William O'Riordan- died in Lackelly Ambush, 1921

Having not grown up in Ireland, I often find it hard to understand aspects of Irish history I encounter while trying to learn more about my own family story. But then an event with a family connection happens, and suddenly I grasp a bit more.

William O’Riordan was the youngest son and child of James Riordan, farmer of Cullane, Ballylanders, and Bridget Hanlon. He was born around 1894, (though finding his birth registration has proven so far to be elusive.) A kind friend has sent me his baptism record, and he was baptised 21 July 1894 in Ballylanders, with John Quane and El Fitzgerald as sponsors. He died 2 May 1921, aged 27 years, in the Lackelly Ambush, a victim of bullets from the ‘Black and Tans’.

It was easy enough to find a family for William O’Riordan in the 1901 census, though until recently I wasn’t completely sure that it was linked with our family. I knew that Patrick Riordan my great-grandfather had a brother James, and that Patrick had come from Cullane South. In a search for James Riordan in Co Limerick in the 1901 census, there were 21 James Riordans, but only one was from the townland of Cullane South, Cullane, Ballylanders Parish.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Limerick/Cullane/Cullane_South/1506050/

 In the 1901 census, William Riordan was the youngest in the household, aged 6, described as a scholar who could read & write. He used the English language, and his father James was the only family member who used Irish & English. There were seven family members at home in this census, the parents and five children. His older brother Patrick wasn't at home in 1901: in mid-1903 he was ordained priest at Carlow College and then left for Australia. By the time of the 1911 census, there were four family members at home, the parents, and their two adult children Bridget (29) and Michael (27). William would have been about 16 at this time, and wasn’t living at home.

The reason I finally became sure this was the family of ‘our’ James, was because of a few ‘Trove’ mentions, when I was researching the story of Fr Patrick O’Riordan in NSW, Australia. He was known to be a cousin of the Riordan family in New Zealand, as well as of two O’Donnell priest-cousins. The ‘shorter’ version of that story is here:
http://kiwinomadancestors.blogspot.com/2022/10/fr-patrick-oriordan-1879-1933.html

 In 1921 there were two accounts in ‘Trove’ of the death and funeral of Captain William O’Riordan, and he was named as a brother of Father P O’Riordan of Binalong, Australia.
The W.A. Record, Perth, (Sat 17 Dec 1921) carried an account of the procession to the Ballylanders graveyard on 24 September 1921. William O’Riordan was described as an Irish Volunteer, and he was laid to rest in the Republican plot. Some 20,000 people took part in the procession from where they had first been buried, to their permanent resting place. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212401323

A longer article in The Catholic Press, Sydney on 1 Dec 1921, gave more details, about how the bodies had been disinterred from a temporary resting place near Herbertstown, and High Mass was celebrated before the procession set off for Ballylanders which was 11 miles away. The chief mourners for Captain O’Riordan were said to be James O’Riordan and Mrs O’Riordan (parents), John and Michael O'Riordan (brothers) and Bridget O’Riordan (sister). https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/106253922

The Lackelly Ambush is well documented, and took place during the Irish War for Independence. William O’Riordan was part of the East Limerick Flying Column, and on 2 May 1921, he was part of a combined group surprised by members of the Green Howard Regiment of the British Army. Four IRA members were killed in the ambush. According to a video, ‘Lackelly Remembered’, Thomas Howard was killed outright, but William O’Riordan was wounded, and later beaten to death.
The bodies of the four IRA members were placed on a cart for removal to Galbally by the British, but in a battle the cart was retrieved by the IRA. The four bodies were buried first at a farm, but soon re-buried in the disused Rathjordan graveyard near Herbertstown. Several months later, during the Truce, the bodies of William O’Riordan and Thomas Howard were reburied at Ballylanders.
There is a video that explains all these events, called ‘Lackelly Remembered 1921-2021’. https://youtu.be/arFLL-M6GjA

A copy of William Riordan’s death registration is available by searching Irish civil registration. https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp
This states that he ‘died from effects of bullet wounds Killed instantaneously”.

 There is a large amount of detail available online about the Lackelly Ambush. In particular, there is a huge file on the Ambush that is on the Irish Military Archives Collection.
https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/1916-1923-resources/operation/lackelly-ambush/

As part of this file, there is also a section devoted to William O’Riordan, DP6340, and largely that comprises applications made by family members for compensation. https://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection-1916-1923/1916-1923-resources/operation/lackelly-ambush/  According to the rules, none of the family members qualified for compensation, as they weren’t dependants of William at the time of his death. This even applied to his elderly parents. However, the file is well worth perusing for the amount of genealogical information contained within.

