A Family History

Mark Dowley compiled these memories and accompanying notes over many years in support of a genealogical family tree.

I feel it necessary to give an explanation of why these notes and memories have been assembled and to whom they are directed.  I have come to the conclusion that a simple or, in this case, a rather elaborate and extensive genealogical family tree would be made more interesting to present for future generations if some information, even though sketchy, were available on the ancestors and on the houses and lands where they lived.  When still a teenager I had already developed a strong interest in our family’s origins.

My grandfather, Edward Dowley, was the last Tinvane Dowley of his line, the Thomas Line.  He almost made his escape to America unmarried, but a vigilant mother who returned him to Carrick-on-Suir forestalled the effort. Shortly thereafter he met and married Mary Ursula Walsh.  Twelve children were born to this marriage. My father was the youngest.  Some forty-six children, first cousins, resulted from the marriages of ten of Edward and Ursula’s children.  As a young person, due to the hospitality and generosity of my Grandfather I came to know all my aunts and uncles, with one exception, as well as all my first cousins, but two, on the Dowley side.  These meetings came about in and around Tinvane House, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, my Grandfather’s home during summer holidays spent there in the 1940s.  In my memory those early summer days spent at Tinvane with my relatives were magical and left with me enduring memories and a very strong desire to delve into the origins of the family and record my findings for future generations.    

Now, in 2009, there are several hundred second, third and fourth cousins spread all over the world who, I hope, may now or in the future have an interest in learning where they came from and something of their origins.  This effort is dedicated to my own children, and to all their cousins of whatever degree of separation.

Edward and Mary Ursula Dowley are ancestors of these hundreds of young men and women.  Earlier still we have been able to trace direct descent from Richard and Honora Dowley of the township of Tinvane who were born in the early 1700s.  All the genealogical data has been assembled on www.geni.com, a secure website, by my nephew Shane Dowley.  Any one of the Dowley descendants may access the web record relating to him/herself and his/her direct family, add new additions to the family and make corrections where errors of name, date or relationship have entered.  We hope that in this way the tree will be nurtured and grow.

 Many people helped with the gathering of the information contained herein.  My search for information originated with questioning my father, Arthur.  Uncle Joe and particularly Aunt Josie Bacon were most helpful.  Of my own generation, Milada Dowley, nee Bacik, wife of cousin Edric, has been of enormous help in researching records of births, marriages and deaths in the late 1700s and in the 1800s. Her help with the Patrick Dowley line, now extinct, was invaluable.  Cousin Anne Tunney helped in deciphering the almost illegible writing of Great Aunt Emma Walsh and in providing details of early family activities.  Uncle Willie and his son Donald provided records, and copies of records which they inherited, from Grandfather. An old indenture, a legal document, given me by cousin, Niall Quirk, shows unequivocally that in the 1700s and 1800s there were variant spellings. e.g. Dooly. Dowly. Dooley, of the Dowley name, even when referring to the same person!  The same happened with church records and has been noted by the heritage societies.  Mary Montgomery Brown of Toronto was responsible for introducing me to Tim and Jean Tasker during a skiing vacation in Vail, Colorado, as well as more recently putting me in touch with her sister Geraldine Gardiner.  My brother David updated me over the years on various new additions to the family.  Finally, my nephew Shane Dowley of Bristol has been responsible for the monumental task of entering all the personnel data to the Geni website (www.geni.com) where it is now available to all the family.  The typescript has been largely culled of errors by Milada Dowley, Leslie Dowley and my wife Mary Dowley who graciously proofed the material.

To all these people for their enthusiasm and encouragement I say a most sincere, thank you.

These notes and accompanying genealogical data are not meant to be a complete record.  At best it is a beginning of a family record.  Errors and omissions are my responsibility. 

I hope others will correct the record as necessary and add to it.  In particular, details of the origins, growth and ultimate sale of the business of Edward Dowley and Sons would be most interesting. Such a history is in preparation by Leslie Dowley [compiled here].  More detailed information on the lives and careers of Edward and Mary Ursula’s twelve children would help to round out the record of the 1900s.  I leave this to the younger generation.  

The Irish census of 1911, very recently made available on the Internet, should prove of interest for further research.  A recent visit to the Cultural Center in Carrick-on-Suir revealed the existence of a copy of a Census of Ireland dated 1799.  This large document is not accessible to visitors.  It may contain further interesting information.

Mark Dowley, 
Palo Alto, California

November, 2009

O’Dooley. The four Masters write it O’Dubhlaoich (son of a dark warrior) describing their chiefs in the eleventh and twelfth centuries as Lords of Fertullagh, which is in the southeastern end of Co. West Meath. They were driven thence by the O’Melaghlins and Tyrells and migrated to the Ely O’Carroll country.

The following has been transcribed from some notes written in or about 1970 by my father Arthur Dowley of Greenoge, Blackrock, Co. Louth:

“A very old treatise on Irish family names asserts that the name Dowley is an Anglicization of the French D’Owlais. It appears that a French Huguenot of that name, a miller, fled with very many of his religious compatriots from Brittany circa 1570 to avoid the massacres being inflicted on his co-religionists. The emigrants sought refuge both in England and in Ireland and it is to be noted that many millers were among the refugees.

The first D’Owlais, a Calvinist of course, came to the towns land of Tinvane near Carrick-on-Suir and purchased or was awarded some lands and built the first water powered flour mill on the Lingaun river, a tributary of the Suir.

'The Traders Whose Who' confirms that the mill at Tinvane was fully operational in 1610. Two or three years ago my brother Willie told me that he just had a letter from the Secretary of The British Flour Milling Association stating that after much research into the origins of numerous companies he had discovered that according to the records at his disposal the Dowley milling interest was probably the oldest in Britain or Ireland still retained in full by the family of the original founder.

In the year 1649 Henry Ireton, Cromwell’s son in law and Deputy landed with his army at Waterford with instructions to subjugate and ravage the south of the country from Waterford to the west coast. By that date it appears that the Dowleys of Tinvane had converted to Catholicism. The writer (Arthur Dowley) remembers hearing in his childhood from his grand aunt Ann (Miss Ann - she died at nearly one hundred years of age in 1913) how she remembered being told in her early years by an aged relative of an incident which occurred after Ireton’s occupation of Waterford and when he and his army set out on their mission of destruction to Limerick.

The story related that a Margaret Dowley, then a girl of sixteen or seventeen years had walked from Tinvane to Piltown to visit a friend. On her homeward journey she was overtaken at the “Three Bridges” by an advanced squadron of Ireton’s cavalry. The young officer commanding the troop halted at her side and asked her to direct him to Carrick. She complied and in return he asked her was there any favor she might ask for herself or her family. Her request was that her family might be unmolested.”

Also from Arthur Dowley’s notes – approximately 1970:

“John Dowley, my great great grandfather died prior to 1836. I have an original lease dated 12th April 1836 to Patrick and Thomas Dowley, millers, Tinvane of lands at Tinvane formally leased to John Dowley. Thomas was my great grandfather. His son John was my grandfather. I seek Patrick’s descendants (see The Patrick Branch, page 26). His son Dennis, my grand uncle worked the mill in partnership with my grandfather (John) for several years but of Dennis’s family I have no record.”

There is another account of Dowley origins written on or about 1981 by Betty Wilkinson whose mother, Mary (May), was a Ballyknock Dowley, daughter of Kyran Dowley of Carrick and sister, or half sister, of Michael Dowley originally of Carrick but who later immigrated to the United States. George Dowley of Menlo Park, California , a grandson of Kyran Dowley, made Mrs. Wilkinson’s history available to me a few years before his death. Many of Michael’s descendants live in California. Mary (May) Dowley immigrated to Australia where she married a Mr. Smith. The Wilkinson account of the Dowleys of Waterford makes fascinating reading if a tad fantastical in places. Those who have known Carrick over the past hundred years or so will find its accuracy somewhat elusive. We hope to make Mrs. Wilkinson’s report available on our web site.

The Census of Ireland 1659 taken in order to support the Hearth Tax records the presence of a Richard Dowley in Carrick-on-Suir. The so-called 1659 Census was compiled by Sir William Petty and contains the names of adults returned as paying a poll tax.

According to a faded photocopy of a page of The Nation*, a radical newspaper, founded by Charles Gavin Duffy, Thomas Osborne Davis and John Blake Dillon and published in Dublin from 1842 to 1900, a Richard Dowley was recorded in the 1659 Census of Ireland as living in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. Sir William Petty compiled the Census in order to facilitate tax collection, the so-called Hearth Tax. Although not documented with any certainty it is possible, maybe likely, that this Richard Dowley was either father or grandfather of the Richard Dowley of Tinvane, 1712- 1773, whose gravestone is in the Old Faugheen church some miles north of Carrick-on-Suir.

* The faded copy referred to above may be from an issue of the Nationalist, a Clonmel, Co. Tipperary publication, not the Nation.

My first visit to the Old Faugheen church was made in the company of my Uncle Joe Dowley (JID). It was on a warm afternoon in the summer of 1960. We found the gravestone of Richard and Honora Dowley. Fortunately we came equipped with wire brushes and a notebook in which to record any findings of interest. The head stone inscription reads:

HERE LIETH THE BODY OF JOHN DOWLEY OF TINVANE WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOVEMBER THE 19TH.

1807 AGED 70YRS.

ALSO THE REMAINS OF HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, RICHARD DOWLEY AND HONORA WHO DIED IN THE YEAR 1773.

Beside the above gravestone is a second gravestone, which reads as follows:

ERECTED BY JOHN DOOLY IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE CATHRINE DOOLY

ALIAS BEATS

WHO DEP.td THIS LIFE 19TH. MAY 1803 AGED 58 YEARS.

I believe that it is very possible that the John Dooly who erected the second gravestone is Richard’s son John Dowley. The gravestones are side-by-side indicating a likely connection. See the photograph supplied by Milada Dowley who recently cleaned the gravestones. Furthermore, there was at that time considerable misspellings of names in both parish records and in legal documents and presumably also on gravestones.

An indenture dated January 16th 1796, which I received from cousin Niall Quirk in September of 2007, details a lease of property by John Dowley of Tinvane from John Kennedy of Carrick-on-Suir. In the body of the indenture the Dowley name is spelled Dowly, Dooly, and Dowley, in each case referring to the same person i.e. John Dowley of Tinvane. There is little doubt the John Dooly who erected the gravestone in memory of his wife Catherine is John Dowley of Tinvane, Miller. Note also in regard to the gravestones mentioned above that they are today within the body of the church and that they stand erect. It is unlikely that they were originally erected inside the church or if they were originally inside the church that they lay flat, as was the custom when persons were buried inside a church building. I think it likely that when the church was abandoned some of the headstones were moved inside.

John Dowley, born 1737—died 1807 had five children. Thomas, Patrick, Mary, Ellen and Ann. John’s wife’s name is not known with certainty. However, Emma Walsh, a first cousin of Mary Ursula Walsh, wife of Edward Dowley, suggested, when I met with her at the Beaumont Convalescent Home, Drumcondra, in June of 1977, that John’s wife may have been a Cheasty. Note, there are two John Dowleys. The relationships are as follows: Richard begot John who begot Thomas (and Patrick) who begot John who begot Edward.

John’s son Thomas, born 1780 and died 1846 was married to Mary Keefe. They had four known children, John born 1810, Joanna born in 1813, Marion born September 23rd 1823 and Ann born in 1825, Great Aunt Ann, mentioned earlier.. According to records in wills Thomas and his brother Patrick operated the Lingaun mill as partners.

