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How lucky are we. Thank you

Very sad AustinQ. Sounds like they were living hand to mouth before the storm.

Oh RG- it's very sad! - also quite enlightening to how hard their lives already were, and the type and land they were farming.

Irish Times 26 February 1898

A Case of Great Hardship

To the Editor of The Irish Times

Sir, I shall be much obliged if you give me space in your valuable paper to ask for help from your numerous readers for a case of great hardship and distress.

A violent thunderstorm broke over this district on last Saturday night and two houses were struck by lightening. It entered one house killing four cattle, then went through the wall to the adjoining one killing two more.

The first house was occupied, besides the cattle, a man called Darby and his wife, very old people, and their son; the second one by Michael Conway and his wife.

These poor people live at a place called Gortbrack, on the slope on Bonmore Mountain, in the Barony of Errin, where they cultivate two small mountain farms, or rather patches.

The six head st cattle, three of which they depended on for milk during the spring and summer, was their entire stock except for one calf. As it was they would have had great trouble to live even meagrely until the new crop of potatoes should come in, and now after this calamity, without outside help, theirs will be a case of extreme want and destitution.

Besides the loss of the cattles the walls of the first house are so cracked that it is not habitable. I hope some kind people will respond to this appeal, and any ???, no matter how small will be received with gratitude by Rev R O'Connell, the Parsonage, Ballycroy; Rev Father M'Hall PP, Parochial House, Ballcroy, or Yours

J. Lindsat
Shean, Ballycroy, County Mayo
23rd February 1898
----------------------------------

Darby died later the same year on the 22nd November 1898 of Senile decay

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Conway-2026...Someone else after wanting Darby...

rootgatherer..Have tried to find article on GR news site as have loads of credts I will never use...cannot locate it although have managed to get 1898 Irish Times up on screen

Thank you

http://www.irishgenealogical.org/page/problem-names-any-other-name

Irish equivalents for male English names
Jeremiah = Darby, Dermot, Diarmid, Diarmud

I've just been looking at the conway portageville site thank you

Theresa...If you cant access the site I posted I will try and copy and paste all of it or send a link via Pm...the actual link stretches forever...!!

Sorry, I don't know how to copy this complete article from the Irish Times - perhaps someone else can

A Case of Great Hardship

cattle, then want through the wall into the adjoining one, killing two moro. The beusa occupied, bosadta cattle, man called Darby Conway and hi* wife, racy aid people, and their eon ; one Mtcbaat Conway ami bis wife. Tbnaa poor people live at Gar*- brack,
26 February 1898 - Irish Times - Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

It's a letter to the editor asking assistance after the family lost their cattle in a storm.

I just dont know how you all do it once again thanks

Image shows yearly rent of £14. 7s. 3d


First name(s) Darby
Last name Conway
Year 1869
Place Gortbrack, South
Parish -
County Mayo
Covering date Jun-Dec 1869
Volume 095
Document 009
Record set Landed Estates Court Rentals 1850-1885
Category Census, land & surveys
Subcategory Land & estates
Collections from Ireland
© IIM & Findmypast

3.July 2004..From an Ancestry Message Board USA

CONWAY PORTAGEVILLE - Message Boards



https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/localities.northam.usa.states.../579.../mb.ashx


Might be of help as he has lots of info. especially about Jeremiah "Darby" Conway who married Maire Calvy

" Listed in Gortbrack, 1834 and 1855 tax records.
****
Jeremiah "Darby" Conway b.ca.1810-20
m. Maria Calvy b.ca.1825
In 1855, Jeremiah Conway rented a house and two tracts of land in Gortbrack, 147 acres (shared with Michael Conway) and 218 acres (shared with three other men). Darby was dead by the time of the 1901 census, when Maud Conway, born about 1825, a widow, resided in Gortbrack. The link tying her with Jeremiah is the birth record of their son Peter, on December 1, 1865. Peter Conway born about 1866 was living with his mother Maud in 1901.

Well done AustenQ. Looks like a brother and sister may have married a brother and sister.

Theresa, that looke like your grandfather James with his grandmother Maud in 1901.

Marriage of Darby's son James:

Party 1 Name JAMES CONWAY
Father: Darby Conway (Farmer)
Abode: Gorthbrack

Party 2 Name GRACE KEANE
Father: James Keane
Abode: Knockmaylear

Witnesses: Denis Moran & Kate Cafferkey
Date of Event 24 January 1891
Group Registration ID 2558075
SR District/Reg Area Westport
------------------------------------

Ireland Census 1901 Transcription

Townland/Street Knockmoyleen
District electoral division Ballycroy North
County Mayo

James Conway Head of Family Married 50 1851 Farmer Mayo
Grace Conway Wife Married 40 1861 Mayo
James Conway Son Single 8 1893 Mayo
John Conway Son Single 5 1896 Mayo
Michael Conway Son Single 3 1898 Mayo
Tilly Conway Daughter Single 7 1894 Mayo
Mary Keane Mother in Law Widowed 82 1819 Mayo
Mary Keane Sister in Law Single 50 1851 Mayo

Many thanks for the info.

Marriage:

Party 1 Name PHILIP KEANE
Father: James Keane (Farmer)
Abode: Knockmay?

Party 2 Name BRIDGET CONWAY
Father: Darby Conway (farmer)
Abode: Gorthbrack

Date of Event 23 June 1894
Group Registration ID 2128812
SR District/Reg Area Westport

Your grandfather's birth?

Name JAMES KEANE
Date of Birth 4th August 1895
Abode: Gortbrack
Father: Philip Keane (farmer)
Mother: Bridget Keane (formerly Conwey)
Group Registration ID 9877568
SR District/Reg Area Westport
-------------------------------

Ireland Census 1911 Transcription

Townland/Street Knockmoyleen
District electoral division Ballycroy, North
County Mayo

Philip J Keane Head of Family Married 58 1853 Co Mayo
Catherine Keane Sister Married 65 1846 Co Mayo
Bridget Keane Wife Married 54 1857 Co Mayo
James Keane Son Single 16 1895 Co Mayo
Mary Keane Daughter - 13 1898 Co Mayo
Tilly Keane Daughter - 6 1905 Co Mayo

Peter's marriage:

Party 1 Name PETER CONWAY
Father: Darby Conway (farmer, deceased)
ABode: Gorthbrack

Party 2 Name HANNAH SWEENEY
Fatehr: Anthony Sweeney (farmer)
Abode: Jellagh

Witnesses: James & Rose Conway

Date of Event 05 March 1910
Group Registration ID 1998576
SR District/Reg Area Westport

sorry I missed that . My grandfathers name was James Keane

Peter in 1911:

Ireland Census 1911 Transcription
Townland/Street Gortbrack, South
District electoral division Ballycroy, North
County Mayo

Peter Conway Head of Family Married 45 1866 Farmer Co Mayo
Hannah Conway Wife Married 34 1877 Co Mayo
James Conway Son Single 0 1911 Co Mayo
Catherine Conway Sister Single 65 1846 Co Mayo
Ellen Calvey Lodger Widowed 86 1825 Co Mayo