Fr. John Wall O.M.I. was born and reared in Church Street. In the Summer of 1989 he recalled the families he knew in Church St. around 1920. Here we give details about the Western side of Church St. and the Square. We hope to give details about the eastern side in our next issue. For convenience sake Fr. Wall numbered the houses beginning at St Andrews, down to the Library.

St. Andrews Church of Ireland was always called ‘the New Church’ by the people of Ennistymon. It was built in 1831 by the Rev. John Whitty. It was closed for Church services in 1964 and in 1983 the local cultural group, the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri accepted the gracious offer of the Church Board of St. Andrew’s Church. They are now refurbishing the Church for Irish music and dancing.

No. 1
Outside the gates of St. Andrew’s Church on the Western side is a modern-two-storied building now owned by Christy Conway. It was built by his father Martin Conway who carried on a thriving tailoring business there. Martin was a native of Knockanoulty near Cahersherkin.

No. 2
Now the home of the Crosse family where Mrs Nora Crosse now lives with her two children. A widow since her husband Tommy died in 1988. Tommy was the son of Jack Crosse who bought it from Martin Regan, a very good carpenter.

No. 3
The Market House. It is now an antique furniture store, owned by Michael O’Loughlin. It was originally built as a storehouse for firkins (churns) of butter which were bought at the market each Tuesday. A toll of 3 pence per firkin was paid to the agents of McNamara. The Market house was owned by Jim Stack. When the creamery came to Ennistymon in April 1935 the Market House was no longer needed to store butter.

No. 4
Kathleen and Anne Gallery live here in 1989. There were nine children in the family of Danny Gallery and his wife Maria McMahon. Danny was an auctioneer and ran a thriving business in coal and sugar. A close relative became a high ranking officer in the police force in Chicago.

No. 5
Home of Vincent Hayes. This house was originally owned by Peter Murphy. Peter emigrated to Australia as a young man but returned home to settle down in Ennistymon. He was a farmer, grocer, milk supplier, publican. His daughter Minnie married Charlie Hayes from Crusheen, parents of Vincent Hayes. Another daughter Nora married Peadar Considine and lived in Thynne’s shop. Dilly married Mick Linnane a butcher in Main St. His only son Willie Murphy married Kathy Nagle from across the street. He was a farmer and hotelier and in Politics a Fine Gael T.D. A most dedicated farm worker, Paddy Davis, lived for many years in this house.

No. 6
Where Jimmy Considine now has his barber’s shop there lived in the early 1900’s Pat McDonnell and his wife and his brother Jack. Pat and Jack were coopers as well as running a pub and grocery. Pat was a bit of a grandee. He bred Irish Red Setters and spent his spare time with dog and gun. Jack was a very different character. The house passed to Miko Hehir a relative of Pat McDonnell Miko was a cow doctor as well as running the pub and grocery. Donie Considine bought this house when he bought the Considine home next door.

No. 7
The home of Biddy Considine and her family. This house was originally owned by Dinny Vaughan. Dinney wore a big beard. He emigrated to Australia in his youth but returned to settle down here. He sold American Bacon. He had two children Miko who became a draper’s assistant and lived in Ardnaculla where he bought a farm. His sister Ellen Vaughan a dressmaker married Mikie Carroll from Kilshanny. Ellen inherited the house. They had two daughters and one son. Ellen sold the house to Donie Considine who married Biddy McInerney. Here they had a pub, grocery and petrol pump as well as being potato merchants.

No. 8
Twomey-Walsh’s shop was the home of Paddy Walsh who married Bridget Skerritt in 1889. Paddy Walsh was a fish merchant. He bought the fish at the pier of Gleninagh near Blackhead and Gussie Burns brought them to Ennistymon by horse and cart. Paddy Wash’s son P.J. settled in Dublin. His daughter Delia married Mick Twomey and changed the premises to a footwear and drapery shop. They opened branches in Kilrush and Ennis. Their son Paddy inherited the shop in Ennistymon and runs it with his wife Geraldine (Cussen). Danny runs Kilrush and M.J. runs Ennis. Another son Jackie became a medical doctor and was tragically but heroically burned trying to rescue a family in his district in South Wales. Delia Twomey-Walsh aged 96 in 1988 is hale and hearty in Carrigoran Nursing Home.

