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Honey Fitz Theatre and the Kennedy Fitzgeralds (JFK) Bruff Lough Gur

LimerickLough Gur (Limerick)

I am interested in tracing the connection of JFK's Fitzgeralds lines to the Bruff Lough Gur area. JFK's mother Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was doubly related to the Fitzgeralds of Lough Gur or Bruff. Rose's father John Francis "Honey Fitz" married his Fitzgerald second cousin Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon. Josie's mother was Mary Ann Fitzgerald (bapt 1832 Bruff) and her father was Michael Hannon of Lough Gur (b 1832). Honey Fitz's father was Thomas Fitzgerald (b 1823 Bruff). Tom Fitzgerald and Michael Hannan both emigrated to Boston together c 1850 and Michael married Tom's first cousin Mary Ann Fitz in Boston in 1854. Thus Rose's maternal grandmother Mary Ann Fitz and her paternal grandfather Thos Fitz were first cousins from Bruff, Limerick.  Tom Fitz's parents were Michael Fitz (b c1795-1800 Bruff d 1823 Bruff (year son Thos was born)) and Ellen Wilmouth (b c1797 Bruff d 1875 Boston). Mary Ann Fitz parents were Edmund Fitzgerald (prob Lough Gur or Bruff 1798 d 1883 Boston) and Mary Linnehan (Lenihan) (d c 1832-35 Bruff or Knockainey). Thus, Rose Fitz's paternal great grandfather Michael Fitz and her maternal great grandfather Edmund Fitz were brothers from the Bruff-Lough Gur area. Their parents were James Fitzgerald and Hannah McCarthy who married in Bruff in 1793. Thus Rose Fitz Kennedy's family tree is strongly tied into the Bruff-Lough Gur area Limerick through the names of Fitzgerald, Hannon (Lough Gur), Wilmouth, Linnehan (Lenihan). Jean Kennedy Smith, the eighth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy and sister to JFK was USA embassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998 and officiated at the re-opening of the community centre and naming it the "Honey Fitz Theatre"in honour of her grandfather. Jean Kennedy Smith must have been aware of the strong connection with the Fitzgerald and Hannan families with the Bruff Lough Gur area.  Does anyone have further information on the possible townland of the JFK Fitzgeralds in the Bruff area (possibly Bruff or Lough Gur Parish). My ggrandmother Margaret Fitzgerald was born Bruff c1800 could perhaps be a sister of the JFK Fitzgerald brothers Michael (c1795-1800) and Edmund (1798). Margaret Fitz married Thomas Dineen in Bruff in 1831, a year after St Peter and Paul's was built in 1829 and their son Michael Dineen emigrated to Victoria in the 1850s. The family of the Late Tom Dineen of Patrickswell are also descendants of Margaret Fitzgerald and Thomas Dineen.

Desmond John Dineen

16 replies

Further to previous email, there was a James Fitzgerald (b 1790 Camas Bruff) and family who emigrated to Victoria and their children were cousins of Michael Dineen and they settled with O'Donnells, Carrolls Mulcahy, Barry and others from Limerick in Bullengarook Vic. This would mean that my great grandmother Margaret Fitzgerald Dineen(b c1800) was a sister of James Fitzgerald (1790). On James' death certificate it gave his parents names as Thomas Fitzgerald and Anne Slattery, so the closest tie with the Kennedy Fitzgeralds could be that James Fitz (m 1793 Bruff) and Thomas Fitzgerald could be brothers and Margaret a cousin of Michael and Thomas. This relationship  of course is only a possibility and would be difficult to prove as the name Fitzgerald in Bruff is fairly common in the Griffith and Tithe Valuations. Does the local Bruff or Lough Gur historical societies know of any Fitzgeralds that have a direct relationship with the Kennedy Fitzgeralds?

Desmond John Dineen

I am looking for any & all information about my GG grandmother Nellie Fitzgerald (born abt 1811-Croom or Bruff)

She married a William Quaid/Quain (b 1811-Fedamore)

They married about 1830?

