Annie Jane McCormack : Short Biography

Annie Jane McCormack was born on 24 May 1896 in Carrowkeel. Her mother Mary Jane died when she was barely a year old, leaving her to be raised by her father and six older siblings. She was nicknamed Nan and considered pet of the family. She was had dark hair and blue eyes.

She was only five when her father died in 1902. As her oldest brother was just thirteen and there was no will left by their father, adults had to make many decisions for the children. Annie was taken in by the Sisters of Mercy in Roscommon to live with many other young girls. It was here she received her full education. Her siblings were allowed to visit her and they kept in close contact.  The convent was at 6 Pound Street in Roscommon. It was headed by American born Sister Laurentia Lowe who had Annie placed in the boarding school at 7 Pound Street, which was adjoined. It had seven rooms and seventeen front windows. The head teacher was Bridget Cryan. The girls attending were mainly from Roscommon, Galway, Sligo and Mayo. They would have slept in dormitories. The nuns changed Annie's name to Annie Christine Maria Josephine, after Jesus, Mary and Joseph. She always remembered them as being kind to her.

Annie was trained as a servant in the convent and was possibly employed for a short time after she left and returned home to live with her family in Carrowkeel. Her siblings Julia, Jim and Kate all immigrated one by one to the United States and she went to join them on 8 Oct 1916. She travelled to New York on the St Louis and lived with Julia at 157 East 31st Street. In New York, Annie was known as Anna. Here she met Martin Monaghan, a Galway born immigrant. They were married on 23 May 1924 and lived in Manhattan. They had two daughters together. During the time of the Great Depression, Annie and Kate both lived in the same building with their families at 172 W. 109th Street. In 1940, they lived in Assembly District 11 in Manhattan. They later moved out to Queens. Martin died in 1962.

Annie returned to visit Ireland in 1970, where she was reunited with her last surviving sibling there, her brother Ned, after more than fifty years. She died on 14 May 1974.