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I am interested in tracing the connection of JFK's Fitzgeralds lines to the Bruff Lough Gur area. JFK's mother Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was doubly related to the Fitzgeralds of Lough Gur or Bruff. Rose's father John Francis "Honey Fitz" married his Fitzgerald second cousin Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon. Josie's mother was Mary Ann Fitzgerald (bapt 1832 Bruff) and her father was Michael Hannon of Lough Gur (b 1832). Honey Fitz's father was Thomas Fitzgerald (b 1823 Bruff). Tom Fitzgerald and Michael Hannan both emigrated to Boston together c 1850 and Michael married Tom's first cousin Mary Ann Fitz in Boston in 1854. Thus Rose's maternal grandmother Mary Ann Fitz and her paternal grandfather Thos Fitz were first cousins from Bruff, Limerick.  Tom Fitz's parents were Michael Fitz (b c1795-1800 Bruff d 1823 Bruff (year son Thos was born)) and Ellen Wilmouth (b c1797 Bruff d 1875 Boston). Mary Ann Fitz parents were Edmund Fitzgerald (prob Lough Gur or Bruff 1798 d 1883 Boston) and Mary Linnehan (Lenihan) (d c 1832-35 Bruff or Knockainey). Thus, Rose Fitz's paternal great grandfather Michael Fitz and her maternal great grandfather Edmund Fitz were brothers from the Bruff-Lough Gur area. Their parents were James Fitzgerald and Hannah McCarthy who married in Bruff in 1793. Thus Rose Fitz Kennedy's family tree is strongly tied into the Bruff-Lough Gur area Limerick through the names of Fitzgerald, Hannon (Lough Gur), Wilmouth, Linnehan (Lenihan). Jean Kennedy Smith, the eighth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy and sister to JFK was USA embassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998 and officiated at the re-opening of the community centre and naming it the "Honey Fitz Theatre"in honour of her grandfather. Jean Kennedy Smith must have been aware of the strong connection with the Fitzgerald and Hannan families with the Bruff Lough Gur area.  Does anyone have further information on the possible townland of the JFK Fitzgeralds in the Bruff area (possibly Bruff or Lough Gur Parish). My ggrandmother Margaret Fitzgerald was born Bruff c1800 could perhaps be a sister of the JFK Fitzgerald brothers Michael (c1795-1800) and Edmund (1798). Margaret Fitz married Thomas Dineen in Bruff in 1831, a year after St Peter and Paul's was built in 1829 and their son Michael Dineen emigrated to Victoria in the 1850s. The family of the Late Tom Dineen of Patrickswell are also descendants of Margaret Fitzgerald and Thomas Dineen.

Desmond John Dineen

Wednesday 8th Feb 2012, 01:34PM

Message Board Replies

  • Further to previous email, there was a James Fitzgerald (b 1790 Camas Bruff) and family who emigrated to Victoria and their children were cousins of Michael Dineen and they settled with O'Donnells, Carrolls Mulcahy, Barry and others from Limerick in Bullengarook Vic. This would mean that my great grandmother Margaret Fitzgerald Dineen(b c1800) was a sister of James Fitzgerald (1790). On James' death certificate it gave his parents names as Thomas Fitzgerald and Anne Slattery, so the closest tie with the Kennedy Fitzgeralds could be that James Fitz (m 1793 Bruff) and Thomas Fitzgerald could be brothers and Margaret a cousin of Michael and Thomas. This relationship  of course is only a possibility and would be difficult to prove as the name Fitzgerald in Bruff is fairly common in the Griffith and Tithe Valuations. Does the local Bruff or Lough Gur historical societies know of any Fitzgeralds that have a direct relationship with the Kennedy Fitzgeralds?

    Desmond John Dineen

    Saturday 11th Feb 2012, 12:47PM
  • I am looking for any & all information about my GG grandmother Nellie Fitzgerald (born abt 1811-Croom or Bruff)

    She married a William Quaid/Quain (b 1811-Fedamore)

    They married about 1830?

    =================================

    Their children: Anne abt 1830, William- abt 9 Jan1839, Margaret abt 1845

    Anne & Margaret both married Irving -Irwin -Irivne's

    Anne married a John & Margaret married a Patrick

    =====================================

    William- was born 9 jan 1839-Fedamore:

    Church Baptism Record
    Name:    William Quain    Date of Baptism / Birth:    18/01/1839
    Address:    ?    Parish / District:    CROOM
    Gender:     Unknown    County    Co. Limerick
            Denomination:    Roman Catholic
    Father:    William Quain    Mother:    Ellen Fitzgerald
    Occupation:        
    Sponsor 1 /
    Informant 1:    Ptk. Quaid    Sponsor 2 /
    Informant 2:    Anna Coleman

    ======================================

    He married Kate Catherine Fitzgibbons( born abt 1841) on 3 Feb 1867 Bruff:

    Parish / District:    BRUFF         County:    Co. Limerick
        Husband        Wife
    Name:     William    Quaid        Catherine    Fitzgibbon
    Address:             
    Denomination:     Roman Catholic        Roman Catholic
    Occupation:             
    Age:             
    Status:             
        Husband's Father        Wife's Father
    Name:         Quaid            Fitzgibbon

    ======================================

     

    Would love toknow who Nellie Fitzgerald's parents were??? and Kate Fitzgibbons parents??

