I am looking to connect with anyone from Ballyorgan. On New Years Eve 1919, over a century ago, Kate O'Keeffe wrote a letter to her brother William who was living in Brooklyn NY. He became a world record holding runner. He was my paternal grandfather. I have the letter, which is full of news of residents of Ballyorgan in 1919 and I thought their descendants might be interested. I am visiting Ireland from the US this summer.
Hi Maureen!
We do not have a volunteer for Kilflyn parish.
There is a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ballyorgancommunity ; for the Ballyorgan Community. You may want to send a message and see if they have a suggestion for how to share your letter.
Roger McDonnell
Hi MaureenPat
I am a volunteer with IrelandXO, originally from the parish of Glenroe & Ballyorgan so I will be happy to help you to research this. Also if you need help to plan your visit I will be happy to help. I see there was a Kate O'Dea nee O'Keeffe living in Ballyorgan in 1911. She would have been almost 70 in 1919. She was born in the townland of Ballydonohoe near Ballyorgan in 1860 and her brother William was born in 1864. Does that sound right? I also have images of Valuation Office records that might help us to identify the house they lived in and I know some people in the community that might have more information.
You can contact me by email if you wish.
Regards
Tim (darragh@IrelandXO.com}
Further to what I wrote above, I have identified the location of the house occupied by Andrew O'Dea and Kate O'Keeffe up to the 1930's. It is still standing but direlict and is located on the Ballydonohoe road which runs close to Ballyorgan village. The property was inherited by Kate from her father William O'Keeffe around 1906 according to the Valuation Office record. Their son William (B:1901) inherited it for a time but it was transfereed to a John Sheedy in 1945 followed by a John Hayes in 1957. I am not clear on whether these people had any relationship to Andrew and Kate. I can't discuss anybody who is potentially still alive on this bulletin board so please contact me by email.
Also just to correct a typo above, Kate would have been 59 in 1919.
Regards
Tim (darragh@IrelandXO.com)
Hi Tim, Thank you for such a fast and great reply, this is very exciting. I will email you tomorrow when I have a chance to be at my computer (rather than my phone) and I can get some more information together. I have had this letter from Kate addressed to my great grandfather William O'Keeffe framed and on a wall in my living room for years. Kate listed her return address as Ballydonohoe, Ballyorgan. There seem to be a few William O'Keeffe's so I want to be sure I get it straight. Our William O'Keeffe was a runner and I have a picture of him with his trophies. I will try to attach a picture. I will email you tomorrow and please accept my enthusiastic thanks, you have me very interested! thanks Maureen