Hi Mark,
My name's Rowena Curtin and my Great Grandmother was Margaret Quailey who married Robert Curtin on the 10th November, 1909 at St Joseph's Church, Woollahra, NSW, Australia.
Margaret Quailey's parents (or Quealy as it was also spelled) were Edward Quealy and Margaret O'Neill. They were married in Christchurch New Zealand in 1881. I have found a record of an E Quealy travelling on the steamship Albion bound for Dunedin, New Zealand leaving Melbourne on the 27th July, 1880. He was 36 years old. Occupation was Gent and he travelled in the saloon, not in steerage.
Edward Quailey died 18th December, 1917 in Woollahra. His death certificate states that his parents were Thomas Quealy and Bridget Haugh and that he came from Lisheenfroor, Moyarta, Kilrush, County Clare. I have been combing through the census nd other info for this area and am putting the pieces together...or not.
Just to complicate matters, we have another Quealy connection. Edward and Margaret's granddaughter, Anne Jean Quealy (who was adopted by my Great Grandparents after her parents passed away and was known as Nancy Curtin) married John Joseph Lee 8th February, 1947. His mother was Mary Agnes Quealy, daughter of John Quealy and Margaret O'Keefe.
When they got married, it mentioned a connection spanning four generations of their families:
MARRIAGE of Mr. John Lee, of Warrnambool (Vic.), and Miss Nancy Curtin, of Bellevue Hill, photographed after the ceremony at Holy Cross Church, Woollahra, on Saturday, united two families whose friendship has endured through four generations. Catholic Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1942 - 1954), Thursday 13 February 1947, page 17
It turns out that John Lee's mother ,Agnes Mary, was also a Quealy:
LEE—QUEALY.—On 1st July, 1919, at St. Mary's, Colac. by the Rev. Fr. Logan, assisted by Very Rev. Fr. Kennelly, P.P. (Colac), the Right Rev. Monsignor Marshall, V.G., and Rev. Fr. Galllgan, of St. Joseph's, Warrnambool, John Joseph (Jack), only son of Mrs. Jas. Lee and the late Jas. Lee, J.P., of St Mary's, Wangoom, Warrnambool, to Mary Agnes (Minnie), younger daughter of the late Mrs. Quealy and Mr. John Quealy. of "Hillcrest," Larpent, Colac. Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954), Saturday 9 August 1919, page 21
Her father mentioned above died in Colac in 1921 and his mother was Catherine O'Dea. I haven't ordered his death certificate and this info just comes from VIC BDM online.
This takes us back to John Quealy married Catherine O'Dea in 1943. He was born in Lisheencrona, Moyarta, Kilrush, County Clare around 1843. Catherine was the daughter of Patrick O'Dea and Mary McNamara and she had 8 siblings.
Apparently, John Quealy and Catherine O'Dea had 8 children. I can only name two of these children atm.
There's Bridget who married John LeHive on 31st January, 1874 at the Roman Catholic Chapel at Carringaholt. Witnesses Johanna Quealy and Thomas Haugan.
Catherine (Kate) m. James Walsh.on 22nd February, 1887 at the Roman Catholic Chapel at Carringaholt witnesses Thomas Shea and Lizzie O'Brien.
Well, that will get the ball rolling.
Best wishes,
Rowena