Saturday, February 14, 2009

Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty - Second Cousin Twice Removed

I have been created a family tree at MyHeritage.com and currently have 416 people on it. The URL is http://eoloughlin.myheritage.com. Dad has a lot of family material collected over the years and I was fascinated with our roots. Last year's visit to Newmarket really got me going on this. Though I have never met her, my third cousin Catherine Culloty of Newmarket has provided both Dad and myself with lots of information going back to our great-great grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin (1821-1897). I have much of my Dad's side done, I have a lot more to do with Mum's side.

One interesting connection is to Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty - the so-called "the Pimpernel of the Vatican". He is my second cousin twice removed, and is related to me through Dad's grandmother Julia (Murphy) O'Loughlin. A distant relative, but an interesting one none the less! He was portrayed by Gregory Peck in the 1983 file The Scarlet and the Black. Dad often mentions that there was a connection - now we know.  There is also a connection to Marian Finnucane of RTÉ through this side of the family.

Other connections to check out are to the late actor Donal McCann, and to founder of the Argentine Navy Admiral William Brown, through my Mum's side of the family. 

A lot done, but more to do.

No comments:

Post a Comment