Flanagans | Newry Journal

Christopher Carr writes to update us on the pedigree of a few characters of old. Since his forbears – like mine – come from Monaghan Row/Street, I have a special interest. Hope you have too.

50s Monaghan St looking towards Monaghan Row

Anyway here’s Christopher’s story.

‘You mention in a number of articles some forbears of my own.

The John Flanagan from Monaghan Row in the first decade of the twentieth century was in fact, my great great grandfather.

INF (first) Hall, Collins’ Row (beside Ruddle’s Row) Monaghan Row

His wife Sarah (Lynch) was originally from Corrensigo – a short distance away. Her father Michael was a plasterer. Family legend has it that her mother (Mary Harwood/Letters) was shunned by her family for crossing the religious divide in marriage.

John and Sarah were married in 1867 in Cloughogue Church. It seems they immediately after moved to Ballymena. John was a flax dresser and there may have been more work there. Their eldest children were born there. About ten years later they moved back to Newry.

Fin-de-siecle Monaghan Street

This John Flanagan of Monaghan Row was father to the two Flanagans later listed as resident of Monaghan Street. Mary who married Edward McGuigan resided at number 63 and her brother Mickey was at 65. Still the 1911 Census had the former on Monaghan Row while Michael Flanagan was still in Monaghan Street. By that time John Flanagan was living in the adjacent Needham Street. Two years later he died in his son’s home in Monaghan Street.

I think the Hugh and Ellen Flanagan on Monaghan Street in 1901 were probably brother and sister of John. My grandfather Michael (Mick) was a joiner as was his his father of the same name. His grandfather Patrick Carr was a publican of Upper Mill Street. He died in 1883. My grandfather’s mother was a McConville from Lower North Street.

My own grandmother Lena was the second daughter of Edward McGuigan and Mary Flanagan and younger sister to Rose. Lena emigrated to the USA in 1922. There she married my grandfather Michael Carr who hailed from Newry’s Cecil Street. Two of my grandmother’s brothers, Michael and Hugh, and two sisters Lillie and Josie, also emigrated to the USA. These were all ‘McGuigans’.

In America they were all received by their aunt Sarah (Flanagan) Creggan, another daughter of John. Those who remained in Newry were Rose, Sally and Patrick.

Their father Edward McGuigan played for Newry Wanderers who won the Newell Cup in 1908. Both Rose and Sally died as young women about the age of thirty. Some of Sally’s (married to Whitfield) and Patrick’s children continued to live in the Newry area.

Hugh Flanagan of Monaghan Street was a Fowl Dealer. The father of John (and probably Hugh and Ellen) Flanagan was named Thomas and was a flax dresser (according to his marriage certificate). Two of John’s sons were fowl dealers. I don’t believe that Hugh or Ellen ever married. An Ellen Flanigan reported the birth of John’s youngest son in 1877 in Newry. The 1901 Census return says that John Flanagan’s house in Monaghan Row included a stable and Fowl House.’

We offer our grateful thanks to Christopher for all these details and for permission to publish them!!

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