Lease dated 18th April 1836 reads as follows:

Edward Kennedy, Gentleman, with Patrick Dowley and Thomas Dowley, Millers, of the Mill Quarter on the lands of Tinvane containing eight acres formally demised by John Kennedy, deceased, to John Dowley, deceased, for 99 years at the yearly rent of Forty Pounds.

Arthur Dowley’s written comments on above:

“John Dowley was the writer’s great great grandfather. He died before 1836. Thomas Dowley was my great grandfather. I assume that Patrick was his brother and if brother he was my great grand uncle. Their respective sons were John Dowley my grandfather and his first cousin Dennis Dowley, Patrick’s son.”

The Will of Thomas Dowley, grandfather of Edward Dowley of Tinvane, dated 24th February 1846 reads as follows:

“To my son John Dowley, (Edward Dowley’s father) all my right, title and interest in the Mill House and concerns together with the land I hold adjoining same from Edmond Kennedy and Henry Briscoe together with all the stock and property of every description thereon. My said son John to provide for two daughters namely Johanna and Ann (died 1913) and to support maintain and keep my wife Mary Dowley in a suitable and proper manner during her natural life and I hereby appoint my son John as Executor, Residuary and Legatee.”

Witnesses; Thomas McNamera and John Maher

Thomas Dowley, 24th. February 1846

Thomas’s son John was born 1810 and died November 28th, 1882. He married Bridget Power, nee Flahavan, who was born in 1823 and died 1906. Great grandmother Bridget Flahavan was the widow of Captain Power who set out on a voyage on their wedding day. His ship was lost off Cape Horn.

John had two sons, Thomas J. b. 1853 and d. 1903, and Edward born 1855 and died October 8th. 1945. Thomas J Dowley was ordained priest and served as the Administrator for the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore. He is reported to have taken his own life. Possibly he suffered from chronic depression. He left his furniture to the Good Shepard Convent in Waterford.

John’s son Edward married Mary Ursula Walsh. They had nine sons and three daughters. All but two of the children married, Jack and Florence. Edward and Mary Ursula are thus responsible for the current multitude of Tinvane Dowleys.

Tinvane: Edward Dowley purchased the house and lands of Tinvane from Henry Briscoe of Tinvane in the year 1890/1891. The purchase was through the bankruptcy court. It is thought that grandfather made a very favorable buy!

Details of the birthplace of the twelve children of Edward Dowley and Mary Ursula Walsh:

Sons John (known as Jack), Myles, Thomas, Joseph, Francis were born at the Mill House.

Louis, Mary, Willie, Eddie, Josie, Florence and Arthur were born at Tinvane House.

Biographical details of the schooling, business careers or professions, lives and interests of the twelve would make this family story more interesting and valuable. I can supply such for the case of my father, Arthur. I appeal to my surviving first cousins or one of their children to do the same for their parent/grandparent.

Childhood Memories of Summer Holidays at Tinvane

Edward Dowley and Dowley Relatives

Tybroughney Castle, Castlane, Grinaun, Balinvore and Cregg Cottage

In the 1930s and 1940s Edward Dowley and Sons was a thriving business, headquartered in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary and involved in the sale and distribution of many farm and agricultural products including fuel. There were branch offices in Waterford, Clonmel, Cashel and later in Callan.

My Grandfather, Edward Dowley, lived in Tinvane House about a mile east of Carrick off the Waterford Rd. Living with Grandfather in Tinvane were his eldest son John, more commonly known as Jack, who was unmarried, and Florence, Florrie, his youngest daughter, also unmarried. Edward’s wife, Mary Ursula Walsh of Kilmacthomas had died in 1934, having borne and raised twelve children, nine boys and three girls.

Grandfather purchased Tinvane House from the Briscoe estate, which was in bankruptcy, in the year 1891. Prior to that, he and grandmother had lived and started their family in the Mill House close to the old mill on the Lingaun River.

Grandfather had built a very successful business in supplying farmers and merchants with necessary supplies and services related to farming and agriculture. His business included fertilizer, seed, tools, farm equipment, and milling products, flour etc. as well as many hundreds of acres of crops, cattle and pigs. Fuel in the form of coal was also an important part of the business.

Several of his sons, the older boys, Milo, Joe, William, were invited to join the business and had responsibilities in Carrick and in the nearby counties of Waterford, and Kilkenny. These sons had fine houses. Bellinvoher in Waterford was Uncle Milo and Aunt Ella’s home, Castlane on the road to Callan was Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathleen’s home and Grinaun on the Lingaun River just southeast of Tinvane was the home of Uncle Willie and Aunt Lil. Several of my cousins, Dow (Edward) and on his death, Leslie, his son, Cecil, Brendan, Donald and Kevin were also involved in the family firm. Edward’s other sons Tom, Francis, Eddie and Arthur, left Carrick to follow careers independent of the family business. Tom qualified as a doctor and practiced in South Africa. Francis qualified as a civil engineer and worked in India with the British Army. He married Mary Morrissey whose dad was an official on the Liverpool Corn Exchange. Uncle Francis was fair, tall and handsome. In fact most of the brothers were tall, six footers or more, the exceptions being my own Dad, Arthur, and Uncles Eddie and Willlie. Eddie joined the Far East trading firm of Butterfield and Swire, now known as John Swire and Sons, and lived in Hong Kong, in Tsuigtao and Shanghai. Eddie married a Scottish lady Molly Robertson, while my father, Arthur, after a year or so on the Corn Exchange in Liverpool and after a brief encounter with Trinity College in Dublin, joined The National Bank. He married my mother Shelia Williams of Dungarvan, County Waterford. The two remaining sons Jack and Louis stayed in the Carrick area. Jack practicing what he preached i.e. “ I believe that all families should be able to afford one gentleman” became a gentleman of leisure, living in Tinvane with his father and mother, and was seldom, if ever, seen in other than riding breeches and jacket or in formal black tie and dinner jacket. Jack took care of grandfather’s horses. Louis or Louie who married Cathy Rowe of Dublin became a successful gentleman farmer, lived and raised a large family at Tybroughney Castle, close to the river Suir, off the Waterford road.

Aunts Kathleen, nee Hickey, and Cathy, nee Rowe, were first cousins.

Edward and Mary Ursula had three daughters. Mary married Michael Quirk of Carrick-on-Suir, a solicitor from a family of solicitors. The Quirk family lived at Cregg Cottage in Carrick-on-Suir. Josephine married Tom Bacon, a barrister who practiced in Dublin at the Four Courts. The Bacons lived at 23 Clyde Rd. Dublin. The youngest, Florence, did not marry. She lived in Tinvane with Grandfather and helped to take care of him in his old age.

My father, Arthur, was the youngest of the children, being about twenty-two years younger than his eldest brother, Jack. My earliest memories of Tinvane begin about 1939, roughly coincident with the start of the Second World War or WWII. I was five years of age in ’39. At the time our family lived in Dundalk where Dad was manager of the National Bank. We were six in total, father, mother, my older brother, David, older sister, Una, and younger sister, Aideen. My mother, Shelia Williams, was from Dungarvan and was herself one of ten children. Consequently, we four children had lots and lots of first cousins. As children we were told that we had twenty-one aunts and uncles and almost one hundred first cousins. In fact the more accurate number of cousins is about sixty counting both Dowleys and Williams.

Grandfather’s house, Tinvane, was ideally suited for family summer holidays. Even as an old man confined to a wheelchair, as he was when I first knew him, Grandpa made the non-Carrick family members very welcome. Our family visited for a month in July. We sometimes overlapped with the Francis Dowleys from England, usually Uncle Francis and Aunt Mary with their youngest children Hugh and Monica. The older children I met later, Deirdre in Rome where she was working with the UN FAO, Larry in London where, following his service on the Rhine during WWII, he was busy as a Charted Accountant and Ursula in New York when I was in NY on business. Also in July we sometimes overlapped with Uncle Eddie when he was home on leave from the Far East. The Bacon family from Dublin came at the end of July and stayed for most of August. The Bacon cousins were Anne, Laney (Edward), Tommy and Mary. Uncle Tom and Aunt Aileen who lived in South Africa and their children Buddy and Patricia are the only Dowley relatives I have no recollection of meeting. Travel during the war years from South Africa would not have been easy. I was told that I most likely met Buddy and his parents when I was a small child but do not remember.

Tinvane was a large house with lots of rooms. The approach from the Carrick-Waterford road was via a long avenue lined with fine old lime (linden) trees. A gate house or lodge at the end of the avenue was home to the Walshes, James and Mrs. Molly Walsh, both of whom worked for grandfather. (The recent owners of the house have regrettably changed the name to Chesterfield House).

Grandfather lived on the lower floor, in the East Wing. His bedroom was close to the breakfast cum dining room, which itself was close to the kitchen. The breakfast room was used for all meals as the formal dining room on the next floor above this room had not been used since grandmother had died in 1934. Mary Roche, a live-in nurse and maid whose main responsibility was to take care of grandfather, had a room next to grandfather’s. Mary also helped Mrs. Walsh in the kitchen, with meal preparation. Frequently there were twelve to sixteen people at table, three times a day, breakfast, dinner and supper, not to speak of afternoon tea and morning coffee. Uncle Jack and Aunt Florrie had their own rooms on the upper floors. The main or central section of the house had four floors. The East and West wings were each two floors. Between the floors of the main section, that is halfway between floors there were several smaller rooms. One was Uncle Jack’s room, always locked. A truly fascinating room for young children was the gun and sword room. This contained many types of old guns and pistols including a blunderbuss, as well as many swords and one or two daggers. There was no ammunition, so the guns were safe. However, in retrospect it is surprising that this room was quite accessible to us children. Another fun room was an elaborate bathroom, with a large tub which included a shower, rare in those days, as well as a surround full-body spray system so that when standing in the shower one was watered from all directions. The formal reception room off the entrance hall was interesting in that it was seldom used and contained several wild animal skins, lion and leopard, with full heads, as mats. From a child’s point of view a description of the house would not be complete without mention of the billiard room in the east wing. It contained a full size billiard table, seemingly endless cues, bridges and many different coloured balls. Later I realized that all the coloured balls were for playing the game of Snooker. Portraits of grandfather and grandmother and also of great grandfather as well as granduncle The Rev. Tom Dowley, hung from the billiard room walls. Beyond the billiard room was another fascinating room, old and dank and cobwebby with a plank floor, which contained many old large leather bound volumes. No one ever seemed to be interested in these books or to use them. I was unable to read them at the time so I do not know their contents. Tommy Bacon told me recently that the room was once an apple loft and the books were probably medical textbooks belonging to Uncle Tom. On the lower level between the breakfast/dining room and Grandfather’s room in the East Wing there was a large hallway. Two large hollowed out elephants feet were used to store walking sticks, umbrellas, binoculars and shooting sticks used at point-to-point meetings. The elephant's feet were particularly fascinating to a young person.

My clearest memories of life at Tinvane are in Grandfather’s last few years. The major concern at the time was the state of the war in Europe. Listening to the BBC news bulletins, which were received on a multiband Telefunken radio in the breakfast room was a ritual. All conversation had to stop. Grandfather’s hearing was not good. During the summer of ’44 the allies were clearly making good progress. By the next summer, ’45 the war in Europe was over, and, maybe understandably, news of the Pacific war was of less interest at Tinvane.

