Railway Gatekeeper at Dooneen

Many thanks to Kevin McDermott for the above photo which shows his wife Noreen’s Grandfather and Grandmother -John and Katherine Cronin.  John Cronin was the Railway Gatekeeper at Dooneen, Millstreet, and lived in the Gatekeepers cottage at the time.  He’m thinking that the photo was taken early in the nineteen hundreds probably around 1910.  Noreen (née Cronin) was formerly from Murphy’s Terrace. 

The house is still there, but is currently being refurbished [Google maps] [1890 map]

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Catherine (Katherine) O’Leary was from Milleens. Her mother was Denis O’Leary and Honora Sweeny

Catherine’s siblings:

 

Death of Denis Patrick O’Leary Milleens, 21st Jan 1896. a widower, daughter Katie present at death
It is likely that Catherine’s mother Hanora died in 1872, aged 43 (but i can’t check the details)
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Marriage of John CroninDooneen, Millstreet and Catherine O’Leary, Milleens – 16th Feb 1901 [civil marriage registration] (the couple in the photo above)

1901 census: Residents of a house 5 in Dooneens (Drishane, Cork)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion
Cronin John Cronin 33 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic
Cronin Catherine 31 Female Wife Roman Catholic
Cronin Johanna 68 Female Mother Roman Catholic

 

1911 census: Residents of a house 4 in Dooneens (Drishane, Cork)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion
Cronin John 48 Male Head of Family R Catholic
Cronin Catherine 44 Female Wife R Catholic
Cronin Hannah 9 Female Daughter R Catholic
Cronin John 7 Male Son R Catholic
Cronin Denis 5 Male Son R Catholic
Cronin Johana 73 Female Mother R Catholic

Birth of Patrick Cronin at Dooneen on 5th July 1911

John died on 1st February 1938, at Dooneen, aged 70 [register]

Catherine died on 2nd February 1946, at Dooneen, aged 77, Patrick Cronin son present at death [register]

Their son John (b. 1903) went to Canada, was in the army for WWII in Hong Kong, and was a prisoner of war there from 1941 to 1945 [TODO: article on John]

 

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