Sarah Anne Callaghan : Short Biography

Sarah Callaghan was baptised on the 2nd of November 1886 in St Columbas Chapel (Massmount), Tamney, Fanad. Sarah's parents were recorded as Daniel Callaghan from the townland of Murren, and Hannah Carr who came from a townland not far from there called Ballylar in the northern part of the Fanad Peninsula.  

Sarah was one of a large family of 8 children, four boy and four girls. Her brother and sisters, oldest to youngest were Cecelia, Michael, Bridget, John, Mary, Mick and Hannah Callaghan, all of them born between 1886 and 1881.  

A reflection of the harsh times back in the late 1800’s, Susan’s brother Michael passed away due to ill health at the young age of only 4 years old.  Sarah's mother Hannah also died young just before the turn of the Century in February 1898 leaving behind a Husband as a widower to rear a young family all on his own. In November of 1900, Sarah’s father Daniel got re-married again to Rose McGrenaghan from Carrowkeel, and together they went on to have a further two children thoughtfully called Michael (Mick) and Hannah Callaghan.  

Sarah like many others at the time emigrating to the United States back in the early 1900's. She shows up on a Passenger List alongside her neighbour Sophia Cannon and few other known locals from Fanad leaving on a ship called the Columbia from the Port of Londonderry on route to New York, arriving at its destination nearly 2 weeks later on the 12th of December 1904. She was recorded in the ships manifest as having an aunt called Sophia Carr living in Philadelphia as her arrival contact, something that all passengers were asked to have to support them if needs be at their time of travel. 

Sarah’s younger sister called Bridget also emigrated sometime later, making her way her way to Pittsburgh also. Bridget did get married, however for the moment there is not a lot more known about Bridget or the other siblings or cousins from Murren that also emigrated, but we have heard that Bridget passed away at the age 58 in 1949 in Pennsylvania. What we do know is the children that did happen to stay at home in Murren were John Callaghan and his brother Michael (Mick) Callaghan. (ongoing research nearly complete) 

Susan Callaghan met her husband to be Michael McCarthy, a Dublin man who had also emigrated to Pennsylvania just a few years before her. Sarah and Michael got married in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1908. and settled there to raise a family of 6 boys and 2 girls named, Patrick, Daniel, Mary, Robert, Eamon, John (Jack), Francis and Sally McCarthy, all born in Pittsburgh.   

Sarah died aged of 52 in 1938, and her husband Michael passed away 13 years later in 1951. They were laid to rest together in Pittsburgh, USA   

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Family Photo: Michael McCarthy and Sarah Callaghan and their family taken in Pittsburgh about the 1920’s  - Photograph courtesy of Sarah Callaghan’s grandson Dan McCarthy