I was born in America to American parents, who were themselves each born in America to American parents. That said, I’m entirely Irish, ethnically. Eighteen emigrant ancestors of mine left Ireland over the course of ~60 years, from the late 1840s to the early 1900s. The earliest of them fled genocide.

The Irish (born and died in Ireland)

We’re not sure where in Ireland Michael (b. ~1800) and Mary Kane (b. ~1810), lived. I’m descended from their daughter Hannah.

Cork

Corneilius Corcoran (b. ~1780) and his wife Ellen (Finneran) (b. ~1781, d. 1876) lived in Innishannon, as did William Murphy (b. unknown, d. ~15 August 1894) and his wife, who may have been named Catherine.

John (b. ~1805) and Mary (Flanagan) Colbert (b. ~1825) lived in or near Castlemartyr.

Patrick (b. unknown) and Ellen Driscoll (b. unknown) also lived in Cork.

Kerry

Thadeus (Timothy) Connor (b. unknown) and his wife Catherine (Nagle) Connor (b. unknown) had a son, Denis O Connor (b. ~1830, d. ~June 1886), who lived and died in Castleisland. Daniel Clifford (b. unknown) and his wife Mary (Sugrue) Clifford (b. unknown) lived in the area.

Galway

John Gill (b. 1705) was originally from Barna in Connemara. He moved to and eventually died in Kilronan, the largest settlement on Inishmore, itself the largest of the Aran Islands. His son Hugh Gill (b. 1740) married an Ann (Folan) Gill (b. unknown). Their son Hugh (Bhig) Gill (b. 1774, d. 1840), in turn, married a Bridget (Hernon) Gill (b. unknown). Their son Patrick (b. 1808, d. 1868) was married to Catherine (Flaherty) Gill (b. 1809, d. 1846).

Patrick Costello (b. ~1745) and his wife Mary (b. ~1751) were also Aran islanders. They lived on Inisheer, at least as of 1821. Their son Michael (b. ~1784) married Margaret (Griffin) Costello (b. ~1805).

Ulster

I’m descended from a few northerners: Jeremiah (b. ~1760) and Mary (b. unknown) lived in Donegal, but that’s just about all we know about them. I’m descended from their daughter Fannie. Also from the north: Patrick Collins (b. ~1790), of County Tyrone, and Owen Finnegan (b. ~1800) and his wife Mary (b. ~1770, d. ~1830), who lived in Monaghan.

The emigrants (1846–1902)

Those who fled an Gorta Mór (1846–1852)

John McConologue (b. 1792, d. 24 January 1869) and his wife Margaret (nicknamed “Fannie”) (b. 1789, d. 22 July 1864) came from Donegal and emigrated to America in 1848 with their son, Cornelius “Neil” McConologue (b. ~1829, d. ~1920). Neil married twice—each time to a woman named Hannah, confusingly enough.

John Collins (b. 1828) came from Tyrone and his wife Mary (Finnegan) Collins (b. ~1833, d. ~1915) from Monaghan. She came to America in 1848. Her grandchildren called her “Grannie Gray.” She made a dress in which many of her descendents were baptized, including my sister and me.

Martin Gill (b. 8 November 1836, d. 28 May 1925) and his wife Catherine Mary (Costello) Gill (b. ~1835, d. 24 July 1920) were both Aran islanders, though I think they met in America. She, at least, came to America in 1846. I’m not sure when he did.

John Corcoran (b. March 1826, d. 19 October 1900) and his wife Catharine “Kate” (Murphy) Corcoran (b. 1821, d. 18 April 1886) came to America in 1852 with their infant son, William Joseph Corcoran (b. 2 June 1851, d. 1946). He went on to marry Julia Collins (see below).

Those who followed (1860–1902)

Hannah (Kane) McConologue (b. ~1844, d. ~1935) came to America in 1860.

Edmund Colbert (b. 15 November 1851, d. 1892?) was married to Margaret (Driscoll) Colbert (b. unknown). They were both from Cork. She arrived in Boston aboard the Samaria on 16 May 1870.

In 1902, years after he died, Denis O Connor’s wife Abina “Dora” (Clifford) O’Connor (b. 1 May 1834, d. 9 April 1924) arrived in Boston aboard the Commonwealth. Most of her children had emigrated in prior decades, including Patrick O’Connor (b. 1 November 1868, d. 6 November 1914), who had emigrated in 1895 and settled in South Boston. His wife Julia (Collins) O’Connor (b. 20 October 1873, d. 18 April 1945) was from Brosna, about 10 miles from Castleisland. They married on 9 October 1898 at St. Margaret’s in Dorchester.

Michael Donohue (b. 11 February 1870, d. 4 December 1951) and his wife Ellen Sarah (Kelly) Donohue (b. 24 December 1869, d. August 1956) were from Roscommon: he was from Dysart and she was from Curnalee, about halfway between Dysart and Curraghboy. She emigrated in 1889. They were “Ma” and “Pa” to their grandkids. I have his naturalization papers framed and hanging in my front hallway.

Na Poncánacha (the Americans)

Julia (Collins) Corcoran (b. ~1857, d. ~1946). She married William Joseph Corcoran (see above).

William Joseph Corcoran Jr. (b. 25 April 1877, d. October 1945) & Anna (Gill) Corcoran (b. 2 June 1877, d. November 1958) did not stay together. He spent some years in prison, and when he was convicted she moved to New York with the kids, never to return. His son, my grandfather, moved back to Massachusetts some years later to be with his father. My mother called this set of grandparents “Pappy” and “Grandmother in New York.”

Edward Michael Colbert (b. 29 April 1884) & Theresa Gertrude (McConologue) Colbert (b. 4 August 1883, d. 14 August 1931) lived in Cambridge. She died before any of her grandkids were born. They called him “Grandpa Colbert.”

My paternal grandparents were Daniel O’Connor (b. 13 July 1906, d. 5 February 1982) & Theresa Gertrude (Colbert) O’Connor (b. 15 December 1911, d. 22 December 2004). We called them “Grandpa Dan” and “Nina.”

My maternal grandparents were William Joseph Corcoran Ⅲ (b. 3 January 1909, d. 25 October 1983) & Grace Bridget (Donohue) Corcoran (b. 14 February 1910, d. 14 March 1980). We called them “Grampy” and “Granny.”

My parents, Edward Francis O’Connor (b. 7 November 1939) & Brenda Ellen Sarah (Corcoran) O’Connor (b. 24 November 1942), were married on 14 August 1976. My daughter calls them “Grandpa Ed” and “Móraí”.

I’m Theresa Grace Colbert O’Connor (b. 22 August 1979).

My daughter, Erin Anne O’Connor (b. 19 October 2016), means the world to me. She calls me “Mama.”