5. John TREACY ('unknown' , 'unknown' ) was born in possibly about 1787 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. He died in possibly 21 Feb 1848 in probably Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. He was buried in Kilfeacle Cemetery, Co. Tipperary.

There is a Tithe Applotment (1826) record for a John 'Tracy' who leased eight acres in Soloheadbeg. This is possibly our John above. The only other Treacy listed for Soloheadbeg is Thomas Treacy. Could Thomas have been the father or a brother of our John?

If our John Treacy was the John Treacy who married Mary Looby in February 1818, then he died on 21 February 1848 aged 60 (this information comes from a headstone on a Treacy plot in Kilfeacle). It is perhaps surprising that the Treacys of Soloheadbeg were buried in Kilfeacle, approximately 12km away, rather than in the local Solohead cemetery (there is no church or cemetery in Soloheadbeg itself). There are no Treacy headstones to be found in Solohead, but of course this is no proof there are no Treacys buried there as many families in those days would not have been able to afford to erect a headstone. I thnk it likely that my Treacy family settled in Soloheadbeg from the Kilfeacle area.

Although we think John died in 1848 it is a possibility that he died between 1851 and 1856 because Griffith's Valuation (1851) lists him as the owner of the property, whereas the revision to Griffith's Valuation (1856) lists his wife as the owner.

The (only) witness at the marriage of John Treacy and Mary Looby was Thomas Treacy, indicating he may have been the father or a brother of John; and among the sponsors at the baptisms of the children of John Treacy and Mary Looby were Michael, Catherine, Ellen and Margaret Treacy, indicating they may have been siblings of John (baptismal records have been located for Catherine and Ellen, sisters of John) .

John married Mary LOOBY (caution: not verified) in possibly 2 Feb 1818 in Solohead, Co. Tipperary. Mary was born in abt 1790s in probably Soloheadbeg area, Co. Tipperary. She died on 5 Feb 1865 in probably Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. She was buried in probably Kilfeacle Cemetery, Co. Tipperary.

It is known that John's wife's first name was Mary, but there is uncertainty regarding her last name. It is a possibility that it was Looby because, buried in the same plot as Nicholas Treacy (c.1805-1848), whom we think was a brother of Mary's husband John, is a John Treacy (c.1787-1848), husband of 'Mary Treacy alias Looby'.     

Given that rural people in 19th century Ireland tended to marry locals, it is likely that Mary Looby came from the parish of Soloheadbeg, and it is a possibility that she was from the townland of Newtown because the only Loobys listed in Griffith's Valuation (1850s) for the parish of Soloheadbeg occupied land in Newtown.  

Among the sponsors at the baptisms of the children of John Treacy and Mary Looby were Eliza and John Looby, indicating they may have been siblings of Mary.

The children listed below marked 'Caution: not verified' are the children of John Treacy and Mary Looby, who may well NOT be the children of OUR John Treacy.

Not long before her death in February 1865, Mary made a will which was to lead to two consecutive legal disputes between her sons Thomas and Denis. According to an account of the second court case in The Nenagh Guardian of 14 June 1873, Mary's will had stipulated that her 14-acre farm was to go to her eldest son, Thomas, who was then to pay Denis £300 within two years. If Thomas did not pay the £300 within that time period then Denis was to get the farm and pay Thomas £300. The will, which was described by the judge in the 1873 case as having been "drawn up by an ignorant attorney's clerk", could not be proved, resulting in a dispute between the brothers that lasted until 1872, nearly eight years later. The Nenagh Guardian account does not give details as to the exact origins of this first dispute but it does tell us that throughout the lengthy litigation period Thomas and Denis lived together on the farm and managed it jointly. The will was finally proved in November 1872; according to The Irish Calendar of Wills and Administrations, probate was granted on 28 November 1872 to Denis “under decree 15 November 1872 Treacy v Treacy'”. At this point it appeas Thomas offered the £300 to Denis who refused it on the grounds that Thomas had forfeited the farm by not paying him the £300 within two years of their mother's death, despite the fact that the will had not been validated. Denis ended up losing the second case, the Nenagh Guardian telling us the judge ruled that Denis "was not entitled to rely on the alleged forfeiture and therefore he continued the injunction to restrain the defendant [Denis] from proceedings to obtain possession of the farm as against the plaintiff [Thomas]. The plaintiff should lodge in court £300 within a month... the brothers in the meantime remaining conjointly in possession of the farm". It appears Denis remained in Soloheadbeg following the verdict (presumably not on the farm, given the dispute) as his residence at the time of his marriage in 1894 was Soloheadbeg and his son, Sean, was born there in 1895 and he himself died there in 1899. Thomas had married in February 1873 and remained in Soloheadbeg for a year or perhaps two (presumably on the farm) after which he and his family moved to Tipperary town. Mention was made in The Nenagh Guardian article above that the farm was held under a lease which had just seven years left to run, but it is unclear if the seven years dated from the time the will was drawn up or from the time of the second court case. It is possible that Thomas's departure from Soloheadbeg was due to the expiration of the lease.

Looby (also spelled Luby) is a common surname in the Tipperary/Waterford/Limerick area. It is derived from the Irish name Ó Lúbaigh which comes from the word 'lúbach' meaning 'cunning'.

6. Nicholas TREACY (caution: not verified) ('unknown' , 'unknown' ) was born about 1805 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. He died on 25 Mar 1848. He was buried in Kilfeacle Cemetery, Co. Tipperary.

Nicholas was definitely related to John, but it is pure speculation that he was John's brother. For the following reason it is a possibility that they were brothers:

It is known that John's grandchildren had a cousin of a similar age (though not a first cousin) called Nicholas Treacy. Nicholas (John's brother-presumed) had a grandson called Nicholas, so it is possible that Nicholas, the grandchild, was a second cousin of John's grandchildren. It is therefore possible that Nicholas and John were brothers.  

There is only one Nicholas Treacy listed in Griffith's Valuation (1851) for Soloheadbeg. It is probable that this is our Nicholas.

Nicholas married Margaret DARMODY, daughter of Patrick DARMODY and Mary CHAMBERLIN, on 26 Feb 1838. Margaret was born on 14 Jul 1820 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. She died on 1 Dec 1905 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. She was buried in probably Kilfeacle Cemetery, Co. Tipperary.

Witnesses to the marriage of Nicholas and Margaret were John Ryan and Patrick Darmody.

7. John TREACY ('unknown' , 'unknown' ) was born about 1800. He died in probably Nicker, Pallasgreen, Co. Tipperary.

It appears that either John or his wife, Hanora (Hanley), is a DNA match to me. However I have been unable to determine the exact connection. All I know is that a great-great-great-grandchild of theirs is a 4th-6th cousin of mine.

John married Hanora HANLEY. Hanora was born about 1800. She died in probably Nicker, Pallasgreen, Co. Tipperary.

11. Ellen REAL (Mary Margaret TREACY , 'unknown' ) was born about 1803 in Oola, Co. Limerick. She died in Rodus, Emly, Co. Tipperary.

Ellen married Morgan O'BRIEN. Morgan was born about 1800. He died about 1873 in Rodus, Emly, Co. Tipperary.