Person:Maria O'Brien (1)

Maria's civil birth certificate records her birth date as August 1, 1880. Her father was the informant and put his (X) on the form on August 9, 1880. Again this was two months past her baptism date which should be the actual date. It looks like her father didn't make it to town very often to record his children's births on time. Her Aunt and Uncle Edmond and Mary Cahill were the sponsors for her baptism that was held at the church in Mullagh. Maria was listed in the 1901 and 1911 Irish census living with her family on the farm in Killernan. In August of 1944 Maria became full owner of the property in Killernan townland. During this time James O'Connor of Knockbrack, Miltown Malby was working on the farm as a farmhand. He purchased the farm from Maria in August of 1946 for 380 pounds plus fees (with reservations). Maria was given the west bedroom to live the rest of her life. She lived there in the early 1950's until James and his wife Mary started to have a family. The story was told that Maria coud be a difficult person and that Mr O'Connor neglected to fix the roof on the end of the house that was over Maria's bedroom resulting in rain coming in the room.This helped make the decision to in with her niece, Delia Ryan Lahiff of Kilnaboy parish. Maria was close to Delia because Delia as a young girl would spend time in Killernan with her aunt Maria. Delia told me that they would go to church every Sunday at the Coore Chapel and take the couple mile walk to mass. On the way back from mass they would stop at Catherine Looneys store and have tea and a small lunch with her. Catherine Looney married Tadgh O'Halloran of Knockanalban a cousin of Maria's. I visited them in June 1980 and Catherine O'Halloran remembered Maria and Delia visiting her. She said that Maria had the most beautiful long reddish blonde hair she had ever seen. Maria only lived with Delia a short time. She then went up to Dromoher to the Ryan farm to live with her sister, Catherine O'Brien Ryan. Catherine was living with her son Paddy Ryan and his wife Anne. Catherine died in 1953 and Maria stayed on with her nephew, Paddy and wife until she died. Maria died when she was 80 years old. Paddy Ryan recorded the death on 23 of May 1961 five months after she died. She is buried with her sister in Kilnaboy graveyard. Maria kept in touch with her brother, John and sister, Delia in America. John in return would send money and house slippers to her as gifts for my grandfather. My grandfather would wear the slippers to break them in so they wouldn't have to pay a customs tax on new slippers when they were mailed to Ireland. Delia O'Brien Cahill would send her tea because it was so hard to come by during the war. I have a number of post cards with pictures of the local areas that Maria sent back thanking Delia for the tea that was snet to her. Maria also corresponded with her niece, Catherine Cahill and sent her a Belleek China candy dish as a gift one year. Catherine Cahill's niece passed Maria's dish on to me and I still have it displayed at my home. One of the nicest things that I have in my possession that belonged in the O'Brien household in Killernan is the picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hung in the main room like it does in almost every Irish household. This picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was from June 6, 1933 when a Eucharist Congress was held in Dublin, Ireland. Maria enrolled her parents and brothers and sisters on this document. After Maria left the farm it was hanging in the house and James O'Connor gave it to Margaret Cahill of Riverside, NY when she was visiting in 1964. Margaret gave it to me in 1980 when my mother and I were visiting her that spring.

O'Brien Eucharistic Congress 1932 Ireland Catherine Cahill http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=7cde7e3f-0bdc-47c0-9162-93b064bf90d3&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701

O'Brien Maria Ennis http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=8c408a7d-7095-43a0-866e-96c136339c38&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701

Maria O'Brien http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=aa10d414-0f4a-44fb-87db-ab8d530f890d&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701

Death 1960 O'Brien, Maria Dromoher, 80 years http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=7d7266bc-984f-44eb-97e9-b8b94ed46a42&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701

O'Brien Eucharistic Congress 1932 Ireland envelope Maria http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=0fb9bcc0-80a6-4a39-8ad8-ccb05b966b39&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701

O'Brien Eucharistic Congress 1932 Ireland linen http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=ab88f25e-234b-4e3e-a11a-e3d70f85f4fa&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232701