Where did they come from? Part 1: Hallinans & Laracys.

With the exception of one family, the Hallinan & Mooney ancestors can be traced to Ireland. (The exception is the Morris family. More about them later.) Given the significant gaps in 19th-century (and earlier) records, getting more specific than "Ireland" isn't always possible. Still, for most of the immigrant ancestral units it's possible to identify at least a county of origin, and for some we can cite even more precise locations.

The Little Shop on Erie St.

The short gentleman at the lower left in the photo above is Mr. Stoopnagle (first name unknown, unless it was "Mr."). The taller fellow is the young Arthur J. Hallinan, Sr. — before he added the “Sr.” to his name. This appears to be the only surviving picture of Mr. S. At first glance, he looks like a garden-variety garden gnome. But far from being merely decorative landscape-candy, this gnome had a more complicated and utilitarian life: he was a working sprinkler head, with a hose attachment (presumably somewhere in his nether regions) and orifices that sprayed water for the refreshment of nearby plants. And, oh yes, Mr. S. had one remarkable gift in particular: he could talk. More about that in a bit, but first a little background.