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Edward Mulrooney and Margaret McCarthy

AntrimAntrim (Antrim)

Hello. My grand uncle Edward Mulrooney married and Antrim woman Margaret McCarthy on October 1900. They lived in Belfast for about 15 years before he was transferred to Dublin where he was killed in an ambush in 1921. He was head constable in the RIC. They didn't have any children. I wonder would any one know the McCarthy family descendants and whether a photo of Edward remained in the family. Or any information about him, his family and his father Patrick. Margaret's parents were James McCarthy and Elisabeth Brunton. James was from Kilkenny and died in Antrim in 1912. He was also in the RIC.

Conor Mulrooney

6 replies

The informant for James’ death in 1912 was his daughter Mary McMahon of Main St, Arklow. This looks like her in the 1911 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Wicklow/Arklow_Urban_No__1/Lower_Main_Street/894728/

This couple were married around 1897. Daughter Elizabeth Mary McMahon  looks to have been born in Stirling in 1898. GROS ref 490/162. I can’t see where the parents married but it should be recorded on their daughter’s Scottish birth certificate. David, Mary & Elizabeth look to have been living in Woodside, Aberdeen, in the 1901 Scottish census.

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search-our-records

Edward & Margaret Mulrooney in the 1901 & 1911 Irish censuses:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Windsor/Lisburn…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ormeau/Deramore_Avenue/211325/

You could try the RIC Board to see if they have any additional information on the 2 former members, especially about the 1921 ambush

https://irishconstabulary.com

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Elwyn. The McMahon link is very interesting and I will follow that up. Edward's father Patrick was also in the RIC and he had a second family after the death of Edward's mother. It seems that three of his daughters moved to Antrim. One of the daughters Anne Mulrooney married a Galway man who was stationed at Musgraves barracks in 1915. I think they might have settled down in Antrim but I have not been able to trace their descendants and figure out if they had children yet.

I posted on the site you sent me a while back but got no response. On findmypast I found the inquiry files into his death which were interesting to read but no photograph. 

Thanks for your help and all the best

Conor Mulrooney

I assume this is Anne Mulrooney in the 1911 census, together with a sister:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Court_Ward/Fairview_Street/148466/

James Clarke & Anne Mulrooney had at least 3 children, all born Belfast. John 19.4.1916; Peter 8.8.1917 and Mary 20.11.1918 (at 17 Clowney St). There may have been more but they are not accessible on-line as they are less than 100 years old.

1924 Street Directory shows a Miss Mulrooney living at 17 Clowney St:

https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/ccomplete1924_b.htm

And in 1932. In 1943 it’s Miss Margaret Mulrooney. And in 1951 & 1960. So she died sometime after 1960. Can’t see a death in Belfast up to 1970 so possibly after that.

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Wow, Elywn.. you are really good at this! Thank you so much. I now have cousins in Belfast that I need to find out about. 

Lena (Margaret) Mulrooney and Catherine Mulrooney remained unmarried and lived in Antrim into the 1970s. Catherine died on 5 August 1971 according to an obituary I found. I find it interesting that they moved to Antrim - wonder was it because their half-brother Edward had done well for himself in the RIC - he was a Head Constable and I think was due to be promoted again (but had been redeployed to Dublin at that stage). Thanks for the census too ... some new names there. 

All the best

Conor Mulrooney

They probably moved to Belfast for work, perhaps at their brother’s suggestion.

Unlike Britain or the US, Ireland never had a lot of major industrial towns. The industrial revolution largely passed it by, mainly because it has few natural resources (coal, iron ore, minerals etc). Belfast was a slight exception. It had ship building and linen.  There were over 50 linen mills in Belfast around 1900. The mills were water powered using water that came down from the hills behind the city.

I see that both ladies were typists and book-keepers, so they had had a decent education. They'd have been a cut above the average millie (as mill working girls were known). I’d guess they both worked for one of the nearby linen mills.

The general lack of new jobs in Ireland, at a time when the population was expanding dramatically (3 million in 1741 and 8 million in 1841) was one of the many factors that led to so many people emigrating during the 1800s and 1900s.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Very interesting .. thanks for sharing your thoughts, Elwyn. Never really thought of people moving to Belfast to find work instead of the usual getting the boat to America.  

Conor Mulrooney

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