No. 9
The home of Michael Marrinan was owned by Mick Madigan a native of Callura who married who married Bridget Morony in 1905. They had a bakery and a pub. Their son Mick became a baker. Their daughter Mary married Paddy Marrinan. Paddy took the post from Ennistymon to Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna and ran a taxi service. Their son Michael enlarged the public house. He married Marie Queally (R.I.P) from Lahinch.

No. 10
Maloney’s draper shop. Here lived at the turn of the century T.J. Maloney and his wife Mary Considine. They had a drapery and footwear shop. They had five in family. Joe Maloney married Mary Comerford of Main St. and inherited the business. Joe’s sister Kathy married Matt Shinnors a bank manager. His sister “Baby”, Mary, married Andrew Walsh of Main Street. Joe Maloney had two sons and one daughter. T.J. who is now living in California after having a business in Grafton St. Dublin. Margaret has her business in Kilkee and Henry owns the shop in Ennistymon.

No. 11
Now the home of Dinny Cullinan. At the turn of the century this house was owned by Pat O’Brien, a publican and a cooper, known generally as Cooper O’Brien. He married Catherine Conneally in 1887. They had three sons and one daughter. When their mother died when they were very young her sister Ellie Conneely came in from Ballagh and reared the children; of the children Joe became a bank manager, Danny became a commercial traveller and Pakie succeeded his father and married Mary Clair across the Street in 1928. They had a family, twins, Kitty who married Patrick Hogan, a creamery manager, lives in Killarney and Michael who married Angela Williams and who now live in Church St. Pakie O’Brien’s sister, Nannie, married Hector Browne, parents of Alec and Danny who died in childbirth.
Pakie O’Brien sold No 11 to Dinny Cullinan an expert carpenter who married a nurse Eileen McInerny. They have three children.

No. 12
Peter and Marie Skerritt own this shop. At the turn of the century it was the home of Patrick and Honor Hynes who had a flour, meal and groceries shop. They had eight children. Michael was born in 1876. He studied at Mungret and the Irish College in Paris and was ordained a priest on 2nd June 1902 in Maynooth. After two year on the English mission he served in Castlegar, Ballindereen, Ballyvaughan, Ennistymon. He was P.P. of Craughwell 1919-1940 where he died in April 1940. His brother Ned inherited the business. His niece May Callaghan, known as May ‘Call’ kept house for Ned. For many years she was the Church organist.

No. 13
Ned sold his shop to Patrick Skerritt known as ‘Toddy’ who lived in the “The Bow Lane” under the Archway beside Hynes. The first Skerritt recorded in Ennistymon was Michael Skerritt who in 1850 married Mary Cleary and lived to the age of 96. He had six in family. Tom, Patie, John, Bridget, Mary and Michael. Patie inherited the home place. He married Mary O’Connor in 1890. Patie was a butcher. He had ten in family. The eldest was Patrick called ‘Toddy’. He was a blacksmith with his forge in Bow Lane. He married Nan Healy in 1920. His family consisted of seven boys and two girls. His son Gerry opened a shop of souvenirs, toys and stationery. He married Marie Corley a teacher in the convent. On the death of Gerry, she married Peter, his brother.

No. 14
Michael Murphy now lives here. The house in the 1880’s was the home of William Murphy who married Catherine Neylon of Lahinch in 1893. They had three daughters Izie who married Stephen Curtin in the U.S.A.; Bridie married James Kavanagh in U.S.A. and ‘Baby’ married Austin Brennan of Lavareen in U.S.A. The eldest boy John Joe emigrated to the U.S.A. and James inherited the home. Here he had a thriving business as publican and milk supplier. He inherited part of Willie Neylons farm in Lahinch. James married Ellen Donnellan. They had fours sons Jimmy, Michael, Liam and Francie and one daughter Carmel.

No. 15
Now the home of Kathleen Kilmartin. Ennistymon parish records show there wer seven Kilmartin families in the parish between 1822 and 1860. Thomas Kilmartin married Catherine Murrihy in 1902. He was a baker, a publican, a farmer and a newsagent. He had three sons Michael who married Issie Kerin, Main St., National Teacher. Thomas an N.T. in Dublin. P.J. died young; two daughters Sadie a nurse R.I.P. and Kathleen at home.

