Edmond CAREY [Parents] was born about 1897 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. He married Catherine FAHY.

Edmond ran a farm in Soloheadbeg.

Note: It seems that by the time Edmond and his siblings had reached adulthood, the family's surname had evolved from 'Carew' into 'Carey'.

Catherine FAHY was born in Crossayle, Cappawhite, Co. Tipperary. She died date unknown. Catherine married Edmond CAREY.

John SHANAHAN was born about 1820 in poss Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. He died in prob Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. John married Catherine WOULFE.

A BIG "THANK YOU" GOES TO TOM STACK FROM ENNIS FOR PROVIDING SO MUCH OF THE INFORMATION BELOW ON THE SHANAHANS.

Not much is known about John, or if he had siblings, although it's thought his family came from the townland of Kilbaha in the parish of Newtownsandes (renamed Moyvane in 1939), Co. Kerry. There's a possibility that John had a brother called James because there's a 1901 census return for a James Shanahan of Kilbaha West, (where John's son, Richard, farmed). James was aged 80 and a widower. There's also a Griffiths Valuation entry (December 1851) for a James and a John Shanahan in Kilbaha West who jointly leased about 56 acres from Charles L. Sandes.

In the course of my research I have come across references to an Edmund Shanahan who was born in Kilbaha, Newtownsandes in 1841. Given Edmund's year of birth and the year of birth of the wife of John Shanahan above (about 1830), it's unlikely Edmund was a son of John, but it is possible they were related given the common surname and townland of birth. Edmund's story is therefore worth noting here:

Edmund became a Presentation brother, entering the novitiate at the South Monastery, Cork, in 1860 and taking Austin as his name in religion. Br. Austin became principal teacher in the South Monastery and in 1871 he was elected Superior of that school. From 1871 to 1874 he was very involved in the building of St. Joseph's Industrial School in Greenmount in Cork, and later, in 1880, he took charge of St. Vincent's School in Dartford, Kent, turning around its fortunes. Returning to Cork in 1882, he was once again elected Superior of the South Monastery. In 1889 Br. Austin was elected one of the four Assistants to the first Superior General of the Presentation order. In the late 1880s and early 1890s he travelled extensively in the United States, Australia and New Zealand collecting money to build a new novitiate at Mount St. Joseph in Cork. Br. Austin died on 24 October 1902 and is buried in the vault in the South Monastery.

The Shanahan surname is common throughout Munster and the south-east. The Shanahans were a sept of Thomond, an area which covered much of north Munster, but in 1318 they were expelled from the Sixmilebridge area of Co. Clare by Turlough O'Brien and the McNamaras. They were scattered throughout Munster, especially in counties Limerick, Cork and Waterford.

Catherine WOULFE was born about 1830. She died in prob Kilbaha, Newtownsandes (Moyvane), Co. Kerry. Catherine married John SHANAHAN.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to come up with any information on the Woulfe family. Presumably, given that rural people tended to marry into local families in 19th century Ireland, the Woulfes may have came from the general area of Newtownsandes (now Moyvane), Co. Kerry. I have come across an Ellis Island record (on www.ellisisland.org) for a Mary Woulfe of Newtownsandes who arrived in New York, aged 24, in May 1912. Perhaps Catherine was connected to Mary's family. On the ship manifest, Mary's father's name is given as Pat Woulfe of Newtownsandes. Travelling with Mary was her brother, Thomas, aged 24. Both were headed for Pittsburg where an aunt, a "Mrs. Sheehan" was living.

Another possibility is that our Woulfe family might have come from the Athea area of west Limerick where the Woulfe name is common. Athea is only a few miles from Moyvane/Newtownsandes.   

The Woulfe surname is generally quite common in west Limerick and in Kerry, Clare and Cork. The name is an anglicised form of 'de Bhulbh', the name of an Anglo-Norman family that settled in counties Limerick and Kildare.

Joseph NOLAN was born in prob Ballylongford, Co. Kerry. He married Catherine HEALY (Caution: not verified).

I'm told our Nolan family came from Leanamore (also spelled Lenamore), Ballylongford, Co. Kerry. However Griffiths Valuation (1848 to 1864) has no Nolans listed as occupying land in Leanamore, indicating that Joseph may have been born elsewhere. But by the time of the birth of his daughter Sarah (December 1864) he was farming in Leanamore.