The Emly Historical Society recorded an event in 2018 when they took a guided tour to the site of the 1921 Way of Independence Ambush Site. http://emlyhistoricalsociety.ie/blog/2018/04/03/hello-world-2/ There is a photo included of the memorial that includes William O’Riordan’s name.

The final resting place of William O’Riordan is in the Republican plot in Ballylanders Cemetery. https://historicgraves.com/ladywell/li-lwbl-0204/grave

About the writer: Margaret Riordan
I am a New Zealand-born Riordan descendant, living in New Zealand, and my grandfather Martin Riordan was a first cousin of William O’Riordan.
Coincidentally, my grandfather Martin also died in 1921, just  few months after William’s death, of acute influenzal pneumonia.

Fr Patrick O'Riordan (1879- 1933)

I had known for some time that there was a priest in Australia who was somehow related to our Riordan family. When Margaret Malone (née Riordan) died in July 1904 in Ireland, there was a notice inserted in the ‘New Zealand Tablet’ by her three children who were living in Charing Cross, that said she was the ‘aunt of the Rev P. Riordan, West Wyalong, N.S.W.’

And just a few years later, in 1909, it was noted that Father O’Riordan from the Diocese of Goulburn, had been on a visit to his cousin, Rev J.F. O’Donnell, Queenstown, and was on his way back to Australia. I made a half-hearted attempt to learn more about this somewhat elusive Fr (O’)Riordan, but I didn’t know his first name, and “West Wyalong” as a place didn’t seem to lead anywhere promising at the time.

Enter, stage left, a recent comment on Twitter by Andrew Redfern, @anmireoz, about researching priests in Australia. He sent me a link to a site listing deceased clergy in Australia. There were just two O’Riordan priests, one was in Goulburn Diocese, and he was named Patrick, a familiar family name.

Andrew then sent me a Trove link to the 1933 death notice for Fr Patrick O’Riordan. He was from Ireland, and was an ‘outstanding horseman’, so presumably came from a rural background as you would expect for our Riordan family.

I still couldn’t be sure this was ‘our’ priest- the places Binalong and Grenfell mentioned in his death notice didn’t relate to what I already knew about him. But it was promising.

As a first step, I thought it might be prudent to also look at things from the other end of the story, in Ireland. I assumed that Patrick was probably from Ballylanders, the same place in Co Limerick that my great-grandfather Patrick came from. From what I knew of the family, it also seemed likely that his father might be called James. And it didn’t take long, using a Civil Records search on IrishGenealogy.ie, to find a possible birth:- Patrick Riordan, born 7 June 1879  in Cullane, Ballylanders, to James Riordan and Bridget Hanlon.

 Going backwards in time again I found the marriage for James and Bridget in April 1877, and John Riordan, a farmer, was listed as James’ father. This made it quite likely that James was the brother of our great-grandfather Patrick. The couple married in Ballylanders, and their residence was in Cullane. Bridget wasn’t quite the girl next door- but nearly. In Griffiths’ Valuations, John Riordan had a farm in Cullane South, while Michael Hanlon had a farm in Cullane Middle.
The first child born to James and Bridget was John, born in April 1878. (However, he must have died young, as another John was born and received the same name in 1891.) Patrick was the second child, born in 1879, followed by Bridget (1881), Michael (1883), Margaret(c1889), John (1891), and the youngest child I found was William (c1894).

I was fairly satisfied now that I was following up on the right priest as part of my own family and not barking up the wrong genealogical tree, so I started finding out more about Fr Patrick O’Riordan in Australia, in the diocese of Goulburn.

There was a notice in the Advocate (Melbourne) about Ordinations on June 21st 1903 at St Patrick’s College, Carlow, for Australian Dioceses. Rev Patrick O’Riordan was listed as ordained for the diocese of Goulburn.
One of the first queries I had in my mind was about Wyalong, where I knew he was in 1904 when Margaret Malone, his aunt, died. The ‘New Zealand Tablet’ helped me out again with a report in February 1904 that “The Rev Father O’Riordan, who arrived in Sydney at Christmas from Carlow College, has been appointed curate in the Wyalong Parish.”

Priests are relatively easy to research in old newspapers because of the role they had in local people’s lives. In October 1904, a Mr Hartigan of West Wyalong died and we read that “…as he breathed his last the Rev Fathers P. F. O’Shea and P. O’Riordan were present in his room reciting the prayers for the dying.” Then we are told: “When the funeral reached the cemetery hundreds of persons congregated around the grave, whilst the Rev Fathers P. F. O’Shea and P. O’Riordan performed the obsequies.”

However, as it turned out, Fr O’Riordan was in West Wyalong for barely a year before he was moved at short notice to SS Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Goulburn. The writer noted that though he had only been stationed in Wyalong for twelve months, “…he created a very good impression there, and though there were only two days in which to arrange for recognitions, he received no less than four presentations.”

