Descendants of Johanna QUIRKE (to contribute information, please email Helen@HelensFamilyTrees.com)

First Generation

1. Johanna QUIRKE was born in probably late 1820s in probably Bottomstown, Knockainey, Co. Limerick. She died on 7 Dec 1905 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick.

Unfortunately, all that I know of Johanna's family is that they probably lived in the townland of Bottomstown in the parish of Knockainey (also spelled Knockainy), Co. Limerick. However, when Griffith's Valuation (1847-1864) was checked for Quirkes in Knockainey, none were found in Bottomstown, only in Baggotstown East, Ballynagallagh and Patrickswell.

Witnesses to the marriage of Michael and Johanna were John Quirke and Johanna Cronin.

According to her death certificate, Johanna died of 'senile decay'. The informant was Margaret Doody, wife of her son James.

Besides the surnames Quirke and Doody, names that occur more than once among the baptismal sponsors of the children of Johanna and Michael are Cronin, Noonan and Hennessy, so it is possible that the Quirkes or the Doodys were related somehow to these families.

The Quirke surname (I have also seen it spelled as Quirk) is common throughout Ireland, especially in Munster and the south east. The name is derived from the Irish 'O Cuirc' from the first name 'Corcc' meaning 'heart' or 'crimson'. Before the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century, the sept was based in south west Tipperary in an area called 'Muscraí Uí Chuirc'.

Johanna married Michael DOODY on 19 Nov 1848 in Galbally, Co. Limerick. Michael was born in possibly about 1820 in possibly Galbally or Knocklong, Co. Limerick. He died in between 6 Feb 1894 and 30 Mar 1901 in probably Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick.

Although our Doody family was thought to have come from Galbally, Co. Limerick, it is possible that they may have come originally from Knocklong, Co. Limerick. According to Michael's marriage record, his residence at the time was Knocklong, half way between Knockainy (where his wife was probably from) and Galbally. Also, Michael's daughter Eliza, who never married and lived all her life in Galbally, was nevertheless buried in a Knocklong cemetery.

We know from the baptismal record of Eliza, who was Michael's eldest child, that the family lived at the time of the baptism in the townland of Bottomstown in the parish of Knockainy, and at the time of the births of the youngest children, the family was living in the townland of Ardnamoher in Galbally.

Tithe Applotment records from 1830 tell us that a James Doody occupied seven acres in Ardnamoher. However, Griffith's Valuation records (1847-1864) show no entries for anyone by the name of Doody in the parish of Galbally. The parish of Knocklong was also searched in Griffith's Valuation for Doodys but none were found there either. It is possible that James had died by the time the Griffith's Valuation was made for Ardnamoher and someone with another surname was occupying the farm before Michael took it over around the mid-1850s, assuming Michael was given or purchased the same plot of land. My gut feeling is that Michael was related to James, but how closely is impossible to say without evidence.

Unfortunately, the Tipperary Family History Research organisation was unable to locate a baptism record for Michael in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, which includes Galbally and Knocklong. However, they did notice that the page from July 1820 to July 1821 was missing from the register, so if Michael was baptised between those dates, which he could have been, there is no longer a record of it.

They did find baptismal records for a John Doody and a Julia Doody from Galbally. The names John and Julia Doody appear among the sponsors of Michael's children, so it is possible that John and Julia could have been Michael's siblings. On John's and Julia's baptism records, the father's name is James which ties in with the Tithe Applotment record mentioned above. Also, James the name given to Michael's eldest son, possibly following the tradition at the time of naming the first-born son after the paternal grandfather. So it is possible that the baptism records found for John and Julia relate to Michael's siblings. Full details of John's and Julia's baptisms, along with those of two siblings, are as follows:

Father: James Doody
Mother: Catherine O'Connor
Parish: Galbally
John, baptised 14th July 1822, sponsors David O'Connor and Ellen Blackburn
Richard Doody, baptised 6th December 1825, sponsors Joseph Houlihan and Norry Sheedy
Elizabeth Doody, baptised 26th August 1827, sponsors Patrick Holway and Margaret Houlihan
Julia Doody, baptised 4th July 1830, only one sponsor, Ellen Landers

However, further evidence would be required to prove that James Doody and Catherine O'Connor were Michael's parents.

