Keane of Kilnamona
Andrew Keane and Mary (Keane) Brody & their families Andrew and Bridgid Keane Andrew (b. 1900) emigrated to US in 1921, aged 21 (see Ellis Island records). Pat was to inherit the Ballyashea farm but having decided to take up an army career following Irish independence, he invited Andrew to return to home farm instead (note: Mary, John and Martin were still living at home). Andrew returned permanently to Ireland in 1922 after exactly one year in the U.S, and in 1926 married Bridgid Callaghan (b. 1898) from Cloonanaha (a district situated between Inagh and Mount Callan (see 1901 census, Bridgid as a three year old child was then residing with the Wynne family, Carrowkeel West)). Bridgid was a sister to John Callaghan (b. 1895) a captain in the mid-Clare old IRA activists (see IRA company photo reproduced in the Pat Keane page). Andrew and Bridgid had five in family. An easy going person with a gentle sense of humour, Andrew in later years suffered from the ill effects of T.B. first contracted while in the US. After a long, debilitating illness, he died in November 1951 at the relatively young age of 51. Bridgid survived him by 37 years, dying in 1988 aged almost 90 years. Andrew and Bridgid Keane's family Mary Anne; Mary Anne (b. Nov. 1928) trained as a psychiatric nurse in Ennis until her marriage to Tom Connors and now lives in Inagh. They have five in family and grandchildren:- T.G., Marie, Una, Niamh. Drewie (Andrew; b. 1930): inherited the home farm in Ballyashea and married to Mary Ann O'Keeffe (b. 1934), of Toureen East, Kilnamona (a daughter of Jack O'Keeffe and Minnie (nee O'Dea, sister of Bridget, wife of Pat; see O'Dea). A raconteur and story teller, Drewie, having a 'grass roots' knowledge of local issues and voting patterns, has been a life-long Kilnamona delegate to the Clare Comhairle Dáil Ceanntair (Clare branch) of the Fíanna Fáil party. Mary Ann died in August, 2013. Martin (b. 1932) lives in Dublin and married (1960) Joan Cronin, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick. They have six in family (see below). Following an initial training period in Dublin, he was posted to the Met Office in Shannon Airport where he remained for about 22 years. Promoted Senior Meteorological Officer in 1974, he served in turn as Head of the Synoptic Weather Station at Malin Head, Training Officer at Casemont Aerodrome and Station Inspector in the Climate Division. In the mid-1980's he was appointed Principal Meteorological Officer in the Irish Meteorological Service (now Met Éireann) responsible for staff relations of the organization's station network and corresponding effective liaision with the parent Government Department. Retiring in September 1994 after 42 years of service, Martin has continued to be an active and energetic person in Golf and Bridge circles(e.g. he oversaw building and raising money a large Bridge Centre in Templeogue, Dublin, and continued in the subsequent administration of the club). Martin and Joan's family are as follows Nuala, Brian, Claire, Niall, Dermot and Colm:-  The Keane's on Colm's wedding day, October 18, 2002. From left: Claire, Dermot, Joan, Niall, Colm, Brian, Martin and Nuala. Martha (b. 1938!) married to Pat Hehir, Maghera, Inagh with sons Noel (b.63), Michael (b.64) and Kierin, and daughters Kathleen and Brid.
____________________________________________________________________________ John and Mary Brody
Mary
(b. 1895) stayed on in the Ballyashea home while the
family was being depleted due to emmigration and her mother's death in 1920.
In 1925 she married John (Johnsie) Brody (b. 1886), Caherbanna, Kilnamona. Johnsie had been a
skillful hurler in his youth, playing an important part (in goal) with the
famous parish team in Kilnamona when in their peak form in the
first decade of the 1900's. They won the county championships on several
occasions. (Johnsie's brother Mick Brody played on the Clare
team with distinction during that period). The
Brody family had been herders for the local Landlord Crowe in Caherbannagh and
John (Johnsie) and Mary's family
Rita (b. 1927) married (1957) to Patrick Keatinge; lived
and farmed in
Corofin, later retiring to Ruane; they had no family.
____________________________________________________________________________ latest update March 2014 |
Johnsie obtained a fertile holding in the divide of this land in the early twentieth
century. In the late 1940's, a legal dispute arose between he and his brother
Paddy over a right of way on the brother's newly acquired land - an agreed accommodation was reached at the urging of the
courts. Although times were frugal during the extended years of economic depression (1930's -1940's),
Mary was generous and vibrant, enjoyed participating
in social activity, and the family hosted their share of Christmas 'wrenboy' dances.
Johnsie and Mary had four in
family. Johnsie
died in 1962 and Mary died in 1974.