    Can anyone helpme??

     

    Thanks in advance

    Jila

    Thursday 8th Mar 2012, 03:14PM
  • Hi Des

     

    Firstly we are really looking forward to meeting you in June/July when you visit us.  Michael Fitzgerald is a direct descendant of the Kennedy Fitzgeralds and is very willing to meet up with you when you return.

    We have newspaper articles detailing the relationship between Michael and JFK's ancestors and will be very happy to show these and copy them for you as it may help you with your research.

     

    Kind regards

     

    Aine Barry

    Sunday 15th Apr 2012, 09:50PM
  • I was wondering if Ellen Fitzgerald born about 1806-1815- could have been a daughter of James Fitzgerald & Hannah McCarthy???

     

    I know James & Hannah were parents of :

    Michael Francis-born abt 1795

    Edmund-born abt 1798

    Garrett-born abt 1800-maybe ?

    James -born abt 1806

     

    =================================================================================

    Most trees have only sons Michael & Edmund showing- But surely there werer more children??? I have never heard

    of an Irish family only having 2 sons??(lol)

     

    My Ellen or Nellie Fitzgerald married William Quain or Quain in Bruff or Croom about 1925-1830

    Help please:)

     

    Thanks Jay:)

    Friday 11th May 2012, 04:24PM
  • Thanks Aine, just noticed your comments, don't know how I missed it.Really looking forward to meeting Michael Fitzgerald in June at the Week of Welcomes and the lovely folk of Lough Gur Patrickswell Knockainey. That's very interesting to learn that we have a Kennedy Fitzgerald relic left in Limerick, I look forward to meeting Michael.

    Desmond John Dineen

    Thursday 17th May 2012, 12:39PM
  • We are about to launch a Fitzgerald Trail in Bruff outlining the different historical sites connected with the fitzgerlad's for the gathering. We have traced both edmund and Michael Fitzgerald back to the Palatine Road, Bruff in 1850 through the griffith Valuations and both were great great grand fathers of JFK. We know the exact locations of where they lived and most of their children were baptized in the local Bruff Church. Both families emigrated shortly after 1850 and brought the bible with them that was used when JFK was sworn in as President of the USA. Hope to see you for the gathering

    Wednesday 20th Feb 2013, 07:09PM
  • Does anyone know where exactly in Lough Gur the picture at the bottom of page 2 in the newspaper article in this link was taken?

    http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/kennedy,%20john%20f%2007.pdf

    Tuesday 25th Jun 2013, 08:52PM
  • It was taken as you drive from riodans pub and is on the right after about a mile

    declan hehir

    Wednesday 26th Jun 2013, 09:54AM
  • Thanks Declan. I guess that could be where the James Fitzgerald in Griffiths lived.

    Tuesday 2nd Jul 2013, 09:11PM
  • The only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

    Wednesday 3rd Jul 2013, 09:06AM
  • The only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

    Wednesday 3rd Jul 2013, 09:06AM
  • http://www,hehirfoto.comThe only Fitzgerald listed in griffiths valuationin 1850 who are ancestors to JFK are Edmund and Michael Fitzgerald listed in  Newtown, Bruff, Co Limerick,  Coshma. Both Michael and Edmund were great grand parents of Rose Fitzgerald. there dad was James fitzgerald married to hanna McCarthy who were married in Bruff in 1790's. Its believed that James came up from Lough Gur to marry Hanna, so the site indicated in the limerick leader photo is where James fitzgerald came from, but I dont think there's any official record of that, inly information handed down through the years

    Wednesday 3rd Jul 2013, 01:38PM
  • Just one last question out of interest Declan. Would the spot marked "B" in the attached screenshot from google maps be close to the site in the newspaper article? Looking at the original Griffiths map, a plot around there would have been in the name of James Fitzgerald.

    Wednesday 3rd Jul 2013, 07:46PM
  • Hi Declan, how is the JFK exhibition going in the old courthouse in Bruff?

    Joan Dempsey showed me through it last year. Do you have any flyers or summaries showing maps of the JFK Trail?

    Desmond John Dineen

    Sunday 3rd May 2015, 12:41PM
  • Hello, I see this is an old thread but I thought I would give it a try.  My GG grandmother was Mary Fitgerald Powers, she never emigrated from Ireland but her son, my G grandfather James emigrated to Salem MA around 1900.  He was born in Waterford. 

    The family legend is that Honey Fitz would often bring Rose to visit on Sundays to the house in Salem and that somehow we were related. A detail about a green velvet dress worn by Rose is even part of the legend. I have been unable to verify this as I cannot find any information on Mary Fitzgerald Powers' parents.  Looking for any help....

    Alison Connelly 

    MA

    AlisonC

    Tuesday 21st Jan 2020, 06:00PM
  • Very Interesting, as we know they were good to visit family homes as that is how Honey Fitz met his cousin and future wife Josephine Hannon . The family homes were in Boston and Acton. Would that have been near Salem ?. Where did James emigrate from in 1900 ?

    declan hehir

    Friday 3rd Jul 2020, 09:07AM

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