FAMiLY
Tom
19xx
Mike
19xx
Paddy
1945
Phil
19xx
Liam
19xx
Christy
19xx
John
19XX
Gerard
19XX
Family -
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Their home had been left to Paddy's Mother. Over the years Mary Cooney as she was at the time minded all of her uncles on her Mother’s side since she moved there at the age of 19. Her uncles were all batcholers so she ended up with the farm. Her mother, Paddy's Grandmother, was a Maher by birth. It was the Maher brothers who died out and the 17 acres / home place was left to Mary. Skipping forward to where the farm is now, Paddy's brother John resides there, as a family they agreed to gift the farm to John. At the time John had just left the priesthood, he pulled out before the 7th and final year. He was back home and he wasn’t meant for work. There was no in-laws or grandchildren involved at the time so there was no influence and the brothers were in a position to help John so they did.
​
Christopher, Paddy's father, was seldom present during the early years of Paddy's life. His endeavors led him to spend a significant portion of his time in Dublin, shuttling back and forth occasionally by bicycle. His focus lay in establishing a business in Dublin, aspiring to relocate the family there. The fact that Mary and Christopher lived apart for so much of the time this undoubtedly raised eyebrows in an era where deviations from societal norms were rare. Nevertheless, this unconventional arrangement suited them well. Mary, a resilient and independent woman, embraced these circumstances. She stood by her husband for years while single-handedly raising their eight boys. However, their desired vision to relocate to Dublin together and become part of urban society was not to be, at least not for Christopher who fell ill and had to leave Dublin to return home, Mary, undeterred from her dream, remained resolute.
​
Reflecting back to their formative years, the brothers' recollections vary, with Tom and Mike notably sharing the backdrop of attending the Christian Brothers boarding school. Within those austere walls, they bore witness to acts of violence, an exposure alien to their home environment. Consequently, Tom and Mike shared a parallel upbringing in this regard. Paddy mused on this recurring pattern of pairs among the brothers, finding himself in tandem with the next in line, Phil. This pairing, however, bred a sense of competition between Paddy and Phil.
​
As the years past and the boys grew up and started their own careers, Paddy, through the conduit of C. Kelly & Sons, ultimately became the man that would bring Mary's dream into a reality. Seizing the opportunity when it presented itself, she embraced the chance to move with her sons and after many years of patience, she moved to Dublin.
​
By the time the youngest borthers John and Gerard, by the time they had commenced their schooling years, their father had already returned home and therefore their experience markedly differed from that of their elder siblings. Accompanied by their mother, they relocated to Gardener Street, Dublin, alongside their cousins The Campbells (of Campbell Catering). John, however, struggled to find his place in this new environment. Bullied in school for being the lone farmer in the city of Dublin, he swiftly retreated back home and looked after his after as time passed. Presently, John still lives in the family farmhouse with his wife, XXX, along with their daughte XXX.
Gerard
​
Their home had been left to Paddy's Mother. Over the years Mary Cooney as she was at the time minded all of her uncles on her Mother’s side since she moved there at the age of 19. Her uncles were all batcholers so she ended up with the farm. Her mother, Paddy's Grandmother, was a Maher by birth. It was the Maher brothers who died out and the 17 acres / home place was left to Mary. Skipping forward to where the farm is now, Paddy's brother John resides there, as a family they agreed to gift the farm to John. At the time John had just left the priesthood, he pulled out before the 7th and final year. He was back home and he wasn’t meant for work. There was no in-laws or grandchildren involved at the time so there was no influence and the brothers were in a position to help John so they did.
​
Christopher, Paddy's father, was seldom present during the early years of Paddy's life. His endeavors led him to spend a significant portion of his time in Dublin, shuttling back and forth occasionally by bicycle. His focus lay in establishing a business in Dublin, aspiring to relocate the family there. The fact that Mary and Christopher lived apart for so much of the time this undoubtedly raised eyebrows in an era where deviations from societal norms were rare. Nevertheless, this unconventional arrangement suited them well. Mary, a resilient and independent woman, embraced these circumstances. She stood by her husband for years while single-handedly raising their eight boys. However, their desired vision to relocate to Dublin together and become part of urban society was not to be, at least not for Christopher who fell ill and had to leave Dublin to return home, Mary, undeterred from her dream, remained resolute.
​
Reflecting back to their formative years, the brothers' recollections vary, with Tom and Mike notably sharing the backdrop of attending the Christian Brothers boarding school. Within those austere walls, they bore witness to acts of violence, an exposure alien to their home environment. Consequently, Tom and Mike shared a parallel upbringing in this regard. Paddy mused on this recurring pattern of pairs among the brothers, finding himself in tandem with the next in line, Phil. This pairing, however, bred a sense of competition between Paddy and Phil.
​
As the years past and the boys grew up and started their own careers, Paddy, through the conduit of C. Kelly & Sons, ultimately became the man that would bring Mary's dream into a reality. Seizing the opportunity when it presented itself, she embraced the chance to move with her sons and after many years of patience, she moved to Dublin.
​
By the time the youngest borthers John and Gerard, by the time they had commenced their schooling years, their father had already returned home and therefore their experience markedly differed from that of their elder siblings. Accompanied by their mother, they relocated to Gardener Street, Dublin, alongside their cousins The Campbells (of Campbell Catering). John, however, struggled to find his place in this new environment. Bullied in school for being the lone farmer in the city of Dublin, he swiftly retreated back home and looked after his after as time passed. Presently, John still lives in the family farmhouse with his wife, XXX, along with their daughte XXX.