Individual Notes

Note for:   Manus Francis Mulherin,   3 SEP 1908 - 18 APR 1982         Index

Christening:   
     Date:   13 SEP 1908
     Place:   St. Leo's Church, Ashley, PA
     Note:   Sponsors at Baptism: Howard Ricketts and Agnes Mulhern.

Burial:   
     Date:   APR 1982
     Place:   St. Mary's Cemetery, W-B, PA

Individual Note:
     Manus was born at 349 McLean Street, W-B.
1930 Census lists Manus living at 50 Waller Street with wife Nellie and son Jack.



Individual Notes

Note for:   Joseph Gallagher,   8 AUG 1882 - 19 DEC 1970         Index

Individual Note:
     Joseph's Address:Claudyhouse Bunbeg P.O. County Donegal, Ireland.
Joseph was living with daughter Nellie in 1953.
Died at age 89 per funeral card in Aunt Angie Mulherin's possession.

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The following notes provided by Neil Gallagher:

1882 - 1970:

Joseph was born in Magheralosk. Married Madge Coll, from Meenderrygamph, on 3 January 1906. They had 12 children. Their 4th child, Bridget (Bridie) died from TB in Ireland on 1 November 1939 at the age of 27. Their 10th child, Joseph, died when only 23 days old. His death certificate recorded cause of death - Marasmus.

Joseph was very interested in Gaelic football and was often on the touch line cheering on Gweedore's team to victory.

Joseph was born on the 8th August 1882 in Magheralosk. In the far flung parish of Gweedore, come weal or woe, never relaxed its grip on the mother tongue. A native speaker he grew up to embellish much of the folklore of which Gweedore is renowned. He started school in Knockastolar at the tender age of four. He developed into a man of much tradition and enterprise. He went to the St Patrick's training college in Drumcondra, Dublin. Emerging in 1902 after two years studies with flying colours - a teacher in his own right.

He got his first "call" at twenty two, to Gola Island, the birth place of his mother Mary McGarvey, off the Gweedore coast.

The school house was in a fair condition of repair, though devoid of these elementary amenities as common in schools today. Gola was a fairly populous island in those distant days and the school average ranged from 60-65 pupils. The new teacher had a happy smooth time among the islanders through the "winter" months often accompanied by Severe storms made his treasure no picnic. Every morning from the start of October until spring, the Gola children could be seen making their way to school carrying their sods of turf which kept the fire going. The arrangement was that each child brought two sods. Island children went to school at the tender age of four and stayed until they were sixteen.

Joseph stayed on Gola for six years. He had a night school regularly every week. Those attending sometimes included old pupils back for a "refresher" course. But it was entirely a mans world.

In 1910 he sailed from Gola for the last time to take up an appointment at Dunlewy where he stayed for about six years. Following that he took up an appointment as principal at Bunanivar, Bunbeg, also in the Gweedore parish. There he taught for fourteen years and continued the night classes for the men folk. He made only one other change before he reached retirement age. He took over the principalship of Knockastolar where he had gone to school himself. Joseph married Madge Coll while teaching on Gola and had to supplement his slender income by fishing. A neighbour gave him a small bit of land on which he grew potatoes and vegetables. It was a crucial period when strict economy was necessary. He practised thrift and managed to save a little money. With this he was able to buy a dwelling house and small farm when he returned to teach on the mainland. Later he built another house in Dunlewy and sold it when leaving. Then Claudy House in Bunbeg. While Claudy House was being built he lived for a while in a house in Bunbeg Harbour and also in a house called "Maireads" just next to Claudy House.
Joseph would have told you it was a hard, unrelenting struggle. But he managed to pull through all and rear and educate a family of eleven.
Unfortunately his wife Madge died in 1934, at the age of 51, before they could enjoy retirement with each other.
Like all the teachers of the early days, Joseph regularly rode his bicycle, a form of recreation he practised until he was 75 years of age. Even then it was not by choice, his family decided to remove the bicycle for his own safety.

He was still hale and hearty after a lifetime of devoted service to the cause of education. Like his colleagues on the retired list he lived to see great and radical changes in what had been his sphere of work. These changes have all been for the better, Educational opportunities are now many and valuable. A big and happy contrast to the dismal, depressing days of 1904 when the youthful Joseph sat at that desk as principal of the Gola school.

After Joseph retired he opened a confectionery shop in a building just in front of his son Manus's home in Knockastolar. He would ride his bicycle half a mile from Claudy House to open the shop every day. After he died his son Patrick looked after the shop.

Joseph went to Lourdes, France, for many years and also after retirement went to mass every day.
He was going to Lourdes at the time when Joe Louis was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world and he acquired the nickname "Joe Lourdes".

Sadly after the death of Joseph also Nellie and Pat Arnold who lived with Joseph for many years Claudy House was sold. Firstly to people named Friel, then the Gillispie sisters Anne and Grace, renowned for their republican sympathies and imprisonment in the UK. They ran a window blind / curtain business from Claudy House. The windows are now boarded and the Gallagher family do not know who now owns Claudy House. (Oct.1997 ).

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The following newspaper article about Joseph was sent to me by Neil Gallagher:

It was carried in the Irish Independent July 21, 1947.

The fishing fleet sailed out to greet Mr De Valera when he arrived on the Corvette Macha at Tory Island off the north coast. On the pier he was met by Rev. J McDyer and an address in Irish was read by Mr J Gallagher NT(National Teacher). Later, the Macha sailed to the Hebridean Island of Barry where Mr De Valera was greeted by local authorities and brought on a tour of the island.

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