Bridget Downey

 

Bridget 's husband Patrick had to leave due to fear of losing their farm and went to Boston, MA, USA in 1900. He died of a stroke 2 June 1901. 

Mary their oldest daughter had gone to America and went to Boston from New York to bring her father back with her but found he had died.Bridget was expecting their 12 child, She gave birth 3 July 1901 to a son named after his father.

There was a month before he was buried in Danver, MA.  due to finding a plot as money was the problem from what was leanrned. Another man is buried below him.  103 years later a Irish American greatgrandson Bill Nicthern's wife Kate located his grave which was unmarked. They let the families in Ireland, New Zealand and USA know of this grave. Money was colleted and a nice stone was placed on Patrick's grave. Bridge is buried in Holy Trinity Cemetery in Durrow, Co. Laois with her Downey family. Her brother a priest placed a big stone at the graves with name of the family members. Briget's cousin was Archbishop Richard Downey who helped build the Liverpool, England Catherdral.

Bridget Downey was born to Richard Downey and Margaret Kelly in Raheenleigh, Co. Laois in 1856.
She married Patrick Holland 5 February 1880 in Abbeyleix, Co. Leix.
They raised their family of 12 children at Foulkscourt, Johnston, Co. Kilkenny. Two sons went to New Zealand, three daughters moved to New York, and the other children remained in Ireland where they married and raised their children. One son Jermaiah took over the farm after his parents deaths. His sone Patrick age 90 lived in a new house on the Foulkscourt farm. The old house was small that shltered such a large family it has been torn now.