=================================

Their children: Anne abt 1830, William- abt 9 Jan1839, Margaret abt 1845

Anne & Margaret both married Irving -Irwin -Irivne's

Anne married a John & Margaret married a Patrick

=====================================

William- was born 9 jan 1839-Fedamore:

Church Baptism Record
Name:    William Quain    Date of Baptism / Birth:    18/01/1839
Address:    ?    Parish / District:    CROOM
Gender:     Unknown    County    Co. Limerick
        Denomination:    Roman Catholic
Father:    William Quain    Mother:    Ellen Fitzgerald
Occupation:        
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:    Ptk. Quaid    Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:    Anna Coleman

======================================

He married Kate Catherine Fitzgibbons( born abt 1841) on 3 Feb 1867 Bruff:

Parish / District:    BRUFF         County:    Co. Limerick
    Husband        Wife
Name:     William    Quaid        Catherine    Fitzgibbon
Address:             
Denomination:     Roman Catholic        Roman Catholic
Occupation:             
Age:             
Status:             
    Husband's Father        Wife's Father
Name:         Quaid            Fitzgibbon

======================================

 

Would love toknow who Nellie Fitzgerald's parents were??? and Kate Fitzgibbons parents??

Can anyone helpme??

 

Thanks in advance

Jila

IrelandXO member

Hi Des

 

Firstly we are really looking forward to meeting you in June/July when you visit us.  Michael Fitzgerald is a direct descendant of the Kennedy Fitzgeralds and is very willing to meet up with you when you return.

We have newspaper articles detailing the relationship between Michael and JFK's ancestors and will be very happy to show these and copy them for you as it may help you with your research.

 

Kind regards

 

Aine Barry

IrelandXO member

I was wondering if Ellen Fitzgerald born about 1806-1815- could have been a daughter of James Fitzgerald & Hannah McCarthy???

 

I know James & Hannah were parents of :

Michael Francis-born abt 1795

Edmund-born abt 1798

Garrett-born abt 1800-maybe ?

James -born abt 1806

 

=================================================================================

Most trees have only sons Michael & Edmund showing- But surely there werer more children??? I have never heard

of an Irish family only having 2 sons??(lol)

 

My Ellen or Nellie Fitzgerald married William Quain or Quain in Bruff or Croom about 1925-1830

Help please:)

 

Thanks Jay:)

IrelandXO member

Thanks Aine, just noticed your comments, don't know how I missed it.Really looking forward to meeting Michael Fitzgerald in June at the Week of Welcomes and the lovely folk of Lough Gur Patrickswell Knockainey. That's very interesting to learn that we have a Kennedy Fitzgerald relic left in Limerick, I look forward to meeting Michael.

Desmond John Dineen

We are about to launch a Fitzgerald Trail in Bruff outlining the different historical sites connected with the fitzgerlad's for the gathering. We have traced both edmund and Michael Fitzgerald back to the Palatine Road, Bruff in 1850 through the griffith Valuations and both were great great grand fathers of JFK. We know the exact locations of where they lived and most of their children were baptized in the local Bruff Church. Both families emigrated shortly after 1850 and brought the bible with them that was used when JFK was sworn in as President of the USA. Hope to see you for the gathering

IrelandXO member

It was taken as you drive from riodans pub and is on the right after about a mile

declan hehir

Thanks Declan. I guess that could be where the James Fitzgerald in Griffiths lived.

IrelandXO member

The only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

IrelandXO member

The only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

IrelandXO member

http://www,hehirfoto.comThe only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

IrelandXO member

Just one last question out of interest Declan. Would the spot marked "B" in the attached screenshot from google maps be close to the site in the newspaper article? Looking at the original Griffiths map, a plot around there would have been in the name of James Fitzgerald.

IrelandXO member

Hi Declan, how is the JFK exhibition going in the old courthouse in Bruff?

Joan Dempsey showed me through it last year. Do you have any flyers or summaries showing maps of the JFK Trail?

Desmond John Dineen

Hello, I see this is an old thread but I thought I would give it a try.  My GG grandmother was Mary Fitgerald Powers, she never emigrated from Ireland but her son, my G grandfather James emigrated to Salem MA around 1900.  He was born in Waterford. 

The family legend is that Honey Fitz would often bring Rose to visit on Sundays to the house in Salem and that somehow we were related. A detail about a green velvet dress worn by Rose is even part of the legend. I have been unable to verify this as I cannot find any information on Mary Fitzgerald Powers' parents.  Looking for any help....

Alison Connelly 

MA

Alison Pierce …

Very Interesting, as we know they were good to visit family homes as that is how Honey Fitz met his cousin and future wife Josephine Hannon . The family homes were in Boston and Acton. Would that have been near Salem ?. Where did James emigrate from in 1900 ?

declan hehir

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