The only Nolans listed by Griffiths for Aghavallan (equivalent to today's parish of Ballylongford) were the following:
Cornelius (Aghanagran Lower)
Patrick (Ballymacasy)
Timothy (Killelton)
Perhaps one of the above was Joseph's father.

The 1901 census returns were checked for Nolan households in Leanamore but none were found. Perhaps the family had dispersed by then. There was only one Nolan household in Ballylongford listed in the 1901 census, that of Tom Nolan in the townland of Tullahennell. Could Tom have been related to Joseph?

The Nolan surname is very common throughout Ireland, especially in the south-east. It's strongly liked to the Carlow area where it's an anglicised form of O Nualláin. The prevalence of the name in Mayo and Galway is explained by the migration of a branch of the Carlow family there in the sixteenth century. There was also a separate Ó hUallacháin family from west Cork, whose name was anglicised as Nolan. Could Joseph have been a descendant of these west Cork Nolans?

Catherine HEALY (Caution: not verified) married Joseph NOLAN.

Catherine and her husband, Joseph Nolan, may have had more children than those listed below.

We know Catherine's name from the birth certificate of her daughter Sarah.

Prior to locating Sarah's birth certificate I had thought Joseph Nolan's wife's name might have been Johanna Cox because a birth certificate had been located for a Catherine Nolan (our Joseph Nolan also had a daughter named Catherine) born in Ballylongford on 15 November 1866 to a Joseph Nolan and a Johanna Cox. This Catherine was born in the townland of Ballymacasy, not far from Leanamore. However given that Sarah was born in Leanamore, where we know Joseph farmed, it seems much more likely that our Joseph was married to Catherine Healy rather than Johanna Cox.  

Healy is a very common surname throughout Ireland. For the most part, those bearing the Healy name today are descended from one of two Irish families, the Ó hEilidhe (from the Irish word "eilidhe" meaning "claimant") originally from south-east Sligo, and the Ó hEaladaighthe (from the Irish word "ealadhach" meaning "ingenious") from the parish of Donoghmore in Co. Cork. Given that Cork borders Kerry, I imagine Catherine may have been a descendant of the Donoghmore Healys.

Robert (Bob) STACK [Parents] died 20 Nov 1957 and was buried in Knockanure Cemetery, Co. Kerry. He married Ellen (Ellie) SHANAHAN.

Ellie and Bob farmed in Drommuher, Moyvane. It's thought Bob was from Drommuher.

Ellen (Ellie) SHANAHAN [Parents] was born 1893 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died 19 Apr 1991 and was buried in Ahavoher Cemetery, Gale Bridge, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. Ellen married Robert (Bob) STACK.

Michael (Mick) HANRAHAN [Parents] was born about 1891 in poss Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. He died 11 Jun 1967 and was buried in Ahavoher Cemetery, Gale Bridge, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. Michael married Bridget SHANAHAN.

Mick was also known as "Mickeen John Paddy" (because his father was John and his grandfather was Paddy). He was well known in the area for his ability to cure ringworm, this knowledge apparently having been passed down to him by his father. When people would come to him with ringworm, he would apply to the skin a mixture made up mostly of unsalted butter, but nobody knows what he put into the butter to make the cure.

Bridget SHANAHAN [Parents] was born 7 Apr 1895 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died 4 Feb 1949 and was buried in Murher Cemetery, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. Bridget married Michael (Mick) HANRAHAN.

Bridget was only about 51 years of age when she died.

John (Jack) HUGHES was born about 1893 in prob. Monemore, Solohead. He died 1983. John married Maria (Mary Ann) CAREY.

John was from Monemore, Solohead.

Maria (Mary Ann) CAREY [Parents] was born about 1900 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. She died 1981. Maria married John (Jack) HUGHES.

Michael DAVOREN died date unknown. He married Anne (Annie) MORAHAN.

Anne (Annie) MORAHAN [Parents] was born 1910 in Seapoint, Barna, Co. Galway. She died date unknown. Anne married Michael DAVOREN.

Annie was the eldest in the family. She lived in Galway and worked in health care.