It was with great relish that I opened up the 1926 census after its recent publication. Like many Irish people I was excited to see what I could find, so my first job was to set about finding my grandparents and where they lived in 1926. In this first of four posts, I find my paternal grandfather - PJ O'Loughlin.
PJ O'Loughlin, unknown date in 1920s.
In the 1911 census, PJ is listed as "Pattie Loughlin" living with his father Joseph Loughlin, aunt Mary Loughlin, and a servant Eugene Loughlin in Barnacurra near Newmarket in Co Cork. Pattie was 6 years old. By 1926 when he was 21, he is listed as "Patrick O'Loughlin" having acquired an O and an apostrophe - still living in Barnacurra. By then he was head of the house and lived with his aunt Mary O'Loughlin, a cousin Maggie B Murphy, and a farm labourer Daniel O'Callaghan. The farm size was 76 acres.
In less than four years, PJ's life was soon to change. He married my grandmother Kathleen Hurley on 23rd January 1930, Daniel O'Callaghan was his best man. He soon moved to Carnew in Co Wicklow where they raised their family (including my Dad Joe). According to my Dad, PJ was a frequent visitor to Newmarket after he moved away. He was an only child, but had lots of cousins in the Newmarket area. He died in 1965.
