On our brief trip around Ireland this summer, we planned to stop for a few hours in the town of Dunmanway where my father was born. My Grandfather died, apparently under mysterious circumstances on January 2, 1926 a few months prior to my Dad being born, May 26, 1926. My grandmother and her children left the county and emigrated to Viking, Alberta, a few years later.
To my knowledge there is no one in our family with any of the details about their life in Dunmanway. It is not something we discussed, and while I believe my Aunty Joan may have visited Dunmanway years ago, she is no longer with us and she left no record of the visit.
Map in the town square
My total expectation was to walk around the town, possibly visit a pub, and just get a bit of a feel for the place. It was a Saturday, so the library was closed, but I didn't expect that we would have found much there anyway.
Dunmanway was a very clean and well kept town. There wasn't any litter, and the buildings seemed to be all freshly painted and in good repair.
There was a map in the square which described some of the town history, including the location of the power plant, blue 2, which was originally constructed in 1911 providing electrical power to the town for the first time.
Louise knew there had been a castle near by, so we stopped at a pharmacy to ask for directions (possibly to some Ruins). The girl wasn't from Dunmanway and suggested we go to the Super Value and talk with Bernice, who apparently knows everything about the town.
We did as directed, and while we were talking to her, we mentioned why we were in the town. She told us that we MUST go and see Reverend Cliff. Apparently he had just been in the store, and was leaving on a holiday the next day, but she was sure that he would be at his home and would be happy to see us.
After a couple of tries, we found the Reverend in his back yard, feeding the chickens. After we told him our story, he invited us in to his office, switched on his computer and started searching his records.
St. Mary's Fanlobbus, Church of Ireland, Anglican
Our family church.
Laura and I at my Grandfather's grave site
Reverend Cliff not only found Dad's birth record, but also a birth record for his older brother, William Frederick (who died shortly after birth). He also found our Grandfathers record of death, confirmation that he was an Electrical Engineer and that he ran the power station, and also the street where he lived - Sackville Street.
He then switched to some paper records, and showed us a map directing us to his grave site and head stone.
We thanked Reverend Cliff and set off back to the church (which we had toured earlier, but had not recognized that it was "our family church").
Laura, who had taken a photograph of the map with her phone, led us right to the site. I have to admit it was a little more emotional than I had expected it to be.
The headstone is modest compared to some of the ones around it, but in a prime location. While the engraving is clear, it is difficult to read because of the weathering of the stone.
It reads "William Edward Gillespie", 1886 - 1926, In Loving Memory.
William Edward Gillespie 1886 - 1926 In Loving Memory
The Cemetary on the Church grounds
On the way back downtown, we saw the lady who had given us directions... driving past with her daughter. They stopped in the middle of the street, to ask us if we had been successful in our search. Small town…
We stopped for lunch in a small café. There were only two other patrons in the café by the time we finished; two seniors, a man and a lady, sitting at different tables but bantering back and forth with the waitress.
They were all very friendly, and eventually we were all talking. They were very interested in our little adventure.
Before we left town, we went back to Sackville Street and walked the length of it, taking photos of the houses along the street.
I imagine that one of them was where my Dad's family lived.
It was a very interesting day, and has quipped my interest to learn more about our family history.
Houses on Sackville Street
Just off the town square.
A typical street in Dunmanway
Laura and Louise by the Abha na Saileach - River of the Willow
There were lots of pubs
A road leading into the square
Typical housing
The sign at the church entrance
Beautiful stained glass
The Dunmanway town square
