| |
Irish
Roots Rediscovered
This
is the ancestral home of Patrick Daly, Eatonville resident Louis Daly
Brown's great-grandfather. The semi-abandoned home is in Mayo close to the
border of County Galway in Ireland. The recent owner, Margaret Daly, was
very ill and was cared for by neighbors who were deeded the Daly property in
payment. (photo by Lois Daly Brown)
The folloing is an excerpt from the book “Sylane
National School – 150 the Anniversary.”
From the forward by Martin Tierney: "A chance meeting
between Martin Tierney (committee member) and Lois Brown one evening last
May resulted in the this entry for the book. While Martin was out strolling
one evening in Doogara, Lois and company came along asking for directions to
the ruins of her ancestral home. Martin was able to pinpoint the spot for
her and after an ensuing conversation, discovered that her grandfather was a
one-time pupil of Sylane National School! Lois recounts her love for
Ireland and her pride in her Irish roost in the following article."
Lois
Visits the Emerald Isle
by Lois Daly Brown
It was a quiet, warm day when I stepped out of the
car onto the soil of my Grandfather's home. I did not want to talk,
just breathe in the air and hear the sounds that maybe he had heard so long
ago. It was a new feeling, peaceful and one of belonging and being
home.
I loved my grandfather and his stories, and
enjoyed many rich years in his company. I can almost see him going off
to school, a small imp, the youngest of 11 or maybe more. I am sure he
could handle himself pretty well even though he was small. I often
wonder what it would have been like to lose your mother when you were just
13 and leaving your home for a new world and new life. I wonder why he
never returned for a visit and never looked back once he left Ireland. I
made this trip for him as well as for me, and feel so close to the land
where he was born. I think he would be pleased.
James Patrick Daly was a loving,
hardworking man and a joy to his grandchildren. He had a thick Irish
Brogue that he never lost, and had so many special stories about the
"Little People" and the "pookah" which he delighted in
telling. He called Potato chips-Badeda chips and had to have some on hand
most of the time. He could have potatoes at all three meals and be very
happy. I called him Curly even though he had only a few wisps of white
straight hair when I knew him. He had a full head of auburn hair as a
young man.
He came to America around 1888 or 1889 and
landed on the west coast. He went to Sacramento and was met by a
relative named Margaret Norton and her husband, Thomas Norton. They
signed his citizenship papers and he stayed with them for a time. At some
point in time it is told that James and Thomas Norton bought a small boat
and headed for Alaska to search for gold.
They made it as far as Lake Union in the
Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington and the boat sunk. James stayed in
Washington and Thomas apparently went back to his family in California. It
is not known at this time if Margaret was a sister or aunt (still working on
that). James met Ann Wickman in the small town of Orting, Washington. They
were married and settled down in the Puyallup Valley area where they lived
most of their lives. They had four children and all have passed on.
There are many descendants living in Washington
State at this time. James was a shingle weaver most of his young life and
after he retired he bought homes, repaired them and sold then throughout the
town of Puyallup, Washington. He was a self-made craftsman, and did some
lovely repairs and remodeling of the homes, then sold them for a good
profit. Anna, his wife, died of breast cancer at the age of 77. James
spent the remainder of his life with either his son Clair or his daughter
Margaret Olson. They are buried side by side with their daughter
Margaret in the Woodbine Cemetery in Puyallup, Washington.
I do not have too much information on
the other children who went to the school except for two. John Joseph Daly
came to America and eventually owned and ran a large farm in Connecticut. He
had two children but no grandchildren. Michael Daly worked in the U.S. Post
Office until he retired. He had several children. Only one survives at
this date, and is still living in New Jersey. I have recently discovered
Peter and his wife had lived here in New Jersey for many years. They
had nine boys and only two lived to be adults. They never married and
there are no grandchildren. I am still researching that branch."
Another view of the Daly home in Ireland. Lois Daly Brown says,
"Seems I am lucky to have all the information that I have about the
Daly family. My information dates to the 1700s which is very good for middle
class Irish families. " Neighbors told Brown a man committed suicide by
hanging himself in the old house, but his identity is a mystery.
(photo by Lois Daly Brown)
Footnote: From
“Emigrant Online” November 14, 2002 –“ Galway School Hopes to
Set Record…Sylane National School, near Tuam, is hoping to prove this week
that it is the oldest school building in the country in continuous use as a
learning center. The school is one hundred and fifty years old this year,
and a stone in the principal’s room carries the date the foundations were
laid in 1852. This room is still used for classes, and if the Department of
Education’s records are correct, this ensures that Sylane can take the
title. A two-day celebration is due to take place this week to mark the
school’s anniversary and they are hoping to have an extra cause for
celebration verified.”
Back
to Top
Back to
Front Page
|
|
"Pity
the poor kids who grow up in a big city. They miss the little things that
made growing up in a small town, ah, so wonderful."
~Tom Morrow
|
|
