The Brother who went back home?

Once you start to rake over the memories and records of the family history, you unearth more mysteries than you solve.

We first only heard about the two brothers who migrated- and not the other two brothers and sisters.

And what about the brother,John, who the story goes, returned to Ireland from Australia after pleading with his brother to get off at Fremantle.

Diary from Menlough 1984

Here is the diary of our visit and phone conversation back in 1984.

I rang the Skehena number and with difficulty, talked to Sean. He had been expecting us to visit. The line wasn't too good so I didn't talk for long. Sean said that his grandfather John had migrated to Australia, but returned later on, and married a Mary Riley. 

He didn't know if John's parents were Bridget and Tom. He wasn't too sure of his origins. He said he had a cousin in Australia, now deceased, called Nellie O'Brien, and that an uncle of his in Australia was killed in Sydney, just outside the Cathedral. Sean sounded late to middle-aged. He said to write to him and we'd compare notes and he was very pleased to hear from us. He was disappointed we didn't call. No less than we were, I assured him.

So, he has the general store right next to the church where great Grandad Michael and James went to Church. These two left for Australia, and there was a third. Was it John? Did he stay? Did he return? 

The only mention of a John is in the early 1840's, a Celia and John. One would have to check the parish register again for John's story, but the name, though probably there, didn't link up with any we knew, in our first and only look.

So ended the Menlough saga (for now) We found some answers which made it really worthwhile and some of these came not by looking up records but just by seeing the area. Knowing the history of the family in it, our own, there was a certain poignancy in the return, the first from our side that we knew of, since Michael and James left over a 100 years ago. 

As Dad surmised, they didn't leave, "They were driven out." Theirs was a lot not to be envied eking from pretty barren soil and bog what little subsistence they could muster. Mother dies at childbirth of youngest, James, and father dies a bit before that, leaving a bleak prospect for anyone.

 Australia must have beckoned compellingly. And knowing that, we have a host of other questions which are intriguing, and one day, might lead the family back here. Is Sean a lost cousin? Was John the son who returned? What member of the family will go back to follow up these mysteries and discover more? Maybe it will be you? 

Actually it was me again...

See Menlough Diary 1999

And there are still Costello's in Menlough..a recent football report

Salthill too classy for Menlough Salthill 1 - 17...Menlough 0 - 8

Menlough crashed out of the Galway Senior Football Championship when Salthill proved too strong and too classy in this quarter-final clash at Corofin on Sunday evening.

Their first round victory over last year’s champions An Cheathru Rua was not to be repeated, and despite some early efforts, they faded with Salthill running out easy victors.

Mark Butler and Des Kitt exchanged points before Seamus Mitchell put Menlough in front. Although Conor McGauran levelled with a free, Menlough were playing with flair and determination and went back into the lead through Kitt.

However Menlough missed several scoring opportunities which allowed Salthill back into the game. A great point from Declan Monaghan and a free from Niall Finnegan put the Seasiders in front for the first time.

The turning point came midway through the half when Norman Costello got onto the end of a rebound from his first shot and blasted to the net from close range.

McGauran and Damien Costello exchanged points, but now the tide had turned in Salthill’s favour as they began to take control.

Whie Kitt missed a close-in free, McGauran and Richard Butler put Salthill six points ahead, and although Kitt made amends with a 50m free, Costello canceled out the effort to leave his side 1 - 8 to 0 - 5 in front.

From then on Salthill never looked back. Although good work from Damien Mitchell kept Menlough in the game, they were unlucky when a Sean Mannion shot came off the crossbar. Mitchell pointed from the rebound, but their first round stars Damien Costello and Kevin Collins were subdued by the Salthill side.

In the end the Seasiders finished comfortable winners as Menlough’s challenge faded.

Salthill: C McGinley, J Kilraine, I O’Donoghue, C Barrett, D Monaghan (0-1), J Cox, P Ryan, M Gibbs, A Mulholland, R Griffin, C McGauran (0-4), R Butler (0-1), N Costello (1-3), N Finnegan (0-5), M Butler (0-3).

Menlough: T Hansberry, G Collins, C Jordan, D Gormally, D Costello, T Screen, M Flattery, D Mitchell, K Collins, S Mannion, D Costello (0-2), S Mitchell (0-2), F Costello, G Jordan, D Kitt (0-4).

The Imagination fills in the gaps

Funny that we have to imagine the  motivations and feelings of these characters that we can only otherwise touch on birth and death registers. Maybe a novel would be the only door into that world.