Family Gatherings 2007

Cruising Alaska

In 2007 the venue was an Alaskan Cruise.  We set sail from Seattle, with stops in Juneau and Skagway, then through the inner passage and a final stop in Prince Rupert.  

More Pictures

Limerick

Limerick City dates to the Vikings about 1830.  The Irish Historic Towns Atlas has a great history of Limerick online that tracks the city through the centuries.  The  Limerick Archives has a digital collection of Government and Private papers dating from the early 1700s on.

Portion of Hardiman Map of Limerick 1590 - Limerick Archives

By 1841 the City of Limerick had 48391 residents.  In 1851 that number had grown to 48785.  The increase no doubt was due to the fact that so many who had been forced from the townlands to the cities for looked for work or perhaps emigration possibilities. From that time on the population decreased, reaching a low of 37115 in 1891.

Limerick county's population shrunk by less than 25%, from 330,029 to 262,132 in 1851.  While this is a smaller decrease than elsewhere in Ireland, it is still significant. 

James Madden left Limerick in 1850.  We believe that Anna and a child Willie followed shortly thereafter, just a few of the many that left due to the great famine. 

The area of Limerick city where we believe James lived was not likely to have been included in the city numbers above, or in the county numbers for that matter, as it seems he lived in the greater city area but in the County of Clare.

How long James had been in Limerick is also unknown.  With no Y DNA connection to any Madden family and no christening or marriage record found, it is impossible to place him in a family, all connections are supposition. 

• Irish Historic Towns Atlas Online: Limerick 
• Limerick Archives
• Brief Timeline of Limerick History
• History of Limerick - Wikipedia 
• Limerick in Dropbox 

Lughnasadh

Lúnasa – in Ireland it’s the name for the eighth month.  It is also the name of a festival that has been celebrated for over two thousand years.  It is a harvest celebration, a ritual to give thanks for the bounty of the land, and to ask the gods’ blessings that the weather will hold long enough to gather it all in. (The traditional date is the night of July 31-August 1, but modern convenience has moved the date to whichever Sunday is nearest.)

With the harvest came great celebrations in rural Ireland.  The first harvest festival of the year, Lughnasadh, named for Lugh the Celtic Sun God, was traditionally the most joyous as the populace celebrated the end of relying on the diminishing food stores of the previous year. Usually held on one of the early weekends of August, whole communities might gather at a chosen meeting place often in the hills in order to be closer to the sun god.

With those early celebrations we note the importance of the gods.  Various backstories can be found for the festival.  One states that for the success of the harvest, Lugh must die and merge with the earth. His death is celebrated with the Autumn equinox.  A second story attributes the festival to Lugh's defeat of the dark god Crom Dubh, signifying the end of famine.  Yet another story talks of Lugh's great sorrow at the death of his foster-mother.  Tailtu expired after clearing the forests of Ireland to create farmland. Lugh instituted a two week assembly of games and trading in her memory. Both the second and third stories are said to suggest the changing and merging of gods after an invasion.

With Christianity, celebrating Celtic gods was frowned upon.  The festival, however, did not go away.  Instead the name was changed to Lammas, meaning first loaf.  An integral part of the celebration was the baking of a special loaf of bread from the first corn of the harvest. (Note: corn in this case actually referred to the grain crops of wheat, oats, barley and rye.) This loaf was sometimes eaten as part of a great feast, and sometimes, particularly in the medevial era used as an offering.

Kailee - 2017

Celebrations persisted into the 20th century with various names. Garland Sunday, Bilberry Sunday, Mountain Sunday and Crom Dubh Sunday are some of the titles attached to the event.  The climbing of hills has also persisted, recast as Christian pilgrimages.  Perhaps the best known of these pilgrimages "Reek Sunday" is held on Croagh Patrick, in Co. Mayo, on the last Sunday of July. 

On the Ring of Kerry, the Puck Fair which is held each August, is also thought to be a survivor of Lughnasadh. 


Read more about celebrating the harvest in Ireland

• Irish Culture and Customs  This site has great descriptions of early feasts
• A Trip to Ireland - Lúnasa
• The Irish Times - the Deep Roots of Harvest Festivals
• Ireland's Own: Lughnasa – The Beginning of the Harvest
• Harvest Festivals.Net - Irish/Celtic
• Lughnasadh - Wikipedia
• Roaring Water Journal - Harvest time

Or watch a video

• Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) with Gerard McSorley, Meryl Streep and Michael Gambon - Available on Amazon Video 

• Celtic Festival of Lughnasadh - celebrating the Harvest - YouTube

Family Gatherings 2018 - Minnesota

Twenty seven members of the Madden Clan survived the "House from Hell" and a stormy picnic in what most deemed the best family gathering yet!!!

