Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Annie Burke

Looking back over my blog I realised I missed one of John and Mary's thirteen children. The missing one is Annie Burke. Annie was baptised on April 11th 1872, the fifth-born child. At a young age she went to work in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary with her second cousin, a Mrs. McGrath, who ran a grocery, bar and Post Office business. After a period working in a hotel she rented a premises at No. 2 Upper William St. in Limerick City where she operated a bar. She eventually married her landlord, John O’Donnell, who ran the City Saddlery next door on July 31st 1910. John was almost 30 years her senior and was a widower with a large grown-up family. Annie and himself went on to have three children of their own, Maureen (who died at the age of 5), Eileen and Nancy. John died in April 1929 and Annie in November 1942. They are both buried in Mount St. Lawrence Cemetery in Limerick City.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

A visit to Capard House

Last weekend, I visited Capard House, the home of the Pigott family who were the landlords of The Burkes of Kilmacow before they bought out their farm under the Land Acts of the late 1800s. The contents of the house are being auctioned this month as the house has been sold. The house is located on an elevated site near the village of Rosenallis, Co. Laois (about a two hour drive from Kilmacow) with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside.

Capard House

The view from an upstairs bedroom.

The rear of the house

Mary and myself at the from door!