Week 4: Invitation to Dinner

How difficult the times for the peasants of Western Ireland in the 1880s.

Changes in the term of most Irish land tenancies had dropped from a typical 31 year lease to annual tenancies after 1850... families were frequently  forcefully evicted by (often absentee) landowners.
With stronger farm produce prices and earnings of  the 1850s and 1860s, Irish tenant farmers  agreed to pay higher rents.   Changes to world economics due to follow-on years of low world prices, bad local weather, and poor harvests after 1874 however  led to wheat being sourced from new countries, such as the United States, and with the introduction of refrigeration ships,  meat was imported into Europe from Australia, keeping  prices low for producers.

The final famine of the 1880s was largely localised to the West of Ireland.  Although it was of a far smaller scale to Great Famine, its appearance  no doubt caused widespread panic and brought refreshed memories of death and misery  to many who had witnessed the great  famine of 1845-1849.  

                       Pictures from:  1880 Famine and Distress in the West of Ireland. http://www.maggieblanck.com/Mayopages/1880s

Born to John FLANAGAN and Mary BURKE of Kilfenora, County Clare about 1826, Margaret  Flanagan was in her early 20s, she well remembered...

Margaret FLANAGAN and Michael O’MALLEY/MEALY married 23 Jan 1856 in the parish of Kilfenora, Barony of Corcomroe, Co Clare, Ireland.  Witnesses: Michael & Margaret McNamara. The priest was shown to charged $2 (pounds) to perform the ceremony. Unfortunately from a research point of veiw Church Marriage Registers did not commence until 1864. Parents and place of birth were not a requirement for documentation, however it was customary in Ireland at that time for the bride to be married in her native parish. It is reasonable then to assume Margaret was born in the Kilfenora parish (The Clare Heritage Centre).

Michael’s untimely death in December 1878, left her a widow with eight children.

 Yes, memories were painful and times were again really difficult.

Then it arrived... an invitation from her brother now living in South Canterbury, New Zealand, and a paid fare for her and four of her children. Records show the arrival of the "Ionic" which sailed from Southampton 23 April 1883, arriving Lyttleton 16 June 1883 with passengers O’MALLEY: Margaret aged 40, general servant, from Clare.

                                                                      Patrick aged 24, labourer, from Clare.

                                                                      Mary aged 23, general servant, from Clare.

                                                                      Bridget aged 22, general servant, from Clare.

                                                                      Charles aged 21, general servant, from Clare.

It is our experience from doing research that information the emigrants  gave with regard to their dates of birth were rarely accurate with discrepancies of up to 4-5 years being commonplace. This was done for a variety of reasons ie: to obtain cheaper passage, better employment opportunities, marriage prospects etc  (Clare Heritage Centre).

Margaret lived her remaining years in Christchurch, New Zealand, passing aged 86 at Nazareth House.

      
                                             Such a long, long, long way to travel to meet a dinner invitation...

 for more about Margaret http://corrinne-kiwicolleen.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/margaret-flanagan-1825-1912.html