During COVID local historian Bob Quilty spent some time trying to trace his Scott cousins who emigrated to the USA in the 1870's from County Limerick. Bob noticed a post from a Bob Kelly on the IrelandXO message board looking for any surviving descendants of the Scott family still living in Ireland. Bob responded as he is the grandchild of Sarah Scott (1863/1945). She married his grandfather John Quilty (1867/1933) in 1903.
Her two brothers, Matthew and John Scott emigrated to the USA IN 1870 and 1882. The 1st contact he had with Bob Kelly was 150 years later. Both brothers married but only one of them had chaildren. 15 descendants travelled to Ireland to meet with Bob and explore the original homestead in Torreen Castle, Ballybricken, Count Limerick.
Local family historian Bob Quilty has managed to reunite an entire clan 152 years after the emigration of his two granduncles to upstate New York in the later part of the 19th century.
Bob's grandfather, John Quilty married Sarah Scott in 1903. Sarah was the youngest of six born between 1845 and 1863 in Tooreen Castle, Bohermore, Ballybricken. They had just one child John Joseph Quilty (Bob's father). He married Mary Teresa Moloney in 1937 and had 11 children, kicking off a line of descendants that include a world-famous rugby player, an international hockey star, multiple acclaimed academics, GAA stars, army officers, and businessmen and women.
Written by Family Historian Bob Quilty
It has been an amazing journey for me in trying to locate my long-lost Scott cousins, Mathew and John. Hearsay from my late father John Joe Quiity (1907-1981) had it that his two uncles emigrated to the Mid West, USA in the second half of the 19th century. Nothing was ever heard of them by my father or his mother Sarah Quilty ( 1863-1945)
In January 2020 Boby Kelly, upstate New York posted a message to IrelandXO.com asking if anyone in Ireland knew of any surviving relatives of the Scott family of Toreen Castle, Ballybriken Co.Limerick. I contacted Ireland Reaching Out and they were able to connect myself and Bob. The actual reality was that Matthew emigrated to Upstate New York in 1870 and his younger brother, John followed in 1882. Both of them married but John didn't have any children. I spoke to both Bob Kelly and his cousin Marybeth (Brady) Mueller over the phone. Both had been to Ireland but neither was successful in tracing any Scott cousins. We are meeting up on 5th/6th of June in Adare, Co.Limerick along with 16 other cousins.
The Quilty family are really looking forward to meeting our American cousins where we will share details of our own family with them and reminisce how life has changed both in Ireland and the U.S.A since 1870.
Image was taken circa 1940 Sarah Scott with her son John Joe and their first grandchild John (Sean) Quilty
Image: 1928/1932 of Sarah Scott with her husband John (1867/1933) and their only child, John Joseph (1907/1981). It was taken at the home farm, Croom, Co.Limerick.
Written by Marybeth Mueller - Descendant of Mary Scott
My name is Marybeth (Brady) Mueller and I live in Fairport, New York, USA. I would like to thank you for running such a wonderful website. Using your website, my cousin, Bob Kelly was able to connect with our cousin Bob Quilty and reunite our families. My great-great grandfather moved from Ireland to the states over 100 years ago and we lost touch with our Irish cousins. This June, I will be traveling with 17 of my family members to Ireland. We are planning a reunion with our Irish cousins. Our reunion will take place in Adare, on the 5th of June. This is a very exciting event for my family because we are learning more about my grandmother's side. My grandmother, Mary Virginia McDonough, was an only child and we didn't know much about her side of the family. Her mother, Mary Scott is the daughter of Matthew Berry Scott and Mary Kelly, both immigrants from Ireland.
The Reunion
Following the Reunion, MaryBeth wrote in to say
The reunion with our Irish cousins was wonderful! Bob Quilty gave an overview of our family history so that everyone would understand how we were related. His wife, Eleanor, knits Irish sweaters and has a business selling them. We love Irish sweaters! His brothers, Sean and Martin Quilty were there and explained hurling to us. We watched a hurling game and Limerick won. After the game Martin and Kiara Roche showed the Loreto and Alvarado kids how the game is played. Dave Loreto and Rick Alvarado joined the kids in playing. Audrey Brady Loreto hosted the event along with her parents, Joy Wilcox and Jim Brady. Jim mentioned that this event reminded him of his childhood with all the Irish brogues.
The next day we met Bob out for breakfast in Adare at the golf club. It was beautiful! My husband, Tom Mueller and cousins, Marc Consoler and Tim O'Brien joined Bob on a walk around the course. Karlyn and Rick Alvarado shopped in the clubhouse store. After breakfast, our Limerick cousins, Sheelah O'Connell and Anne Hickey Roche, took us on a tour to our Ancestral home, Tooreen Castle. After touring the castle they drove Mary Brady, Lisa O'Brien, Ann Consler and me to Limerick College to view the campus and have tea. It was a wonderful visit and great to meet everyone.
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