No. 16
Now the home of Richard Curran. At the turn of the century Matthew Curran married Elizabeth Moloney. Matthew was a salt merchant, a very profitable business in those days. They had four sons, John a drugist in Main St. who married Josephine Curran, parents of Richard. Michael ordained in 1922 for Galway diocese. He served in St. Mary’s College, Shrule, Craughwell, Galway. He died as chaplain in Clarenbridge in 1962. Tim emigrated to the U.S.A. Matthew Curran died early in the 1900’s and his widow Elizabeth married Larry O’Connor from Doolin. They opened a travel agency. Larry took the post to Kilfenora each day by horse and car. Their children were Thomas who emigrated to the U.S.A. Pappy who became a N.T. and taught in Rosmuck and Galway. Francie who had a bakery in Bridge St. and then the Post Office. Larry died as a young boy. May became a Mercy nun in London. Richard Curran and his wife Stella have a Take-Away food business here now.

No. 17
Here Richard Curran runs a public house. Here Michael Ahern married Helen Gallery from Glan in 1888; when Michael died Helen married Jack Hassett in 1903. They had one daughter Lena who married a civic guard and sold the shop to Tom Callinan from Inagh. Tom was a publican a blacksmith, a taxi-driver. He married Annie Rynne. They had four in family. May became a teacher and married Joe Morrissey from Miltown, a bank manager. T.A. became a bank manager. Gerry was ordained a priest for Galway diocese in 1944. He is P.P. of Claregalway since 1969. Reena died very young. This house was burnt to the ground “the night the Tans burned Ennistymon” because it was a haunt for volunteers. The Callanans sold the house to Ned Burke of Moy a brother of the legendary golfer John Burke. Ned married a Ms. Meehan from Gortown. They had two sons, Paddy and Eamonn, a teacher in Kilkee. In 1986 Richard Curran bought the premises from the Burke family.

No. 18
Where Tom McMahon now lives there lived in 1851 one Joseph Maloney. He had two nieces named Phelan. The new owners in 1890’s were John O’Dea and his family. John O’Dea came from Ballygannor near Kilfenora. He was a brother of Bishop Thomas O’Dea, Bishop of Galway 1909 - 1923. John’s son Louis sold the place to Murt McMahon from Kilfenora who continued on the public house and guest house. He had two employees, May Burns working in the shop and Moria Frawley who worked in the house. He married Elizabeth Maloney in 1915. Elizabeth was a first class dressmaker. They had four daughters, Kathleen who married Dr. Tom Powell in Galway; Mary married Tom O’Loughlin Station Road, Ennistymon; Peggy married John O’Gorman, Kilfenora. Teresa married Tom Moore in England. They had four sons Michael died in 1946; Murty married Bridie Leyden in Kilfenora: Paddy married Mary Hazel in England: Tom married Mary Neylon from Maghera. The have one girl and four boys.

No. 19
Patrick Healy now lives here. He inherited it from his uncle Mick. Mick was the son of Patrick and Ann Healy of Kilcornan who married in 1871. They had eleven in family and they bought this town house for the family Mick, Molly and Nan lived here. Molly married Patrick Gardiner, Nan married Garda Mick McCool in 1924. Mick had a general purposes shop here, grocery, flour, meal and farm implements. He had a cure for ringworm. He died in 1944. Paddy Healy inherited the shop from Mick. He married Marie Doherty from Main St. in 1944 who died in 1983.

No. 1
The home of Jimmy and Maisie Henchy. In 1870 Jimmy’s grandfather came from Ruan with his wife Mary O’Halloran. He was a carpenter and builder. They had four in family two boys and two girls. The eldest boy Pat inherited the business and added to it the business of undertaker. In 1907 he married Helen Vaughan. They had four boys and three girls. John, Kitty and May died young. Paddy (R.I.P.) became a vocational teacher. Celia became a nurse. Frank became a vocational teacher here in Ennistymon. Jimmy inherited the home place. In 1945 he married Maisie Danaher. They have three in family. Patsy in business in Ennis, Sheamus an engineer in the U.S.A. and Anne a nurse. Pat Henchy was elected a Co. Councillor and in due time his son Frank, too was elected to the County Council.

No. 2
Where Seán O Domhnallain runs an electrical shop. A Mr. Hawkins, a sexton in Church of Ireland lived here. This house was let in flats at the turn of the century. Lizzy Morgan and her sister lived upstairs dressmaking. A Loftus family lived in the ground floor in the business of watchmaking. On their demise, Jack Reynolds of Ballinalacken bought it and set up a shoe maker’s shop and repairer’s there. Jack had two sons. Bob who lived in Ardnaculla, father of Tom and Teresa (O’Shea) and Tom father of John Reynolds in Church Hill. Jack Reynolds kept greyhounds. It seems that this house was the sexton’s house serving St. Andrew’s Protestant Church. An old man remembers a family named Churchill living here. He remembers Mrs Churchill standing at the door calling in her two sons, Roy and Berty.

