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Chapter Four - A Story about the Prendergast Home in Accony
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The Original Prendergast Home
As mentioned previously, Jon, a local Accony historian, wrote an interesting story for the "Accony School Reunion" in 2009 that described some of the history of Great-grandmother Catherine's home in Accony. Here is that story:
"Accony Priests from Richie Tommy Lannon Prendergast's
by Jon Gibbons
In Accony today (2009) there stands one original house that has housed its occupants from the first generation, Dick Prendergast and Bridget Lyons (circa 1800), to the last occupant, Richie Tommy Lannon Prendergast (died 1993), with hardly a change to its original structure except the addition of a slated backroom built in the 1920s for the 'Yanks.' That thatched cottage, now in ruins, is over 200 years old and has seen four generations of priests born there in an unbroken sequence from uncle to nephew from the first Father Richard to his nephew Father Richard and the first Father James, a brother of Richie Tommy Lannon Prendergast and my mother Daisy Gibbons.
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It is certain that all but the first generation were pupils in Accony National School since its official opening, circa 1847.
On the ordnance survey map of 1835 there is a small building visible which may well have been a hedge school as there is anecdotal evidence that there were hedge masters in the Louisburgh area at that time. That house has also seen two of its daughters get married and give two sons each to the priesthood, Father Tom Scott and Father Jim Scott, and Father John Sweeney and Father Jim Sweeney. Their mothers were pupils in Accony National School. A grandson of Mrs. Scott, another Accony priest, Father Redmond Lyons died only this past April (R.I.P.) in his 89th year.
Firstly, let me give a little historical context. The Prendergasts came from outside Claremorris---maybe Mayo Abbey or Brise (Brees?) and they settled in Murrisk. The Prendergast family grave to this day is at the east gable of Murrisk Abbey. Dick was almost certainly born in Murrisk before coming to settle in Accony and marrying Bridget.
Murrisk Abbey was in ruins but the Augustinians always appointed a prior and a friar to the Abbey. The reason for this was to maintain the right of "Quest," which mendicant orders like the Augustinians had, that was the right to go from house to house seeking alms without fear of interference from the secular bishop of the diocese. In 1785, the mother Abbey in Ballyhaunis appointed Father Myles Prendergast as friar and Father John Gibbons as prior to Murrisk Abbey. Father Myles had studied for the priesthood on the Continent, probably in France, as he spoke French, and went back to France to defend a thesis he had written as part of his studies for the priesthood. When General Humbert and the French landed in Killala Bay in 1798, Father Myles and others headed off to join in the rising. He would have taken part in the 'Races of Castlebar' when the French and the Irish routed a far superior numerical English army. He went on the run in Connemara with the famous John Gibbons (Johnny the Outlaw), who some historians claim was his nephew, after Humbert was defeated at Ballinamuck, and with a price of 300 Pounds on his head. He lived as a fugitive in the mountains of Connemara for many years until the authorities finally lost interest in him. He lived out the remaining years of his life in the Clifden area, often in extreme poverty, until his death in the 1830s. Was he related to Dick Prendergast and Old Jimmy Prendergast who married Mary MacHale and settled on the brae in Accony? We cannot say for certain. But Father Liam Carr, author of 'Augustinian Abbey of St. Mary of the Virgin, Ballyhaunis' states that 'Father Myles returned to his native Murrisk' after Father Myles went to Ballyhaunis Abbey in 1791 where he spent a short time with 5 other friars before returning to his duties in Murrisk Abbey.
Now we can put Dick Prendergast's life in this historical context. He was five years old when the American War of Independence (1776) took place with George Washington, et cetera, though that event would not have impacted too much on him.
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He was 18 when the Bastille was stormed in July 1789 to start the French Revolution and that event, when word of it filtered through, would certainly have been a talking point in his household. Whether he was loosely related to Father Myles or not, he was 14 when Father Myles was appointed to Murrisk Abbey and he would certainly have known him well. When Humbert came in 1798 Dick was a fully-grown man of 27 years of age and may very well have been tempted, or indeed may have been under pressure, to join Father Myles and the United Irishmen with Humbert. But instead, he came to Accony as did his brother Paddy and they married 2 sisters, Bridget and Peggy Lyons, respectively, nieces of their brother James "Old Jimmy" Prendergast's wife, Mary MacHale, and daughters of Redmond Lyons and Ann MacHale.