There was also a David Doody from Galbally who emigrated to the United States in States in April 1901 aged 28 (i.e., born about 1872). He was joiing a sisiter-in-law, Mrs. J. O' Neill, who lived at 147 West 29th St., New York City. However, I have not been able to establish a family connection, if any, between David and our Doody family.   

Notes:

1. There is a record in the LDS Vital Records Index for the birth of a Honora Doody in Galbally on 13 June 1868. Parents were John Doody and Ellen Donohoe. Could John be the John above born in 1822?

2. The Doody surname is an anglicised form of 'O Dubhda', from 'dubh' meaning 'black'. Other anglicisations include 'O'Dowd', 'Dowd' and 'Duddy'. The O Dubhda family had for centuries prior to the Norman invasions of the 12th and 13th centuries ruled over large parts of north west Mayo and west Sligo. Some O Dubhda families migrated to Munster in the 16th century, possibly accounting for the presence of our Doody family in Co. Limerick three centuries later.

They had the following children.

  2 F i
Elizabeth (Eliza) DOODY was born about 2 Dec 1850 in probably Bottomstown, Knockainy, Co. Limerick. She was christened on 2 Dec 1850 in Galbally, Co. Limerick. She died on 9 Dec 1938 in Galbally, Co. Limerick. She was buried in Ballingarry Cemetery, Knocklong, Co. Limerick.

Sponsors at Eliza's baptism were Patrick Cronin and Julia Doody. The name on her baptismal record is Betty.

Eliza, who was a dressmaker, lived in Galbally town, Co. Limerick. She never married.
+ 3 F ii Catherine DOODY was born about 7 Nov 1852. She died in 1933.
+ 4 F iii Mary DOODY was born about 21 Sep 1854. She died on 23 Mar 1936.
+ 5 M iv James DOODY was born about 18 Jul 1856. He died on 29 Jan 1925.
+ 6 F v Julia DOODY was born about 4 Jul 1858. She died on 8 Sep 1933.
  7 M vi
John DOODY was born about 6 Jun 1860 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick. He was christened on 6 Jun 1860 in Galbally, Co. Limerick.

Sponsors at John's baptism were John McGrath and Ellen Moy.

John emigrated to the United States in 1894 and is listed in the U.S. census of 1920 as a member of the household of his widowed sister Catherine who lived in Naugatuck, Connecticut. The census tells us that John was single and worked as a labourer in a a rubber factory. The factory in question would have been the United States Rubber Company, a major employer at the time in Naugatuck. John's age is listed as 49 in the 1920 census whereas he was in fact 59.    

It is possible that John did not live continuously in the U.S. from 1894 as there is an entry in the 1901 census of Ireland for a John Doody, 36 years old and Limerick-born, who is listed as a "boarder" in the home in Cork city of Matthew and Ellen Ryan, the brother-in-law and sister of our John above. Even though there is a slight discrepancy in age (our John would have been 40 at the time) it could be that the John in the census, who worked as general labourer, is our John above.

While I can find no trace of John after the 1920 U.S. census, I did find a death record for a John Doody who died in Naugatuck on 13 July 1941. However, I have no evidence whatsoever to prove that this John Doody is our John.
+ 8 M vii Michael (Mike) DOODY was born about 4 Oct 1862. He died on 6 Oct 1929.
  9 M viii
Richard DOODY was born on 17 Mar 1864 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick. He was christened on 17 Mar 1864 in Galbally, Co. Limerick. He died in probably 6 Jan 1943 in probably Omaha, Nebraska. He was buried in probably Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha.

Sponsors at Richard's baptism were Daniel Noonan and Bridget Hennessy.

