Katony

Ellen Cole was born to parents Edward Cole and Anne Fields on 1 Jul 1870. The civil record shows the family were living at 62 Upper Dominick Street.

She was baptised in St Michan’s Catholic Church, Halston Street on 6 July 1870. The Church record gives the address as 62 Upper Dorset Street. The two locations are some 30 minutes walk apart. It seems likely that one or other record is incorrect and that the Dominick Street record is the correct one. One of the sponsors at her baptism was Ellen Fields, suggesting her mother may have had a sister, Ellen.

Marriage

Ellen Cole, aged 22, married Harry Cleary (Henry Francis)  on 7 August 1892 in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough Street, Dublin.

Children

Ellen’s daughter, May Cleary (Mary Josephine), was born on 15 January 1895, when they were living at 18 Gardiner Street Lower. Two years later Frank Cleary, (Henry Francis), was born 16 January 1897 while living at 164 Great Britain Street (Parnell St). 

Ellen Cleary (nee Cole) is in 1901 Census. Her age is given as 26. She was 30 and would be 31 a few months later. She is living with her husband Harry and two children at 26 Middle Gardiner Street. Her occupation is given as ‘vest maker’ (waistcoat maker).

Harry’s Passing

Her husband, Harry, died on 12 March 1911 leaving her a widow with two children. She was forty when Harry died. A few weeks later when the Census was taken on 2 April 1911, Ellen is listed as the head of household. She is living at 25 Clonliffe Avenue. Her two children are included along with a lodger Patrick Dunne. Ellen’s age is given as 32, although she was 40. Her occupation is given as ‘wastecoat maker’ (sic) in a drapery warehouse. Family folklore indicated that she may have worked for the large department store Arnott’s although this has not been confirmed.

It seems likely that Paddy Dunne was a lodger before Harry died. He was a friend of Harry’s. Paddy may have worked in Dublin Corporation Waterworks Department, but I don’t have evidence of that. Both men were members of Irish National Foresters (INF) and other organisations. At this point, Paddy’s occupation is ‘warehouse foreman in whiskey stores’.

The two children are still at school.

Second Family

Ellen married Patrick Dunne on 11 Apr 1913, she was aged 42. Both Ellen and Paddy were living at 16 Upper Gloucester Street (Sean McDermott Street). She has no profession, but Paddy is now listed as ‘Packer’. This record is difficult to find in the searchable index as Ellen’s father’s name is given as ‘Edward Joseph Corr’ and Ellen’s name is interpreted as ‘Ellen Corr’. Her father was Edward Joseph Cole, whose occupation is listed as ‘tobacco spinner’.

In 1915, Ellen’s daughter, May, emigrated to the United States and, in 1917, married Bill Snyder (William).

In 1918, her son, Frank Cleary married Kathleen O’Brien. The record shows that Frank was living at 14A Monck Place and that he was a van driver.

In the early 1920s, Ellen and Patrick Dunne had two children, Patrick and Brendan Dunne. I have not succeeded in locating birth records for either child. However, Brendan Dunne, aged 9, won a prize in a competition reported in the 30 August 1932 edition of the Irish Press.

Paddy’s Passing

On 17 January 1935, Ellen’s husband, Paddy Dunne died from heart failure. His death was registered by Ellen’s son Frank. Nine months later Frank died at his mothers home. Brendan Dunne called to Frank’s wife, Kathleen, to tell her to come to see her husband before he died.

Ellen’s Passing

Ellen’s Sadness

Ellen met much sadness in her life. He fist husband, Harry Cleary, died aged 44 after eighteen years of marriage, leaving her with two teenage children. Her second husband, Paddy Dunne died, aged 52 ( or more likely, 61), after twenty-two years of marriage, leaving her with two children in their early teens. Less than nine months after the loss of her husband, her son, Frank Cleary, died aged just 38. Her daughter, May Cleary, had emigrated to the USA in her teens and established her life there.

Ellen’s Name

In early records Ellen’s name is ‘Ellen’. but in the 1911 census her name is written as ‘Eillen’. This may be an error but sometimes ‘Ellen’ is translated in Irish Gaelic as ‘Eilín” as in the street sign from Ellen Street, Limerick below.