And thus, we get to the priests of the house. The first generation of Accony priests from Richie Tommy Lannon's was about to begin.
The First Generation: Old Father Richard Prendergast (1811-1883)
The first priest from the village of Accony was Old Father Richard Prendergast, born in 1811 and died on 28th June 1883. He was one of 8 children and the son of Dick Prendergast (1771-1837) and Bridget Lyons (1786-15 Oct 1864). Bridget was the daughter of Redmond Lyons and Ann MacHale---the first Lyons family in Accony---and a granddaughter of John MacHale and Cecelia O'Toole, the first MacHale family of Emlagh. Father Richard was born in that original house. He had his early education in Accony, probably through hedge school teachers.
When he was a child he was very ill and his parents vowed that if he recovered they would make him a priest. He recovered and in due course he was sent to St. Jarlaths College, Tuam and later to Maynooth College. He travelled to Maynooth on horseback as there were no trains in those days and a man, or men, had to to be sent with him to bring the horses home. The horses had to be sent again when he was coming home for his holidays at Christmas and summer. This had to be a long, arduous journey without proper roads or facilities along the way. We have no account of where they stayed at night or if they took their own food with them but the journey itself must have been a tale to tell when they returned home.
He entered Maynooth about 1833 and was ordained in 1838. His first parish was Kilmeena (1838-44); then Knock from 1844-57 and finally he was Parish Priest of Newport from 1858 to his death in 1883. On his tombstone is written the following:
'Ora pro animus Rev Richard Prendergast PP 1858-1883 R.I.P.'
Padraic O Morain who wrote "Annals of Burrishoole" wrote of Father Richard:
'A kindly, friendly man, Father Richard is still fondly remembered
in the parish. In his time, the old custom of giving dinner to the clergy
at the Stations was abolished, as he felt it involved undue expense on
the people's part. Shortly before his death the Sisters of Mercy from
Westport opened a branch house and a girls' school in Newport.'
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He had 3 brothers and 4 sisters. His brother Michael never married and went to live with his sister Anne (Mrs. Hugh Curley) in Crossard near Ballyhaunis. Hugh's brother was Father Michael Curley who was Parish Priest in Louisburgh at that time. Old Father Richard's brothers, James (Seamus Mor) and Tom Dick, married two MacHale sisters from Emlagh, Mary MacHale and Ann (Nancy) McHale, respectively. His sister Bridget (Biddy) married Jim MacHale (Jim of the Rock) who was a brother to Mary and Ann. Another sister, Margaret, married a Kelly man in Roonith and Kitty (Catherine) married a Heraty (Heraghty?) in Carrowkennedy. [This Kitty (Catherine) is actually Great-grandmother Catherine (Prendergast) O'Keane/Keane, and should read: "...married Mathew W. O'Keane/Keane and they emigrated to America in 1848."]
Father Richard would also have had 3 young first cousins for company because his mother Bridget's sister, a Mrs. Scott in Aughagower died, along with her husband, leaving her 3 children to be raised in Accony by their aunt, Bridget Prendergast and their grandparents, Redmond Lyons and Ann McHale. Redmond Scott and his sister died, but James Scott survived and eventually married and moved to Accony Thiar (Roonagh) where his descendent Tommy Scott has the Post Office today. [This is the Tommy Scott Sue and I visited on our holidays.]
The Second Generation: Young Father Richard Prendergast (1837-13 Oct 1905)
Young Father Richard was one of 5 children of Tom Dick Prendergast (1812-1892) and Nancy (Ann) MacHale (1814-3 April 1870) from Emlagh. Tom Dick was a brother of Old Father Richard. Young Father Richard's parents were cousins as often happened in those days. He entered Maynooth in 1858 and was ordained in Tuam in 1864. He too travelled to Maynooth on horseback with 2 horses and a mare always making the round trip. His parishes were Clifden 1864-68, Balla 1868-71, Tuam 1871-78, Kilmaine 1878-96, Kilcommon 1896-1905.
