Thomas Carr I (1841-bef1901)

Thomas Carr (1841-bef1901) Laborer (b. circa 1840, Coalpits, Athleague, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland - d. before 1901, Coalpits, Athleague, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland)

Birth
He was born circa 1840 in Coalpits, Athleague, Killeroran, County Galway, Ireland.

Marriage
He married Bridget Conboy (1841-aft1901) between 1860-1865.

Children
Bridget and Thomas had the following children: Katherine Carr (1865-1952) aka Kitty Carr, who emigrated to the United States and married James Joseph Kennedy (1870-1926); Sarah Jane Carr (c1866-1950) aka Sadie Carr, who emigrated to the United States and married Patrick J. Norton (1856-1905); Thomas Carr II who stayed in Coalpits and married Mary Kelly (1873-?) but had no children; Mary Carr (1873-?) who stayed in Coalpits in Ireland; James Carr (1874-c1950) aka Jimmy Carr, who emigrated to the United States around 1903 and was a chauffer, and a bartender in a New York City speakeasy during Prohibition and never married; Michael Carr (1880-1926) who emigrated and died at age 26 in Manhattan; and there may have been an Andrew Carr who may have emigrated to Australia.

Coalpits, Ireland
In 1901 Bridget was a widow living with her children: Mary Carr, James Carr, and Thomas Carr. By 1911 Bridget had died and the household was now headed by Thomas Carr and Mary Carr. There is some confusion as to whether the Mary in the 1911 Census is a sister of Thomas or the wife of Thomas.

Ann Elizabeth O'Malley (1933- ) writes: "On September 28, 1982, Fred and I drove to Roscommon in search of Catherine Carr’s birthplace. We asked the postmaster for directions to Holly Grove or Coal Pits. Before leaving the U.S., I spoke to Joe Kennedy, Catherine Carr’s son, who suggested that we speak to Postmaster Flannigan in Roscommon. Unfortunately he had been transferred to another office. In Athleague, the closest town of any size to Coal Pits, we asked the first elderly man we saw if he had ever met Thomas Carr. He said if it is the Thomas Carr who married Mary Kelly then he had. That was our lucky day. He directed us to the Holly Grove/Coal Pits area. We stopped in front of a two story granite house and asked a middle aged man if he knew whether this was the former residence of Thomas and Mary Carr. As luck would have it, once again he said that it was not, but that he owned the old Thomas Carr estate. His name was Mr. McCann and he said that the property had been divided and the Rourkes had built a house on a portion of the original property. He stated further that the house was in bad condition because no one was living in it and that cows had roamed through it. He also said that the house was hard to spot because it was very far back from the road. Mr. McCann also said that his mother would love to talk with us but unfortunately we could not find her house. We drove back and forth several times and finally saw an elderly woman who had known Tom and Mary. She said that they frequently cycled into Athleague. The neighbor also said that Mary loved children and often gave them sweets. We turned the car around and spotted the house high on the hill. It is hard to say how much property was originally with the house. It might be as little as twenty acres or more than one hundred. It would have been an interesting question to ask Mr. McCann. At the entrance to the property there were two stone posts. We walked approximately 600 feet straight ahead and then turned to the left and continued up a slight grade approximately 200 feet. It was a stone house with a door framed in an interlacing pattern of diamonds and ovals. There were quoins on the two front corners of the house. The front door was boarded up so we climbed through a back window into the kitchen which still had only a mud floor. At the front entry hall there was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway to the left of the staircase leading to the kitchen. There were two large rooms, one on each side of the entry hall both with interesting fireplaces. A stairway with nicely carved banisters, still intact, led to the second floor. The second floor like the first consisted of two large rooms, both with a fireplace. To the left of the house was a stone shed. There was also a spring on the property and someone said that many years ago it was used as a community spring. It was a great thrill to see the house where my grandmother was born and grew up. If only the cows had not roamed through it and destroyed the floors it would still be a picturesque house on a hill. After dinner that evening we went to a general store in Athleague and mentioned that my grandmother, Catherine Carr, was born in Coal Pits. They said that Mary Kelly’s sister, Mrs. Haughey, was still alive and lived in Athleague right next to the church. We also learned that there were Carrs in neighboring Fuerty Parish. We went to see Mrs. Haughey the next day and her son came to the door and said that his mother was very low. He asked if we could come back later. Unfortunately our schedule was tight and we reluctantly headed for Donegal."

Death
Thomas Carr died in Ireland.

Burial
There were two graveyards in the parish of Athleague, one in the townland of Coolaspaddaun and one in Monasternalea. Monasternalea is sometimes refered to as Abbeygrey.

Relationship
Thomas Carr (1841-before1901) was the second great-grandfather of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ).