Our Keohanes

So we have seen that Charles Pearse of Dunderrow married Mary Leary in 1829 in Kinsale. They went on to have Cornelius Pearse born in 1835, Ellen Pearse/Pierce born in 1843, and Mary Pearce/Pierce who we think is older than her sister Ellen. 

There were likely other children including perhaps John Pierce who was Annie Pierce's grandfather. Or the other John Pierce of Camp Hill who was Mary Ellen Pierce's father - Mary Ellen Pierce married Thomas Butler, Con's father.

I found nothing more about Cornelius Pierce although there was a Cornelius Pierce renting a house and small garden in Horsehill More North in Dunderrow in Griffith's Valuation - the 1850s.

We saw that Ellen Pierce married Patrick Cooney in 1864, and they had one son - Patrick Cooney - in 1865.

After her first husband died, Ellen Pierce Cooney married Patrick Hogan in 1870. Patrick Hogan had previously married Julia Coughlin in 1861 - they had Ellen Hogan who was the mother of Denis Driscoll and who then married John McCarthy and was the mother of Jimmy McCarthy and his siblings.
Patrick Hogan and our Ellen Pierce had several children including Charlie Hogan whose daughter, May Kiely, gave us some family history information.

Mary Pierce married John/Jack Keohane in 1858.  They had several children including Ellen, James, and Patrick among others.

Their daughter Ellen Keohane had daughter Ellie Hurley and then married Edward Riordan. They went on to  have Molly, Hannah, Edward and John Riordan. 

We saw that Mary Pierce and Jack Keohane's son James Keohane emigrated to his Hogan cousins in May of 1896 but died at 29 of sunstroke in Somerville.

There are other siblings, but I don't know anything about them. 

So let's turn to Patrick Keohane who was Mary and Jack Keohane's oldest son. We saw that he was born 19 February 1860 - no location was given. But he was baptized in Kinsale 2 days later - sponsors were Patrick Pierce and Ellen Keohane. 

I suppose this Patrick Pierce was the brother of Cornelius, Ellen, and Mary. 

And Ellen Keohane could have been Jack Keohane's sister.

We know nothing of Patrick's early life - he likely goes to school until he is old enough to work as a laborer.  Then he goes to work for a farmer in the Kinsale area and contributes to the upkeep of his family. 

We know that Patrick Keohane marries Hannah Kiely, but I have no information about where Hannah Kiely grew up. They are married 8 May 1886 by Reverend J. O’Mahoney in St. John the Baptist Church in Kinsale. 

Witnesses are Pat Cooney and Mary Leary. Hannah Kiely’s mother is Nell Leary – was Mary Leary an aunt or a cousin or maybe she was just a friend?

I wonder who this Pat Cooney is? Ellen Pierce's husband Patrick Cooney dies before 1870 so it is not him. Their son - who was born in 1865 - would have been 21 - could it have been him?  

 I wonder if there is any way to answer these questions? 

Patrick and Hannah Keohane have 6 children.

1. Mary/Minnie Keohane 
2. John Keohane 
3. Tom Keohane
4. Ellen/Nellie Keohane
5. Hannah Keohane
6. Jim Keohane 

We know that Patrick Keohane is a farm laborer – he works for local farmers who provide him with a cottage and a couple of acres of land to grow potatoes – this is in exchange for his labor – often no money was exchanged. So Patrick and his family move from farm to farm depending on where he is working. 

Mary (Minnie) Keohane is born on 5 February1888 in Dunderrow. She is baptized the next day at St. John the Baptist Church by the Rev. P. O’Neill. Her godparents were Michael Sullivan and Mary Leary (maybe she is the Mary Leary who had stood up for Patrick and Hannah Keohane when they married.)  

Aunt Nellie had pointed out a cottage by the side of the road where her sister Mary or Minnie was born – I think it was on the Battle Road. This was just one of the cottages were the family lived.

Cottage where Minnie was born. 

My mother in the white sweater, ? Jimmy, Dick Walsh, my father and Jody checking out the cottage where Minnie was born about 1983.

Jody, Rita, and my mother being attacked by midges near the house where Minnie was born. I suppose this area has changed in the last 30 years. The house probably is no longer there. I wonder what the sign at the cross says?

John Keohane is born 8 December 1889 in Kinsale and was baptized two days later in St. John the Baptist Church. According to his baptismal record, his sponsors were Charles Price and Mary Griffen. 

I suppose this is really Charles Pierce - maybe Mary Pierce's brother? There is a Charles Pierce listed in the 1911 Irish Census - he is a 46 year old single "wardsman" living in the townland of Rathbeg in the parish of Ringcurran - not sure if this is the same fellow.  

www.merriam-webster.com defines a wardsman as "an inmate or guard in charge of a ward in a prison workhouse."

Thomas Keohane is born 19 November 1891 and is baptised 20 December 1891 in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kinsale by Reverend J. Lehane. Sponsors are Patrick Cooney and Julia Pierce. 

Could Patrick Cooney be Ellen Pierce's son from her first marriage?  

There is a Julia Pierce of Clontead who was born in April 1874 to John Pierce and Mary Cooney. She was baptized in the Catholic Church in Ballingary. Sponsors were John Barry and Mary Murphy.

