The Story of Mary Dooley
Orphan girls sent out from workhouses in Ireland, as emigrants to Australia.
As the cost of a passage to Australia was 15 pounds (four times that to the USA), the level of emigration was relatively low, both before and during the Famine. The continent needed immigrants, however, and the Australian authorities and the government organised a scheme to sponsor emigration from the UK. Over 14 thousand Irish availed of the scheme. They included 4,175 orphan girls aged from 14- 18, from workhouses throughout the country. They were well treated and soon found employment. The Australian authorities however, decided that it would be difficult to absorb additional unskilled girls and the scheme was discontinued.
Unions
Total No.
Unions
Total No.
Unions
Total No.
Unions
Total No.
Abbeyleix
28
Clogheen
33
Gorey
21
Mullingar
70
Antrim
31
Clogher
15
Gort
16
Naas
15
Ardee
22
Clones
29
Gortin
4
Navan
25
Armagh
57
Clonmel
59
Granard
24
Nenagh
85
Athlone
53
Coleraine
20
Kanturk
30
Newcastle west
56
Athy
37
Cookstwn
33
Kells
26
New Ross
34
Ballina
87
Cootehill
15
Kenmare
25
Newry
35
Ballinalsoe
53
Cork
61
Kilkeel
11
Newtownards
7
Ballinrobe
25
Dingle
20
Kilkenny
59
Newtownlimavady
17
Ballycastle
6
Donegal
31
Killarney
35
Oldcastle
22
Ballymena
14
Downpatrick
23
Kilmallock
30
Omagh
19
Ballymoney
10
Dublin North
46
Kilrush
30
Parsonstown
65
Ballyshannon
20
Royal Hiber-
Kinsale
29
Rathdown
19
Balrothery
10
Nian Military
24
Larne
19
Rathdrum
15
Baltinglass
16
School
Letterkenny
30
Rathkeale
60
Banbridge
36
Dublin South
56
Limerick
74
Roscrea
90
Bandon
20
Dublin Mendi-
Lisburn
12
Scariff
20
Belfast
64
City Institution
5
Lismore
37
Shillelagh
22
Boyle
51
Dundalk
7
Lisnaskea
40
Skibbereen
110
Callan
28
Dunfanaghy
7
Listowel
77
Sligo
68
Carlow
52
Dungannon
31
Londonderry
73
Strabane
29
Carrickmacross
38
Dungarvan
40
Longford
13
Stranorlar
8
Carrick ?on-Shannon
60
Dunmanway
14
Loughrea
27
Thurles
30
Carrick ?on-Suir
23
Dunshaughlin
16
Macroom
13
Tipperary
87
Cashel
70
Edenderry
18
Magherfelt
27
Trim
12
Castlebar
15
Ennis
40
Mallow
20
Tuam
57
Castleblaney
14
Enniscorthy
41
Midleton
26
Tullamore
53
Castlederg
6
Enniskillen
107
Milford
9
Waterford
48
Castlerea
20
Ennistymon
23
Mohill
45
Westport
10
Cavan
60
Fermoy
55
Monaghan
16
Wexford
61
Cellbridge
8
Galway
47
Mountmellick
37
Total
4,175
This table comes from the 3rd annual report of the Commissioners for Administering the Laws for Relief of the Poor in Ireland, 1850, p, 133-4 as cited in Noel Kissane(ed.), The Irish Famine: a documentary history, National Library of Ireland, 1995p. 169. Kissane introduced the table with the above summary about the scheme.
The Story of Mary Dooley ? Clonbrock, Co Galway
Mary Dooley was born in Co Galway, Ireland in 1826, the daughter of Edward Dooley, born 1780-1800, occupation whitesmith, mother?s name unknown. Mary was orphaned and ended up in the Work House in Mountbellew in 1852. Records indicate Mary?s last place of residence was Clonbrock, near Fohenagh/Caltra area. Rumour has it, Mary had 9 brothers whom had immigrated to the US or Canada prior to 1852.
Her father had a brother Lawrence Dooley, born 1796, whose wife?s maiden name was Margaret Larkin. Lawrence?s recorded occupation was a cattle dealer from Galway. There is also a record of a Lawrence Dooley owning land in Springlawn, in Mountbellew, but it cannot be verified that this record pertains to the same Lawrence Dooley. Lawrence, his wife and most of his children emigrated to Derbyshire, England between 1851 and 1861 after which several children immigrated to Pennsylvania, USA. Lawrence?s children were Patrick, Bridget, Martin, Mary, Larry jnr, Thomas Kate and William Riley Dooley. Bridget remained in Ireland around the famine period and is believed to have married a Michael Gavin. Son, Martin Dooley, became the founder of a town called Dooleyville, Pennsylvania in 1909 and married a girl whose father was from Mount Bellew, Co Galway. A further record indicates that son, Thomas, was born in Mount Bellew 1846. It is thought the Dooley?s came from a family of blacksmith or whitesmith tradesmen.
