MICHAEL CLEARY 1801 - 1866

OF ANGLESBORO

COUNTY LIMERICK, IRELAND.

Gleann na gCreabhar (Glen of the Woodcock) was renamed Anglesboro by our British mates when they blazed a path under the Galtees.  Mr Oliver Cromwell paid a personal visit.  The Clearys have been there for a very long time. 

TITHE RECORDS

Tithe records indicate that in 1830 Michael and Patrick Cleary occupied 39 acres in Knockma on the Boro Road adjoining the stone cabin below. It was thatched, well into the 1900s. Patrick also held fields (15 acres) in Knockma. William Cleary held fields in Upper Behinagh (4 acres), Kilbehenny (8 acres) and Carrigeen Mountain (25 acres).

By the late 1840s the 39 acre field (now in two lots) was in the name of William Cleary.

The Cleary cabin backs on to the Boro Road and stands at the southern end of the Cleary field.

The following Cleary inscriptions were identified in the Kilbeheny graveyard by Rev Wallace Clare in 1954. The inscriptions are now almost impossible to read.

William Cleary - memory of father John Cleary of Beehenagh who died 24th June 1813, aged 54 years. His daughter Margaret January 3rd 1820 aged 22 years.

I found this inscription in the Kilbehenny cemetery when I was there in 1973. Is he the William Cleary who farmed the Cleary field under Knockmagh?

 

John Cleary in the foreground and Patrick beneath the leaning stone behind the white stone.

 

Patrick Cleary Erected by Thomas Cleary in memory of Patrick Cleary of Loughaun also his wife Johanna. His brother John died April 2, 1832 aged 35.

I didn't find this inscription, but the Rev Wallace recorded it in the 1950s.

Michael Cleary and Mary Martin - 1829

Michael Cleary married Mary Martin on 2 March 1829 in the parish of Galbally - presumably in the Anglesboro church. The witnesses were Michael Martin and James O'Donell. On 14 April 1830 the couple baptised their first child, MARGARET, with Laurence O'Brien and Alice Mansfield acting as witnesses.

On 22 September 1831 another child, JOHANNA, was baptised, with Patrick McGrath and Mary Condon the godparents.

Sons Denis and John

At least two sons, Denis (Dinny), born around 1834 and John (Sean) born around 1841, followed. I've been unable to find records for these births, however both men listed Michael Cleary and Mary Martin as their parents on their marriage certificates in Australia.

In 1856, at age 26, Michael Cleary and Mary Martin's daughter Margaret married Edmond Casey.  Edmond Casey (Skeheenarinky) and his son Patrick of Anglesboro (died Dec  1939) can be found in the newer Mitchelstown cemetery. There is no mention of Margaret on the stone, and although the date is about right I am not certain these are the right Caseys. I suspect they are.

Local land records suggest Margaret and Edmund eventually occupied the Cleary cabin, which was until recently occupied by Billy Casey, a direct descendant of Michael Cleary. The Caseys were a well known local family, related to Val Noone, former Melbourne editor of the Irish-Australian magazine, Táin.  During the Famine, Edmund Casey and William Cleary were among a collection of people who donated to the local relief fund. Their contribution was 10 shillings each.

Looking towards Knockaceol - Hill of the Music. The original 39-acre Cleary field runs from the bottom left of the photo along the boro road for about 450 yards. The borheen running to the pit marks its northern boundary.

Michael Cleary marries Mary O'Leary - 1843

Without the emigration of Mary Cleary to Australia I'd not have known about Michael Cleary's second marriage. It was an established fact in the family that Mary was a sister and her wedding certificate - June 1882 - identifies Michael Cleary as her father and Mary Leary as her mother. Mary left Plymouth on 12 November 1881, two months after the death of her half brother John Cleary, in Australia and was married in his farmhouse.

The children from the O'Leary marriage were Honora (1844), Patrick (1845), William (1853) and Daniel and Mary (1855). Nora married James Hannigan in 1872 and produced James, Michael, Patrick, Mary, Daniel and Denis (Donncadh OAhannigain) between 1872 and 1887.

THE 1850s

In the 1850s the Cleary neighbours included John and Margaret Condon (95 acres that took in a part of the mountain), John Allen - whose 31 acres ran in a narrow strip between the Clearys and the Condons - and the Howards - William, Edmund and John - whose fields adjoined the Condons on the right-hand edge of the mountain.