No. 3
Here Paul Shanahan and his family now live. In the 1880’s Fintan Glennon and his wife Julia Daly lived here. Fintan was a native of Roscommon and served in R.I. Constabulary in Ennistymon. They had six in family Nora, Patrick, John, Michael, Fintan and Lucy. John was a porter in the A.I.B. He was a lover of birds and he kept cages hanging outside the house. He had a beautiful skylark in a cane cage that was the envy of all. In later years Katie Mee rented the top of the house and ran a very successful dressmaking business there. The house was idle for many years until Paul Shanahan bought it fifteen odd years ago. In the 1920’s an ex-soldier by the name of Frank McDonagh lived in this house and he ran a boxing club in the town.

No. 4
Where the Barrett family lives in Glencree lived Dr. Denis Keane a doctor and a surgeon. He was married twice first to a Ms. Clery who died quite young without a family. With his second wife he had three children, Denis who is a doctor in Mt. Merrion, Dublin, Tony (R.I.P.) a doctor in Dublin and Morlin a nurse who broke her back diving in Dublin and was confined to bed until her death. Vincent Barrett came from Ennis as a creamery manager and on marriage to Bridget Thynne bought Keane’s house. Their family consisted of three boys. Peadar (the Arch Bar) Oisin and Padraic at home and three girls Maura, Anne and Frances. Dr. Brew, a doctor in charge of Ennistymon in the 1870’s lived here.

No. 5
Here Victor Hynes lives with his family. The house was the gate lodge to Ennistymon House (The Falls Hotel). Victor Hynes’ father was bank manager in the A.I.B. bank in Main St. He also was Victor and married to Nora O’Driscoll of Cahirciveen. Two of their children Victor and Cyril in Parliament St. settled down in Ennistymon. Victor married Vera McMahon. Victor was and is a man of all trades, taxi, truck, factory, fishermen, gardening were all embraced in his work schedule, never a moment idle. Before the Hynes family came to live here in 1922 Jim Murrihy a stone Mason and plasterer and his family lived here until they were evicted for not paying rent. Jim Murrihy took his family to live in Ballagh. When Ennistymon House was in its glory this gate house, housed the gatekeeper. People remember the Henderson family, the Weldon family and the Hunter family living in this house.

No. 6
The home of Michael Walsh. This is a new house. It was built by Patrick Walsh for his son Maurice who married Alice Roche in 1932. They had three in family. Paddy who is a hotel manager in Sligo, Maurice who has died and Michael who inherited the home.

No. 7
The home of Mary (Daly) Blake. This is a new house. It was built by John Blake after his marriage to Nora Cooney, 1907. John was a first class carmaker and wheelwright. His workshop was down the lane at the Archway. They had nine in family Jack, Mick, Jerry, Mary and Peter, all dead now. Noreen is in Galway, Bridie is in England, Anne (Nano) married Mick Nolan (R.I.P.) Deerpark, Paddy married Della Roche. He was a baker. He settled in Liscannor Della died in childbirth leaving an only daughter Mary. Peter Blake married Mary Daly.

No. 8
The Library.

No. 9
Now a derelict house. At the turn of the century it was the happy home of Mick Garrihy and his wife Helen Vaughan (from Moher) Mick was a blacksmith whose smithy was behind Haran’s pub. They had eleven children, Mary, Paddy, Mickey, Bridgie and Larry all emigrated to the U.S.A. Jimmy succeeded his father in the forge. He married Susan Costello (R.I.P.) in 1941 and now lives in Doolin. Danny married Bridget McCarthy in 1936. He now lives in Circular Road. Jack is a farmer in Doolin, Anthony is in Ballyvaughan. Nellie is in England and Kathleen is married in Birr.

Jimmy sold the house to Joe Carrigg who was married Margaret Burke a nurse in Ennistymon Hospital. They had three daughters Mary a matron in Dublin, Margaret in the U.S.A. and Lily married J.J. Looney near Inchovea. For many years Joe was a sacristan in Ennistymon Church. The surname Carrig which for two centuries graced this parish is, alas, no longer found here.

Ennistymon Parish Magazine 1990.