Goodbye "House From Hell"

Our long planned rental turned into a nightmare with electrical shorts, exploding airconditioners, vomit on the walls, mold, cockroaches, smoky non-smoking premises and nefarious deeds occuring in close promimity......causing us to abandon ship after the first night.

Fortunately, the Embassy Suites had room for all, and staff were extremely helpful in providing spaces for our many family activities!

Hello Embassy Suites at the MSP Airport

A busy family, not everyone made the whole week.  Maura & William and Sean and family did not arrive until Sunday, thus avoiding the move.  Eric (the only one missing from this photo) had to fly to New York for a meeting on Monday, returning late Wednesday.  Mariah and Michael could only stay through Tuesday.  Pat and Clare were off to Vassar for a meeting with the Soccar Coach. And unfortunately Erich and Keltie and their families were unable to join us at all.  We missed them!

There was plenty of time for family interaction, including Mariah and Michael's engagement announcement.  We welcome this great addition to our growing family!!!!!!!!

Exercixe and swimming fun!!  There is an advantage to a hotel!

A long awaited picture of the brothers three!!!! Caught by Denise.

Sleepovers

Coffee!

Ice Cream and Baseball and make shift meals

 Not to mention all the cousins.  

A Tuesday night get together with the Maddens brought two of Dad's cousins, and a whole bunch of second cousins,  most I had only met once, more than fifty years ago. Thanks to John and Chuck's Mike for gathering them all together!!!!!!  Our younger family members came away as great fans of Sister Betty, and more than one family member commented that Mike looked just like Dad.  Unfortunately, I don't think anyone took pictures.

And congratulations John and Jolene on your 60th anniversary!!

See Part II on Ireland to Minnesota with a Bavarian Sprinkle for all the English connections!!!!

Link to pictures in Dropbox

A Dunn Family Genealogy

Following is a reconstrution of our Dunne family.  Uncertain connections are givenin Orange. If a child connection is proven but the additional family is uncertain, the family is Orange. A link to a fully documented genealogy can be found at the bottom of this post.  It will be updated as more information is found.






Patrick m.  Elizabeth Meagher  The children given here are all christened in Killinaule Parish.  The age for John fits well with our John. A birth in 1798 works well with the birth of his son Patrick in 1822.  Unfortunately no marriage for John has been found. The names of John's children works well with the family of Patrick and Elizabeth as well.  The only question is the lack of a daughter named Elizabeth in the records found.  

1. Cornelius  c. 20 Oct 1787 most likely married Mary Ryan 6 Feb 1806 in Fethard
2. Ellen c. 30 mar 1789
3. Patrick c. 19 Feb 1795
4. Maria c 3 Feb 1796
5. John  m. Bridget Lonergan [Dropbox Folder]  
• Patrick (1822 IRE-1883 ONT) m Mary  
• James 1851
• John 1852
• Charles Emmet 1857 ONT m Mary Steele 1884 ONT
• Mary Patricia 1861 ONT m. Richard H Nicholls 1889 ONT
• Edward G 1863 ONT m. Louisa Kenny 1889 ONT
• Margaret 1867
• Sarah Ellen 1871 m. George Edward McGregor 1897 ONT
• Mary Ann (1824-1906) m Robert Kelly (1824-1900) (Michigan)
• Annie 1849 ONT
• James 1851 ONT m. Lena Eckoff 
• John W 1853 ONT - 1922 MI  m Mary Ellen Bradley 1879 MI
• Thomas 1856 ONT - died before 1861 (not in census of that year)
• Bridget 1858 ONT - 1895 MI m. John Cochrane 1878 MI
• Robert 1861 ONT died bef 1867
• Margaret 1864 MI
• Robert 1867 MI m. Mary
• Margaret (1826 - aft 1910) m John Cavanaugh (1818-bef 1900) (to Kansas, Missouri, California)
• Bedelia Margaret 1845 ONT m. William Hamilton bef 1874 KS 3 known children
• Thomas 1847 ONT m. Lydia Lucas 1884 KS
• Owen 1852 ONT - 1921 CA m Jennie Rainey 1878 KS m. Mary Derry 1894 KS
• Mary A 1853 ONT m. John O'Connor 1889 KS (to AZ, CA)
• Sarah 1854 ONT 
• John F 1857 ONT - d 1881 KS
• Michael D 1860 ONT m Lillie C. 1888 IL
• Patrick 1862 ONT
• James 1865 ONT
• Robert 1867 ONT
• Hellen 1870 KS m. Harry Gossuch 1897 
• Cornelius 1828 IRE
• Thomas 1831 IRE
• Bridget 1836 IRE m. Michael Murphy 1861 Stratford, ONT (to Port Huron, MI) 4 known children See Michael Murphy
• Ellen 1840 IRE

