Coolnamuck Rd. Dowley History

The Coolnamuck road is what was referred to as the back-road to Clonmel. It starts in Carrick-Beg and proceeds west past the Franciscan Friary. At present no relationship can be confirmed between the Coolnamuck Rd. Dowleys and the other Dowley families in the greater Carrick-on-Suir area (Ballyknock, Boatmen, Baker, Mothel Rd., Seskin, and Tinvane Dowleys).

Richard Dowley (1844-????): Richard was born in 1844. He married Bridget Fanning in 1888 and they had four children of which only two survived (Mary and Patrick). Both Richard and his son Patrick were in the construction business and are listed as plasterers and slaters in the 1911 census.

It is curious that in the 1901 census the name is clearly spelt “Dooley” while in the 1911 census the name is clearly spelt “Dowley”. This may be due in part to the normal pronunciation of the name as Dooley or to the fact that Richard could not read or write. The census form is signed with an X. By 1911, both of Richard’s children could read and write and this may have influenced the change in spelling to the correct version.

Margaret Dowley (1848-1921): I am assuming Margaret was a sister of Richard above. The 1901 census would confirm that Margaret was a housekeeper and single. At that time she lived on the Coolnamuck Road with her nephew Michael Shanahan who was a boatman. By 1911, she had moved to Abby Square in Carrick-Beg and was living alone.

Mary Dowley (1891-????): Mary was a daughter of Richard but apart from her date of birth I have no further information on Richard’s daughter Mary.

Patrick Dowley (1893-1962): Richard’s eldest son, Patrick, was also a plasterer and slater by trade. As a teenager he went to England and joined the British Army during the First World War. After the war he returned to Carrick and married Johanna Arrigan in 1922. They had eight children, Richard, Breda, Patrick, William P., John, Molly, Thomas and Margaret, all born in Ireland.

Supporting such a large family in Carrick after the Civil War would have been a formidable challenge, particularly for an ex British soldier. At that time it was relatively common in large families to “farm out” some of the children to relations with no children and the eldest son Richard was sent to live with his unmarried aunt, Bridget Arrigan. However, an e-mail from Richard in the late twentieth century would confirm this was an economic necessity rather than the normal “farming out”.

Medical science at that time would not have been well developed in South Tipperary and unfortunately Patrick’s wife, Johanna Arrigan, died while giving birth to twins. After Johanna’s death, Patrick and family moved back to England sometime before the Second World War. He settled in Bromley, Kent and this gave rise to the Bromley line of the Coolnamuck Rd. Dowleys. Patrick’s decision to return to the United Kingdom was probably dictated by the economic conditions in Ireland at that time, but could also have been influenced by the lack of empathy experienced by those who had served in the British Armed Forces during the First World War. Who looked after the children that remained in Ireland (if any) is not know.

Patrick died in Bromley, Kent in 1962 aged 69.

THE BROMLEY CONNECTION

After his wife died, Patrick Joseph Dowley (1893-1962), who was an ex British soldier, moved back to the UK sometime before the Second World War. He settled in Bromley in Kent with a number of his children and this was the beginning of a long line of Bromley Dowleys.

Of his eight children at least two of his sons, William and John, accompanied him to the UK, where they married and settled in Bromley. By 2012, Patrick had at least 13 great-grand children living in Bromley. Patrick’s eldest son, Richard, emigrated to Canada, where he started the “Canadian Connection” (see later), while Thomas returned to Ireland to continue the Carrick connection (see later).

Descendents of Patrick Dowley

Richard Dowley (1923-2010): Richard was  the eldest of Patrick’s children. He joined the Irish army and lated was involved in building in Clonmel. After marrying Johanna Delahunty and producing 2 children in Clonmel, he emigrated to Canada. The rest of Richard’s history can be found under the Canadian Connection below.

Bridget (Breda) Dowley (1925-????): Apart from her date of Birth in Ireland I have no further information on Breda. It is possible that she accompanied her father to Bromley but this can not be confirmed.

Mary (Molly) Dowley (1926-????): Apart from her date of Birth in Ireland I have no further information on Breda. It is possible that she accompanied her father to Bromley but this can not be confirmed.

Patrick (Patsy) Dowley (1930-????): Patsy was born in Carrick-on-Suir in 1930. He possibly emigrated to the UK with his father but later moved to London where he married Rose. I am not aware of his wife’s maiden name or if this union had any offspring.

William P. Dowley (1932-1986): William was born in Carrick-on-Suir in 1932 and it would appear that he moved to Bromley with his father Patrick as a child. I can confirm that he married Elsie Mildred Amos in Bromley in 1956. This marriage had four recorded births, Norman P. born 1957, William P. born 1959, Paul A. born 1961 and Theresa J. born 1966. William P. died in Bromley, Kent, in 1986 aged 55.

John Dowley (1934-????): John Dowley was born in Carrick-on-Suir in 1934. He moved to Bromley in Kent as a young child with the rest of his family where he later worked as a builder. John married Ann P. Lomas in 1958 in Bromley. They had three children, Patrick G. born 1959, Linda A. born 1962 and Angela Mary born 1966.

Thomas (Tommy) Dowley (1936?-????): It appears that Thomas went to Bromley with his father  but returned to Ireland at some stage and married Catherine Ryan in 1950 and they had 12 children (see later). In 2012, Thomas lived at 13 Connolly Park, Carrick-Beg, Carrick-on-Suir. I am assuming that Thomas and Margaret were twins.

