One thing that bears emphasizing at the beginning is the extent to which so much of the information that we have is the product of the immense energy expended by Hallinan and Mooney family historians -- over decades of research, interviewing, correspondence, travel, and imaginative inquiry. This blog would be nothing but cute-puppy pictures if it weren't for all the work they've done. So, before you begin reading, first raise a glass or utter a quiet blessing in gratitude for (in no particular order): Art Hallinan Sr., Art Hallinan Jr., Tom Hallinan, Eileen O'Malley, Sue O'Malley, Chuck O'Malley, Bill Mooney, John Mooney, Terry Mooney, Grace Miller, Rev. Gerald Ellard, Ruth Hallinan, Annette Kelly, and Charles Samson. (Making a list like this inevitably risks omitting someone. Please let me know who I've missed, and I'll update accordingly.)
So, to get started, if we work backward from the first generation born in the U.S., we encounter these familiar faces:
- Hallinans: Clarence Cornelius Hallinan (born in 1875 in Erie PA) & Rose Jane Laracy (born in 1876 in Painesville OH). Parts of their story are here and here.
- Mooneys: William Thomas Mooney (born in 1877 in Cleveland OH) & Evangeline Charity Moran (born in 1884 in Bolivar NY). Some of their story is here.
The parents (and some of the grandparents) of these four were the immigrant generation(s).
This post is broken into two parts: Part 1 (below) outlines what's known about the places of origin of the Hallinan-Laracy ancestors, and Part 2 (here) does the same for the Mooneys & Morans.
Hallinan-Laracy.
C.C. Hallinan's parents were James Augustus Hallinan and Margaret McNierney.
- James was born in 1838, the son of John F. Hallinan and Bridget Hanlon. He came to the U.S. in 1857 or 1858 and settled in Erie PA. Both James and his father John were nurserymen. According to notes kept by James's granddaughter Ruth Hallinan, John's & Bridget's families were from Quin, a town near Ennis in County Clare. But Ruth's notes have proved less than wholly accurate in some respects, and James's U.S. naturalization petition gives County Limerick as his birthplace. Family tradition being as strong as it is, the "official" place of origin is Quin ... at least for now.
James Augustus & Margaret (McNierney) Hallinan in 1907. - Margaret was born in 1848, apparently the oldest child (and only daughter) of John McInerney and Mary Elizabeth Miner. Margaret came to the U.S. as a child in the late 1850s, presumably with at least one of her parents (about whom there's virtually no information). There is some suggestion that the McInerney family (whose name became "McNierney" in the U.S.) was also from County Clare.
Rose Jane Laracy's parents were Michael Laracy and Ellen Morgan. Here we're on a little more solid footing.
- Michael was born in 1843 or 1844 (he was baptized on Jan. 14, 1844), the second of seven children of Andrew Laracy (also Larrissey) and Elizabeth Soraghan (Soran). The baptismal records for Andrew & Elizabeth's children show the family as residents of the townland of Dunmahon in the parish of Haynestown, County Louth.
Dunmahon townland, Co. Louth.
(Image from google maps streetview.)
Griffith's Valuation (1857) records an "Andrew Larassy" residing in Dunmahon, as well as Soraghans both in Dunmahon and in the adjacent townland of Cavan, which was listed as Andrew & Elizabeth's residence in Michael's baptismal record. Dunmahon townland is about 3 miles south-southeast of Dundalk. According to Griffith's, Andrew Larassy held a house but no land, which may suggest that his occupation was something other than farming. Michael came to the U.S. around 1865 and settled in Painesville. He began work in the U.S. as a railroad laborer. In the 1880 U.S. census his occupation is shown as "driving team." Eventually he opened the Laracy Dry Goods store in Painesville. He died in 1914.
Michael & Ellen (Morgan) Laracy in 1907.
- Ellen Morgan was born in 1844, the 6th of 11 children of James Morgan and Bridget Murphy. According to an inscription in a family Bible, Ellen was born in "Upper Faughill" Co. Armagh. This is virtually certainly the townland of Faughill Etra in the parish of Jonesborough, Co. Armagh, which is about 7 or 8 miles north of Dundalk.
Faughill Etra townland, Co. Armagh.
(Image from google maps streetview.)Griffith's Valuation (1857) lists a James Morgan and Bridget Murphy with a 2-acre holding in the townland, and it's reasonable to suspect that these are our people. (The limited amount of land may suggest, as with the Laracys, that the Morgans' principal source of income wasn't farming.) James, Bridget, Ellen, and other Morgan offspring came to the U.S. in the late 1850s or early 1860s, and settled in Painesville. James Morgan died in Painesville in 1869. Bridget (Murphy) Morgan died, also in Painesville, in 1881. Ellen Morgan and Michael Laracy were married in 1867 and had 10 children. Ellen died in 1918 in Painesville.
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