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A Visit to Emly
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A Visit to Emly

By Lynn Carey Grice, June 2005

I first learned of the village of Emly in Co. Tipperary, Ireland in May 2001. A friend of a cousin told me about a tombstone inscription in the Emly graveyard that referred to my Carey surname and mentioned Troy NY. The timing was perfect since I had plans to travel to Ireland later that month. All that was needed was a minor adjustment to my itinerary and I was soon off on another ancestor hunt. Little did I know at the time of the connection between Troy and Emly.

As one approaches St. Ailbe’s Church in Emly, your eyes are drawn to the granite Emigrant Wall that stands outside the adjacent graveyard. Erected in August 2000 in memory of those who had emigrated from their home in Emly to places far away, it is a simple yet elegant tribute. It was surprising to read the names and learn how many of the people honored had settled in Troy NY.

he response to my knock on the door of the Parish Priest could not have been more welcoming. Father Seamus Rochford spent several hours telling me about the history of the parish, pouring over baptismal records from the 1830s and helping me to locate the tombstone I had come to see. The damp Irish climate encourages the growth of moss and lichens on limestone tombstones but, through Father Rochford’s cleaning efforts, the inscription was slowly revealed.

l could not have been more thrilled.

The following morning, an older gentleman approached as my husband and I ate breakfast in the dining room of the Golden Thatch Inn where we were staying. “Are you the folks looking for their people?” he asked and introduced himself as Des Mulhall, the father of the inn’s proprietor. When I explained that I was searching for a Carey family that had settled in Troy NY in 1854, a broad smile lit his face. Some of his own family had emigrated to Troy! Des obviously had a great enthusiasm for family history and was determined to learn all that he could about the families that left Emly for Troy. Here I was, a native Trojan, who dropped into town unannounced looking for a connection to Emly. We shared stories and twice Des walked back to his home to retrieve books on Emly and its environs that he thought might help me in my ancestral search. We parted a few hours later with a promise that I would continue to explore the connections between Emly and Troy.

I have not been able to prove that the Carey folks buried in the graveyard in Emly were related to my ancestors who settled in Troy. But my visit to Emly had heartfelt rewards. I had been treated like one of its own and I am deeply grateful for the welcome extended to me. It is my pleasure to submit the following information in memory of the late Des Mulhall. His infectious enthusiasm and kind, generous spirit will never be forgotten.

* With special thanks to Seamus Rochford P.P, Jim Baker and Janet Crawford

References to Troy, NY on Tombstones in Emly,
County Tipperary, Ireland

Left Hand Side Row 7 Grave 9

Erected by Mrs. William HARTIGAN of Troy New York in memory of her beloved father John Ryan, Ballyvistea, who died 3 rd May 1872 aged 72 years, also her beloved mother Mary Ryan who died 17 th Sept 1891 aged 85 years.

Right Hand Side Row 8 Grave 4

Erected by Johanna and Bridget CAREY of Troy New York ( U.S.A.) in memory of their beloved father who died May 9 th 1886, also their beloved mother died Dec 28 th 1888. 
The CAREYS of Garryancahara

Extracted by Lynn Carey Grice, March 2004, from 
The Gravestone Inscriptions of Emly, O’Dwyer, Michael (Editor)
New Orleans: New Emly Press, 1993.

This is a booklet of transcribed tombstone inscriptions from the graveyard at St. Ailbe’s Church in Emly, Co. Tipperary. In the editor’s words “The inscriptions on tombstones in the graveyard at Emly often contain many names placed there in memory of a loved one. The body may or may not be entombed within the grave. As many as 24 names are found on one stone. Relationships are often indicated.”

To request a lookup, send an  and please put “Gravestone Inscriptions of Emly” in the subject line and give as much information as possible, including the full name of the person(s) you are seeking.

References to the Parish of Emly, County
Tipperary, Ireland
on Tombstones in Troy NY

Source:
Loretta M. Nial
Tombstone Inscriptions in Cemeteries in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York Indicating a Foreign Place of Origin.
Compiled 1976
Extracted by Lynn Carey Grice, March 2004

Surname – Cemetery

Baker – St. Joseph’s

James Baker d. April 21, 1883 aged 69 years
Erected by James Baker in mem. Wife Mary d. Dec 21, 1878
aged 72 yrs. Native of Parish of Emily (sic: Emly) Co. Tipperary, Ireland
Side 2 – David McEniry d. Nov 14, 1862 aged 50 years
Sides 3 & 4 – Blank

Crowe (see note at end) – St. Peter’s

Hays – Old R.C. Cemetery – Lansingburgh
Erected by Edward (Edmund?) Hays in mem.
daughter Ally Hays d. march __1831 aged 1__years
Native of Ireland Parish of Emly co.Tipperary

McEniry – St. Joseph’s
William McEniry d. June 6, 1862
Catherine Dionovan his wife d. Aug 4, 1917
Natives of Parish of Emly Co. Tipperary Ireland
(on back)
Mary d. July 29, 1891
David d. July 2, 1902
Bridgid d. Oct 14, 1910
Annie d. Oct 22, 1921

McGrath – St. Joseph’s
John McGrath d. Feb 27, 1892 aged 50. Native of Emly Co.Tipperary Ireland. Erected by Wife Margaret who d. July 15, 1905 aged 60

Menane (Murnane) – Old R.C. Cemetery – Lansingburgh
Patrick Menane native of Ireland Parish of Emly Co.Tipperary
Died Feb 25, 1832(?) aged 41 years 8 mos 27 days
Erected by his brother(?) Denis

Nial (see note at end) – St. Peter’s

O’Connor – St. Joseph’s
Erected by Bridget O’Connor in mem. Husband William O’Connor d. Jan 2, 1876 aged 59 native of Parish of Emly Co.Tipperary Ireland

O’Connor – Old R.C. Cemetery – Lansingburgh
Erected by Catherine O’C (sic) in mem. Husband James (flaked) Conner native of Ireland Parish of Emley…Lim.(sic) died Aug (flaked 25) 1834 Aged (flaked) years

Ryan – St. Mary’s
Daniel Ryan d. July 5, 1883 aged 39. Native of Parish of Emly Co.Tipperary Ireland
Erected by wife Ellen d. Feb 22, 1919

Walsh – Old R.C. Cemetery – Lansingburgh
Erected by Margeret (sic) in mem. of husband John Walsh native of Ireland Co. Limerick Parish of Emly Died Nov 27, 1844(?) aged 46. Also his son John died Sept 24, 1838 …..(rest buried) (next to James O’Connor of same place)

* NOTE: The author includes many notes on the surnames CROWE and NIAL and their variations. It is not obvious what appears on these tombstones.

Inscriptions from the Emigrant Monument at St. Ailbe’s Church in Emly, County Tipperary, Ireland that mention Troy, NY

Heffernan to Troy 1896
Otho and children

Donovan McEniry Toole
Catherine to Troy NY

Humphries Crowe
Daniel & Catherine to Troy

McEniry Baker
James & Mary to Troy NY

McGrath Shaw (Emly)
Johanna to Troy NY 1879

Ryan – Welch (Emly)
Maryann to Troy NY c.1869

Links to site with Information about the
Parish of Emly, County Tipperary, Ireland

Article in Times Union Newspaper about the Troy-Emly Connections

Emigrant Monument in Emly.
Photo by Janet Crawford, Co. Tipperary

 

Detail Emigrant Monument in Emly.
Photo by Jim Baker

 

St. Aibe’s Church & Graveyard in Emly.
Photo by Janet Crawford, Co. Tipperary