It appears Richard emigrated to the United States in 1888 and settled in Omaha, Nebraska. We are not 100% certain of this but for the following reasons we think it very likely:

Our Richard was a talented sprinter; in 1886 and 1887 there were references in local Irish papers to his placings in races (usually first) and in 1888 there were mentions that he was an entrant in upcoming races but no report of any results have been located. If we look at Ellis Island records we see that a Richard Doody arrived there from Tipperary (not far from Galbally) on 28 May 1888 and was headed for Omaha. Then on 3 July 1888 in the Omaha Daily Bee newspaper the results of a "one hundred yards foot race" include one for an R. M. Doody. In the Irish newspapers Richard was often listed as R. M. Doody so everything ties in nicely. In the Irish papers also, Richard's name is often followed by the word 'Tipperary' rather than Galbally (although he is also described as being from Galbally) so it appears Richard either lived in Tipperary town or was a member of a Tipperary running club prior to emigration. This would explain why his Ellis Island record has Tipperary as his place of origin.

Furthermore the Omaha Daily Bee edition of 11 March 1912 lists the names of a number of local "sons of Erin' who were about to celebrate their birthdays on St. Patrick's Day, including a Richard M. Doody. This ties in perfectly with our Richard's birth date of 17 March. However U.S. census returns give contradictory date information on Richard, such as a date of birth of 29 April 1871 and an immigration year of 1900 in the 1900 census, and ages of 38 and 55 respectively in the 1910 and 1930 censuses. But given that Richard seems to have been the only Richard Doody living in Omaha throughout this period, this information (probably given in Richard's absence) appears to be incorrect and it is very likely that the Richard Doody in the Omaha census returns is indeed our Richard. All the censuses tell us that Richard was unmarried.

From the U.S. City Directories information on the Ancestry website we see that Richard worked as an "agent" in Omaha between 1892 and 1942 (he died in 1943). Knights of Columbanus records from 1902 tell us he was in the "Life Insurance" business so he was probably a life assurance agent. The U.S. City Directories of both 1906 and 1925 describe him as a solicitor which appears to be untrue.

According to his burial record Richard died at the Gilmore Sanitarium in Omaha age 82 (he was actually 78) and was buried on 9 January 1943.

Many thanks to athletics researcher Michael O'Dwyer for the above information on Richard's athletic talent and his likely link to Omaha.
  10 F ix
Ellen DOODY was born on 11 Feb 1866 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick. She was christened on 11 Feb 1866 in Galbally, Co. Limerick. She died on 8 Jul 1867 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick.

Sponsors at Ellen's baptism were John Hennessy and Mary Noonan.

Ellen died of consumption at the age of only 17 months.
+ 11 F x Johanna (Hannah) DOODY was born on 10 Feb 1867. She died on 8 Mar 1958.
+ 12 F xi Ellen (Ellie) DOODY was born on 27 May 1869. She died on 3 Sep 1954.
  13 F xii
Margaret DOODY was born on 16 Mar 1871 in Ardnamoher, Galbally, Co. Limerick. She was christened on 25 Mar 1871 in Galbally, Co. Limerick.

Sponsors at Margaret's baptism were Michael Kinnane and Catherine Kinnane.

A search was carried out on the 1901 and 1911 censuses for a Margaret Doody, in every Irish county, who was single, born in Co. Limerick and was within 10 years of our Margaret's age at the time. Nothing was found in the 1911 census but the 1901 census revealed the following:

Margaret Doody, aged 30, domestic servant of 71-year-old Thomas Jones of Cork city
Margaret Doody, aged 25, milliner in the household of drapers Denis and Bridget O'Connor of Charleville, Co. Cork

Was one of the above our Margaret? While the first Margaret's age matches our Margaret's it was common for women to shave a few years off their age, so the age discepancy does not rule out the second Margaret. Of course our Margaret could have married or died by the time of the 1901 census, or may not have been listed in the 1901 census.

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