O'Mara
is listed at Hartstonge House in
[Ashe's Directory, 1891-92].
Letterhead of letter of
17 Aug 1897,
from
Hartstonge House.
Hartstonge St in
[Guy's directory, 1912, p.72].
William B. Joyce may be at
Hartstonge House.
No O'Mara listed.
Extract from
[Guy's directory, 1914, p.17].
Hartstonge House is occupied by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Hartstonge St in
[Guy's directory, 1914, p.116].
Hartstonge House is occupied by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Hartstonge House, Limerick, 1908.
Note extension at rear.
The windows are of the O'Mara private chapel.
See full size.
Hartstonge House.
Photo 2006.
See full size.
See alternate shot.
Hartstonge House.
From the Pery Square side.
See larger
and full size.
From [P40/910].
Used with permission of
[UL Archives].
Hartstonge House is visible in the
video for the song
"My Love" (2000)
by Westlife.
Front door of Hartstonge House.
Photo 2006.
See full size.
O'Mara family gathering, "New Year's Eve, 1905",
front door of Hartstonge House.
See full size.
Turn the above picture sideways and you can see it has been
distorted by being combined with another picture.
The other picture is clearly Joe and his wife
who married 9 Dec 1905 in Canada.
They made a trip to Limerick in late Dec 1905 to see Joe's family
before returning to Canada.
See full size.
See other shot at same gathering.
From
J/552/8.
Still from above.
Looking up Hartstonge St towards Pery Square and the park.
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