Next in importance after the War was the question of the harvest. Could it be saved in time before more heavy rain? If it were to rain on St. Swithin’s Day, July 15th then it would surely rain for the next forty days and the harvest would be ruined. It was a subject of much speculation among the men. On many evenings after supper Uncles Willie from Grinaun, Louis from Tybroughney and Joe from Castlane would arrive for Bridge with grandfather. I cannot remember the women being involved in the card game at any time. The men smoked and enjoyed glasses of whiskey while playing cards. Of course, every one smoked in those days, even some of the children. It was the social thing to do. I should not forget to mention another frequent visitor to grandfather’s table and to his liquor cabinet. The Rev. Fr. Harty was the Parish Priest in Carrick and no doubt was Grandfather’s spiritual advisor.

The ladies had their own social institution. The coffee hour began about 10:30 each morning. The ladies gathered before going into town for the day’s groceries and messages, etc. Coffee was often at Tinvane with Aunt Florrie as hostess, but could be at Grinaun with Aunt Lil, or at Cregg Cottage with aunt Mary Quirk or Castlane with Aunt Kathleen, Jingle Jangle, so nicknamed for her elaborate earrings. Aunt Cathy from Tybroughney, and the visiting ladies at Tinvane such as my mother, Aunt Mary Francis and possibly some of my older female cousins who were then married and living near Carrick made up the gathering. All the local news and scandal was, I believe, thoroughly discussed at these coffee hours.

Grinaun, Uncle Willie’s home was less than half a mile from Tinvane across the fields. Being a town boy I was often a bit uneasy crossing the fields alone. The cows seemed very big and I kept hearing of a bull or bulls but was never sure where they were kept. Also there were horses in the fields, which were apt to be more curious than the cows, they seemed to a small boy to be very large. Grinaun was an attractive relatively modern house set on a fine stretch of the Lingaun River, which was very suitable for swimming. Uncle Willie and family had moved to Grinaun following the fire in the Mill House. On a fine warm summer day many of the local cousins would gather on the riverbank for sunbathing and swimming. Uncle Willie’s youngest son, Kevin, was a year older than I, his youngest sister, Pat a year younger. Older than Kevin was his sister, Mauve, who was very attractive, and brother Donald who was darkly handsome. Some of the younger Quirk cousins, Clare, Gerard, Ursula, and Twinnie with her boyfriend Jim Carroll, a natty dresser, nicknamed Fully Fashioned, were frequently present. It was in the Lingaun River that I learned to swim. I suspect that several other cousins also learned there.

When overcrowding occurred at Tinvane I was sent over to Tybroughney Castle to stay with Uncle Louis and Aunt Cathy and their family. In increasing order of age my cousins at Tybroughney were Paddy, Robert, Aline, Dorothy, Kathleen, Maylon, Myles, Dermot, and Marjorie. Paddy and Robert were a year or two older than I. The main house where the family lived was built on to the side of the old castle tower. One room of the castle room was part of the original tower and this is where Paddy and Robert slept. It was also my bedroom. My cousins frequently reminded me of the castle ghost, which was known to visit the castle room. To scare me they liked to play the ghost. The older cousins Dermot, Myles and Marjorie had already left home. Dermot went to South Africa where he married. Myles became a priest and worked in a parish in London, while Marjorie married Jack Freeman. I got to know these cousins in later years.

Uncle Louis was a gentleman farmer with lots of horses, cattle, pigs, hens and land under crops. The pig farm was part of Killonerry Estates Ltd., which was owned by several of the brothers. The cutting of the hay for feed and the bringing it in to the big barns was a July activity in which all the boys and men took part. Tybroughney was close to the River Suir and after a hard day in the fields Uncle Louis would take us boys down to the old coal yard, a stone landing pier on the river, for a swim. Since it was an all male group we swam in our pelts, as the farming cousins said. The river is tidal at this point and the current could be quite strong making me a bit nervous on occasion. It was the Tybroughney custom to not let such a display of timidity pass without suitable comment.

During one summer stay at Tybroughney an English cousin, Hugh, younger son of Uncle Francis, was quartered there also. It had been a wet July, more so than normal, I remember. Hugh and I spent several days turning previously cut peas, which were lying in clumps in the fields on the ground. The turning of the peas with pitchforks was an attempt to try to dry them out prior to bringing them in to the barns. We were quite happy to do the work as Uncle Louis paid us, probably too handsomely, for our efforts. Pocket money was not easy to come by in those days. As a young town reared child I was quite scared of the farm animals. However, gaining experience with age I eventually overcame the concern and was able to be helpful in rounding up cattle and driving them from one field to another or into the fair.

At noontime all the farm workers were fed a substantial dinner in the large kitchen, also part of the old castle, by Aunt Cathy and her maid. The family, and visiting cousins, ate in the dining room. Uncle Louis enjoyed playing the piano in the evening. So far as I know Louis was the only one of Edward’s children who played a musical instrument.

It was always fun to visit Castlane, home of Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Joe, also known as JID (Joseph Ignatius Dowley), or Der Fuhrer, so called because of his reputation for strictness. His niece, Geraldine Gardiner, has numerous stories to justify the moniker. My own experience of Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathleen was of kindness and hospitality. The gardens at Castlane were very colourful. The house seemed to have been built in three stages, the earliest being very old. Their children were quite a bit older than we were. Dow (Edward) was already married to Betty Roche. Dow and Betty's his first born, Leslie, was only a few years younger than myself. Betty had married Cecil Tyndall. Joan, who was a very fine horsewoman, had married Barry Montgomery. They lived in Dublin where Barry owned and ran a very popular Restaurant called the Red Bank. Desmond had left home for Canada, more on Des later. Brendan married Maureen Sherman of Kilkenny. Brendan was a dog expert. He was well known as a judge at dog shows.

A car or rather petrol was a rarity at that time. The relatives typically got around in pony and trap, or riding horses or bicycles. Grandfather, presumably via his business, was able to secure petrol. I remember a rather large green Austin sedan in which the chauffeur, Tom Hurley, would drive him into Carrick. Often my sister, Aideen and I were invited to accompany Grandpa into town. We were happy to go with him to the various calls and shops, the first of which was the Grubbs building to check on the business. The Grubbs building housed the principal offices of Edward Dowley and Sons. Grandfather had purchased the building from John Grubb in 1912. Other ports of call included Duggans for meat, the bakery, a local fisherman for salmon, etc. There was reliably a stop for ice cream at a small store on New Street. This was always very welcome.

Grandpa usually spent most of the day sitting in a great big armchair near the fireplace in the breakfast room. Other memories of Grandpa include visions of him sitting out in the sun in his wheelchair either in front of the house or in the walled garden close to the house. The garden was extensive and contained raspberry bushes and strawberry beds, usually covered with netting to keep the birds from stealing the fruit. Gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant plants as well as all sorts of vegetables including potatoes were grown in the garden. Attached to the house on the garden side was a green house, which contained a vine, bearing grapes. These were the only grapes I remember seeing as a child in Ireland.

At the end of our holiday and before returning home to Dundalk Grandfather used to give us, my sister Aideen and I, a half crown as a going away gift. I think that he knew very well that Dad was not as well off as many of his brothers.

One of my fondest memories of mid-day dinner at Tinvane is of a plate of small new white potatoes with lots of country butter. The butter was homemade. Early in the mornings and again in the evenings the cows were brought in to the milking shed in the yard behind the main house. Some six to eight cows were milked regularly. Sometimes we were allowed to help with the milking but not for long as we were not very skilled. After the milking the milk was brought into a room with a stone floor next to the kitchen. Here was the Separator, a machine, based on the principle of the centrifuge, which separated the cream from the milk. The separated milk was used to feed the young calves and for household purposes while the cream was used to make butter in a hand driven churn and for coffee and desserts.

Many country and town houses did not have electricity at this time. Early memories of lighting in our home in Dundalk are of gas-fired mantles and of oil lamps, no electricity. Tinvane was unusual in having electrical power. Several years earlier Uncle Francis, the engineer, had installed a dyanamo in the old mill. The power source used to drive the dynamo and generate the electricity was the flowing river water, the same as had been used to power the mill in its days of operation. Uncle Francis had trained one of grandfather’s employees, Michael Morrissey, to service and to operate the dynamo. It was fortunate that he had done so as power was known to fail quite frequently. It was also fortunate that he had chosen Michael, who although having received probably little more than a primary school education, was in my opinion a very talented individual. My brother David enjoyed working with him. Michael was also responsible for the operation of all the mechanical and electrical equipment on the property including petrol powered lawn mowers, cars, or pretty much anything else that went awry. Among his other sought after talents was his ability to make gunpowder and shotgun cartridges for game hunting. In the war years such items were unobtainable or if obtainable only with the greatest difficulty. After fox hunting, bird shooting and fishing were the most popular pastimes for the male members of the family.

Other older cousins I first met in Tinvane when a child, were Mimmie a daughter and Cecil, Edric and Ian, sons of Uncle Milo and Aunt Ella. They lived in Ballinvoher House in Waterford. Aunt Ella, uncle Milo’s wife had come to Ireland from New Zealand. Her father, Mr. David O’Reilly had emigrated from Ireland to N.Z. and done well in business. As a young man, Uncle Louis, younger brother of Milo had gone to N.Z. to study farming methods. There he met the O’Reillys. It was said that Ella returned with Louis having set her eye on him. However, when she got to Carrick and Tinvane, grandfather and grandmother sent Ella off to live with, recently married, Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathleen in Castlane. They felt it unwise to have Ella living in the house with so many unmarried sons. This I learned from Uncle Joe in later years. In any event Ella eventually married Milo, not Louis.

After the war petrol and cars became more common. Many stories relating to car exploits were told of the older male cousins Cecil and Dow, who were the oldest of the male Dowley cousins, claimed to have driven to Dublin at such high speed on such twisty roads that when they got to Dublin the frame of the car was so strained that they had the greatest difficulty opening the doors.

The Quirk family was also very kind to us. Uncle Michael and Aunt Mary lived in Cregg Cottage in Carrick. Apart from a very well kept garden, Cregg sported a nice tennis court were we played frequently. I remember cousins Claire, and Ursula (Boo-ee) being keen tennis players. Niall and Gerard were the boys. Nuala and Evelyn, (Twinnie), I did not know very well. All of our country cousins were good horsemen or women and many hunted during the winter season. The next generation continues to hunt. Cousin Gerard Quirk has remained a horse lover and breeder to this day.

The Bacon family, Uncle Tom, Aunt Josie, Anne, Laney (Edward), Tommy and Mary lived in Dublin. Usually when we visited Dublin we would meet the Bacon family at Clyde Rd. Aunt Josie would insist on serving afternoon tea and cake or have us stay to dinner. She was very fond of my mother. Anne married Dick Tunney, a Dublin stockbroker. Anne and Dick were very kind to my sister Aideen and I when as teenagers we stayed with them while competing in the Lansdowne and Fitzwilliam junior tennis tournaments. Laney did not marry. He became a very respected legal draftsman. Tommy was a successful solicitor practicing in Dublin. He married Neili Mulcahy, the well-known dress designer. Mary married Judge Frank Murphy. All of the Bacon cousins lived in Dublin.

I have frequently regretted that I was not old enough or had not developed an interest in learning more of the early history of the Tinvane Dowley family before Grandfather died. When I did eventually develop my interest and inquired from various uncles and aunts I was surprised to find that they knew relatively little. Aunt Josie was an exception in that she told me all she could and introduced me to Emma Walsh. Uncle Joe had an interest and first brought me to the old Faugheen Church. Also my Dad knew of some of his forebears, and Uncle Willie inherited many documents and papers from Grandfather’s office and home.

