Special family reunion in North Tipp

A gathering of descendants of Martin and Anne (née Ryan) Guilfoyle recently took place in North Tipperary. Four generations of descendants from overseas and nearby attended a special celebratory meal at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh.

Martin Guilfoyle was born in about 1815. He and Anne lived in Crotta and Borrisokane and had six children. Attendees at the gathering are descended from two of their sons – Thomas (born 1834) and John (born 1850).

Thomas Guilfoyle married Eliza McLeod and they lived in Borrisokane. They had nine children, three of whom remained in Ireland and the others emigrated to America and Australia. There are 25 descendants of Thomas and Eliza attending, from Ireland, UK, US and Australia.

John Guilfoyle married Margaret Darcy and they had seven children, most of whom remained in Ireland. Over 20 descendants of John and Margaret attended the special event.

The extended family have been having monthly international Zoom calls since October 2020 and this month would be their 30th call but they are holding it in person instead (although they will still have the call so that other relatives unable to attend the reunion can participate virtually). The reunion has been 12 months in planning.

The weekend activities included a night-out at Ryan’s pub in Carney (where photos of early generations of the family are still displayed on the walls) on Friday night, a tour on Saturday to many locations where previous generations have lived, and the reunion dinner in Nenagh on Saturday night.