Mrs Bridget Walsh (nee Connaughton) : Short Biography

My GG grandmother, married to Patrick Walsh (1810-1880 approx) of Gilkagh East, Ballymoe, Co Galway in 1844. I had been told she was nee Wallace but that turned out to be wrong.

They had at least 8 children, Thomas (1846-1928) who married Maria Cuffe (1861-1930) were my great grandparents. Maria Cuffe's mother was Mary nee Wallace and father was Patrick Cuffe.

Thomas's brother James emigrated to Kansas City, Missouri became tailor, Dan emigrated to Sydney Australia and Wardell NSW owned a sugar cane farm, Michael moved to Louisville, Kentucky,  John moved to Hurley, Wisconsin and ran City Hotel, Patrick moved to NY and Mary (married John Kenny) moved to 725 Sixth Avenue Brooklyn NY. Martin was born and died 1867.

Story goes that Mrs Walsh made a number of trips to NY to see her children. The painting is one her son James had made of her. It is also said she died in NY and is buried in Brooklyn but I don't know when yet. I found her name from the US death cert of her son James in Kansas City c.1942. 

Her son Dan returned to Ireland in 1907 age 55 from Australia to visit his brother Thomas in Ballymoe, and then went onto Mary in Brooklyn, who then joined him and their other brothers in Hurley Wisconsin where a photograph of the 5 siblings was taken after 30 plus years apart. It really was the golden age of travel for this generation of poor tenant farmer's wife and children who lived through The Famine. 

From the dates of her first child in 1846 to the last in 1867, I estimate she may have been born about 1826 and died in 1890s, before her remaining children reunited in 1907.

Still hope to findout when and where she is buried in NY.  Perhaps it is near her daughter Mary Kenny who died c.1930