Humphrys genealogy

Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.

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My ancestors - O'Mara - Contents


Hartstonge House, Limerick

Hartstonge House, Hartstonge St, Limerick.
Home of Stephen O'Mara from 1886 to c.1909.



Hartstonge House, Hartstonge St, Limerick.
Click to rotate.
From Google street view.




Hartstonge House, Hartstonge St, Limerick. Near The Crescent.
Hartstonge St is named after Sir Henry Hartstonge, 3rd Baronet (died 1797).
Hartstonge House was built c.1840.
It is a tall narrow town house, no garden, standing alone on Hartstonge St.
Towards the park (Pery Square) end of the street, on RHS.


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.





Ordnance Survey of Ireland map. Date created: 1870. From here.
Hartstonge House is to the right of the school, opposite Catherine Place.



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].




View from Catherine Place



The view looking up Catherine Place.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.
See closer shot and closer shot.
See 2010 photo.



Hartstonge House is visible in the video for the song "My Love" (2000) by Westlife.




The door



The front door.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.



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.




Movie



Front (Hartstonge St) side of Hartstonge House. Movie 2006.
From here. Hosted at my YouTube account.
Download AVI file.



Still from above. Looking up Hartstonge St towards Pery Square and the park.




  

Hartstonge House, Limerick (side and rear and interior)



  
  

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