Patrick James Leahy and Margaret Halpin

The following compiled by Noeleen.........

Unlike his farmer brothers in 1901, 23 year old Patrick James Leahy was boarding in the Post Office in the town land of Derry, district of Rathcabbin, Co Tipperary and is registered as a National School Teacher. The Post Mistress is Ms Anne Coonan 30yrs old and there is also a servant Ellen Gill. 

We know that Patrick was a teacher later in life so presumably Patrick was teaching in the local school. 

Rathcabbin is situated in the Parish of Lorrha-Dorrha , the most northerly parish in Co. Tipperary.  The village of Rathcabbin is approximately half way between the towns of Portumna, Co Galway to the west and Birr, Co. Offaly to the east. It is a rural area surrounded by rich, fertile countryside. The present school was opened in 1946 (see here for the school on Google maps) and was an amalgamation of Gurteen Boys and Gurteen Girls National Schools dating from 1833. Did Patrick teach in either of these schools? Why else would he be lodging as a boarder in such a small village? See the next post about teaching in Rathcabbin.

By 1911, Patrick was teaching in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales and was married to Margaret Halpin. 

PJ Leahy + family (c) P Leahy

 They lived in a six roomed house at 7 Palmer Street, Barry, Glamorgan. The 1911 Census of England and Wales indicates both Patrick and Margaret from Knockaney, Co Limerick, and had been married for 7 years. They had 3 daughters - Elizabeth 6yrs, Alice 5yrs, and Josephine 2yrs and one son Thomas 4yrs. The census indicates that there had been 6 children born alive but two had died. Patrick and Margaret must have been living in Barry for at least 4 years because while the rest of the family were residents from Ireland, Thomas and Josephine were born in Barry.

Elizabeth and Alice were registered as being from Croom, Co Limerick so we could presume Patrick moved to Croome to teach when he married Margaret.

Patrick and Margaret had married in 1904 but there is no evidence of Margaret in the 1901 Census of Ireland. It is believed she was a nun, which order has yet to be discovered.

So sometime between 1901 and 1904 Margaret Halpin left the convent. We do not know how they met or where they married. That is yet to be discovered..........