Margaret Dowley (1936-????): Currently I have no information on Patrick’s remaining daughter, Margaret, other than her date of birth in Carrick-on-Suir. It is possible that she is a twin sister of Tommy and also remained in Ireland.

Norman P. Dowley (1957- ): Norman P. Dowley was born in Bromley in 1957 and may have worked in construction business like many of the family. He married Karen F. Humphrey in Bromley in 1985. They had one child, Ryan Paschal Dowley, born in 1997.

Willian P. Dowley (1959- ): William P. Dowley was born in Bromley in 1959. He married Sharon T. Love in Bromley in 1987 and they have two children, Jasmine Theresa born in 1988 and George William born in 1991.

Paul A. Dowley (1961- ): Paul A. Dowley was born in Bromley in 1961. He married Sharon J. Tomsett in 1980 and they had four sons, Michael Paul born in 1981, Daniel Anthony born in 1982, Tommy John born in 1993 and Sean William born in 1996.

Theresa Johanna Dowley (1966- ): Theresa Johanna Dowley was born in Bromley in 1966. However, I have no further information on Theresa at present.

Patrick George Dowley (1959- ): Patrick George Dowley was born in Bromley in 1959. He married Jane M. Willis in 1986 and they have two daughters, Amy Jane born in 1990 and Emma Marie born in 1994. Patrick is the commercial director of WSP Environmental Limited

Linda Ann Dowley (1962- ): Linda Ann Dowley was born in Bromley in 1962. She went on to marry Vincent Wright in 1988 but the marriage was short lived. Her second marriage in 1991 was to Darryl Thomas Riley. Their first child, Cayla Ann Riley was born in South Africa in 1993 while their second child, Liam John Riley was born in Bromley in 1998. Linda is currently (2012) unmarried and her eldest daughter is a first year student in Oxford.

Angela Mary Dowley (1966-2009): Angela Mary Dowley was born in Bromley in 1966. Although unmarried, she has two children, Sean Callum Dowley born in 1988 and Grace Catherine Dowley born in 1993. Unfortunately, Angela died in 2009 at the early age of 43.

THE CANADIAN CONNECTION

Richard Dowley (1923-2010): Patrick’s eldest son Richard left Carrick to stay with his aunt (Arrigan) when he was about 15 and lost touch with the rest of family. According to Richard, this move was to reduce the economic pressure on the family. He eventually joined the Irish Army and ended up in Clonmel. Here he met and married Johanna Delahunty in 1948 when he was 25 years old. He later went into the house building business in Clonmel but found it difficult to make a living and eventually emigrated to Canada. Richard’s first two children were born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Johanna P. (Joan) in 1949 and John T. in 1950.

As no further births in Clonmel are registered for a Dowley-Delahunty marriage it is assumed that Richard emigrated to Canada sometime shortly after 1950 where he worked as an estate agent. The remaining children, Maura and Geraldine together with the twins Joanne and Christine were all born in Canada. The twins were half sisters of the other offspring and were the result of an extramarital affair by Richard. Richard died in Toronto in 2010.

Joan Dowley (1949- ): Joan Dowley was born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1949 as the first child of Richard Dowley and Johanna Delahunty. Joan entered the publication business as is currently the marketing director of the Toronto Star newspaper.

John T. Dowley (1950- ): John was also born in Clonmel in 1950 and would have emigrated to Canada with his parents and sister Joan as a very young child. In Canada he became a successful stock broker and resides in Toronto and pat-time in Florida. He married Edie Cszarnyki and they had three daughters, Laura, Sarah and Charlotte. Sarah is married to Mike Bray and they have three children, Edie, Jack and Sean Bray. Charlotte is married to Brandon Amarelo and they have two children, Brooklyn and Noah Amarelo.

Maura Dowley (????- ): Unfortunately I have no information on Maura

Geraldine Dowley (????- ): Geraldine or Geri works in public education in Canada and is married to Mr. Foley.

Joanne Dowley (1968- ): Joanne married a Mr. Shears and they had one son, Ryan. Ryan married twice and he has three children, Toyons, Ryan and Malcolm.

Christine Dowley (1968- ): I have no further information on Christine at present.

The Coolnamuck Dowleys were severely affected by emigration to both the USA and the UK. However, many Carrick families suffered the same fate. Unfortunately there are no male Dowleys left in the family to carry on the Canadian Dowley line.

THE CARRICK CONNECTION

Descendents of Thomas Dowley

Thomas returned to Ireland from Bromley and continued to work as a plasterer. He married Catherine Ryan in 1950 and they went on to have 12 children which insured the continuation of the Coolnamuck Rd. Dowleys in the Carrick-on-Suir area. One of the children (Johanna) died soon after birth and the name was used again later for another daughter. Unfortunately I only have information on the eldest child, Patrick.

Patrick (Patsy) Dowley (1951-): Patsy became a master plasterer working on a number of major projects in different countries. His most notable project was the restoration of the ornate ceelings of the Ormonde Castle in his native Carrick-on-Suir. Patsy married Alice Dalton and they had two daughters Catriona (Kavanagh) and Jennifer (Meaghan) as well as  five grand-children. Patsy and Alice now live in Tybroughney on a site purchased from Colin Dowley of Tybroughney Castle. Patsy is also a great fan of the great John Wayne and his residence houses a a fantastic collection of the film stars memorabelia.

Leslie J. Dowley
lesdowley@eircom.net