An interesting recording of his change of address from Binalong to Goulburn was an official notification from the Registrar’s General Department in Feb 1905 since he was an Officiating Minister.

After just under two years though, in late November 2006, Fr O’Riordan was on the move again, leaving Goulburn Cathedral to take up the position of Diocesan Inspector of Schools, clearly a prestigious role.
The Administrator said that “…they had never said good-bye to a priest with more genuine sorrow, for no more genial priest had ever come into the Bishop’s House.” Father Clearly spoke about how he knew Father O’Riordan perhaps better than anyone in Goulburn as he had known him in Carlow College, and “though a very young man, an adult in ability and knowledge,” and that “he had always been able, too, to take his place in the college sports.”

However, despite the high hopes everyone had for him as he began the Diocesan role as Inspector of Schools, it seems that as quite a young man, Fr O’Riordan developed some serious health issues. These resulted in him leaving the diocesan role for a parish priest position at Binalong in 1910. He also made several visits to relatives in New Zealand. In 1909 we saw earlier that he spent time with his cousin Fr JF O’Donnell in Queenstown. In early June 1910 the NZ Tablet recorded that in Christchurch he “was a visitor at the Cathedral Presbytery last week, and on Sunday was in Darfield, where relatives reside.”

On June 13 1910 he “was the guest of Dean O’Donnell in Ashburton for a few days, prior to his departure for Sydney.” In the Intercolonial column of the New Zealand Tablet in September 1910 it spoke of him being obliged to give up the inspector of schools role ‘owing to ill health’.
However, his stay in the Binalong Parish was to be a long and fruitful one. 

Father O’Riordan was reported to have arrived in the parish of Binalong by late September 1910, and the people of the parish were reported to be delighted with his appointment. He came with an excellent reputation from his work as a diocesan inspector. His ill-health continued though, and he had a ‘serious operation at the Lewishham Hospital’ in 1912, before returning to his parish on October 24th.

Probably because of his continuing ill-health, he was recorded as having another visit to New Zealand in 1913. In April 1913 he celebrated Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin. One might assume he had spent more time with his cousin Fr JF O’Donnell in Queenstown as he recuperated, and Queenstown has a beautiful stone church that was built under the direction of Fr O’Donnell. 

However, despite his poor health, he was instrumental in organising the building of a new church for Binalong Parish, which was opened in early June 1913. Burrowa News covered the event- “Grand Religious Function at Binalong”- with a detailed description of proceedings.

There was a procession to the front door of the Church, then Dr Gallagher, the Bishop of Goulburn gave a brief address. He explained that he had been invited to Sydney for a ceremony there, but had written to explain that arrangements had already been made to open the Church at Binalong the same day. He also said that “the ceremonies had previously been arranged for November, but had to be postponed on account of the temporary illness of Father O’Riordan (parish priest). He (Dr Gallagher) was pleased to know that Father O’Riordan was well again, and able to attend to his duties.” During the following High Mass, Fr O’Riordan was the Master of Ceremonies, and at its conclusion he told the people the costs of the new church and asked for contributions to reduce down the debt. 

Photo of Binalong Church by Ian Lamont, from www.churchhistories.net.au

Following the opening and blessing of the church, there was a banquet at which Fr O’Riordan presided. The final toast was proposed to him, The Pastor, by Mr J. F. Shine (Burrows). He said that “he wished to congratulate the people of Binalong on their important undertakings on behalf of religion, but still a great deal of the success was due to the great organising power and zeal of their Pastor (Fr O’Riordan).” Fr O’Riordan then “briefly responded, and said that he had received hearty assistance and co operation from the people in whatever movements he had undertaken.”

The newspaper account ended with comments about how all classes of the community had mingled to build the church, and that there was an absence of sectarian animus. I found this last paragraph interesting as similar things were said about the way Fr O’Donnell, who was Fr O’Riordan’s cousin, also worked with the whole community building the church in Queenstown, NZ, that was opened in 1898.

There was a description of the new Binalong church in the Yass Courier. “The building is of bluestone (quarried not more than 150 yards from the site), with freestone buttresses, fibro-cement roof with terra cotta ridging, the whole being surmounted by two freestone crosses carved by Mr Dave Larkham. The stonework of the church will bear close inspection, as the whole of the joints are accurately lined up. The inside fittings include a choir gallery of polished redwood, and seats of polished kauri. Lead lights have been fitted to all windows, the memorial windows being beautifully executed.” It was noted that the St Patrick’s Statue in the church was gifted by Fr O’Riordan.