His tombstone reads:
'Have mercy on the soul of Rev. Richard Prendergast P.O. of Kilcommon and Robeen who after an exemplary and zealous life died 13th October 1905 in his 68th year. May he rest in Peace.' (Roundfort Church near Ballinrobe)
Father Richard had a brother, Thomas, who was known as Thomas Tom the Athlete and who was also going for the priesthood but he was seen in the company of girls one summer while home on holidays. (It would have been impossible for him not to have been in the company of girls with all his cousins in the village.) He was reported to the relevant authorities in Maynooth by a very senior local clergyman (it is alleged) and was told by the authorities not to go back to Maynooth for his final year. He went to America and was working in the mines in Butte, Montana to earn money in the hope of finishing off his education for the priesthood in America when he was tragically killed in a mining accident.
He had a sister, Beecy (1850-1926) who married Tom Lyons (1839-1915) in Furmoyle and who later bought The Colony. They moved into The Colony on Monday, the 1st of May 1882. His brother, Jamesy, married a Bridget McHale (she was the widow McDonnell at this stage) and she was a sister of the curate in Louisburgh and was not closely related to the MacHales of Emlagh. Today you have that Prendergast family still living at the bridge in Louisburgh.
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Finally, his other brother Pat Tom (1840-1880) married Mary Lannon Prendergast (Aug 1840-26 November 1938 at age 98). Mary was also from Accony and it was her mother Bridget (Biddy) Lannon, a sister of Father Michael Lannon, the curate in Spiddal [County Galway], and who married Young Jimmy Prendergast in the 1820s, who put the "Lannon" in Richie Tommy Lanon and Pat Lannon!
The Third Generation: Old Father James P. Prendergast (1876-3 October 1937)
James P. was the son of Pat Tom Prendergast and Mary Lannon Prendergast (she was from Pat Lannon Prendergast's family) and one of eight children, as well as a nephew of Young Father Richard. He was born in that original house also. He travelled to America on 17 April 1898, at age 22, with his sister Louisa, aged 20, on the "Umbria" from Queenstown, Cork making his way to Chicago. His purpose was to earn some money for his schooling. He returned the following year and entered Maynooth on 1st September 1899. He was ordained in Maynooth on the 19th June 1904. His first mission was Glasgow from 1904-1911, Islandeady 1911-1912, Turlough 1912-1916, Aglish 1916-1921, Achill 1921-1924, Athenry 1924-1931 and Abbeyknockmoy 1931-1937. He died 3 October 1937, at age 60, predeceasing his mother Mary Lannon by 3 years. He is buried in Abbeyknockmoy.
Father James had 3 sisters---Louisa who died on 26th June 1907, aged 30, and was never married; Annie Pat Tom who married Pat Scott in Shraugh and had 17 children, including 2 priests---Father Tom and Father Joe Scott; and Mary, who was born on 21 July 1880 ten weeks after her father, Pat Tom, died. Mary married Pa Sweeney in Rahins near Castlebar, had 5 sons and 1 daughter. Two of her sons became priests---Father John Sweeney and Father Jim Sweeney.
He had 4 brothers---James who was born in 1870 and died aged 2 on 29 April 1872 and after who he was called, Richie who was born in 1871 and went to America and died a young man in Chicago, Michael Pat Tom (1874-4 October 1955) who went to Chicago, married Bridget O'Malley (Big Johns) (1885-12 February 1911) and had 3 children---Mary Conley, who is 101 years old in June 2009 and living in Chicago; Annabelle who married Eddie Ned O'Malley and had 4 daughters---Mary Therese, Deirdre, Nancy and Eileen---all of whom are regular visitors to Accony and a son, James Patrick Prendergast, who visited Accony in 1828 and 1935, along with his sister Mary Conley and they are responsible for many of the older photographs that we have today. Old Father James' last brother was Tommy Lannon Prendergast (1869-2 June 1948) and he stayed on the farm in the old house.
