Margaret Mary Fitzsimons, born 8 Sept 1896, married my mother’s father, Francis (Frank) Healy in 1931 and they lived in Blessington, Co. Wicklow, all their lives. She died 26 November 1953.

Margaret Mary had seven siblings, of which I have little information:
• Patrick (b. 16 March 1882; died 26.11.1957 in Manor Kilbride; no info on any spouse or family);
• Martha (b. 16.9.1883; died 21.10.1954; married to John Browne; lived in Manor Kilbride; no info on any offspring);
• Anna Marie (b. 11.2.1886; became Dominican nun, Sr. Mary Laurence);
• John James (b. 4.11.1887; d. 4.4.1960; believed to have remained unmarried; lived in Manor Kilbride);
• Edward (Ned) James; b. 28.4.1890; d. age 29 during flu epidemic; may have had a son, Owen Fitzsimons; I have no info on any spouse or other offspring);
• Christopher (Christy) Thomas (b. 5.5.1892; d. 23.1.1976, Manor Kilbride; unmarried);
• Brigid Catherine (b. 16.4.1894; died approx age 15)

The father of these eight children was Eugene or possibly Owen/Eoghain Fitzsimons and was married to Anna/Ann/Annie Murphy.

Eugene/Owen’s father was, I’m told, either John or Robert Fitzsimons of Ballylow, Wicklow, who may have originally come from Scotland. Brothers John and Robert Fitzsimons are shown as living on same land in separate houses in 1853, as per ‘Primary Valuation of Ireland’ document. John appears to have died around 1868.

I have contact with the descendents of Eugene/Owen’s brother, Edward, who married an O’Neill, so I have some limited info on those descendents, but they have little info and even less interest in genealogy, that I have discovered thus far. I am not aware of any other siblings Edward and Eugene/Owen may have had.

As per my mother, her mother, Margaret Mary died of a stroke in 1953 while talking with the local priest. Her husband, who died in 1937 of cancer of the throat, was the local rate collector (or whatever they called it; he collected the taxes door to door) and his wife, Margaret, took over for him in that job after he died. Frank Healy liked to play the fiddle.

I would very much like to learn more about my antecedents and to make contacts with any relatives in Ireland or elsewhere. Although I am American, I plan to be in Ireland throughout 2008 and hope to make many contacts and increase my data. If you can help, I would love to hear from you.

Also, the Fitzsimons of Wicklow crisscross the Healy family there in numerous ways and I have info on that side as well if anyone seeks anything specific.

Thanks!

Siobhan Gallagher

Hi,

The Anne Murphy you mention is my relative. I am also in contact with someone who is descended from the Fitzsimons family and has a lot of information on them. I will send her a mail about this post.

Regards
Catherine

Wow, Catherine, that's terrific, thank you so much! My mother was of Fitzsimons/Healy descent and there are a number of Murphys on both trees. Does any of this relate to you? Because I think my info may be incomplete or slightly flawed.

I believe 'my' Ann/Anne Murphy was related to Willie Murphy of Ballinascullogue in Wicklow, who was godfather to my mother, Mary Healy. I have him on my Healy tree as being son of my maternal grandfather's sister, Teresa Healy, and her husband, John Murphy. (I have an incorrect notation that this John Murphy died young of mumps, age 22 in 1934 so this might apply to a son John that they had, not the father, but I don't have info on any son.) Willie Murphy, my mother's godfather died in 1991 at age 77 and I have a scanned copy of his funeral mass card on my computer if that's of any interest to you.

I crossed paths via letter with a woman in England a few years ago, Bernardette Feehan, who's related to the Fitzsimons and she got stuck going back as far as your relative, Anne Murphy's husband. I'm not sure if this snippet came from my mother or Bernardette but I have this noted on the tree footnotes: "Anne Murphy's father's name was John. Her brother was Henry who apparently never married. Her brother, Christopher, had a son, Luke, and Anne may also have had a brother, Luke. Anne's sister, Martha, married a Henry Murphy (no idea if any relation.) Martha & her husband, Henry, had a daughter, Marcella, who married a Fitzsimons."

