Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
The old Irish
O'Meara family
(O'Meadhra in Irish)
had lands in the Barony of Upper Ormond, N Co.Tipperary.
The chief town of the Barony was
Toomevara (or Toomyvara).
In Irish the town is
Tuaim uí Mheára
(or Tuaim ui Mheadhra),
"Tomb of the O'Mearas".
Toomevara is in
Aghnameadle par, E of Nenagh
(on the Dublin road),
N Co.Tipperary
(see map).
See more on O'Meara of Toomevara, Co.Tipperary.
The Limerick family believed they were from Toomevara:
However, in 2020 (see below) I discovered that
before they came to Limerick,
our O'Mara family was from
near
Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.
This is nowhere near Toomevara.
Any Toomevara origin, if it exists, would have to be further back.
Perhaps, when they moved to Limerick, they were taken with the fact that Toomevara was on the road to Dublin.
And they were taken by the name, and the O'Meara monuments there,
and they considered it as their ultimate ancestral home.
Letterhead of letter of
17 Aug 1897,
from
Hartstonge House.
Shows that our family used the O'Meara crest.
See also letter of
13 Sept 1899.
Letterhead of
1905 letter
in our family, showing use of O'Meara crest.
See full size.
O'Meara arms in 1910 article.
See larger
and full size.
Extract from O'MEARA
on p.238
of [O'Hart, 1915, vol.1].
The crest (seen on the letterhead above)
is a pelican
vulning herself.
Motto:
"Opima spolia".
O'Meara of "Lismisky"
is the main landed family of O'Meara of Lissanisky, near Toomevara.
In 2020, I worked it out in two ways, first by looking at James' brother Andrew:
Another copy of this tree,
with notes added maybe late 1950s by Lillian White.
See full size.
The top of
O'Mara family tree, post-1961,
gives the mother as Peggy Casey.
"Peggy" is of course Margaret.
See full size.
The grave of Andrew O'Mara in Canada
says he was born in Clonmel in Jan 1817.
See full size.
Baptism of twins John and Andrew O'Mara,
8 Jan 1817, Clonmel,
sons of Peter O'Mara and Margaret Casey.
From here.
Marriage cert of John in Liverpool in 1842
shows his father as Peter O'Mara, "farmer".
Marriage of John in parish records in Liverpool in 1842.
Shows his father as Peter O'Mara.
See full size.
James Mara, woollen draper,
and Margaret Mara, milliner,
40 Main St, Clonmel,
listed
in
[Slater's directory, 1846].
William Mara, blacksmith, Irishtown, Clonmel,
is
listed
in
[Slater's directory, 1846].
"Peter" is a somewhat rare first name.
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