It is not surprising that a number of stories would emerge over the years about a large family and one relatively well off. I suspect that the cousins who remained in Ireland know many more stories. Even though I and my family have visited Ireland many times since I first left in 1956 I feel sure that only a few of the family tales are known to me. A few that come to mind I will relate.

A large family dinner held in Tinvane was the culminating event of our Grandparent’s Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration. Present at dinner were all their children with spouses. Tom and Eddie, being overseas, were not present. My father, Arthur was unmarried at the time. Towards the end of dinner it is said that Grandfather rose to make the following statement. “Children, I know that this news will come as a surprise and may be something of a shock to you. Your mother and I are not married!” After some moments of stunned silence one of the wives, Aunt Kathleen, it is said, began fumbling in her purse, pulled out a packet of cigarettes and holding one in her fingers, looking around the table said, “Any of you bastards got a light?”

Grandfather had indeed surprised and shocked the assembled family. The explanation of his statement it appears is related to the lack of appropriate faculties or permission on the part of Bishop who had conducted the ceremony. A technicality, that was overlooked at the time. It would be interesting to know where the wedding took place.

As has been alluded to before, Jack was something of a snob. Maybe he was not the only one in the family. In any event, one day Jack was entertaining some out of town friends at Tinvane and the group decided to drive into Carrick in a pony and trap. On the way into town one of the guests noticed that as they passed several people who were walking on the side of the road, the walkers raised their caps saying “Good morning Mr. Jack”. Jack appeared to ignore the salutation. The guest asked Jack why that was. Jack replied, “They know me, but I do not know them!”

Desmond, second son of Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathleen, who had left Ireland for Canada and the Yukon and whom I met shortly after he arrived in California after many years in Whitehorse, told me the following story confirmed by his wife Anna Cooney of Carrick. Before leaving for Canada when Des and Anna were courting they sometimes went by car to local dances in Clonmel or Waterford. Although he never married, Jack it appears, considered himself something of a ladies man and asked Des and Anna to bring him with them in the car to the dances. On the way home, Jack, sitting in the back of the car and maybe having had more drinks than was wise, would seek out Anna’s hand to hold. Anna did not prevent this forwardness but nudged Des who was driving, drawing his attention to the situation. Some time later when Jack seemed to have nodded off Des had Anna put Jack’s hand in his. When they arrived back at Tinvane, and waking Jack, Des let fly with a stream of invective concerning Jack’s intentions and shook his hand loose from Jack’s grip. A confused and chagrined Jack climbed out of the car mumbling something about a Good Night.

The same Desmond was one of the best storyteller’s I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His stories of life and the characters they met in Whitehorse, “on the marge of Lake Laberge where they cremated Sam Magee” were amazing and entertaining if not always fully believable. Having spent many years in Whitehorse as City Accountant, Des and Anna left the frozen North for sunny California. They lived in Mill Valley, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco for many years before returning to Ireland. They were more than kind to Mary and I and to our children.

When still a young man living at home in Castlane one day Desmond was haled by his father who had noticed that a strange dog was worrying the cattle in a field in front of the house. Uncle Joe said to Desmond “Desmond, get rid of that dog.” Des rose, and walking out through the hallway, picked up a shotgun, inserted two cartridges, walked out to the field and shot the dog. As he said “I got rid of the animal.”

My father told me of an occasion when he was a child. His older brother Tom, who was inclined to bully his younger siblings, persuaded his brother Francis, who was ten or eleven at the time, that he, Francis, had seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. Francis was scared of Tom and agreed to report his vision to the parish priest. Tom of course went with him to be sure that he made an accurate report. Eventually the word got around that Carrick had been the recipient of a vision. Francis had to tell the priest if and when he might expect a second visitation. Tom dreamt up a suitable date and time for Francis to report and on the appointed day a very large number of townspeople and several priests and nuns had gathered to witness the vision down on the banks of the Suir River. Francis was so frightened and scared of Tom that he broke down crying when no vision appeared. Tom had achieved his goal of fooling the priest and the townspeople. Several years later; by the time Francis had the courage to relate the true story to his family, Tom had already left for South Africa.

The same Tom with several of his brothers were involved in the following escapade: James (Jamesie) Walsh who lived in the Tinvane avenue gatehouse or lodge was well known to enjoy his Guinness on a Saturday evening with his buddies at a pub in Carrick. Jamesie would make his way into town in his donkey-cart. The donkey was well used to the routine and knew his way home even though Jamesie was drunk and asleep in the cart after a heavy night with the lads. One such night Tom and his brothers were themselves returning home when they saw Jamesie asleep in the donkey-cart stopped outside his house. It seems that Jamesie at the time lived alone in the lodge. Tom had the bright idea of playing a trick on Jamesie. He instructed his brothers to gently lift Jamesie from the cart without waking him. They then began to disassemble the cart and take it piece by piece into the house and there reassemble it in the kitchen with the donkey firmly harnessed between the shafts. That done they gently replaced Jamesie back in the cart and left the house making sure to lock the door on leaving. It is said that Jamesie was not seen in the pub for many weeks after that night. Further, he had been heard to mutter something about the devil and drink and mysterious happenings he did not understand.

I hope that others will add their stories to these. If I remember correctly Tommy Bacon was reputed to have many good family stories. I regret that Desmond is no longer with us as his contribution would fill a good-sized book.

During our stay at Tinvane each July, mother would take one or more of us to her home, Tournore, near Dungarvan. Dungarvan is roughly southwest from Carrick over the Comeragh Mountains. To get there involved the best part of a day cycling from Tinvane to Carrick, crossing the Suir over the New Bridge, cycling but mostly walking and pushing the bikes up to the top of the mountain pass leaving Mothal and Clonea on our left and the great hole and lake in the mountain, Coumshingaun (translates as “pissmire hollow”) on our right. We thought that it was an extinct volcano but this is unlikely. Eventually we joined the Waterford road some distance beyond Mahon’s Bridge and Kilmacthomas. From there on the going was much easier and ended with a long swift down hill freewheel on the Pike Hill to Tournore where mother’s bachelor brother, Cyprian, Uncle Cyp, lived.

Uncle Cyp was a solicitor and had taken over the practice of his father, John Williams, our maternal grandfather. My mother and Cyp were very close as was my brother David with his uncle. Tournore was in the country some mile or two north of town. It was a fine two-story house covered in beautiful Virginia Creeper and had a wonderful lawn in front of the house, a lawn tennis court, and croquet lawn as well as a large walled garden. Beside the tennis court was a very large oak tree with a wooden bench around its circumference. The tree is gone now. Beyond the lawn and gardens an avenue led to the main road to town. While at Tournore we sometimes met visiting aunts and uncles and cousins on our mother’s side of the family. I remember Anne and Bridget O’Neill, daughters of Aunt Kathleen. They lived in England. The Williams owned a general store in town, K. Williams and Co. Henry Christopher who had married my cousin Miriam, or Mimmie, Dowley, daughter of Uncle Milo, managed the store at one time. Mimmie was an expert bridge player. She represented Ireland in several international competitions. I believe that Henry was also a very fine bridge player.

Edward Dowley and Mary Ursula Walsh, Tinvane House, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary

Historical Notes and Papers

Marriage Settlement, dated 4th August 1879:

Between John Dowley 1st part, Miller – Tinvane and Edward Dowley, 2nd. Part, son of John, and Mary Ursula Walsh 3rd. part of Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford, and Bridget Dowley, 4th part wife of John, and Edward Flahavan, 5th part of Glen House Co. Waterford.   Refers to a lease dated 12th April 1836 between Edward Kennedy and Patrick and Thomas Dowley in which the Mill quarter and lands of Tinvane for a term of ninety-nine years.  The said Patrick and Thomas Dowley became associates in the said lease as a joint undertaking by way of trade and became millers in partnership and whereas the said Thomas Dowley died in 1846 and all the estate and interest of said Thomas is now vested in his son John, and John now carries on as a miller in partnership with the representative (Dennis) of said Patrick and as such is possessed of and entitled to one half of the trade fixtures etc.  John Dowley is also possessed of a plot of ground situate in the fair green in the town of Carrick-on-Suir together with a store house on it,  also a plot of ground in New Street with a storehouse.  A marriage will be solemnized between Edward and Mary Ursula.  Mary Ursula is possessed of Six Hundred Pounds.   (Patrick is by now deceased at the date of writing 1878).

According to Emma Walsh, Edward met Mary Ursula in Glen House, Portlaw, Co. Waterford. In a letter, dated 15 December 2002 from Virginia Dowley (wife of Larry Dowley, son of Francis) to David Dowley of Birr, Co. Offaly updating the Francis Dowley sub-tree the following excerpt was attached:

“Twilight of the Ascendancy”  by Mark Bruce Jones (published in Great Britain in 1987 by Constable and Co.) British Library CIP data ISBN 0094654905: 

“While the Ascendancy of the late 1870s hunted and generally enjoyed life …. Its economic collapse was already beginning…. Among the lesser gentry something like 1000 to 2000 acres was usual…….at the bottom of the tree there were some hopelessly run down families such as the Briscoes of Tinvane in Co.Tipperary whose patrimony had dwindled to less than 500 acres.”

“Ascendancy morals were improved by Evangelicalism, ……  ‘Taking ones pleasure on the country’ or even ‘sowing one’s wild oats in one’s own county town’ had come to be associated in the Ascendancy with people who had rather gone to seed like Henry Briscoe of Tinvane of whom it was said that he dared not throw a stone at any child in the town of Carrick-on-Suir for fear that it might be his own.”

“Land war victims elsewhere in the country included the Briscoes of Tinvane who were unable to survive being boycotted.  One of Henry Briscoe’s daughters fell in love with a labourer who had remained faithful during the trouble; she married him and went to live in a labourer’s cottage a few miles away, where she was to be seen, a shawl over her head, getting water at the well.”

Edward purchased Tinvane House from Henry Briscoe in about 1891.

References to photos and copies (not present here)

• Copies of the Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary photograph of Grandfather and Grandmother Dowley with their children and grandchildren on the steps of Tinvane House.  

• A photograph of the Edward Dowley family on the steps of Tinvane, possibly an earlier shot. Note Jack in black tie and formal jacket. 

• Photographs of Tinvane House taken late in the 1990s.

• Photographs of Dowley family grave stones in the Faugheen Churchyard.  Jill Dowley, wife of Dermot Dowley of The Cottage, Carrick, took these photos. The inscriptions include:

  • John Dowley died 28 November 1882, Aged 72 years. (Born 1810)

  • Rev. T.J.Dowley died 6th July 1903, Aged 50 years.  (Born 1853)

  • Mary Ursula (Mam) died 13th September 1934, Aged 76 years

  • Edward Dowley died 9th October 1945, Aged 91 years  (Born 1854)

  • John A. Dowley died 21st November 1965, Aged 84 years   (Born 1881)

  • Bridget Dowley died February 1906, Aged 87 years (Born 1819)

  • Anne Dowley died 1914, Aged 89 years

  • Francis Dowley died 31st May 1948, Aged 65 years

  • Mary Dowley wife of Francis M. Dowley died 25th March 1983 (?)

  • Florence Dowley died 23rd January 1961, Aged 63 years

• Also the graves of: Kyran Dowley, died 13th July 1908 and daughter Una who died 13th of February 1915, Aged 25 years.  And wife Bridget Dowley (nee Meagher) died 7th May 1925 and son in law Cecil Masterman Johns who died 20th of November 1927 in Egypt aged 49 years.

