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Mary Cooney & Francis Cooney

Mary COONEY. Born in Carricknashannagh, Monasterboice. Co. Louth Ireland to Mary and Francis Cooney

Bap 29 Nov 1844 Monasterboice. Sponsors Patrick Stanly and Annie Cooney.

Married Owen Finegan 14 Apr 1864 Monasterboice. Both Owen's father and Franciswere farmers.

Mary and Owenarrived into Port Philip, Australia Aug 1864 they were unassisted. Once in Australia they had 10 children one of whom (Mary Ann Finegan) and is mygreat grandmother. Family stories say that Owen and Mary eloped. However all other stories from this source have been proved untrue. To understand this better I would love to locate the family property. I dont know if the name Carricknashanna would be helpful.

Mary Jnr. is reported to be educated in Dublin. She was certainly a very inteligent woman and one of whom we are very proud.

pralton@bigpon…

2 replies

Hello Jan, looking over old queries online, there are still Cooneys in the area you mention. Not withstanding the education in Dublin there was recently a university Professor in Dublin from Australia about 7 years ago wondering why her female ancestor was the only family member who was literate and could keep financial records.

On of the main landowning families were the Forster's and they instigated an education programme for women. Think this is part of the story and may interest you, oddly I think this may have been answered previously and may be a duplicate post.

https://www.jbhall.clahs.ie/1856_emigrants'_story.htm

Good Luck

Pat

newohalloran.p…IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Pat 

Many thanks for that information, all grist for the mill.

I have more information on Mary since I made posted the above info. and visited the area.  Mary and Owen were married in Fieldstown, Louth.  This proves the family story that they eloped. Owen came from Monleek, Louth.  Further investigation showed that the aunt with the information was only as good as her source.  Owen was a farmer but his father was a blacksmith.

I would love to make contact with the professor who visited Dublin but at this time and not sure how I will do it.

Is it possible to get in contact with the Cooneys still in the area?

My thoughts on why Mary was the only one educated are that maybe as they wanted to marry her off to an older man in a union that would prove benefial to the family, but who knows.

pralton@bigpon…

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