Hannah FLYNN : Short Biography

Hannah FLYNN (sometimes recorded as FLING in parochial records)  was born in Tomacork Parish around 1800, the daughter of John FLYNN and Margaret (Peg) KEHOE. The FLYNN, TOOLE and HARA families lived on Block 5 Loggan Upper/Ballynabarney, near Crosspatrick, County Wexford. 

On 13 June 1819 at Carnew, Hannah FLYNN married Thomas TOOLE, the son of Tobias TOOLE and Bridget DUNN from Loggan Upper. They had nine children while living at Loggan Upper. 

In the late 1840's during the clearances the TOOLE family moved from Loggan to Whaley Abbey, County Wicklow. Three children then sailed to New South Wales- Margaret per DAVID MCIVOR 1853; Mary per PATRICIAN 1854 and Tobias per SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1855. Tobias sponsored his parents, Thomas and Hannah, and siblings, Michael, James and Ellen, to New South Wales and they arrived in Sydney on 31 January 1857 per EMMA. John and his family arrived the following year per MARY PLEASANTS. The eldest daughter Catherine stayed in Ireland, but finally arrived in Sydney in November 1878 per PERICLES. 

From 1865 to 1873 Hannah ran a small dairy in Harvey Street, Pyrmont. She died on 21 September 1878 at Harvey Street while her eldest daughter, Catherine DOYLE, was enroute to New South Wales. 

Hannah had successfully kept her children alive through the potato famine and had reunited them all in New South Wales. Her many descendants remained in Pyrmont for nearly 100 years.

Hannah was buried at the R.C Cemetery at Petersham [defunct]. 

Children of Hannah FLYNN and Thomas TOOLE-

1. Catherine TOOLE b 6 Aug 1820 Loggan d 12 Oct 1884 Moore Park m 15 Oct 1851 Rathdrum Peter DOYLE

2. Michael TOOLE b 13 Jan 1822 Loggan d 12 Jun 1886 Pyrmont m 27 Nov 1858 Sydney Esther Margaret FLYNN (nee KAVANAGH)

3. John TOOLE b 5 Oct 1823 Loggan d 8 May 1897 Pyrmont m [1] Elizabeth ROURKE m [2]  11 May 1851 Rathdrum Esther KENNEDY

4. Bridget TOOLE b 23 Apr 1826 Loggan

5. Margaret TOOLE b 6 Jan 1829 Loggan d 23 Jul 1902 Bathurst m Henry MELTON

6. Tobias TOOLE b 8 Feb 1832 Loggan d 2 Oct 1879 Greentree Hotel Pyrmont m 1 Feb 1857 Balmain Eliza O'NEIL

7. Mary TOOLE b 9 Mar 1834 Loggan d 12 Aug 1915 Bathurst m 16 May 1857 Sydney John ROURKE

8. James TOOLE b 1839 Loggan d 15 Apr 1872 Circular Quay Sydney m Jul 1867 Sydney Bridget MADDEN

9. Ellen TOOLE b 1 Apr 1840 Loggan d 13 Jan 1899 Pyrmont m 2 Jan 1864 Sydney Denis RYAN