The Town Called Drumlish, County Longford
There is a little town called Drumlish in County Longford. I never heard of it until I was twelve. It is where my grandfather, Michael Joseph Finnegan, grew up. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Irish immigrants in 1907, the Finnegan’s were told by their doctor to send him back to Ireland because of his poor health. I still cannot understand this. He was raised by his grandmother Rose Larkin until she passed away when he was around five years old in 1912. He then was taken in by his aunt, Rose Larkin McGee. Joe, as he was known, came back to America in 1924.
The Larkin family came from Co. Longford, Ireland, and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. While growing up, I would always hear my grandfather tell stories about growing up in Longford. The stories were always about everything Longford and nothing else.
That being said, my grandparents had arranged a trip back to their homeland one summer. Unfortunately for my grandfather, he was stricken with cancer and never saw his beloved Ireland again. My father took my younger sister and myself over. Our cousins in County Clare agreed to take us over to County Longford. My father was beaming that he accomplished a photo in front of the Longford News Station of us for my grandfather.
Once we got back to the states, we started chatting with grandpa and telling him about County Longford. We got the picture developed and I will never forget what happened next. As we all joyfully displayed the photo to grandpa, what do you think we heard? “Oh that’s just grand. If only you had travelled up the road a little bit to Drumlish, you could have seen the town I grew up in.”
Ugh!
I can still hear my father saying, “What?” Never had any of us ever heard anything about Drumlish. It had always been Longford. I now have researched this side of my family. Drumlish is just up the road from Longford. It is where he was raised with his aunt. Before that, he was living in Gaigue, County Longford. Not all the Larkin’s came over to America. There are still some there today.
The biggest irony of them all is that I have now discovered that the Degnan’s, my father’s family, came over from County Longford, Ireland. I can now say that if we had continued a little further up the road from Drumlish, we would have seen the town where the Degnan’s were raised!
I think we need to go back to County Longford and journey up the road.
on March 14th, 2008 at 2:44 am
You are a great story teller and writer–hope it brings you many joys and rewards.
on March 28th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
My greatgrand mothers name is Rose maiden name Hagan her husband, greatgrand father is Hugh Larkin. I can give directions to the house which is still there if this is the same Rose.
on March 29th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Regina - Thank you. I’m sure we must be related on some level. However, my great great grandparent’s names were Rose McWade and John Larkin. I do know that John Larkin was deceased before the 1911 census. Hugh could have been a brother to my John Larkin or a son of his. My great grandmother, Margaret Larkin Finnegan, was born in 1878. I know nothing about about a Hugh Larkin. I know of Patrick born 1869, Rose born 1874, Margaret born 1878, and Theresa born around 1893. I do know there were more siblings. I just don’t know about them.
on May 9th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Hi, Colleen!
I have been doing some research for a cousin and came across someone born in Drumlish. As you may know there is a town and a townland named Drumlish in Killoe Parish in County Longford. The name also applies to a much larger area around the town that is an administrative “District”.
I was wondering what you can tell us about the lovely photo adorning your blog.
Bill
on May 9th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Bill and all blog readers,
I cannot recall where exactly in Co. Longford this pic was taken. It was on the side of the road where we stopped for lunch. It was 1981 and I was 11. It’s a very pretty view though. I have some more shots with my younger sister eating her sandwich but I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate those shots being shown.
Thanks for reading. Colleen