Spout Road event appeal

A father and son with Nenagh roots are appealing to Guardian readers for information regarding this photo from the 1930s. Des Hanrahan explains

My 93-year-old father Capt Bill Hanrahan is not actually from Nenagh. He was born in Limerick and is the last Master Mariner (MM) of one of the seafaring Limerick Hanrahan families that included river pilots and MMs dating back to the square-rigged sailing ships. He began his career as one of the first ever Irish Marine Cadets recruited to man the newly formed Irish Shipping, carrying supplies across the Atlantic during WW2, mainly from Canada. He later moved to the British Merchant Navy and although he was Irish, he soon became the youngest First Officer in the fleet. He retired from Caltex/Texico Super-tankers to become Harbour Master in Drogheda. When he retired, he compiled a 99.9% verified family tree, comprising of 3,700 plus people. This is where the Spout Road photograph comes in.

The banner appears to suggest a religious 50th anniversary as the dates 1880 and 1930 appear on each end of the horizontal banner. On an arc above this are the words ‘Faith’ and ‘Fatherland’ in bold capitals, above a cross and what appears to be light radiating out from the cross. Many, if not all the people, are wearing what appears to be a medal on a white or pale coloured ribbon.

CONNECTION WITH NENAGH

Bill’s mother, Bridget Flannery, 1897-1943 hails from the Spout Road (McDonagh St), just around the corner on the left-hand side coming from Summerhill. Her parents were John Flannery 1863-1945 and Catherine ‘Kate’ Mannion. He was more or less in dairy farming on a small rented farm and sold jute bags out of his home/shop on the Spout Road. He is a descendant of Philip Flannery. He may also have worked for or been a member of the Urban District Council. At the time of their marriage Kate, who was born in Lorrha, Co Tipp, was living in Milltown, Shinrone, Co Offaly. Her parents were Patrick Mannion and Mary Gainor. John Flannery (born 1863), is descended from Philip Flannery (born 1769) and Mary Kenna, both from Nenagh. Their son John Flannery (born 1793) married a Mary Cooney and their son, Edward Flannery 1833-1909 married Anne Canny 1837-1902. John (born 1863) is a son from this union as is Stephen Flannery (born 1870), who had the first car in Nenagh and was killed in a train crash in 1922.

Bridget met Bill’s father Jim Hanrahan 1896-1948, who, having served his time in the grocery trade, was, according to his sister, working in a “good grocery store” in Nenagh. They risked the Black & Tan curfew to meet up! They were married in St Mary of the Rosary church, Nenagh on July 18, 1922. The official start of the Civil War had begun three weeks earlier when fighting broke out in Dublin on June 28.

The young couple moved to Limerick but continued their close ties with relations in Nenagh. Indeed, Jim and two of his children, Mary and Teddy, are located on the extreme left of the photo.

THE SPOUT ROAD FLANNERY PHOTO

Initially, we thought that this photograph was taken in 1930 based on the overhead bunting and that it might be a year in which the town church or whatever was celebrating a 50th anniversary. While the people in it might be directly related to the occasion its also possible, given the number of Flannerys and their in-laws, that the family took advantage of the street decoration to pose the photograph. It’s possible that everyone in it is related to this family. On the other hand, the main players all are wearing what looks like a medal hanging from a ribbon. My father suggested something like the local confraternity.

More recently, Bill suggested that it could be related to the Eucharistic Congress in 1932.

COMPOSITION AND IDENTITIES

The composition of the photograph is interesting. The formal front row consists of one male and 11 females while the formal back row consists of 10 males and four females. Wives might be sitting approximate to their husbands while there might be widows or spinsters here too. I will use my dad’s numbering code so as to be consistent, should you or anyone wish to contact me about any of the people mentioned below.

1. The tall man in the middle (under the sign name JOHN), is Jack Flannery (13/04/1863 - 09/02/1945). My father thinks that the woman in front of him and to the right as we look at the photo (hat-less woman in black) is his wife Kate number 8 (née Manion), my father’s grandparents. Kate (27/05/1955) was from Lorrha and they were married in Shinrone on 23/11/1884. Kate died on 23/09/1937.

2. Jack’s son Paddy Flannery is the man standing to the left directly behind the only man sitting. Paddy (13/10/1887 - 11/05/1955) who is turned slightly sideways is dad’s uncle. Dad claims that his wife Annie (Nan) née Donaghoe (#7) is the first woman sitting from the left. They had no children.

3. The woman with the dark hat, two seats over from her to the right, is Bridget Flannery (1865-1947). She married James Butler (number 9) in 1903. James has yet to be identified if he is there. 4. The hat-less woman in the white/light coloured coat sitting directly in front of Jack (number 1) is Mary (Molly) Flannery (1858-1934). Her husband Michael Cooney number 6, (1858-?) is supposed to be standing directly to the left of Jack (number 1) as we view the photo. He is behind a woman in a hat.

5. The woman sitting three places to the right of number 4 Mary Molly Flannery as you look at the photo, is Nan Flannery (number 5) 1872-1937. She is the woman with the rather tall hat who has her hands joined on her lap. Her husband is William (Patrick?) Creagh (1867-1943). They married in 1903. William or Patrick Creagh (number 10) has not been identified in the photograph.

HANRAHAN LINK

To the left of the photo is a younger man in a white or light-coloured cap. This is my father’s father, my grandfather, James Hanrahan (22/02/1896-18 09/1946). He appears to be standing looking on with his hands in his pockets. His son Teddy, who died aged 92 over two years ago, told my father that the two children with him are their older sister Mary and Teddy himself. Dad would have been just three or four years at the time so has no recollection of the event!

CAN YOU HELP

If you can assist the Hanrahans in their appeal or if you have a better quality photo of this occasion, you can write to Des Hanrahan, Bettystown, Co Meath, or email:

des90hanrahan@gmail.com

You can also leave your details in at The Guardian and we will forward them on.