• The gravestones of Richard and Honora Dowley of Tinvane are in the Newtown Church (The Old Faugheen Church).

The following notes were taken during conversations with Aunt Josie Bacon September 6th 1977 and later with her daughter Anne Tunney September 2007:

Edward, when still probably a late teenager, and before meeting and marrying Mary Ursula decided to run away from home. He joined up with an itinerant fiddler and they set out for Cork City where they intended to catch or stowaway on a boat headed for America.  Edward had a half crown in his pocket.  His mother, Mam, heard of the attempt and sent two friends, unnamed, to catch the runaway and forestall the attempted emigration.  Edward was found on the outskirts of Cork and brought home.  One can only assume that his mother talked to him and persuaded him to stay in Ireland. He went to work in Bagenalstown (Muine Bheag) Co. Carlow with Brown and Crosswaite Millers. Mam spoke of her husband John as a “Lutherum” (a no good fool).  He did not make a success of the Mill and was probably the last person to operate the mill.  After seven years with Brown and Crosswaite Edward went into business on his own and soon ran into trouble with the loss of an investment in a local bank.

Edward, who married at the age of twenty-four, his wife was twenty, had been married only two or three years when he suffered the investment loss in 1881 or 1882.  They had been living in Carrick in Glascott's cottage opposite the Park and near the hospital.  Edward and Mary Ursula went to live with Edward’s dad John at the Mill House. The Munster and Leinster Bank had opened an office in Carrick.  Edward had money in that bank.  He lost his capital investment and was on call for more money in virtue of options or other commitments he had with the bank.  Edward at this time had a store in New Street. There was a Dowley sign over the archway which is I believe, now in the possession of Robert Dowley of Three Bridges.  Edward went to the manager of The National Bank and asked for a loan of One Thousand Pounds.  The Manager asked for security suggesting the Old Mill at Tinvane.  Edward said it was useless. Nevertheless the Bank agreed to take the mill as security for the loan even though Grubbs (a bank stockholder) were in opposition.  It appears that the loan from the National Bank allowed Edward to grow his business very successfully.  Edward later bought Grubbs, in 1912.

Aunt Josie worked for her father in Grubbs at a wage of two pounds per week, before marrying Tom Bacon.

Dom Columba Marmion O.S.B. Abbe of Maredsous in the province of Namur in Belgium, was a close friend of grandfather and grandmother. He was responsible for Aunt Josie and my father, Arthur, being sent to school in Belgium, approximately 1912.

Carrick gossip re John and young Edward, and Mam’s comments (Great Grandmother Bridget Flahavan) re John

The following story, which appeared in a local newspaper, dated September 22nd 1877 came to me courtesy of Dick Denny of 22 Lisadell Park (off the Clonmel Road) Carrick-on-Suir.  Mr. Denny has an extensive database of information on Carrick and its population covering many years:

“John Dowley, Miller, of Tinvane managed to become a creditor of several merchants on, about the year 1859, when he made himself scarce for some months after which he was able to return under the paternal care and protection of The Bankruptcy Court.  He has since lived like the son of an Irish King.  His eldest son (Tom) became a priest, and another (Edward), by his gait, dress and general demeanor has earned himself the soubriquet of 'The Sham Squire'”.

Great Grandmother Bridget (John's wife) did not have much regard for her husband’s business ability.  She is reported to have referred to him as “lutherum” or “luderaun” (a no good fool).  I believe that John in association with Dennis Dowley were the last people to operate the Mill.  Possibly Edward operated it for a while before abandoning it. 

Later, on the same date September 22nd 1877 the writer reports on “a young man, a widower with one child and living in Main Street, named Power got married to a girl from Thurles.  Some of the lady’s friends insisted on having “Marriage Articles” which were drawn by Mr. Quirk, Solr. For which he now bills the aforesaid young man for Fifteen Pounds, at which he feels slightly aggrieved.  When you are getting married, I hope that you will dispense with such a costly and to my mind useless piece of furniture.”

Mary Ursula Walsh

Family Connections

Much of the information contained below has been obtained from Emma Walsh, who was a first cousin of my grandmother.  On Sunday June 12th 1977 Aunt Josie and I met her when she was a very old lady and resident in the Beaumont Convalescent Nursing Home in Drumcondra, Dublin.  On September 14th 1977 she wrote a letter to Aunt Josie Bacon which, with the help of Anne (Bacon) Tunney, was deciphered and is included below.

The Walshes lived in Newtown, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford.

Emma told us that our great grandmother, Bridget, wife of the first John Dowley, was a Cheasty.

According to Emma Walsh, the Dowleys owned Tinvane before the Briscoes.  I do not know when Tinvane House was built.  The Miller Dowleys, Richard, John, Thomas, most likely lived in the Mill house in the towns land of Tinvane.

Grandmother’s grandfather was John Walsh of Kilmacthomas.  He married a Kennedy and had eight or maybe nine children. Mr. Kennedy had a house in New Street, Carrick beside the original Edward Dowley offices.  John owned a hotel, a flourmill and extensive farmlands.

John Walsh's eight children were:

• Milo, grandmother’s father, see detail of his family below

• Elesia

• James

• John

• Michael Stanislaus of Carrie (?) Castle, Kilmacthomas who married Catherine Flahavan

• Ann

• May who married Willie Shanahan (Doctor?)

Michael Walsh and Catherine Flavahan had six children, first cousins of grandmother:

• Maura (a nun)

• Edward, whose son Edward immigrated to America and practiced as a doctor at 33 Concord Dr. New York, N.Y.  10956.  This man would have been a second cousin of the Edward Dowley children

• Nellie

• Agnes who married Pyres Martyn

• Emma, my source of much Walsh family information

• John, the youngest

Great Grandfather, Milo Walsh, married but his wife’s name unknown.  Maybe Ann Tuney knows?  They had twelve children:

• Mary Ursula who married Edward Dowley

• Tom who married ………,  had two children

• Milo Walsh,  horse breeder. He is reputed to have been keen on Betty (Dowley), Tyndall

• Agnes who married Tom Flahavan and lived in Glen House

• James, immigrated to Australia

• John, also immigrated to Australia

• Margaret became a nun and lived in Clonakilty

• Mary married Mr. (Dr.?) Shanahan

• Lal who married Mr. Halley

• Elie (Ellen)

• Alice 

• Gertie, of the big nose, who lived into the 1940s was a frequent visitor to Tinvane

Gertie, or great aunt Gertie was frequently at Tinvane when I was a child.  Grandfather was not very fond of her and on occasion referred to her large nose as “like a cow’s teat”. The Bank of Ireland bought the old Walsh home in Kilmacthomas in about 1962. Emma Walsh’s letter to Aunt Josie Bacon:

Beaumont Convalescent Home
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
14-Sept-‘77

My Dear Josie,

I am so sorry that I missed your phone call.  Why I don’t know as I was in the sitting room where I usually sit evenings. However, I got your message and I now send you the family history of the Dowley’s as well as Agnes Bolger and self could trace.  I thought you would be interested in the Cheastys, Walshes and Dunnes. So I wrote what I myself heard of our ancestors. I hope that you can read it.  My eyes are not at all good these days.  The cold upsets them.

The only Dowley of Ballyknock (I think that is the name) is Fr. Margion, a nephew of Fr. Martin Dowley of Waterford.  Also, Mrs. Coughlin, Waterford. They could give more information and also at the Clonea parish church where there must be a record of the passing.

I expected to hear from Tom Kiersey what he knows of the Dowleys but I suppose that he is away from home this month.  I am hoping to go south later on if it can be arranged and that I feel able.  At the moment I prefer to remain still.  Hoping the scattered information will help you.

Love and God bless,

Emma

Included with the above letter were these notes on Emma Walsh’s Family, also deciphered with the help of Ann Tunney.

The Dunnes came to Kilmacthomas ages ago from Co. Leitrim.  They were in some way of business (milling) with the Odlums, millers.  The family history we can………from Thomas Dunne, Kenegrangs Mills and from a brother cousin John at Hotel.  He had the Milo Walsh mills, a farm and the Cheasty farm, Ballybrack also house property.  The Hotel had the distinction of being the first public house in Kilmacthomas.

Dunnes: Kilmacthomas

Tom had seven daughters, Kitty, unmarried, Peggy married Cheasty and got Ballybrack. Ellen married M. Kieresey of Ballyhusse.  Another became Mrs. Dee, another Mrs. Casey and one died young.

Hotel Dunnes

John had one daughter who seemingly got all of her father’s property.  She married Mylo Walsh - a patriot on the run from Wicklow - he had something to do with the Bonndan (?) money. The Mylo Walshes had at least four children. John got the Kilmacthomas property. Edward married a Miss Shanahan.  They live in Coolfinnin House and had no family. Another, Mrs. Coleman, she, with husband and large family immigrated to New Zealand. Mrs. Davis (?) had two sons, one a priest.  They may have had other children.

Another daughter, Mrs. Flynn had two daughters, one a Sacred Heart nun in Belgium and the other unmarried.  Their father Dr. Flynn lived in Clonmel and got a title from Pope Leo XIII but never used it. Peggy Dunne of Kilmacthomas married a Cheasty.  Her daughter Mary married her cousin Mylo Walsh.  She had brothers and sisters, Geoffrey of Ballybrack, Mrs. Power married…, (and) Mrs. Phelan of Knocknastreak, near Dungarvan.

The Mylo Walshes

Had numerous children:

• Tom had at least two children, Mylo who married a Halley(?) and Mary who married 

• Willie Shanahan. They had Helen and a son(?) who inherited the Kilmacthomas farm from Roger Shanahan, Tom, and Marjorie who married a Hutchinson.

• John, James

• Mary Ursula  (Grandmother)

• Hanna

• Ellen  

• Alice married T. Shelly of Callan. They had several children, Milo, James, and others

• Gerty married Dr. Shanahan

Mary Ursula married Edward Dowley, Tinvane House.  They had 9 boys and 3 girls.  Arthur the youngest married Miss Williams of Dungarvan.  Their son Mark will carry on from here. (That is what he is trying to do!) When I go South I’ll try to get more information for you—A few black sheep may turn up to make it interesting!

(Emma may have been confused in some of the relationships recorded in her letter!) Anne Tunney’s friend Catherine Hickey married a Dominic Hickey of 73 The Palms, Roebuck, Dublin, a nephew of Aunt Kathleen (aka Jingle Jangle) Dowley.  Catherine’s mother was Una Kiersey who married a Bolger. The information above is obviously disjointed.  So far I have not been able to sort it out.

Edward Dowley’s mother, Bridget was a Flahavan.  The Flahavans were a Waterford family from Ballyduff, Kilmacthomas, Bunmahon and Ballylannee (?).  The Flahavans came to Glen House in 1815.  The house is still standing.

Edward Flahavan (Edward Dowley’s maternal grandfather) married a Miss Freeney, rumored to be some connection to Freeney, The Robber, of Waterford and Wexford. They had six children:

• Larry

• Robert

• Bridget was born about 1810 in Ballyduff.  She married a Captain Power.  Captain Power went to sea on his wedding day.  His ship was lost rounding Cape Horn. Subsequently Bridget married John Dowley of Tinvane.  Great grandmother was known as Mam.

• Honora, a nun (…….)  married a Mr. White!?  An error, maybe. The writing not the marriage!

Tom, was Emma Walsh’s maternal grandfather. He married Ellen Kiersey (reported by Emma to be not very beautiful).  They had seven children:

• Catherine

• Edward

• Tom

• James, died young

• Bridget, a nun

• Ella, a nun

• Mary 

This report seems to indicate that Edward Dowley and Emma Walsh were second cousins.  The common ancestor being Edward Flavahan. 