The Fourth Generation: Young Father James Peter Prendergast (30 March 1902-28 March 1975)
Young Father James was a nephew of Old Father James and the son of Tommy Lannon Prendergast (1869-1948) and Catherine "Kate" O'Toole (1877-3 December 1945) from Roonagh ( or Accony Thiar as we always call it). For the foreigners among you, 'thiar' means 'west' and is pronounced 'here.' He was born on Easter Sunday 1902, died on Good Friday and was buried on Easter Sunday 1975 in Aughagower.
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He served in Glasgow for a short period after his ordination on 19th June 1927 and took up his first appointment in Carraroe on 4th January 1928 where he served until 23rd August 1928. He then spent the following 3 years on Clare Island (1928-1931). He was in Carna from 1931-1935 and in Aghamore from 1935-1942. Next, he spent 10 years in Islandeady where he married the parents of the Archbishop Michael Neary, the current Archbishop of Tuam. From 1952 to 1960 he was in Achill. He served as Parish Priest of Aughagower from 1960 until his death on 28 March 1975. He is buried by the church in Aughagower. He was very witty and was loved by his parishioners wherever he was. On one occasion at Mass in Islandeady he was supposed to pray for fine weather but he forgot. He only remembered as he was leaving the altar, so he turned to the congregation and said: 'I was supposed to pray for fine weather, but they're praying for fine weather in Castlebar on one side of us and in Westport on the other side---and sure if they get fine weather, then so will we.'
He had 4 brothers and 2 sisters. His eldest brother was Patrick (28 December 1900-6 January 1978) and he joined the newly formed Garda Siochana in 1923 with a near neighbor James Peter Gibbons (Myles), my father Geoffrey Myles' brother. They would have been among the first recruits into the force. Patrick married May Joyce (15 August 1911-11 March 1995) from Recess. They have 2 sons, Tom who became a priest, but is no longer in the priesthood, and Des.
His next brother was Richie (7 June 1903-16 January 1993). He was always known as Richie Tommy Lannon. He farmed in Accony all his life and was the last occupant of the old and original homestead. Richie never married. His third brother was Mike (1905-27 October 1972) whose photograph with his sister Sarah 'Daisy' Gibbons (my mother) outside Accony National School is in the remembrance book of the Accony School Reunion. He spent all his working life in Chicago but returned to Ireland in the 1960s. He never married. Then there was Father James' youngest brother John Joe (1913-1958). Like all the rest, he was educated in Accony National School before going to St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, where he excelled as a footballer. He played fullback on the Jarlath's team. He never married.
He had two sisters: May (11 April 1907-31 August 1990) who married James MacHale in Pollgloss [aka Pulgloss] and they had 6 children---Anthony MacHale who married Bridie Kilroy, Mary who married Henry Oxley, Tommy who taught in Accony National School and married Edna Manning, Evelyn who married Padraic Connolly and Kathleen who married Brendan Fahy (both of whom taught in Achill). Brendan died this past April (2009) in his 89th year (R.I.P.). John McHale was married to Bridget Grace.
His youngest sister, Sarah (3 March 1909-9 August 1978), who was always called Daisy, married Geoffrey Myles Gibbons (15 August 1893-7 September 1973). They had 10 children: Mary (married Geoffrey Prendergast R.I.P.), Norah (Luke Morley), Eileen (Jim McNelis R.I.P.), a boy who was stillborn or who died very shortly after birth, Myles Gibbons (Phil Sigerson), James (Nina Taylor), Tom (Mary Beausang), Paddy (Sheila O'Toole), Geoffrey (Ann Reilly R.I.P.) and John [Jon Gibbons, the author of this house story] (Margaret Allen).
