The global pandemic of 2021 & 2022 halted our plans to visit the land of our forefathers but as the world slowly recovered from the COVID outbreak, we began to plan once again. Ireland was calling and Dublin was our first port of call visiting Leinster House (once the Fitzgerald family home) and St Patricks Church (the Fitzgerald family church)
We then made our way to County Wexford to visit Killurin Church where the Furlong's (James, Matthew and John) are buried and then travelled on to County Cork. (The Furlong's being Mary Ann Brennan's ancestry)
Robert Stackpole sailed from County Cork to New Zealand, marrying Mary Ann Brennan on the 9th June 1859.
Mary Ann Brennan was the child of Mary Furlong from Templescoby who eloped with a British soldier named John Brown to Dinapore, India (believed to be a Private in HM 62nd Regiment). Mary Furlong of Templescoby married Michael Brennan after the death of John Brown settling in New Zealand as part of the NZ Fencibles.
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| Leinster House, Dublin (Home of the Fitzgeralds, now seat of government in Ireland) |
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St Patricks Church, Dublin (Church of the Fitzgeralds)
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Church Notice at St Patricks Church, Dublin - Our Mary of Templescoby
nee Furlong who married John Brown in India and who as a widow married
Michael Brennan (also in India), revealed on her death bed in Onehunga
New Zealand that she was the grand daughter of James Fitzgerald,
descendant of Gerald Fitzgerald. Refer here for more details |
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The Door of Reconciliation at St Patricks Church, Dublin
(The church door in which Gerald Fitzgerald cut a hole
to offer a peace treaty to the Butlers of Ormonde) |
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Killurin Church, Wexford (where the Furlongs, James, Matthew and John are buried)
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Tribute to Matthew Furlong at Killurin Church. (Matthew Furlong of Templescoby
is believed to be related to our Mary Furlong of Templescoby) |
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| Tribute in Matthew Furlong and the 1798 rebellion |
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| Tribute to the fallen at battle of New Ross (tribute in New Ross, County Wexford) |
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| Blarney Castle (not far from County Cork - origins of the Stackpole descendants) |
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| On the grounds of Blarney Castle, County Cork |
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Tribute at Holy Trinity Centre, County Cork to the fallen in the wars of Ireland
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| Wilton Castle, County Wexford |
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| A castle all to ourselves for a night (I had the ground floor and Dad had the top floor. The right side is still in disrepair) |
Wilton castle is believed to have belonged to the Furlong family. The Furlongs owned all property between Horetown and Carrigmanan and sacrificied everything for the sake of their religion during the Cromwellian confiscations. James Furlong moved to a farm at Holmstown, near Glynn and settled there. In 1768, John Furlong left Holmestown to marry Mary Martin of Templescoby, and since that time the Furlong family have lived at Templescoby. During the rebellion of 1798, Matthew Furlong of Templescoby was aide-de-camp to Bagenal Harvey, Commander-in-Chief of the Insurgents army, and was shot whilst carrying a flag of truce at New Ross. He was married to Mary Byrne of Raheen and they had five children. His body was taken to the family burial bround in Killurin, not far from Carrigmanan'. Source (Entry submitted by Alcock 2005)
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