The Flahavans are all buried in Portlaw, Co. Waterford.

Milada Dowley has been a substantial contributor to the suggested genealogy of the Patrick Branch.  There is some on-going uncertainty to the suggested line. However, I have some hope that it is substantially correct.  The text should be read in conjunction with observation of the Richard Dowley family tree.  Thomas Dowley and Patrick Dowley were brothers.  Their father was John and their grandfather was Richard Dowley.

Sources relied on include: 

Gravestones, Old Faugheen Church; Search conducted by The Waterford Heritage Services, May 2007; commissioned by Milada Dowley; Notes prepared by Arthur Dowley, about 1970; examination of gravestones in the Chapel of Ease churchyard by Mark Dowley and separately by Milada Dowley; conversations with Tommy Dee, farmer of the lands around Tinvane, Uncle Willie’s papers and other old family papers.  Also relied on were conversations in 1977 with Mr. William Mannix of Dublin, son of James Mannix of Waterford City and Josephine Dowley.

The Dowley name:

It should be remembered that there were several spellings, variants, of the Dowley/Dowly/Dooly/Dooley name, including several in the same document (the indenture given me by Niall Quirk) referring to the same person.  In addition it is clear that there were many Dowley/Dooleys living in the Carrick-on-Suir area during the early 1800s.  Refer also to the large number of Dowleys listed in the Dunbrody, New Ross, records of emigrant ship passengers.  Under the single variant of "Dowley" there are 47 males and 34 females listed.  Mark Dowley and family members visited The Dunbrody in September 2003.

John, son of Richard and Honora Dowley of Tinvane 1712-1773, had two sons, Thomas and Patrick.  The Thomas branch is now well established but was in danger of dying out until Edward Dowley and Mary Ursula Walsh produced twelve children, ten of whom married and had children of their own.  Edward and Mary Ursula are responsible for several hundred known descendants.

The Patrick branch is known with less certainty and is now without Dowley descendants as far as we have been able to determine. One of the last known descendants of Patrick Dowley was an old lady (old in the early 1940s) Ellen P. Dowley known as Cissy or Sissy, who lived down near the old mill on the Lingaun River.

The indenture dated April 12th 1836, mentioned above between Edward Kennedy and Patrick and Thomas Dowley details the lease of the land and mill at Tinvane to Patrick, born 1782 and Thomas, born 1780.  It appears that the two brothers worked the mill as partners for many years.

In his will, dated 24th February 1846, Thomas Dowley leaves all his right etc. in the mill to his son John Dowley.  We do not have a record of Patrick’s will.  However, it is assumed that he left his interest to his son John (or Patrick John, PJ,) born about 1812.  There are several reports of Dowleys, brothers or cousins working the mill as partners during the 1800s.

We do not know Patrick's wife’s name but from notes found among family records (those of William Dowley/Donald Dowley) it appears that Patrick had four or five children namely:  Patrick (Patrick-John, PJ) born May 15th 1812, Ellen (Helena?) born 1814, Ann and Dennis.

Of the above, Patrick-John (PJ) married Johanna McNamara of Waterford in 1839.  Johanna was born in 1813 and died in or about 1888. 

According to the Waterford Heritage Services, Patrick-John (PJ) and Johanna had three known children, Patrick born in 1840, William J. born in 1842, died in 1884, and Michael born 1841 and died in 1868. 

The Patrick-John (PJ) and Dennis above would have been first cousins of John Dowley, father of Edward Dowley.  It appears that Patrick-John (PJ) moved to Waterford as a young man, possibly after his marriage to Johanna and Dennis stayed in Tinvane.  Again, the Waterford Heritage Services records show that Dennis Dowley of Tinvane was married to Ellen Walsh and that they had four children, Dorothy born October 10th 1845, Mary born April 25th 1847, Patrick born December 22nd 1848 and Catherine born July 24th 1850.  These birth dates suggest that Dennis and Ellen were married about 1843/44 and that Dennis and probably Ellen were born in 1820 approximately.  It is possible that Dennis and Ellen had another child named Dennis.  Tommy Dee, who at the time I interviewed him, in August of 1976, was working the land around the old mill under lease from Mr. Mannix of Dublin, mentioned that Dennis Dowley is buried in/at the old Faugheen Church.  This Dennis was a brother of Patrick (PJ) Dowley, father of William Dowley who married Miss Hackett, read below.  Tommy Dee said that Dennis was married but had no children.  During this conversation, which took place in the yard at Grubbs, Tommy confirmed, that Cissy was a sister of Mrs. Mannix of Waterford and that the Mannix family owned a pub near the Waterford railway station. Cissy’s father was a Willie Dowley and that Dennis was her uncle or grand uncle. (More likely a first cousin once removed)  This history agrees with the input of Michael Morrissey who was an employee of Edward Dowley  (more on Michael later).

William J. Dowley, son of Patrick-John (PJ) and Johanna, married Mary J. Hackett of Waterford.  They had five children, Ellen P. (Cissy) born about 1864 and Josephine born 1865 and three boys, Patrick, Joseph and Michael all of whom died in infancy.  Thus William J. Dowley was the last male Dowley of the Patrick line or branch.  Mary J Hackett is Mary J. Dowley of Lacken House, Waterford with whom Edward Dowley of Tinvane made a lease agreement regarding the Mill House.  Edward and Mary were close contemporaries.  Josephine, daughter of William J. and Mary, married a James Mannix of Waterford probably about 1890. They had two children, Josephine and William.  I spoke with William Mannix by phone on June 12th 1977.  He was in business at 3 or 34 Lr. O’Connell St., Dublin.  I was anxious to confirm the given name of his mother’s paternal grandfather.  He did not know but said he would ask his sister Josephine. He did confirm that an ancestor of his, name unknown, did work the mill with the other Dowleys of Tinvane.  He thought that his great grandfather or great granduncle’s name was Dennis or Dinnie (I was unable to contact him again).  His home address was 10 Cherry Gardens, Mt. Merrion, Dublin.  Bill, as he preferred to be called, confirmed that his mother was a Josephine Dowley who had married a James Mannix.  They were related to the Corrs of New York.  Willie Dowley (?) was a first cousin of Mrs. Mannix and Cissy Dowley. If that is or was so, then Willie Dowley would have to be a son of Patrick or Michael, brothers of William J.  At the same time living in Dublin there was a William Dowley B.E. who was related to the Beachfarm Dowleys, a branch of the Ballyknock Dowley family.

Bill said that his ancestors, Dowleys and Mannix are buried in the Chapel of Ease Churchyard, Ferrybank, Waterford.  Bill further told me that his Dowley grandfather had a pub near or over the railway station in Waterford City, and that his aunt Corr (NY) was married to a Forrester – a timber merchant.  Forrester owned several ships, two of which had been used to carry emigrants to America during or after the famine, at Three Pounds for the passage, so-called coffin ships.  The ships, The Alert and The Orinoco were registered with Lloyds of London. Bill Mannix also claimed a relationship with the Kennedy family, President Kennedy’s family, on the Fitzgeralds, Honey Fitz side!

Bill also claimed that an ancestor fought in the American Civil War. His sister Josephine spoke of him as Uncle Dowley.  He may have gone to America on one of the Forrester ships, The Alert or The Orinoco.  He fought with the 69th regiment of New York.  He was granted a plot of land on the Potomac River.  Later, however, his relatives were unable to claim the land.

Bill’s sister remembers a story of two Dowleys working the mill. They later split up.  They could have been great grandfather John and Dennis Dowley of Tinvane.  My father, Arthur Dowley spoke of his Grandfather, John, working the mill with his (grandfather's) cousin Dennis.

The Forrester grave is near the Dowley grave(s) in Ferrybank, near the left hand side of the church.

Dermot Dowley of Tybroughney and South Africa and the writer, Mark Dowley of Palo Alto, California visited The Ballyknock Farm House in August of 1976.  We met with old, blind Willie Dowley and his wife and second cousin Eileen Dowley.  The farmhouse was built in 1847 and contained a small chapel.  Willie was very happy to chat having learned who his visitors were.  Eileen seemed to be much more reserved but did offer us a cup of tea.  Willie told us that he believed that Cissy Dowley was the daughter of the Dowley (Willie or Dennis, he was not sure)?) who worked the mill at night.  He also suggested that Cissy might have been born out of wedlock.  Another story of Cissy is that as a child she was dropped by a nurse and as a result had a hump, possibly explaining why she remained unmarried.

Tracing Cissy’s ancestry has received a lot of attention in this history.  During Grandfather’s later life it seemed that the family were not interested in her relationship to the Tinvane Dowleys or were not anxious to discuss her as she obviously was very poor.  Most of my cousins, who were older than I, would have known of or remembered Cissy.  I have always thought it interesting to determine her relationship.  With help from Milada, I believe that we now have the correct story.  Cissy was a second cousin once removed to Edward, a third cousin to the twelve children of Edward Dowley and a third cousin once removed to my first cousins and myself.  The first John Dowley was the common ancestor. John Dowley may have been named Patrick John, and called John or PJ. It is likely coincidental that there were over the years several Dowley-Walsh and Dowley-Keefe marriages. It certainly does not help in deducing the family lines.

1. Indenture dated January 16th 1796 referring to John Kennedy and John Dowly/Dooly/Dowley, obtained from cousin Niall Quirk.

2. Last Will and Testament of William Murphy of Greenside referring to John Dowley dated November 2nd 1858

3. According to Hubert Galway of Faithlegge, Woodstown, Co. Waterford (near Dunmore) an old law book speaks of a law case in the 1100s between a Dowley and the Duke of Leinster

4. Edric and Milada Dowley first brought to my attention the existence of a metal plaque on Tower Bridge about six miles north of Kilkenny just 200 yards off the Castlecomer road  The plaque reads in Latin: “Patricivs Dowlye vis expensis. Hunc pontem extrvit anno dni 1647  aeternam illi vxori.ac liberis. Requiem precare viator”

5. Milada and Edric had a story of Patrick Dowly building the bridge to the memory of his wife who was drowned in attempting to ford the river.  (I have visited the bridge twice, most recently with my son David and his wife Molly and with Mary, my wife on September 12, 2003)

6. Photocopy of the last will and testament of Thomas Dowley, dated 24th February 1846

7. Faded copy of the cutting of The Nation newspaper, or Nationalist, containing the reference to a Richard Dowley of Carrick-on-Suir mentioned in the 1659 Census of Ireland

8. Photocopy of a piece of paper recording the births of Patrick Dowley, born on the 15th day of May 1812:  Mary Dowley born on the 9th day of May 1813:  Ellen Dowley born on the 18th day of December 1814:  The above were probably children of Patrick Dowley, brother of Thomas Dowley. Also, on the same photocopy, a record that Marian Dowley, daughter of Thomas Dowley and Mary Keefe was born on the 23rd of September 1823.  Her sponsors were John Sweetman and Helena Dowley

9. Photocopy of an Indenture made on the 12th day of April , 1836 between Edward Kennedy and Patrick Dowley and Thomas Dowley of Tinvane, Millers, regarding the lease of the Mill and lands at Tinvane

10. Eight microfiche images of documents relating to Dowleys and Tinvane. Details of contents will be added later

11. An Agreement between Edward Dowley of Tinvane House J.P. and Mary J. Dowley, widow of Lacken House, Waterford and James Hackett, Draper of Limerick and James Mannix of Ferrybank Waterford regarding a lease on the cottage at Tinvane for a yearly rent of fifteen pounds

12. Newspaper notice of the death and funeral of Edward Dowley who died on October 8th 1945. He was buried in the Faugheen Churchyard

13. An angry letter from Edward Dowley to a Dr. Stephenson regarding cost of refurbishing a cow house for Miss Dowley (Cissy)

According to the 1901 census of Ireland the following Dowley families were recorded in the Carrick area:

In Carrick Beg

Dowley, Michael, Ellen, Patrick, Richard, Michael, Martin

Cool-na-Muc Rd.