In 1921 a stark reminder of Fr O’Riordan’s Irish family and origins appeared in the news. His brother William had been killed at Lackelly during a British ambush during the War of Independence, and he was reburied in the Republican plot in the Ballylanders graveyard. A more detailed account of the huge funeral procession was carried in The Catholic Press, where the chief mourners were listed as James O’Riordan and Mrs O’Riordan (parents), John and Michael O’Riordan (brothers), and Bridget O’Riordan (sister).


No doubt much more can be uncovered about Fr O’Riordan’s time in Binalong Parish in the pages of Trove, but I will leave that to another researcher, and will now turn to his large farewell function from the parish in May 1928.

Fr O’Riordan was acknowledged as having been Parish Priest for nearly 18 years at Binalong before receiving a ‘promotion’ to take charge of the larger Queanbeyan parish. Mr Browne in proposing a toast spoke of Fr O’Riordan “who by a tolerant spirit and co-operation, had endeared himself to all sections of the community.” The speaker spoke of Fr O’Riordan carrying out the duties of church and also of the town and district, in such areas as sporting bodies, and the debating club.  Rev Rose, the Church of England minister, spoke of the wonderful disposition of Fr O’Riordan, and of the broad-minded outlook he took on all matters. Fr O’Riordan was the first visitor he had had when he came to Binalong.

When Fr O’Riordan rose to respond to the many speeches, he “was given a great ovation, it being some minutes before he was heard to say how much he appreciated the great reception given him, and said he found it difficult to fittingly express his thanks for the highly flattering remarks passed by the various speakers and for the handsome present received.”

Fr O’Riordan was at Queanbeyan from 1928 until late 1931, when he was appointed to Grenfell, where he was acting administrator during the illness of the incumbent priest. (One might assume that perhaps Fr O’Riordan himself was already suffering with the illness that was to prove terminal in 1933.) In February 1932 there was yet another large farewell gathering. Fr O’Riordan “stated that he had learnt at Queanbeyan what genuine charity meant.”

When Fr Riordan died in 1933 at Grenfell Parish, his death was not unexpected. He had known his illness was terminal for more than nine months before his death.

The Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s, Binalong, and it was in the cemetery there that he was buried, as was his wish, under the shade of a pine tree he had planted 18 years ago.

It was reported that his mother and a sister, both living in Ireland, survived him.

A Binalong correspondent wrote:
“This loved priest and friend of the people fittingly was laid to rest under the sheltering branches of a spreading pine, which stands as a living monument beside his grave,” and  “The Rev Father O’Riordan was a great lover of the beautiful in tree and flower. The church grounds at Binalong bear ample testimony in their leafy growth to the pleasure his artistic nature found in that handiwork of the great Creator.” 

Headstone photo from Billion Graves website

Please leave a comment if you would like to know more about the sources etc used for this blog post. If you happen to come across this blog, and know where I could find a photo of Fr Patrick O'Riordan, please let me know in the comments!

Fr John Riordan- PP at Ross

John Riordan, my great-uncle, was born 14 January 1883 at Kirwee, in Canterbury, New Zealand. He was the first child born to Patrick Riordan, from Co Limerick, Ireland; and Mary Burke, who was born in Perth, Scotland.  He was to become the elder brother of five siblings:  Martin (1884) - my grandfather, Patrick Joseph (1886), James (1887), Bridget (1889) and Annie (1891).
He faced early sorrow in his life with the death of his mother Mary, aged just 29 years, on 26 March 1892, of consumption. John was aged only 9 at the time. (From Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 8173, 16 May 1891, Page 3)

By 1906, John Riordan (aged 23) was a student at Holy Cross College in Mosgiel, where he is recorded as receiving a prize for Junior Latin. John appears in a photo taken at the seminary in Mosgiel in 1906, at the left hand end of the third row. This photo was reproduced on the NZ Tablet front cover, April 30th, 1975.

 

In 1911, John Riordan had to face the deaths of two more close family members. 

 His youngest sister, Annie Riordan, was educated as a boarder at Sacred Heart in Christchurch, where her musical talent was evident. At the young age of 15, she had entered the convent there, where her name in religion was Sr Majella. Just a few years later she succumbed to the Consumption she had 'inherited' from her mother as a baby. I was told by Sr Martina Burke RNDM, a cousin, that Annie’s brother John came up from the Seminary when she was in her last illness, and was called in the early hours when her end was near. She said that he ran over to the convent without even doing up his shoelaces. It is significant that Dean O’Donnell from Ashburton was one of the clergy present in the sanctuary at Annie's funeral. He was a first cousin to John’s father, Patrick Riordan, and there are various indications that he had a lot to do with the Riordan family over the years at Charing Cross. As well as knowing him as a cousin, John would have been very well aware of how he conducted his priestly ministry.

