Keary (No. 3.) family genealogy

Of the County Galway

The Abbé MacGeoghegan in his History of Ireland, calls this Galway family MacCeachraigh (“ceachrach;” Irish, lovable), which was anglicised MacKeighry, and modernized Keary. This family is quite distinct from “Keary,” No. 1 and No. 2, of the county Meath; and from those families who write their name Carey.

The Kearys (or MacKeighrys) of the county Galway once held large possessions in that county; but, like other families of the old Irish race who stood by Faith and Fatherland in the dark and evil days of the past in Ireland, their broad lands were confiscated and handed over to ruthless adventurers.

Lineal descendants of that brave old race are still living in the neighbourhood of Loughrea, Craughwell, and Portumna; and, as far as worldly goods are concerned, they may well say in the words of the poet:

Four generations ago, one of the family migrated to Woodford, where the present representative of the family, Mr. Patrick Keary, occupies a respectable position in that now historic locality; in the stirring scenes connected with which we find him, as a “Nationalist,” taking an active part on the side of the oppressed. The son of that man who settled at Woodford, was:

2. Timothy[1] Keary (died 1848), who was a “United Irishman,” in the Irish Insurrection of 1798. He married Miss O’Kelly of Craughwell, and had one child:

3. Patrick, who married Mary-Anne, dau. of Thomas Lally,[2] of Tynagh (who was in his day a distinguished Irish scholar and antiquarian), and had two sons, and four daughters:

1. Patrick, of whom presently.
2. Timothy (d. 1879), in April, 1861, went to Australia, and became a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Zealand where he died in October, 1879.

4. Patrick Keary, of Woodford, county Galway: elder son of Patrick; born in 1832, and living in 1888; m. Mary-Elizabeth (d. 4th March, 1884), dau. of William Roche, Esq., of Woodford Mills, and had fifteen children, eleven of whom are living in 1888, namely four sons and seven daughters:

1. Patrick-Raymond, of whom presently.
2. John-Albert
3. William-Timothy.
4. Gerald-Joseph.
1. Mary-Agnes.
2. Margaret-Gertrude.
3. Frances-Teresa.
4. Agatha-Emily.
5. Caroline-Columba.
6. Kathleen-Josephine.
7. Clare-Sophia.

5. Patrick-Raymond Keary: eldest son of Patrick; living in 1888.

Notes

[1] Timothy: This Timothy, his son Patrick, and their wives, were buried in the old Abbey churchyard within the demesne of Portumna Castle.

[2] Lally: Thomas Lally’s two sons, John and Laurence, were compelled to fly the country, consequent on the troublous times of 1835 and 1836, when the “Ribbon” conspiracy was an active organization in that part of Ireland. These two “outlaws” settled down in Canada, where their descendants now occupy independent positions.— See the “Mullally” pedigree, p. 698, Vol. I.