Tom Fitzgerald, Bruff, and Michael Hannan, Lough Gur, emigrated to Boston c. 1850. Their children, John Francis Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannan (1865 - 1964) married in 1889. Their first-born was Rose, later to be Rose Kennedy (1890 - 1993). THE HONEY FITZ was the local school from 1854 until 1966. Since then it has been a centre for communal functions, drama being to the fore. Works by Yeats, Synge, Murray, McCarthy, Keane, Farrell, Friel, etc. etc. have been presented over the years.
A refurbishment was completed in 1994 and in October of that year, Jean Kennedy-Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, did the official re-opening , re-naming it in honour of her grandfather. Thus it became 'The Honey Fitz Theatre' and we raised the roof with "Sweet Adeline", his rallying song.
