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Photo from Cliffony, Sligo, c1900

Sligo

Hello all on the Sligo board,

I was struck by the photo on http://carrowkeel.com/cliffoney/index.html titled "spinning in Cliffoney around 1900".  I have reason to believe the lady seated at the spinning wheel may be my ancestor, Sabina "Sibbie" Healy (nee Dudican).  I have gone through the 1901 census for the area with a fine toothcomb, and there are only three people in the whole of Cliffony North with the occupation of spinner/spinster who could fit the age bracket of that lady.  These are Sibby Healy (wrongly recorded as Mealy, of Creevykeel, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Cliffony_North/Creevykeel/1681246/), Bridget Gallagher (of Creevykeel, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Cliffony_North/Creevykeel/1681217/) and Kate Warnock (of Creevymore, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Cliffony_North/Creevymore/1681266/).  Of these, only in Sibby's household is there a girl of the age in the image, and Sibby's actual age at death is older than recorded. I have not gone through all of Cliffony South yet, though I have done some of the more immediate townlands such as Ballynabrock.

It seems from http://carrowkeel.com/files/1896-tour.html that this photo could have been taken by the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland on their 1896 tour?  The page mentions that the party stopped at Cliffoney to see St Bridget's Well and a giant's grave, but I note that St Bridget's Well is on the opposite side of Cliffoney from Creevykeel.  Presumably this cottage is one of the "pure white" cottages "covered with the most luxuriant growths of roses and honeysuckle" mentioned in the article.

Yet the same image appeared in Penrose's Pictorial Annual 1908-1909: that is significant because Sibby died in 1905, so if that photo was taken any later then it is definitely not her. However it is possible that the picture was taken earlier. A different photo of exactly the same scene also appeared on a Gallaher cigarette card.

I am really just posting this in the off chance that anyone has any other information about this picture or which might help clarify when it was taken? Clearly if I have stumbled across a photo of a lost ancestor I will be equally stunned and excited!

Thanks for reading,

Stephen

 

 

thomson.ste@gm…

8 replies

Hi Roger, yes, no reply as of yet but possibly due to holiday season.

Stephen 

thomson.ste@gm…

Stephen,

Please see attached. You might make contact with the Letters Editor  sligochampion.ie. He may put you in touch with someone researching County Sligo in that period.

Regards,

McCoy

McCoy, many thanks for this great idea.  I can't see contact info?

Stephen

thomson.ste@gm…

Stephen,

Please contact the Editor of the SligoChampion at  sligochampion.ie  and request that you be put ion contact with him.

Regards,

McCoy

Stephen,

The Sligo Champion is now now known as the Sligo Newsletter which is owned by the Irish Independent Group.

I have made contact with Sligo Genealogy who know Paraic Feehily and they will try and contact him.

You may be able to contact him on Facebook.

I will get back to you if I receive any information.

Regards,

McCoy

Hi Stephen,

Padraic Feehily has made contact with me. He is familiar with the photo, which he thinks was taken c1890, known as the "Welsh Collection".

He suggests that you make contact with yhe Ulster Museum, if you have not received contact from Cliffony. Apparently some photos have notes, which may be of assistance.

Ulster museum  info@nmni.com  - Please see attached.

Best Wishes,

McCoy

Hi McCoy,

That is really helpful of you - much appreciated. I had contacted the museum who said they have no date for this image but added:

"All our Welch photos date from 1880 and 1935 but there are other Welch photos taken in Sligo dated 1900, 1902 and 1904 so it's possible that it could have been taken at the same time."

Looks like a range of dates could apply to this one but Padraic and the museum both seem to suggest it could be pre-1905. It is just interesting that the pictorial annual and the cigarette card are both 1908-1909. Now, I need to decide whether to put this as my ancestor's image on the family tree, or be cautious, hmm... :-)

Thanks for your kind help!

Stephen

 

thomson.ste@gm…

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