Mary immigrated to Australia in 1853 on an Irish Bride ship called the ?Palestine?. It was renowned that these bride-ships carried destitute girls from orphanages, poorhouses or had a sponsored fare during the Great Famine. Many of the girls on board this ship were also from Galway.
The workhouse at that time had (August 1852) 418 inmates, 130 able bodied females. In November 6th 1852 there were 392 inmates and 124 able bodied females. And in November 20th 1852 there were 401 inmates in the workhouse, 134 able bodies females, though 32 able bodied females were discharged during this week (presumable the 30 for assisted emigration).
The county was very much affected by the famine of 1845-47. In 1841 the population was 443,000. Ten years later, it had fallen to 322,000. More than 73,000 persons died between 1845 and 1850. Approximately 11 per cent of the population emigrated in the succeeding 5 years. By 1891, the census showed 215,000 inhabitants of the county.
Early in September 1852, a letter from Lieutenant Sunders, (R.N. Emigration Agent) stated that the Emigration Commissioners had instructed him to make a selection of 30 young women from the female inmates in Mount Bellew workhouse who were candidates for emigration to Van Diemen?s land, for passage to the colony by the ship `Travencore`, which would sail from Plymouth on 23rd instant, and requesting to be informed of the day that he could make his selection`(p339). Ref: Galway County Council Archives. www.galway.ie/en/Services/ArchivesService/
After the first successful deployment of the ?Travencore, another list of passengers was drawn up and the ?Palestine? later set sail from Plymouth on 26 November 1852. Among the girls chosen to make that fateful journey to Van Demons Land, was Mary Dooley. Mary and three other girls replaced several girls deemed medically unfit to make the long journey to Australia. The girls that set sail on the Palestine were:
Pat O`Brien, Biddy, O Brien, Mick O Brien, Catho O Brien, Mary O Brien, Catho Cunningham, mary Geraghty, Mary Flanagan, Mary Flynn, Ms Staunton, Mary Taylor, Ms Egan, Biddy Fitzgerald, Ellen Hansberry, Mary Kilroy, Biddy Tully, Mary Cunningham, Biddy Bodkin, Mary Butler, Mary Neary, Mary Flynn, Biddy Concannon, Henry Noone, Ms Nilfagle, Cathie Hughes, Georgia Ne, Marie Lorre, Maria Egan, Celia Coldman, Catho Glynn, Mary Cathe, Mary Mannion, Mary Dooley, Esther Tully, Ms Carberry, Mary Carberry, Eliza Trasta, Catho Coleman, Ms Atkins.
Mary and the other girls arrived in Western Australia 28 April 1853 
after five long and probably terrifying months at sea. On arrival, it is believed that Mary found employment as a servant with a local hotel proprietor at the ?Ship Hotel?. Several months later, Mary married in January 28th 1854 to Mr John Dawson whom was 26 years her senior. One can only imagine the horrors that Mary managed to survive during the famine years. It is not known how much easier her life would have been after her arrival in Australia. Provisions were often late and in short supply, women even scarcer, the heat would have been unbearable for a young immigrant girl in their long gowns and heavy petticoats and the bush flies and snakes plentiful. The early colonial women were also terrified of the aborigines. The noise of their nightly corroborees, kept the settlers nerves fraught with fatigue, fear and anxiety. When their men left for work, the aboriginals would suddenly appear in vast numbers from out of the long grass and scrub, demanding white man's food, such as tea, sugar and tobacco from the women.
Mary and John?s first child Mary Jane (possibly named after her mother as was custom in those days), was born on November 13th 1854 in Newtown, Western Australia. After all 8 children were born, Mary became one of the first midwives in the south west along with another three Irish girls. These four Irish women saw into the world almost an entire generation of West Australians born into the South West region. It is presumed that Mary went on to have a happy and fulfilling life. Her youngest son Edward later told the story that Mary?s relatives had earlier immigrated to America, but Mary preferred to go to Australia, as she would one day "return with her apron full of gold". Afterwards she was to say that she "had her apron full of gold, in her many children".