I think this Julia is a younger sister of Annie Pierce's father - Bartholomew Pierce - he was born in Ballythomas. So this Julia would be about 17 - is that too young to be a Godmother?

Ellen (Aunt Nellie) Keohane is born 25 June 1893 in Kinsale. She is baptized in St. John the Baptist Church in Kinsale on 27 June 1893. Sponsors are James Keohane and Margaret Spillane.

So is this the James Keohane - Patrick Keohane's younger brother - who came out to Boston and died of sunstroke in 1896?

 

Hannah Keohane is born 1 June 1896 in Kinsale and baptised 2 June 1896 in Kinsale. Sponsors are Michael Donovan and Hanna Donovan. 

When we talked about the Reardons - the Keohane's 1st cousins - we saw that Mollie and Hannah Reardon married two Donovan brothers. I wonder if these sponsors are any relation to them?

James Keohane was born 10 April 1898 and was baptized in Kinsale's St. John the Baptist Church the next day. Sponsors were Dan Collins and Lizzie Desmond. 

The Godparents' names are familiar Innishannon and Kinsale names - but that is about all. 

I found a death certificate on https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1899/05776/4633168.pdf 

#357 on the following page - for Hannah Kiely Keohane of Killany on 1 December 1899 - she died in the Kinsale Poor House of childbirth hemorrhage (placenta previa.) She was a laborer's wife - John Murphy, occupier of the work house, was the informant. If you notice, all the deaths on this page occurred in the workhouse.

This is so sad - she was so young - it must have terrible to die in the Poor House. And to die because of another pregnancy.

In the 1901 Irish Census the family was living in house 2 in Killany. 

Hard to see Killany at the bottom just below the word Google. The map contains many of the other townlands we have discussed.

Head of the family Patrick Keohane is a 47 year old widower. Patrick is an agricultural laborer. He is unable to read or write. 

Minnie is the 13 year old housekeeper. She reads and writes but apparently no longer goes to school - she is keeping house and taking care of the younger children, I guess. 

My grandfather John Keohane is 11 - Thomas is 9 - they both attend school.

Ellen/Nellie is 6 - Hannah is 4 - they also both attend school.

James/Jim is 2 - I suppose Minnie is caring for young Jim. 

Form B tells us that the family is living in house 2 in Killany in Dunderrow parish. They have 1 outbuilding. The walls of the house are made of mud, wood or other perishable material - probably mud. The roof is made of thatch, wood or other perishable material - probably thatch. The house has 2 rooms and 1 window in front - it is a 3rd class house. There are 7 people in the family; they are renting the house from Hannah Bowen. This census was completed 8 April 1901.


I wonder who this Hannah Bowen is? She owns the house she lives in and 2 others. How did she acquire all this property? From her father? She is a 35 year old single farmer - she reads and writes but only speaks English - no Irish. She lives with her sisters - 30 year old Nano Bowen and 26 year old Helena Bowen - both are single - they read and write - they only speak English - their occupation is "farmer's sister." All the Bowen sisters were born in Cork and are Roman Catholic.  


They have one servant - 25 year old Julia Dempsey from Cork.

The Bowens still live in Killany in the 1911 Irish Census.

Aunt Nellie also said that after her mother died, Patrick Keohane used to bring home women from the Poor House (run by the Poor Law Union of Kinsale.)  These women used to keep house and look after his children. Aunt Nellie said that she and Aunt Hannah used to poke the women with a hat pin.  They were small – they wanted their mother not these strangers.

Patrick Keohane marries Julia Murphy sometime before the 1911 Irish Census because she is listed in it. They are living in house #1 in Ballythomas West. They only have 2 neighbors - Daniel Bowen and Patrick Sweeney. 

Patrick Sweeney is living in a 3rd class house that Daniel Bowen owns. Daniel Bowen's own home is a 1st class house with 7 rooms and 6 windows in the front.

Our Keohanes live in a 2nd class house with 4 rooms and 3 windows in front. The house is made from stone, brick or concrete; the roof is slate, iron or tiles. This census was taken on 6 April 1911. And here we go - Patrick Keohane is the landowner of this private dwelling with no outbuildings!

We have always heard from Aunt Nellie that my grandfather, John Keohane, bought a house for his family before he emigrated. His picture used to hang in the house - that must be why.

Patrick Keohane is now 52 years old and is still laboring. His wife Julia Murphy is 40 - and it is interesting that she is listed as being married for 23 years! With 7 living children out of 7 children born alive! This would be the total for both marriages put together perhaps!

John and Thomas are now 21 and 19 and both out working for the area farmers. Hannah is 16 and does not appear to be going to school.  Jim is 13; he is going to school. Young Julia is 8 years old - she is not listed as a scholar so does that mean she is not going to school?

So where are Minnie and Aunt Nellie? Minnie would be about 23 years old and Aunt Nellie would be almost 18. They must be out working.



I don't have any more about Patrick Keohane except an enrollment in the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from his daughter Hannah Keohane after his death. It is dated May 17, 1923.

Aunt Nellie had told me that when her father, Patrick Keohane, was sick at home, the banshee was heard keening outside the house a few days before he died.

A banshee is a fairy who warns that death is near - her keening is usually heard at night.