Whenever I come across one of these Clontarf columns in a neighboring town’s newspaper, I am saddened by the fact that Clontarf never had a newspaper of its own. I suppose I should be grateful for these sporadic reports of Clontarf events…at least it is something!
I obtained this clipping from the Swift County Historical Society when I requested an obituary for Tara resident Timothy Galvin. I was pleasantly surprised to see the items mentioned in addition to the death notice (more about Timothy Galvin in a minute.)
A few things that stuck out in this clipping…”Sport” McDonald is one of my favorite Clontarf figures. I like the nickname. I wonder if he ever made it to Montana? I know he made it back in time to woo and marry Michael Donovan’s daughter. What were you doing in the woods all winter James O’Neil and W. Rutan? And, the T. Foley mentioned here as delaying a trip to the coast with Ed. McCarthy is my great-grandmother’s brother. I wonder if he ever made that trip?
Now back to Timothy Galvin. A couple of weeks ago, Colleen left a comment seeking information on her Galvin and Fleming roots in Tara Township and Clontarf. This is why I looked up this clipping in the first place. I previously wrote a bit about her great-grandfather Timothy Galvin – click here to go to the post on Tara Township, section 10, Timothy Galvin’s home.
Unfortunately, the brief notice of Mr. Galvin’s passing does not provide many details about his life and family. Several years ago when my mom and I were in Clontarf doing research, we came upon a typed genealogy (from the late 1960s?) of the Galvin-Fleming clan, completed by Robert F. Galvin of Saint Paul, Minnesota (I believe he would be Colleen’s uncle.) The genealogy provides some data on Timothy Galvin, but there appears to be a couple of questionable dates – Timothy Galvin is said to have been born in 1860 and his wife Catherine Kelly in 1861. I suspect this is incorrect since Colleen said the couple was married in 1872. Both Timothy and Catherine were born in County Cork, Ireland. Included are the names of Timothy and Catherine’s children, their spouses, and their children’s names.
The genealogy on the Fleming side is much more detailed and includes entertaining narratives of the lives of James P. Fleming and his wife Bridget (Delia) Fleming. James fought in the Civil War and was one of the original settlers of Tara Township. I will share more about the Fleming family in my next post.
In the meantime…does anyone have anything to say about the Clontarf column from above? Any names or events stick out to you? Anything you would like to know more about? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!