19. Thomas Joseph TREACY (Thomas , John , 'unknown' ) was born 13 Apr 1881 in Murgasty, Co. Tipperary and was christened about 13 Apr 1881 in Tipperary. He died 13 Apr 1969 in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary and was buried in New Cemetery, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary.

The sponsors at Thomas's baptism was Sarah Carew, probably his aunt. There was no other sponsor listed on the baptismal record.

Thomas began his career working at a gasworks in Tipperary town; according to the 1911 census he was a "gas account collector". Prior to his marriage in 1915, he became manager of the gasworks in Carrick-on-Suir (located on the Quay). Eventually he bought the Carrick gasworks.

Thomas married Ellen O'SULLIVAN, daughter of James (Big Jim) SULLIVAN and Julia DOODY, on 12 Jan 1915 in Church of S.S. Peter And Paul, Cork. Ellen was born 24 Oct 1887 in Glynn, Mourneabbey, Co. Cork and was christened 25 Oct 1887 in Analeentha Church, Mourneabbey, Co. Cork. She died 18 Sep 1972 in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary and was buried in New Cemetery, Carrick-on-Suir.

According to information from the Mallow Heritage Centre, the sponsors at Ellen's baptism were Cornelius Sweeney and Julia Curtin. It's believed Cornelius Sweeney was a neighbour of the Sullivans and it's thought he was married to one of Caheraveelane Sullivans who were related to Ellen. A granddaughter of Cornelius would later marry Ellen's brother Denis. Julia Curtin, the second sponsor, had been a neighbour of the Sullivans when they lived in Ballyknockane. Julia would later marry Sean O'Looney; they emigrated to the United States and had 12 children. Valuable information on the Sullivan family, for which I'm very grateful, came in November 2003 from 96-year-old Patrick, known as Pats, Curtin, a nephew of Julia's who lived in Ballyknockane with one of his daughters. Sadly Pats died in September 2004.

It's thought Ellen, who was also known as Nellie, had some domestic training and subsequently became a parlour maid. I'm told she met her husband, Thomas Treacy, in Tipperary town where they were both working (Thomas worked at the gasworks in the town). Based on this information I believe I have located a 1911 census record for Ellen. An Ellen Sullivan, aged 24 (although our Ellen was actually 23 years of age at the time of the census) and born in Co. Cork, was working as a parlour maid at the home of law agent George Hugh Chetwood Townsend in Cordangan, just a couple of miles south of Tipperary town. It was a large house and, along with Ellen, six other servants are listed.

However according to Ellen's marriage certificate, her residence at the time (January 1915) was Lavitt's Quay, Cork but it's not known how she came to live in Cork after apparently having met Thomas. She did have an uncle, Mike Doody, who was living on Lavitt's Quay at the time of the 1911 census. Perhaps he was still there in 1911 and she was staying with him or working for him?

Ellen - or perhaps Thomas, her husband - was somehow related to a Hewitt family which included Patrick (1897-1979), a Holy Ghost priest who did missionary work in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), his brother James (1900-1974), a Holy Ghost brother who worked at Blackrock College in Dublin as a ground staff supervisor, and their sister Biddy who married a J.J. Healy and lived in Carrick-on-Suir. Other relatives of Ellen or Thomas included a couple who lived on or near Flamborough Head in Yorkshire in the 1940s. All we know of this couple is that the husband was in the merchant navy. Further information would be most welcome.   

22. Nicholas TREACY (Thomas , Nicholas , 'unknown' ) was born about 22 Sep 1875 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary and was christened 22 Sep 1875 in Solohead, Co. Tipperary. He died 26 Apr 1959 and was buried in Kilfeacle, Co. Tipperary.

Sponsors at Nicholas's baptism were Thomas McGrath and Johanna Treacy.

It's known Nicholas was related to our Treacys although the exact relationship isn't certain. What is certain is that Thomas Treacy (1881-1969) had a cousin named Nicholas Treacy and that he was NOT a first cousin. It's also known that Thomas's first cousin Seán Treacy (1895-1920) had a cousin named Nicholas Treacy (see next paragraph), who is definitely our Nicolas above, but it's not known what type of cousin he was. It's possible Nicholas was a second cousin of Thomas and Seán, i.e., it's possible Nicholas's Treacy grandfather, also named Nicholas, and John, the grandfather of Thomas and Seán, were brothers.

In Desmond Ryan's book, "Seán Treacy and the Third Tipperary Brigade IRA" (1945), there's mention of "Seán's cousin, Nicholas Treacy", who was involved in plans to rescue Seán from jail in Dundalk in 1918. Seán and two other IRA prisoners were on hunger strike but called it off when their demands were met. As a result the rescue mission was called off.

According to a family source, Thomas Treacy's cousin Nicholas (who may be Nicholas above) lived on a small farm next to the Carey farm in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary.

Nicholas married Joanna (Josie) RYAN, daughter of Joseph RYAN and Maria (Mary) COUGHLAN, on 27 Feb 1922 in Annacarty Church, Co. Tipperary. Joanna was born about 1892 in probably Carhue, Dundrum, Co. Tipperary. She died 13 Apr 1933 and was buried in Kilfeacle, Co. Tipperary.

Helen Stapleton from Australia has a little more information on Josie's family as Helen's husband's grandmother Hanorah Ryan (born in Co. Tipperary in 1872) was a cousin of Josie Treacy (née Ryan) of Soloheadbeg, wife of Nicholas Treacy. Josie's father's name was Joseph and Helen tells us that his father's name was John whose father was Lawrence whose mother was Sarah Dwyer. Sarah's father was Edmond Dwyer who was possibly from Carhue, near Dundrum, in Co. Tipperary. Sarah had a sister named Alice who also married a Ryan. A great-grandson of Alice's was Brendan Bracken (1901-1958) who was a close friend of Winston Churchill and was appointed Minister of Information during World War II.

Marriage Notes:

Witnesses were James Walsh and Mary O'Mahony (probably Josie's sister).