#4 Dowley, Margaret, Michael Shanahan

#27 Dowley, Jeremiah, Mary, Maggie, Bridget, John and Nano

#28 Dowley, Bridget, Maggie, Laurence and John Casey

Cross Ballally Lane

Dowley, Matthew (boatman), Bridget, Ellen (Sissy/Cissy)

Mothel Rd. Carrick Beg

#5 Dowley, Michael, Margaret, Bridget, Maggie, May

#17 Dowley, John (road contractor), May, Michael, Kate

#26 Dowley, Richard

Main St. Carrick

Dowley, Kyran (grocer and publican) and Bridget, May, Agnes, Thomas Green and Margaret Power

Sheskin

Dowley, Patrick, Alice, May, Walter, Thomas Power

Tinvane #1

Dowley, Edward and Mary, John, Myles, Thomas, Louis, Mary, William, Josephine, Edward, Florence, Bridget and Annie

Tinvane #5 Flour Mill

Dowley, Ellen

Waterford Rd. Carrick-Beg

Dowley, James (wool weaver) and Bridget, Louis, Bridget and Mary 

Griffeth’s Valuations:

1851-53 Tinvane, John and Dennis Dowley.

See 1799 Census of Carrick, Heritage Center, Carrick-on-Suir.

Hearth Tax Records of 1665 and 1667, a small tax on chimneys. 27 houses in Carrick in 1665.  See National Library—Code IR 9292 “Laffan”.

National Archives, Bishop St. Dublin   (01) 4783711 www.nationalarchives.ie    

The Famine of 1741 (due to frost in 1739) killed one third of the population of Munster.

Births, Marriages, Deaths  Records from 1864  Joyce House, 8-11 Lombard St. East, Dublin 1.  www.groireland.ie

Sissy/Cissy (Ellen P.) Dowley, lived in a small house near the Lingaun Mill in the 1940s.  I think that she was very poor. A single cow and several chickens comprised her livestock. I remember seeing her when visiting Tinvane as a child.  It is said that when a child she was dropped by a nurse and consequently had a hump.  Her father was a William Dowley (see the Patrick Dowley branch of the Tinvane Dowley Tree) her sister Mrs. Mannix lived in Dublin and had a son Billy who inherited Cissy’s place.  Cissy, who was a second cousin once removed to Edward Dowley, is buried at Chapel of Ease, Ferrybank, Waterford.  The Mill at Tinvane used to known as Kelly’s Mill (Kennedy’s Mill).  This information came from Tommy Dee and Tom Neil who was secretary to Uncle Willie.  William Dowley, Cissy’s father bought the rights to Kelly’s Mill.

Brendan and Agnes Cleary, neighbours of Milada, worked with Uncle Joe.  Agnes was secretary at Grubbs.

Anthony Mullins of Carrick was Office Manager (?) at Dowley’s of Carrick (Grubs) when Uncle Willie died.  He probably has substantial records of the family business.  He should be contacted when next in Carrick if he is still alive.  I understand that Mr. Mullins is now dead. (September 2009).

1. An indenture regarding shares in The National Bank owned by Gertrude Shanahan, nee Walsh (Grand Aunt Gertie) and Thomas and Roger Shanahan.

2. A conveyance regarding three thatched cottages on the green in Carrick between Ellen Walsh, seller, and William Murphy, buyer.  Witnessed by John Dowley, dated February 1860.

3. Letter to Donald from Dad (Arthur Dowley).  Note added on list of forebears.

4. Will of William Murphy in which he leaves his three houses at Carrick Green to John Dowley and pays debt to………   Dated November 2nd. 1858      Dennis Dowley.

5. A piece of paper with the following information.  Patrick Dowley born on the 15th day of May 1812.   Mary Dowley Born on the 9th day of May 1813.  Ellen Dowley Born on the 18th day of December 1814.  (These most likely are children of Patrick Dowley, brother of Thomas Dowley of Tinvane.

6. Marian Dowley daughter of Thomas Dowley and Mary Keefe born on the 23rd. day of September 1823.  The sponsors were John Sweetman and Helena Dowley.

7. Agreement between Anastasia, Mary, Margaret and James Moore to sell their house (slated) at Greenside to John Dowley for Five Pounds.  Dated 1st. May 1857.

8. Search (inconclusive) re Gahan or Garney by Joseph F. Quirk, Solicitor, Carrick-on-Suir.

9. Letter from ----- Byrne of Kilmacthomas, 27/07/1907 re a Fifteen Pound debt.

10. Part of a letter from James Gahan to Edward Dowley re sale of an old tumbled down house on Greenside.

11. Penal letter from William Duggan to Edward Dowley March 24th. 1905 thanking him for assistance and returning a list of securities.

12. Envelope, which once contained securities of Anne Dowley of Tinvane.

13. An agreement in which Edward Dowley of Tinvane agrees to let the house at Tinvane (Near the Mill) and about three acres to Mary J Dowley (mother of Cissy) widow of Lacken House Waterford.  Payment guaranteed by James Hackett and James Mannix of Ferrybank, Waterford.  Dated 28th day of November 1908.

14. Letter dated July 3rd. 1912 from J. Ernest Grubb to Mr. Dowley (presumably Edward) re. A business agreement.  The Suir Navigation Company is mentioned.

15. Will of Thomas Dowley in which he leaves all right, title and interest in the Mill, House and Concerns in Tinvane together with the land adjoining same, held from Edmond Kennedy and Henry Briscoe, to his son John, to provide for two daughters, Joanna and Ann and to support his wife Mary Dowley. Dated 24th February 1846.

16. Part of a lease of Tinvane Mill and land from James B. Elliot to John Kennedy.  Dated 1st. August 1801.  Lease in the possession of John Dowley, Bank, Carrick-on-Suir 1853.

17. Aunt Lil’s family tree: Lil Dowley, nee Power, wife of William Dowley and mother of Donald, records going back to David Power born 1691 and Margaret Morris born 1705.

18. Letter from the Irish Land Commission dated November 1890 re the sale of Tinvane House and lands to Edward Dowley.  H.A.W. Briscoe named at top left.

19. A report of negative searches for Judgments etc. made against John Dooly from 29th January 1881 to 29th of January 1886.  Same for Catherine Dooly, Maria Dooly, Charles Dooly, Thomas Dooly.  (Note added by Mark Dowley on July 22nd. 2009.  The names Dooly, Dooley, Dowley, Dowley, Duley are all likely spellings or misspellings of the same name.  Such misspelling was common at the time.)

20. A large document.  Lease of Mill and Lands at Tinvane to Patrick Dowley and Thomas Dowley by Edward Kennedy.  Dated 12th April 1836   Witnessed by Mic (?) W. Dowley and Patrick Kennedy.  On the other side of this document are two other statements.  One says that in consideration of a Forty Pound debt owed Edward Dowley by Mary J. Dowley, widow.  Mary J. Dowley, Cecelia (crossed out) written above Ellen P. Dowley, spinster and Josephine Mannix of 4 Sion Row, Waterford City, married woman, as beneficial owners of the undivided house of Patrick Dowley in that part of the lands of Tinvane demised by the within written indenture do surrender and yield up to said Edward Dowley our said undivided share in said lands etc. signed 7th. November 1908.  Note Ellen P. Dowley is Cissy.

21. A large parchment indenture dated the 6th. Day of November 1786.  The document records an agreement between a George Agar of Wencourt (?) County Kilkenny and Patrick Dowly of Callen in the said county of Kilkenny, Gentleman, involving a 999-year lease of lands etc.  (This may be a relative the same Patrick Dowly who erected the stone bridge in memory of his wife near Kilkenny.  See notes on same ------------).  A memorial of the same written Deed was entered in the Register’s Office in the City of Dublin  November 27th 1786  (Book 303, page 296 and # 253054).

Johanna Dowley a sister of Great grandfather John Dowley married a Kiersey. Other sisters were Ann born 1825, died 1914 (Great Aunt Ann) and Marian, born 23rd. September 1823. The sponsors were John Sweetman and Helena (Ellen?) Dowley. This latter Helena may be from the Patrick Line.

John Dowley was born in 1810 and died in 1882. His wife Bridget was born in 1823 and died in 1906.

Edward Dowley born April 22nd 1855. Married Mary Ursula Walsh in 1879 and died 1945.

An account dated 23 September 1889 of Dennis Dowley, Tinvane Mill, grinding account with Edward Dowley of New Street Carrick-on-Suir.

Will of William Murphy dated November 2nd. 1858 which gives John Dowley, Miller of Tinvane, three house at the Greenside, also goods at his (John’s) store at New Street and also money owed, and also thirteen pounds which Dennis Dowley of Tinvane was………..

A memo of transfer of three houses in Greenside from Mary, Margaret and James Moore to John Dowley of Tinvane, Miller dated July 1 1857. (It seems that there were two Dennis Dowleys, possibly father and son, see later.)

One share certificate of the Suir Navigation Company dated August 1st 1836.

J. Ernest Grubb’s letter to Edward Dowley admitting to terms of verbal agreement re protection of the John Grubb business for the benefit of Edward Dowley, dated July 1, 1912.

Milada, in one of her more recent letters, has suggested that the first John Dowley of Tinvane (1737-1807) may have been related to the first Maurice Dowley of Ballyknock and his brother, the Rev. Michael. Maurice born in 1690. He would thus have been forty-seven years older than John of Tinvane, sufficiently so to be his father, which he was not, or his uncle. The Ballyknock family tree is well established and shows no known connection to the Tinvane Dowleys. There was a John Dowley, 1791- ?, grandson of Maurice, who started the Whitestown family. However this line is extinct according to William and Eileen Dowley of Ballyknock who were interviewed and questioned in 1976.

The Ballyknock Dowleys are or were a large family with roots traceable to the 1600s. There are two remaining branches better known as the Kyran Dowleys of Carrick-on-Suir, and the Beechfarm Dowleys of the Piltown area of Co. Kilkenny, The largest branch of this family is now in The United States. They are the descendants of Michael, son of Kyran Dowley of Carrick-on-Suir and Nora Firth of Waterford who married and left Ireland for The United States in approximately 1900. Michael was a boyhood friend of Jack Dowley of Tinvane and of some of his brothers. A second branch, of uncertain size at this writing, is the Beechfarm Dowley family of Piltown, Co Kilkenny.

Mrs. Betty Wilkinson of Australia has written a somewhat fanciful history of the Ballyknock Dowleys. Mrs. Wilkinson’s mother was Mary Smith nee Dowley, a daughter of Kyran Dowley of Carrick-on-Suir, by his second marriage to Brigid Meagher of Grangemockler. Mary was thus a half sister to Michael Dowley, son of Kyran Dowley by his first marriage to Alice Casey. Michael immigrated to America in the early 1900s and Mary immigrated to Australia at roughly the same time, where she married a Mr. Smith.