Less than two weeks after the death of his sister, John was further faced with the death of his father, Patrick. In his will, Patrick made specific, careful provision for John’s studies towards the priesthood. John was given the sum of £500 for his own use absolutely. Trustees were directed to make provision of “a sufficient sum for the completion of the education for the priesthood of my son John, which sum shall be in addition to the sum of £500 he had already been bequeathed.”

On 13 December 1914 John Riordan was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral in Christchurch during a Pontifical High Mass. Fr O’Donnell of Ashburton was one of the priests assisting in the sanctuary. In the evening, Father Riordan assisted in Vespers and solemn Benediction. Fr Riordan celebrated his first Mass in the Convent Chapel of the Sisters of the Missions, the convent where his youngest sister Annie had taken her vows and died in 1911. (NZ Tablet, 17 December 1914).

 On Sunday 20 December 1914, John celebrated Mass at his ‘native parish’ of Darfield, and gave his blessing to the congregation. He also preached ‘an instructive sermon’ to the large congregation for evening devotions. (Darfield, NZ Tablet, 14 January 1915)

There are numerous references to Rev Fr John Riordan as priest on the Papers Past website. 

In January 1916 he was transferred from his first parish of Ahaura to Ross, which is where he served until he died in 1925. There were times recorded when he was part of various clerical affairs, such as the visit by Bishop Brodie in May 1916. Several priests, including Fr Riordan, had gone to Otira to greet the Bishop, and on arrival at the railway station a large gathering was present to welcome him. In January 1920, Fr Riordan went with a group of priests to Christchurch for a retreat.

 

He is listed as the celebrant for numerous weddings, at varied places on the West Coast, including Ross, Hokitika, Greymouth, Reefton, Kumara, Kanieri, and Okarito. This particular wedding was that of Mr Patrick Nolan, ‘a well known settler of Okuru’, to Miss Johanna Eggeling also of Okuru. In this instance the bride carried a ‘beautiful prayer book, the gift of Rev Father Riordan.’ (Grey River Argus, 5 September 1918, Page 3.)
Okuru is in fact particularly far south even by West Coast standards, being south of Haast. The account below from 1922, of a ‘periodical visit to the wild southern districts beyond Ross’, makes it clear it was a ‘rough journey’, though Father Riordan enjoyed ‘kindly hospitality of the people’ along the way. (NZ Tablet, 14 September 1922, Page 31)

It is also often recorded when Fr Riordan conducted funerals. In an account of the funeral of Mr Michael Moye, we read that, “Father Riordan, who was untiring in his attention to the deceased all through his illness, officiated at the funeral.”
John’s brother James Riordan died in France on 11th October 1916, of wounds received in action. The Plaque and Scroll sent to families who lost a soldier in the War was sent to Rev J Riordan, Ross, West Coast. Then on 29 August, 1921, his brother Martin (my grandfather) died in New Plymouth Hospital, aged 36 years, leaving his widow Margaret, with six young children. Soon after this, we read that Fr John Riordan had ‘holiday leave’ in the North Island, and that Father Gallagher was doing duty at Ross in his absence. Fr John had returned to Ross by early November.

 

Unexpectedly, in mid-April 1925, and to the great sadness of the people of the parish of Ross, Fr John Riordan suffered a ‘paralytic seizure’, never regaining consciousness, and he died a few days later on 18 April 1925. The Bishop, and John’s sister Bridget from Christchurch, were both present when he died. (Press, Volume XI, Issue 18361, 20 April 1925, Page 10)
Much was written about Fr John Riordan when he died, but perhaps one of the most moving pieces about him came from his first parish of Ahaura. This article describes him as a ‘devoted and earnest priest’. It says he was ‘full of missionary zeal’ when he left ‘to take charge of the far-flung parish of Ross, where his priestly ministrations endeared him not only to his own devoted people but to many outside the fold.’ It continues- ‘His simplicity of character, his genial disposition, and kindness of manner won for him the admiration of all with whom he came in contact during his sacred ministry.’ It finishes by saying that- ‘“Father John” of Ross is dead, but his memory will linger long in many a heart.’ (Ahaura Notes, NZ Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 16, 6 May 1925.)