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So, there is the story of one house in cold, stark facts---the bare facts of those who were born there and those who went to school from there, of those who married locally and whose children went to school in Accony, of those who died there, of those who left to get married and those who came in to marry there, of those who emigrated never to return and of those who returned to spend their final day there. It is just a fleeting account of names and events, a simple description of the passing generations. It tells nothing of the sorrows, the joys, the happiness and particularly the pride in the priesthood that each family must have felt from generation to generation. and the sacrifices made to educate their children, an education started on their own doorstep. Over 200 years ago that house was just beginning; it was young and vibrant and brimming with new life. We can think of the people who worked their whole lives there, who lived and loved and laughed and cried and danced and sang---and prayed. And we know they prayed from the time that the first occupants, Dick and Bridget, promised to make their sick son a priest to the last occupant, Richie Tommy Lannon, welcoming everyone into his home but who never let a day pass without going on his knees to say his prayers.
And, all of us who are a part of the history of that house have many memories of it---the moonlit nights in the 50's when we played "cowboys" outside while our mothers visited, cleaned and tidied; the days the older ones made butterscotch in the saucepan with sugar, butter and cocoa; or later cooking the first mackerel, newly caught and gutted and washed in salt water at the harbor, on the gridiron by the open fire; or the craic playing cards on Christmas holidays with Andy MacHale and Tommy Gibbons from Emlagh, Johnny Redmond, Geoffrey Pat Lannon, Anthony MacHale and Tommy, James, Tom or Geoffrey or Paddy---whoever was home, and of course, Richie himself; or helping with the making of "the reek" in the garden and bringing carloads of hay from Criagan na gCapall or Sickeen; or some of the older lads talking at the fire on a wet day about how they might be able to avoid turning 'feiribins'---turning a feiribin [turf to be dried for burning] was putting a spade in coarse ground on cold February days which must have been back-breaking and soul destroying for any young lad! Happy memories. Many of these are now gone to their eternal reward. 'Ar dheis De go raibh a n-amamacha dilis.'
Now that house is crumbling, but those of us who owe our existence to the love that came from within its walls can look with pride on its past generations and salute them. 'Ni bheidh a leitheid an naris.'
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Jon went on to add an addendum to the story:
So, who did put the 'Lannon' in Pat Lannon and Richie Tommy Lannon?
When the village of Accony was first settled in the late 1700s it was John MacHale from Emlagh and his wife Cecelia O'Toole from Inishturk that caused it to happen. Others have told the story of John MacHale coming with Jordan, the Nicholsons and the Durcan brothers, and how MacHale got 400 to 500 acres in Emlagh from [the Marquis of] Sligo with the help of Jordan. The story varies, depending on the source. Some say John and Cecelia got married about 1780, but I would say that they probably got married about 1750-1760 as their granddaughter Bridget Lyons, daughter of the first Redmond Lyons and his wife Ann MacHale, was born in 1786.
However, what we are sure of is that Redmond Lyons married Ann MacHale and was living in Teevinish, near Aughagower; Seathrun Gibbons (pronounced 'Shayroon' and Gaelic for 'Geoffrey') married Ann's sister, Sarah MacHale and was living in Cordaragh, Aughagower; and Old Jimmy Prendergast married Mary MacHale and was living in Murrisk. Each of the 3 families lacked something---fuel or water---and so John MacHale built three houses on a steep brae in Accony. Obviously, the land was secured from Lord Sligo and the three houses were built close together for protection as raiding parties were known to attack isolated houses and steal cattle (or maybe even women)! Geoffrey and Sarah Gibbons' house was built on the exact site that Geoffrey Gibbons' house is today. Ten or fifteen yards away, gable facing gable, was Redmond Lyons' house; and perpendicular to Redmond Lyons' was Jimmy Prendergast's house, on the side of the brae. Whether Lyons, Gibbons and Prendergast were all married to their respective MacHale spouse before they came to Accony or not is unclear.
Some of the priests in Jon's story
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After we attended the "Accony School Reunion" which was the focus of our 2009 holiday in Ireland, it seemed like a good idea to look for more family records---especially since we were not having much luck finding those records in Ireland on earlier holidays. So, a microfiche was ordered from the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Library on Grange Avenue in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, that contained baptismal records for Kilgeever Parish. It also seemed like a good idea to copy all the Kilgeever records and share them with the people we had met in Ireland to thank them for their hospitality.
