General News
8 February, 2023
Clan honours ancestor
Submitted by Cathy Taylor A group of descendants of the Sheehy, Murphy and Gallagher clan recently raised money for a headstone at the Warracknabeal Cemetery in memory of their ancestors. The headstone has been erected in honour of the family's...
Submitted by Cathy Taylor
A group of descendants of the Sheehy, Murphy and Gallagher clan recently raised money for a headstone at the Warracknabeal Cemetery in memory of their ancestors.
The headstone has been erected in honour of the family's great-great-grandparents, James Bernard Murphy and Margaret Gallagher, and their great-grandparents John and Mary Teresa (Murphy) Sheehy.
The Sheehy, Murphy and Gallaghers all arrived in Stawell from Ireland around the 1860s in the hope of finding gold.
After their marriage in 1873, John and Mary moved to their farm at Kewell.
After John’s premature death, Mary and her children moved to Warracknabeal.
After Mary’s mother died, her father, James Murphy, also moved his family to Warracknabeal.
ome of the offspring of these families may still be in and around the Warracknabeal district, and are invited to view the headstone in the Catholic section of the cemetery.
A reunion was held in Stawell on January 21 and 22 to celebrate John and Mary Sheehy’s 150th wedding anniversary.
Although it was only a small gathering, it was most beneficial as some of us had never met before.
A family tree was laid out for all to view, and many photos and interesting snippets were placed around the hall.
Those present enjoyed meeting cousins and finding out about their family.
I think I can safely say this won’t be our last reunion - from little things big things grow.