My Grandfathers brother, peter Curran's family

From left to right, Peter Curran Jnr, Anne Curran(nee Sinnott) Deborah Curran, Frank Curran Maureen Curran and Peter Currab Snr. Picture was taken around 1921

Last Wednesday, I met up in Glasnevin cemetery with my second cousin Richard Hoolahan. We had arranged to have a ‘show’ of one another’s graves, it was an immensely successful occasion, and I now know the locations of a number of my father’s 1^st cousins that he was unaware of all his life.

Richard is the Grandson of Peter Curran, my grandfather, Martin Curran’s brother. He came up to Dublin, possibly in the late 1890’s or early 1900’s. I have been told by a number of his descendants that he served as a policeman in the Dublin Metropolitan police, as yet I have not found any records on his time there, but will endure, and hopefully talk more fully about this in a future blog. Curran family legend says that he met his wife, Anne Sinnott whilst at work, he would be out on his beat in Dublin, and she worked in a business in Grafton Street that he would pass regularly, they developed a friendship which later blossomed into marriage. They married around 1910 and went on to start a dairy business at 22 Bolton Street, north City Dublin. They also resided here, as it is stated on their gravestone in Bunclody. In the 1911 census, Peter and his current family at the time including their eldest son, Frank are seen living in house number 70 in Newtownbarry, part of what is now known as Bunclody, Anne, who was from Newtownbarry originally, at this time was four months pregnant with their second child, Sarah. As far as I know Peter and Anne went on to have another six children as follows:

Peter () Kathleen (1923) Joan (1926) Deborah () Maureen () Edith () and the above mentioned Frank (1910) and Sarah (1911)

Peter, at present cannot be seen in the 1901 census for Ireland, but I am sure with time that he will show. Though Anne is present as a 14 year old girl living in house 50 in Newtownbarry.

Peter Passed away in 1929, I was told of an unusual story by Richard and his relatives, of the fact that when Peter died, the grave in Drumphea had been opened and ready to take him in, there were even people there in Drumphea to receive him, but to his wife, annes wishes, he was buried in Bunclody cemetery on the same day. Anne died in 1966 and was buried in the same grave as Peter.

What I know of their children is as follows, Peter married a lady called Doris and they had three children. Frank married Lily and they had five children. Kathleen married John and they had five children. Joan is still alive and well, living up in county Meath, Joan married Tom and they had eight children, Deborah married an Italian called Henry who unfortunately was killed in a biking accident, she went on to marry Frank. She had two children with Henry. Maureen married a man called Giuseppe and they had three children. Sarah, I know little, and Edith, I have been told died young in a fire.

I know that Peter, Deborah and Kathleen are all buried in Glasnevin cemetery, Dublin, and Maureen is buried in Darderstown cemetery in Dublin

Of my own uncles and aunts, they had little knowledge of Peter and Anne and their family, though they were aware of the fact that Maureen and Giuseppe had a restaurant in Donnycarney. Also that Peter and Anne had the shop in Bolton Street, but that was it. I always wondered why my Grandfather Martin and Peter lived so close to one another in Dublin, but had very little to do with one another. There are many theories why they didn’t, I even have my own ideas, but it’s not for this blog. One day someone will tell, and then I will write a blog then. As for Peters descendents, they also had little knowledge of my side, they were aware of the policeman uncle, but that was because he titled himself on some graves as erecting them(Drumphea and Glasnevin) some of them knew that my grandmother, Margaret had a shop next to the thatch in Whitehall, Dublin. And some were even aware of my Auntie Kathleen in Beaumont Road, Dublin. It also seems so ironic that there was a family group that lived no further than about 0.5km from my auntie Kathleen. Still time will tell, I want to talk to all these Currans individually to find out what they know, so as to get a clearer picture of a close relationship, that just seemed to go blank.

Peter and Anne Curran's Grave in Bunclody old cemetery, recently refurbished(2011) I have to say it looks absolutely brilliant, great job to the lads, it looks cool.

Kathleen Curran's grave in Glasnevin cemetery

Deborah Curran's plaque in Glasnevin cemetery, with her second husband Frank Maher

Deborahs first husband, Henry Margiotta's grave in Glasnevin Cemetery