 

 

An account of his funeral in the Hokitika Guardian (The Guardian, Hokitika, 22 April 1925, page 3) gives a great level of detail about the day. The account starts by saying: “The wave of sorrow and regret that passed over the West Coast when the news went forth of the death of Rev. Father Riordan on Saturday afternoon, was exemplified yesterday when the largest gathering of people that had ever assembled in Ross township, gathered for the purpose of paying a last tribute of respect to the memory of the deceased priest, whose funeral took place to Ross cemetery.” People came from all over the Coast for his funeral, from Okuru in the south to Reefton in the north. Two bishops and twenty-two priest were present, and ‘the celebrant of the Mass was the Very Rev Dean O’Donnell (Ashburton) a relative of the deceased priest.’ The ‘beautiful Gregorian music of the Mass, including the soul-stirring “Dies Irae” was chanted by a choir of priests.’ Bishop Liston blessed the Catafalque. In the procession to the cemetery the altar boys and priests preceded the bishops, followed by the Catholic School children and Sisters of Mercy. Next were the children from Ross State School. The coffin was carried in relays by men parishioners, and it was followed by a large gathering and many cars.
A year later, anniversary celebrations held in memory of the late Father Riordan. First there was a requiem Mass before many assembled at the “New Ross” cemetery to unveil a memorial to him.

The memorial was a 'tribute of love from his parishioners and friends'. The memorial is in an impressive position on this hilltop cemetery, with a view looking out to the ocean beyond.
In the beautifully kept historic church in Ross, there was a sign explaining that the Stations of the Cross were in memory of Rev Fr John Riordan.

(Rev Fr) John RIORDAN

 b 14 January 1883 in Kirwee, Canterbury, NZ
d 18 April 1925, in Ross, West Coast, NZ
while Parish Priest 

 

Requiescat In Pace 

 

(Please contact me via a comment if you are interested in learning more about Fr John Riordan: I do have more references.) 

Ooops something went wrong with the formatting in the published post. I don't want to try and fix it in case I delete it!!

 

James Lalor- from Co Kilkenny

I know a lot about my maternal great-grandfather James Lalor on the West Coast in New Zealand. He was active on various local boards and committees, and there are many references to him on Papers Past. I am connected with various lines of his Lalor descendants in New Zealand via DNA.

But I know very little about his life in Ireland before he emigrated. I know he came from Co Kilkenny, and from his death registration I know that his father was John Lalor and his mother's name was Mary. I don't have a more precise location for him in Ireland, and nor do I know his mother's maiden name. Nor does Ancestry provide any suggestions for further ancestors via ThruLines.

One thing I have learned about him from an article in Entre Nous- a parliamentary journal (16 Nov 1901)- is that he was a "blood relation to two men of celebrity".  He was a “full cousin” of the celebrated Irish orator Richard Lalor Shiel; and Peter Lalor, later speaker of Victorian Legislative Assembly, was a ‘distant relation’. (Our James was said to be in Bendigo when the Eureka riots took place at Ballarat.)

James Lalor was clearly a man who had been educated when growing up in Co Kilkenny. He started his career in the Post Office, he managed a large butchery shop in Melbourne, and he was a Parliamentary Messenger in New Zealand. He was born sometime between 1837 and 1844, and seems to have headed off to Australia for the goldrushes when he was still quite young.

 Using Google, I found a free ebook of “The Speeches of the Right Honourable Richard Lalor Shiel.” This had information about Richard Lalor Shiel’s connection with the Lalor family. He married ‘the daughter of Mr John Lalor of Crenagh, in the county of Tipperary, the widow of Mr Edward Power, of Gurteen’, and thus became connected by property with the county of Tipperary.

There is further information about Richard Lalor Shiel in a wikisource database that states that Richard Lalor Shiel was born 17 Aug 1791, several decades before our James Lalor. His first wife died in 1822, and in "1830 he married Mrs Anastasia Power, the daughter and coheiress of John Lalor, esq., of Crenagh. Co Tipperary."



There is information on the NUI Galway website about landed estates that includes information about the Lalor and Power-Lalor families. In 1837 Richard Lalor Shiel is recorded as proprietor of Long Orchard in Co Tipperary.

At this stage we can only wonder at how our James Lalor's father John Lalor is connected to “John Lalor, esq, of Crenagh, Co Tipperary” and Anastasia, the “daughter and coheiress of John Lalor esq.” Whether John Lalor, the father of our James, is a son or nephew of that John Lalor esq remains to be discovered, but presumably the connection is reasonably close to gain a ‘full cousin’ description.

I have discovered that there is a genealogy manuscript in the NLI: “Reference #27790: A pedigree of the family of Lalor of Cregg and Longorchard, Co. Tipperary, compiled by Thomas Lalor Cooke, of Birr 1859. Ms.1674” However, I don't know whether it contains anything that would shed light on our James' ancestry and location. I approached a couple of researchers in 2019 about getting a 'look-up' of this document, but it seemed they were all very busy with bigger requests. Then I thought I myself might manage to look up this document in July this year while I was in Ireland- but of course such travel was not to be this year.

Griffith's Valuations might provide another avenue to narrow down where James Lalor was from, but the name John Lalor was not uncommon, and I currently don't have information to narrow down the locality. I am wondering whether the fact that James always just gave Co Kilkenny as his place of origin perhaps indicates he comes from somewhere close to the City of Kilkenny, in which case Dunmore might be a possible townland. Or maybe he is from a townland closer to Longorchard in Co Tipperary.

