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Old Photo Discovery


My niece found a bunch of old photos in her family's attic.  One was a group photo taken circa 1905 in a photography studio in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland.  One of the nine people in the picture I recognized as my grandfather's brother, the rest I was not sure of, but there was a family resemblance.  So, I wrote a letter to my cousin in Tralee, and enclosed a copy of the photo.  She collaborated with her cousin (it turns out that very same photo had been in her cousin's sitting room when she was a child) and identified the rest of the people! I am truly lucky to have cousins I communicate with on a regular basis back in the Old Country!

An excerpt from her letter: 

"When I saw the picture, I knew immediately that the people in it weren't the ones you thought they were, except, of course, No. 1 who is Uncle Jerry McGRATH. I sent a photo copy of the picture on to Sr. Gemma [McGRATH] of Baltovin. She and her brother Fr. Jim [McGRATH] were greatly moved, because, as she said, it was a photocopy of a photo that they had in their sitting room in the old house (next door to my home). I'm enclosing a key to the picture which she forwarded to me. The venerable looking old man (#9) is Jim McGRATH, uncle to your grandfather, so he hailed from Knockbrack - a farm was bought for him in Baltovin. The old lady (#8) is his wife, Kitty CROWLEY. Sr. Gemma thinks #7 is her brother (father of #3, Jerry CROWLEY). #2, #4, & #6 are children of Jim & Kit McGRATH. Fr. John McGRATH (#4) was a priest in Boston! Eugie CULLOTY (#5) is the husband of Ellie McGRATH (#6). Finally, #1, #2, #4, & #6 are first cousins. I know that your niece and yourself will be disappointed, but at least, five members of the group are related to us. Fr. Jim (Gemma's brother) is in a home in Tralee. He asked her to frame the copy she showed him (I sent her two), he was so excited and pleased to see it again."

 

 

 

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