Proposed Dunn Genealogy with Source Documentation

Dunn Family Folder in Dropbox

Family Gatherings 1995 - Duluth

In 1995 Maura, Cath, Tim and Pat joined Jean and Jim Madden for a tour of their youth in Minnesota.  There were two main parts of the tour, Saint Paul, which included a Walsh Family Reunion explored places in the life of Jean Ann English, and Duluth which explored the youth of James Howard Madden.

These are pictures from the Duluth part of the trip.

Holy Rosary Basilica

1418 Vermillion Rd - 1st House

Condor Park

Two Harbors Docks Lake Superior. 
Dad had many tales about being dropped into
forests on unoccupied shores and racing cars on frozen shores.

The Duluth Aerial Bridge constructed in 1929.  Mom
remembers being able to ride up when it rose with
Uncle Elter.  That must have been quite a thrill
for a four year old.

St. Paul 1995
More Pictures

John James Haffey

sketch by Lucas O'Brien, 1st president of the Royal Canadian
Academy, showing judicial business at the Eighth Division
Court at Mono Mills in 1855. 
#4 (3rd from left) is John J. Haffey acting as baliff
tendering the oath to a witness.

John James Haffey was born in Ireland about 1819. Birth information is taken from the 1861 census. His daughter Camilla indicated that he came from Northern Ireland (Ulster).  Family tradition says he was born in Armagh, but there is no corroboration of that fact.  Other researchers claim he was related to some of the other Haffey's in the area, this seems likely but again is uncorroborated.






He settled in Adjala about 1840 and on `5 Feb 1844 he married Margaret Keenan the daughter of John and Eleanor in Toronto.
John married Margaret Keenan (daughter of  John and Eleanor) on 15 Feb 1844 in Toronto.


On the 11 Jun 1853, John bought W1/2 of Lot 14 Concession 5 in the township of Adjala from Michael Harvey for $400. The Mortgage was divided with $215 payable to Michael Harvey and $165 to James Mitchel. Michael Harvey was the patentee of the land. The Simcoe county book pt2 pg 51gives his name as Michael Haffey. "As early as the year 1828 some settlers had begun to take up lots in the gook lands juxt north of Bailey Creek. Among these families of Connors, Kelly and Keenan:" ....."Michael Haffey settled on the west half of lot 14 concession 5 at this early period."  It seems most likely that the book was mistaken as the deed seems very clear.


The 1861 census reported that John (40) and Margaret (40) were farmers living in a log house with their children Allice (16), James (15), Joseph (13), Ellen (11), John (9), Thomas (7), Elizabeth (4), and Peter (2).  Also living in the house is John Keenan (88) a gentleman bn in Ireland. (1861 Population, Canada,, District 1 page 10 line 16)  

The agricultural census of the same year adds that he is living on 100 acres on the W 1/2 of Lot 16 Concession 6, twelve acres were under cultivation, 48 acres were under crops, four were pasture and 36 were either wooded or wild. The farm was worth $2500 and the farming implements worth $150.  He had 7 acres of fall wheat which produced 250 bushels and 24 acres of spring wheat which produced 400 bushels.  There were 80 bushels of peas on 4 acres and 350 bushels of oats on 8 acres.  Three-quarters of an acre produced 200 bushels of potatoes.  He also grew 2 tons of hay.   John's produce totals were about average for the area.

John served in various community capacities over the years, including JP, baliff and more.  By 1881 it appears that he is no longer farming.  He is living with what seems to be an unrelated family, while Margaret and her son Francis are in another household and Allice, who never married, in a third. Although no explanation is given it seems likely that John needed more care than Margaret was able to give.

John died 20 Oct 1884 in Toronto.  The death certificate states he was a retired farmer age 65 born in Ireland.  The  informant was Dr. E Kennedy.  

John James Haffey - Dropbox