 I am not sure that I will ever solve this 'brick wall'- but other brick walls in Ireland have eventually tumbled down, so you never know!

Malone family of Ballinadrideen

My grandmother, Margaret Malone, was born in the townland of Ballinadrideen, not far south of Charleville, in Co Cork.

Her parents were Jeremiah Malone and Margaret Riordan.

Jeremiah Malone was born about 1826, in Co Cork.

Margaret Riordan was baptised on 12 June 1843 in Ballylanders Parish, Co Limerick, named as Peggy on her baptism record. Her parents were John Riordan and Bridget Quane. She is a sibling of Patrick Riordan who farmed at Charing Cross in Canterbury, NZ.

Jeremiah and Margaret had eight children we know of: Bridget (1868), John (1869), Maurice (1871), Mary (1874), Margaret (1876), Patrick (1877), Nano (1879),  and Jeremiah (1882). Bridget, Margaret and Patrick all emigrated to New Zealand.

In the 1901 census, Jeremiah and Margaret were both still living, and five of their children were still at home, unmarried, in Ballinadrideen. Jeremiah is described as a farmer.

In the longer version of the census, we see that all except the younger two children spoke both Irish and English.

In the New Zealand Tablet, 6 October 1904, there is a death notice for Margaret Malone in Ballinadrideen. It was inserted by her ‘loving son and daughters, Patrick, Bridget and Maggie Malone, Charing Cross.” (Although the date of death appears to be July 11th here, on civil registration it is said to be 27th June.) She was aged 60.

Jeremiah Malone died just over two years later, on 22 July 1906, aged 80.  Probate was granted to Maurice Malone (his son), for a sum of Effects, £143, 5s.

Family History Expo -Follow-up!

I'm home again after a very interesting weekend in Auckland, learning so many things about how to research more about my family history.

I'd barely unpacked before I had visited Fiona Brooker's website, to downloads her Leeds method worksheet. Can't wait to go out and buy some coloured pencils to doodle on it. There's just the small matter of having to do a DNA test first!!! (Waiting for an Ancestry special.)

And if I hadn't heard the talk by Cyndi about how to build a digital research plan, I would have had no idea about her evernote templates- there is just so much info on her site. And after a bit of exploration, I can see that I need to bookmark her categories page for frequent use.

Another key resource. Patient Genie has redone Cyndi's resource checklist for us downunder. 

Have already decided that my first use of a strategy à la Cyndi will be to try and learn more about one or two mysterious John Riordan's in my tree. There was a John Riordan, brother-in-law, who was a witness who signed Mary Burke's death registration in 1892. His residence was "Christchurch". but I really know nothing more about him yet.

There was a death of a John Riordan in Christchurch, but the age seemed wrong. It's time I got a better strategy underway to identify my John Riordan and find him. Having listened to Fiona Brooker's Legacy webinar just last week, I now know about using electoral rolls on Ancestry- will just have to get down to the Palmy library to use their computer.

But there's more....  In January this year I was blindsided by the advent of a previously unknown John Riordan from Mosgiel, via Papers Past- or could he be a very old version of the first one? In 1931 this John from Mosgiel had travelled all the way from Mosgiel to Tututawa, in the backblocks of Stratford, to help my great-aunt Bridget Norris (nee Malone), while her husband was in hospital with a broken leg. (Doesn't actually sound like something an old man would do...)

So, time to get more methodical as I search to 'flesh out' the story/ies of these two (?) John Riordans!

But for now, it's just gone 7am on a Monday morning and genealogy needs to be put aside as the teaching week calls!

Sincere thanks to the Auckland Council Libraries, the NZ Genealogical Group, and the many volunteers for all the work involved in organising and running such an event.

Annie Riordan: Sr M St Majella RNDM

My grandfather Martin Riordan had five siblings, all born on the Riordan-Burke family farm at Charing Cross in Canterbury NZ. So far on this blog I have written briefly about my three Riordan-Burke great-uncles, John (a priest), Patrick Joseph (a farmer) and James (who died in WW1). But I also have two great-aunts in this line of my family, Bridget and Annie Riordan. Today I'll write about Annie, who became Sr M St Majella RNDM.

Annie Riordan was the sixth and last child born to Patrick Riordan and Mary Burke, on 23rd August 1891. Her mother Mary was already suffering from TB at the time of her birth, and she died in March 1892 while Annie was still only a baby.

Annie was baptised just two days after her birth, on 25 August 1891, by Rev James J O’Donnell, her father Patrick’s first cousin. Sponsors were Thomas Burke and Joanna Halpin.