The origins of the Ballyknock Dowley family can be traced with good accuracy to a Maurice Dowley, born in 1690. Maurice married Cathleen Kelly in 1730 approximately. They had one child, Maurice (II). The first Maurice died in 1778. Maurice I had a brother, the Rev. Michael Dowley, guardian of the Friary at Carrickbeg who was born in 1724 approximately and died in 1779. Both Maurice and Michael are buried in the Relig na Muc cemetery in Carrickbeg. We do not know the names of Maurice and Michael’s parents.

Information on the Ballyknock family tree was made available to me by George Dowley of Menlo Park California, second son of Michael Dowley of the same city who himself was the only son of Kyran Dowley. The Kyran Dowley branch of the Ballyknock family, although living abroad, was diligent in maintaining family contacts.

A letter from the Rev. Michael Dowley P.P. of Ballyduff, near Fermoy, Co. Waterford, dated June 6th 1947 to his second cousin Michael Dowley, George’s dad, in Menlo Park, California, gives a very full genealogy of the Ballyknock Dowley line. Much of the information in the letter comes from a very fine old family bible once the possession of Rev. Michael Dowley and more recently in 1976, in the possession of Willie and Eileen Dowley of Ballyknock farm.

When cousin Dermot and I visited Willie and Eileen Dowley at Ballyknock farmhouse in August of 1976 we spoke at length with old blind Willie and with Eileen. Among other items we were assured that the Whitetown branch of the family, John b.1791, was now extinct. We also examined the above bible and at that time I made the following note copied from the bible.

“These ‘Data’ overleaf were transcribed from an old Register first kept by our grandfather Thomas Dowley and afterwards by our father Philip Dowley. The notes and dates of death and family of John Dowley were added by me" - Michael Dowley c.c.

The Ballyknock family produced a large number of priests and nuns. Probably the most famous being The Rev. Philip Dowley 1789-1864, Dean of Maynooth College and Founder of Castlenock and President of the College for thirty years.

The Rev. Michael’s letter contains the following comment on origins:

“I am fairly certain that first of the Dowley family in Ballyknock came from Kilworth near Fermoy - only two miles from where I now live - shortly after the death of Elizabeth of England. The Ballyknock and Anghnaborn farm in Elizabeth’s reign belonged to a man named Darby O’Brien.

The oldest member of the Dowley family I can trace was a Fr. John Dowley, Professor at Louvain, who edited a catechism in Irish about the year 1663. Another of the name, “from Waterford diocese” was a fellow student with Oliver Plunkett and journeyed with the blessed martyr to Rome. I do not know how he fared afterwards.”

In the summer of 2000, George Dowley of Menlo Park and his youngest son Tom visited Ireland for the first time. I was in Ireland at the same time and was able to direct and accompany them on a visit to Ballyknock Farm where their family had originated many years before. Mrs. Eileen Dowley was home at the time although rather busy taking care of some sick cows. Her husband, William, had died several years earlier. Later we visited Sr. Cecelia and Mother Perpetua in the Convent in Callan, relatives of George and Tom on the Beechfarm side of their family. When there we were served a very welcome cup of tea with cake.

Michael Dowley and Nora Firth had five children, Alice, Edith, Peggy, Michael and George. Descendents of Michael and Nora’s are to be found mainly in California, and in the states along the East Coast . Peggy, Michael and George married and had families. Michael’s children and their families are mainly in the eastern US where as George’s children and their families have stayed in California. Alice had a successful newspaper career in Chicago. Peggy married Burns Cody an advertising executive for the Ford Motor Company and had two children. They lived in Detroit. Edith, was a very well known Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.

A complete tree of the Ballyknock family, Kyran, branch is available. Tom Dowley and Jane Paolucci nee Dowley, both great grandchildren of Kyran Dowley, are the current keepers of the records.

Current details on the Beechfarm branch of the Ballyknock Dowley family are not well known to me. I do have a partial family tree, but it is far from complete. I hope that this branch of the Ballyknock family can be researched by one of my relatives living in Ireland. I believe that Leslie Dowley is working on this task.

During vacations in Ireland in 1976 and 1977 I made an effort to locate other Dowley families particularly in the Carrick-on-Suir area.  Possible connections seemed a possibility.  I had met an Aodh Dowley in 1951 while at FCA camp in Gormanstown, Co. Meath.  He had told me that his family was from Waterford.  Aodh died in 2009. Also in the phone book of the time there was a William Dowley B.E. located in Dublin.  As a child visiting Tinvane during summer holidays we were led to believe that there was at most only one other Dowley Family, i.e. the Ballyknock family and that they were most likely all in America.  Others were not Dowleys but Dooleys and not the same family.  Since then it has become obvious that variants in spelling and pronunciation of the name was quite common in the 1800s and likely before that and after.   The inquiries made in 1976-7 around Carrick by a returned ‘yank’ i.e. myself, and a colonial Dowley, Dermot of South Africa, were easily accomplished when the same effort by a known Tinvane Dowley might have been met with less than enthusiasm.

The following Dowley families were found:

• The Connewaries Dowleys

• The Mothel Road Dowleys

• The Well Rd. or “Boatmen” Dowleys

• The Richard ‘Baker” Dowleys

We were surprised to find a total of six or more Dowley families, counting the Tinvane and Ballyknock families, in a relatively small town, possibly 7,000 inhabitants at the time, who appeared to and even sometimes claimed to have no relationship to each other!

The Connewaries Dowleys

The Connewaries is on the southeast side of the river in Carrickbeg.  I met there and spoke with farmer John Dowley in August of 1976. He was a tallish man with reddish hair, about the same age as myself, early forties at the time.  He gave me his family details in so far as he knew them.  His grandfather was a John Dowley, born in 1839.

John Dowley, b. 1839, m  …..., d. March 13, 1917.

Children of above John

Mary    d.  1951

Michael d. March 8, 1956

(…….)  married Mr. Dunphy, d. June 1935  

Children of above Michael

John, b. 1935, (Farmer John).

Richard died young.

Children of above John (Farmer John)

Michael b. ~ 1970

Willie Dowley of Ballyknock had told me that John’s father Maurice spelled his name Dooley and that they were related to the Dowleys of Mothel Rd. Carrickbeg.  (?)

The Family gravestone, in the New Cemetery in Carrickbeg near where Mikey Dowley lives, reads:

“This stone is erected by Michael Dowley of Carrickbeg in memory of his father John who died March 1917 aged 78..His son Richard died young.  His sister Mrs. Dunphy died 1951 and his sister Mary died 1951.” 

The Mothel Road Dowleys

The Mothal Rd. is in Carrickbeg. I met with a Mrs. Millie Dowley in her home in August of 1976.  She told me that her husband James, who had been an employee of Edward Dowley and Sons was killed in a lorry accident in 1970.  Uncle Willie was running E. Dowley and Sons at the time.

Millie said that her Aunt Mary claimed to be related to Breed, daughter of Kyran Dowley and Brigid Meagher of Grangemockler.

Willie Dowley of Ballyknock said that John Dowley of Connewaries is related to the Mothal Rd. Dowleys. It may be so but unlikely.  See suggested (by me) connection in the tree below.

She knew of no connection to the Mikey Dowleys (Boatmen) nor to the Ballyknock, Whitestown Dowley family that is now extinct.

James and brother John, possible grandfather of John of Connewarries.        

Children of above James                                                 Child of above John

Mary                                                                                    Michael

Louis

Child of above Louis

James b.  1923

m. Millie King

d. 1970

Children of above James and Millie

Louis b. 1950

Pat b. 1951   

David b. 1954

Malla b. 1955

The Well Road Dowleys

The Well Rd. is in Carrickbeg.  The Well Rd. family is also known as the Boatmen Dowleys or the Mikey Dowleys    It is now quite a large family and an incomplete genealogical chart is available.

The earliest known ancestor was a Thomas born approximately 1845.  Thomas had two sons Michael born in 1875 and Matthew and six daughters, Nano, Mrs. Dunne, Mrs. Downey, and Mrs. Shanahan.  Michael married Brigid……. And they had five children.  His descendents became known as the Boatmen or Mikey Dowleys.  They operated the Knocknagow boats between Waterford and Carrick for Edward Dowley.  Michael and Brigid had nine children including a Michael born in 1898.  More below.   Matthew’s children, two boys and a girl were more studiously inclined . One Patrick, father of Aodh Dowley mentioned above, born in 1904 was a schoolteacher and on retirement lived in Dunmore East.  Patrick married Eileen McHale and they had four children including Aodh, who I met in Gormanstown FCA camp in about 1951.  William married a Pauline Hayes.  They had five children.  The family chart provides more details.

His brother, William, born in 1912, was qualified as an engineer and lived in Dublin. The girl Eileen, born in 1900, married a Dr. Dunleavy. She is buried in the New Friary Cemetery.

Michael Dowley (b.1898), when I met him in August of 1978, lived at #78 St. Mullins, Carrickbeg.   He knew his grandfather Thomas.  He was very helpful in locating family gravestones both in Relig na Muc and in the old Friary cemeteries.

I spoke by phone with Mrs. William Dowley then living in Dublin.  She told me of her own family, four girls and a boy, unmarried.  She also spoke of her brother-in-law Patrick, the school teacher and of his family, two boys and two girls. 

Thomas is buried in the Mothel cemetery and so is Nano.

Patrick’s home in Dunmore East was named Darrigl.  When I spoke by phone with Patrick he said that he was related to the Ballyknock Dowleys but did not know the precise connection.  He, also, had heard that they are related to the Connewaries Dowleys, but he was not sure. 

Two years later on June 24th 1978 I met Patrick and his wife Eileen in Dunmore East.  They spoke of cousins in New York.  His brother William, the engineer, had visited these cousins and the cousins had been in Dublin visiting William and family.  Patrick ‘s son, Aodh, was at that time living in Dublin.

He spoke of Duffhill Castle on the Clonmel Rd. (?) and of a Dowley who lived near there.  Pat had met him thirty-five years ago when he was on the run in the Troubles!  This man was a relative of the Ballyknock Dowleys, maybe on the Beechfarm side.

Patrick believed that the Dowley name was originally Norman. D’Oyley.  They had settled in Yorkshire and came from Armentiere.  He said that he got the information originally from a sub-editor of the Irish Times. (I have checked none of this information!)

The Richard “Baker” Dowleys

Very little is known about this family.  What little I do know was communicated to me in 1976 by Mikey Dowley, of 76 St. Mullins, Carrickbeg, and by Pat Dowley of Dunmore East.

Richard (Dick) Dowley was reputed to be a gruff man who lived in a farmhouse opposite Sinnots (?).   His wife’s name was Ellen.  They had a son Michael who went to America and died there.  Mikey said that the family women were still living in Carrick.

Richard died on December 25th 1939.  The family gravestone in the New Cemetery in Carrickbeg reads as follows:

“Erected by Ellen Dowley of Carrickbeg in memory of her husband Richard Dowley, died 25th December 1939.  Also his brothers and sister.”  Ellen died September 24th.  1944.

Pat Dowley of Dunmore East also spoke of an old gruff man named Dowley who lived out beyond the Mothel Rd. and up the hill opposite Sinnots.

However, Pat Dowley’s account of the Baker Dowleys was different from that of Mikey Dowley.  According to Pat, there was a John Dowley, a baker, who died about 1927.  John had two sons.  The first son, Patrick (Paddy), married and lived in Dungarvan. He had been a classmate of Pat Dowley in the Christian Brothers School, on Pill Rd. in Carrick.  He was a clerk on the railway in Dungarvan.  Paddy died before 1976. The second son, John, who was involved in the Troubles, was an alcoholic and died young.