Research by a relative of Michael Daly suggests that Daly - who occupied a field with William Cleary in the late 1840s and held another 31 acres behind the Cleary fields - emigrated to Tasmania in 1854. (See history menu). His land appears to have been taken over by John Allen in the 1850s. David Condon's 8-acre field appears to have adjoined Daly's (later Allen's) northern field.

Baurnagurrahy; birthplace of republican Liam Lynch.         The Cleary cabin is about two hundred metres south of Lackendarragh on the Boro Rd.

The following parish records provide an insight into filial connections on the Boro road.   If you have any stories or think you might be connected please email me philcleary@bigpond.com

PARISH OF GALBALLY

March 2nd 1829 

Michael Cleary and Mary Martin.

Witness Michael Martin and James O'Donnell.

PARISH OF KILBEHENNY

Margaret of Michael Cleary and Mary Martin - farmers Borough.Sponsors Laurence O'Brien and Alice Mansfield.

Johanna of Michael Cleary and Mary Martin - farmers Monaeerherine (sic).Sps Patrick McGrath and Mary Condon.

 

PARISH OF KILBEHENY

16  February 1844

Honora of Michael Cleary and Mary Leary.

Sps John Heffernan and Catherine Condon.

This Honora married James Hannigan in Anglesborough on 25/1/1872. (witnesses Daniel Cleary and Ellen Cleary) and had among her children, Donncadh O’Hannigan (leader of the East Limerick Flying Column) and Donal who also fought in the War of Independence.

After the truce O'Hannigan took the side of the Free State but was never happy fighting the same men he'd commanded against the British.  Not long after IRA man Dannie Shinnick was killed in a failed ambush attempt on his unit near Anglesboro, O'Hannigan handed in his uniform. In 2002, Limerick County Councillor and Ballylanders publican, John Gallahue, received permission from O'Hannigan's daughter, Sister Carmel O'Hannigan, for a plaque to be placed outside O'hannigan's house on the Boro Road.

A fluent Irish speaker, O'Hannigan was a legend around the Galtees and forthright in his criticism of republicans who didn't know their Irish Gaelic. 

22nd March 1844  

Pat of Michael Heffernan and Ellen Condon.

Sps Michael Cleary and Honora Lewis .

1st November 1845

Patrick Cleary of Michael Cleary and Mary Leary.

Sps Michael O'Brien and Ann O'Donnell.

Looking south along the Cleary field towards the Condon fields. The old Cleary house is behind the clump of trees.

Dear Mr. Cleary,

I will need to return to find more information regarding my family's O'Leary / Leary members. All I have found to date is that Johanna Leary (Hannah O'Leary) was born about 1829 in Ballyfauskeen / Ballyfaskeen. Her parents appear to be Daniel (O')Leary and Mary McCary. As I recall from my notes, Daniel's father was John O'Leary. This may be erroneous. The witnesses at my greatgrandfather's (John Flynn), birth / baptism in Ballylanders was Nell Leary along with a Thomas Riordan. I have assumed to date that Nell was Hannah's sister. It seems my Flynn family were settled in Cullane at the time of the Griffiths valuation but I haven't found them after this time. As I said, there is a long way to go yet and it will require a return. Please feel free to let me know if you are familiar with any of these Learys. It could be a big help to me. Many thanks and best wishes, Phil.

Mark S. Flynn Garretson
PO Box 650
Kathleen, FL 33849
U.S.A.

22nd September 1850

Michael of Patrick Cleary and Mary Clancy.

Sps Michael Broderick and Margaret O'Brien.

21st April 1851

Michael of Michael Cleary and Mary Leary.

Sps Mary O`Brien and ...... Riordan.

2nd June 1853

William of Michael Cleary and Mary Leary.

Sps Denis Lahiff and Ally Massey.

9th February 1855

Daniel of Michael Cleary and Mary O'Leary (sic).

Sps Thomas Condon and Margaret ?

10th

Mary of same parents, Anglesboro.

Sps John Cleary and Mary O'Brien.

14th November 1856

Michael of Patrick Fitzgibbon and Joanna Clohesy.

Sps William and Mary Laughton (sic)

7th April 1858

William of Michael  Gorman (sic) and Honora Walsh.

Sps William and Catherine Cleary (Michael Gorman listed in Ballynatona).