This photo shows Annie Riordan on the left, next to her sister Bridget. (Annie reminds me very much of my sister Katherine in this photograph.) An inscription on the back implies that this photo was originally sent to cousin Jeremiah, who I think was almost certainly their cousin Jeremiah Malone in Ballinadrideen, Co Cork.

Annie excelled in music. She obtained her ATCL in piano in 1909. She passed an intermediate exam in Harp in 1907. She sang as part of a concert for the bishop in 1905. In the biography of her in the archives of the Mission Sisters order it said that she ‘was naturally gifted with a beautiful voice, …which she gave ungrudgingly to the service of God, particularly her voice, when singing in the Chapel — God’s praises.’

She became a boarder at the Sacred Heart convent when quite young, and entered the Novitiate at the early age of 15, on 6 January 1908.

Her biography says she ‘had inherited Consumption’ from her mother, but with the great care bestowed upon her, it appeared she had grown out of it. However, in November 1910 she had an attack of gastric influenza that left her weak. Five weeks before her death she took to her bed and the illness progressed rapidly. On 20 June 1911 she was administered the last Sacrament by the priest.

I was told by Sr Martina Burke that Annie’s brother John came up from the Seminary when she was in her last illness, and was called in the early hours when her end was near. He ran over to the convent without even doing up his shoelaces.

Annie died of TB on 7 July 1911 at the convent of the Mission Sisters in Lower High St, Christchurch. Her funeral was held in the convent chapel on Saturday 8 July, then she was buried in the sisters’ plot at Linwood Cemetery, Lot 99C, Block 40.

Sources:
1: Birth Registration Image- Malvern, quarter ending 31 Dec 1891
2: When Mary Burke, her mother, died in March 1892, the death registration stated that she had been suffering from Phthisis Pulmonalis for 2 years.
3: Chch diocesan transcript from baptismal register for Darfield.
4: Most music results etc were recorded in the Tablet. (Catholic magazine)- Papers Past
5: “Biography” for Sr Majella was sent to me as a relative by the archives for the Mission Sisters.
6: Photos: Aunty Mary Riordan had this photo of Annie and Bridget.
7: I took photos of the sisters’ plot at Linwood cemetery with Sr Majella’s name on it -early 1990s.
8: Obituary: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/new-zealand-tablet/1911/7/13/32

Fr John Riordan

Again, I am in debt to the Papers Past website for information about my family's past. This time I am grateful for more things I have been able to learn about my great-uncle, John Riordan, who died in 1925 while serving as Parish Priest in Ross on the West Coast.

In the early 1990s when I was starting to collect genealogy information about my family, I wrote to the Christchurch Diocesan Archives to find out more about Fr John Riordan. A lovely kind priest, Fr K J Clark, was interested to find out more about some of these former priests himself. He contacted the priest in Hokitika to see if someone could check The Guardian, the Hokitika newspaper, and I was sent notes taken from that paper about Fr John's dying and funeral, as well as his obituary.

Time has moved on since then, and a lot more from past newspapers can be easily retrieved online, (though still not from The Guardian in Hokitika it seems.) Some of these old newspaper treasures give such an intimate look at a person from the past. And so it has been with Fr John Riordan.

When he was ordained he served first in Ahaura parish, and though he was not there for long before  he went to Ross, it seems that fond memories of him were still held. This account - Ahaura Notes- appeared in the NZ Tablet on 6 May 1925.

May he rest in peace.

Payn-Wallace wedding

How I love Papers Past! I am currently going through all the info I have about Frank Payn and Johanna Scettrini's family, and tidying it all up in neat folders both on the computer and into paper files. Mostly I only have a small amount of info about each of their children but it still takes time.

Next job is to store it all online somehow but I am being so indecisive about what to use. I find Google Docs so cumbersome- not sure about DropBox- and have never really got to proper grips with iCloud. One day...

Every so often I get bored with being neat and tidy, and I delve into Papers Past to find something new...

While I was tidying all my info about Elizabeth Payn, the third child of Frank and Johanna, a little Papers Past delving led me to this wonderful account of her marriage.

 This account was published in the West Coast Times on 7 February 1912. From it we learn that Elizabeth Payn married Mr Kenneth Wallace of Hokitika on February 5th 1912 at Holy Trinity Church. We are told Elizabeth was the second daughter, and was given away by her father. Her sister Mary was her bridesmaid. There were toasts held at the bride's parents residence after the ceremony, and in the evening bride and groom left for their future home in Hokitika. 

One of the other useful features of the Papers Past website is that it is now easy to get the full reference details to an excerpt- and I (usually!) remember to screenshot them, so here they are. 

Someone - I think it was Freda, descended from the Kate Payn (Olsen) line- sent me this wonderful photo of the Wallace family.