Original Message from Euros posted on IrelandXO website 22nd February:
Bridget Duffy was born in 1913 and was the daughter of James Duffy and Ellen Duffy nee Hennessy. We know that they were married in St Mologa, Shraherla in 1911. They lived all their married lives in Ballinamona near Glanworth. James Duffy died aged 69 in 1942 and his wife Ellen died aged 76 in 1956. We have been trying to locate their final resting place so we can pay our respects when we visit in early May. It would be really nice to be able to see where they lived and even meet some long-lost cousins that don't know of our existence!!!
IrelandXO arranged for Fermoy native and local volunteer Kieran Jordan to meet up with Mel and Alyson on their stop in Fermoy on the 6th of May.
Read Volunteer Kieran’s report of the visit below:
Mel and Alyson’s grandmother, Bridget Duffy, had emigrated to England in the 1930s and ended up in Wales. She didn’t have the opportunity to return to Glanworth, so contact with relations was lost.
The aim of their visit was to locate the grave of their great-grandparents (Bridget’s parents) and to visit the area around Glanworth where she was from.
I identified the area in Glanworth where Bridget Duffy was from found two Duffy brothers in that area. The brothers were first cousins of Mel and Alyson’s mother. They agreed that I could visit them with the visitors from Wales. However, as time went on, I met other members of the brothers’ family and also their cousins. One of the cousins showed me the grave of Bridget’s parents in Glanworth.
As the potential number of people grew, we decided to meet at the hotel in Mitchelstown. Their phone numbers and email addresses were exchanged, stories were told, and photographs were swapped. After the hotel we visited some locations associated with James Duffy and Ellen Hennessy, Mel, and Alyson’s great-grand parents; Shraherla church where they were married, the Hennessy farm in Knockanevin, Kildorrery church that was renovated by James, a stonemason, and Glanworth where they lived and were buried. On Monday May 8th I arranged for the visitors to call to Ray and Mary Duffy, who were unable to be at the hotel, and who live beside and own the cottage where James and Ellen lived. More contact details, photographs and stories were exchanged. The visitors were very happy returning to Wales having exceeded their expectations and having met lots of cousins
Pictured below with Local Volunteer Kieran Jordan