Another cousin of my mother's, Ned Fitzsimons, of the same generation as Willie Murphy (born first quarter of 1900s) married a Margaret (Cissy) Murphy but she's from Saggart in Dublin, and they live in Wicklow, Ned's birthplace. Her daughter Gwendolyn, as it happens, married a Murphy--a Nigel Murphy, although no idea if he's from Wicklow. I suspect Cissy would have told me if he was distantly related to her but she didn't mention it.

In any case, most of my Fitzsimons cousins aren't really interested in genealogy so it'd be great to hook up with someone who is, if your relative is interested or if you and I turn out to have several relatives in common. My mother will be so excited if this yields any more info. Her mother died when she was 19 and her father when she was four years old so she doesn't have much detail.

Thanks again.
Siobhan Gallagher

Hi Siobhan, Catherine emailed me. Good to be in touch again. I have alot more info about the Fitzsimons than you indicated here, including the names of John and Robert's spouses and the baptismal details of their children,6 for John and 7 for Robert.There may also be evidence of several other siblings for John and Robert. you have my email address so do get in touch.
Bernardette

Hi Siobhan,

Here is some of the information that i have. I would certainly be interested in anything you have on the Murphy families.

John Murphy of Ballynatona married Ann Higgins of Ballynatona around 1850. I believe that John's father was Luke Murphy.

They had the following children:-

Luke (1852)- my great grandfather
Anne (1854) - married Ownen Fitsimons who was much older than her
Maria
Christopher
Henry - lived with Luke and his family and never married
James

Luke married Esther Higgins of Ballynatona in 1881 and they had the following children:-

John (my grandfather)
Bridget
Christopher
Anne
Esther Mary

John married twice - his first wife was Theresa Brady and they had 2 children Cathy who died and Esther (known as Cis)
He then married Theresa Clarke and had 3 sons:
Louis known as Louie
Sean
Henry - my father

Hope this helps - i have more information than this - it will be interesting to put it all together

Catherine

Catherine, Bernardette Feehan may have already told you that I'm in Blessington, Wicklow, now for a few months. Although my focus is on Fitzsimons and Healy from there, there is a great deal of intersection with the Murphy family as you undoubtedly know.

If you'd like me to keep an eye out for anything specific, including photos of gravestones I might come across, why don't you e-mail Bernardette who can forward it to me (so we can keep our e-mail addresses off this public message board) and then I'll connect with you directly about what you may be looking for.

I hope soon to be accessing the Wicklow Heritage Society's register of gravestones, and I can source the Blessington Society's register of baptisms and marriages 1819-1854 quite easily at the local library.

Siobhan

Hello Catherine,

My Grandfather is Loius Murphy of Ballinatona and I came across your message and couldn't believe that all the family details are listed here, it's very interesting.

My mother was Anne Marie Murphy, later know as Anna, and I have inherited some photo's of her and her aunt Cis. There's a man in these photo's that I can't name. It may be that we can establish who he is, possibly your father or my Great Grandad.

I hope you get the chance to read this late coming message and can get in contact.

Kind regards

Siobhan Canavan

Siobhan, sounds indeed like we might have a connection but I suspect you were trying to respond not to me but to Catherine, a distant cousin of mine who derives from the Ballinatona Murphy branch that I met through this website. If so, let me know as I have her contact info. She lives in Switzerland now but is from Blessington. In fact, I'll forward this response from you to her to ensure she sees it.

Right now I'm in Ireland through October. Where are you? Send me some more info on your family tree and we'll see what we can put together!!

best,
Siobhan Gallagher

Hello Siobhan,

I am Louie's brother Harry's daughter. I knew Anna well when she was teaching in Lancashire - we lived nearby.
Please contact me at catherine@whalley.ch

Talk soon

Catherine

Siobhan--wanted to be sure you saw the message Catherine Whalley, your cousin, sent you because I got a notification so maybe you didn't. Look for post by Catherine near end of this trail.

cheers!
Siobhan Gallagher