Hi Irish Kiwi-
Yes, I understand from my mothers (Margaret Rosa Fennessy nee Horner) research that my G-G-G-G Grandfather Pierce Fennessy (b. c1780) was elder brother to James Fennessy (b. c1780's) and both likely settled in Feakle with two other brothers in the early 1800's- James was the father of Patrick who married Ellen Rochford. Their descendants Vincent, Bernard, and Eddie were living on the Scarriff-Feakle Road in 1994 when this oral history was described to my parents by Jimmy Fennessy (also living on Scarriff Feakle Rd, but d.1995) when they visited the region during their trip to Ireland. Jimmy was descended from an Edmond Fennessy who apparently was also a son of James- they shared a farm where Vincent and Bernard still lived in 1994. My mother noted that a number of James descendants migrated to South Australia, western Australia, Melbourne, and New Zealand. James and Pierce's father was likely named Patrick given the naming of each's sons being Patrick- it was custom at the time to name the first son after his paternal grandfather.The third brother was Thomas and likely father of Patrick who married Mary O'Dea and migrated to USA and gave birth to Thomas Fennessy in 1854 in Michigan. (This information may have been posted by my mother on ancestry.com). The fourth brother was likely Patrick recorded as farming at Monaguillan near Feakle Village. It is believed that the four brothers came from the family home in the County of Tipperary where many Fennessy's originated and there still resides a significant number of families in Clonmel and its surrounding areas today.
My GGG Grandfather was Patrick b.1810 and married Mary McMahon of feakle - both he and Pierce died in Coologoree area. No records of Patrick’s siblings uncovered.
My GG Grandfather was James b.1833 and married to Anne Thornton of Scarriff. They immigrated to Melbourne Australia in 1862 with their two children Patrick Louis b.1859 (my Great Grandfather) and Mary b.1861. Mary died that year and they had four more children….John James, Pierce Frances, Edmond, and Michael Francis. No records of Jame’s siblings uncovered.
Patrick Louis married my Great Grandmother Wilhelmina Douglas in Creswick, Victoria in 1898 and in 1909 they gave birth to my Grandfather John Douglas Fennessy in Allandale, Victoria. John was one of seven children born between 1902 and 1914.
John married my grandmother Eleanor Edwards Little in 1935 in St.Kilda and gave birth to my father Patrick Louis in 1936 and then two further sons Dennis John and Vincent Thomas.
My father married my Mother in 1960 and I was born later that year. My name is also Patrick Louis Fennessy….yes my dad stuffed up on the paternal grandfather naming custom!!! But I got called Ric from day 1 and dad always known as Pat.
From my mother’s research, she has listed many descendants in the Melbourne region from my migrant GG Grandparents James and Anne … additionally to Fennessy they include relatives with surnames McNeil, Kilkenny, Harnell, Brown, and additionally in my generation some distant female Fennessy relatives married Flaherty, Dunn, Cooper, Monzell, Sleet, Clarke, Montgomery, Webster, and Kirby husbands.
Cheers
Ric Fennessy (ricfennessy@gmail.com)
