The Descendants of Thomas Dagg and Ellen Dunne

of Moneygall, Tipperary

Contributed by George Amlaw

For more information on the Amlaw family tree, visit George’s website at:

http://members.tripod.com/amlawsite/index.htm

Thomas Dagg was born in Tipperary. He married Ellen Dunne.

Children of Thomas Dagg and Ellen Dunne:

1. Thomas Dagg, christened August 14, 1868, in Shinrone, Tipperary. [Ed. Note: This event is recorded in the Diocese of Killaloe baptismal register.] Family lore states that Thomas “went to sea” at a young age, and was never heard from again. Letitia seemed to regret this parting, and recalled him often, remembering that he was very musical. The family seemed to thing that Thomas had died in the San Francisco earthquake, but nobody remembers why they believed that.

2. Leticia Dagg, b. August 28, 1872, at Greenhills, Parish of Cullenwaine, District of Shinrone, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. (Greenhills was the name of the ‘big house’, where her father worked as gardener.) She died in 1961, in Niagara Falls, New York. She married Edmund Curry, in Tipperary, Ireland. Edmund was born in Abbeyleix, Demesne, Queen’s County, Ireland. (His father was later in the cabinet building trade in Dublin.) Leticia and Edmund emigrated to Niagara Falls, N.Y., in 1913, where Edmund had a brother living.

Leticia used to say that she was from Moneygall. I have discovered that Moneygall was "a village or post town in the parish of Cullenwayne" "adjoining is Greenhills, the residence of the proprietor" ( this is from a "guide" published sometime in the mid 1800's). By 1914, Greenhills is listed as “ the residence of Major R.W. Craddock, now a ruin"

An atlas for Moneygall from the period in question (c1850) says that there was no Protestant church in Moneygall, and that the congregation met in the schoolhouse (twice every Sunday!)

"Letty" and Edmund had a daughter named Lucy, in Ireland, who was 5 when she was burned to death when her old flannel nightgown caught on a candle. Letty baked a cake on Lucy’s birthday all the rest of her life which is how we remember her. God, what a burden to carry!

In the early 1930's Leticia's sister Nell came to Niagara Falls to visit and sometime shortly after that Leticia made a return visit to Ireland. She said she felt that she should since " me old Da is still alive". She related that as she left Moneygall for the last time on this visit, she looked back to see the place and was amazed that "old Da" had climbed up to the top window of his house and was waving to her.

My mother recalls standing on the streets of Niagara Falls with Leticia as an Italian Catholic funeral procession passed by and hearing her remark " Aye, that's how they buried me mither" and further (with heavy sarcasm) " awfully kind of father!", so I presume that Ellen Dunne was a Catholic and was buried as such sometime prior to 1912, when Leticia left for America.

3. Ellen “Nell” Dagg. Ellen was born, married and died in Ireland. It’s believed she died some time between 1940 and 1950, according to family recollection. Her husband survived her, as he is the one who notified Leticia by letter of her sister’s death.

Jann Callaghan Cullen

Oct. 25, 2000