Patrick Tinnany was born on
May 24, 1881. The birth was registered in the second quarter of that year
in the registration district of County Cavan, Ireland in Volume 3, page 91.
He was the third child and second son of Robert Tinneny and Bridget Rooney.
Paddy was born on the Saunderson estate
located
near Belturbet in County Cavan. He was baptized in Staghall Church in
Belturbet. His godparents were John Rooney and his paternal aunt
Margaret Tinneny
Casey. Like some others in his
branch of the family, Paddy spelled his last name Tinnany. His children
also used that variation of the name.
Patricks parents lived on the grounds of Castle
Saunderson Estate where his father was a carpenter and the boat builder for
Colonel Saunderson. The estate was acquired by the Saunderson family in the
14th century. Robert Sanderson, who fought on the side of William of Orange,
inherited the estate with its castle from his father in 1676. James II's
troops burned the castle in 1689.
The present castle dates to 1840 and was destroyed by
fire in 1990. It was on these castle grounds that Patrick was
raised with his family in a small stone house in the
rear of the castle. It was there that he learned carpentry from his father.
The estate has entrances in both County Fermanagh, Northern
Ireland and County Cavan in the Republic of
Ireland. The grounds of the existing estate include a church with crypt and
family graveyard.
Photo: Ruins of Castle
Saunderson with the courtyard in the rear.
On January 12,
1904, young Patrick got into a bit of a scrape with the law in the little
village of Red Hills outside Belturbet. The Petite Court report of the
incident stated that Patrick Tinnany of Castle Sanderson was taken in by
Constable Patrick Casey, the Royal Irish Constabulary, for being “drunk on a
public Street at Redhills.”
Image: Entry from the Petite Court Report January
1904.
The record shows that he was convicted
and ordered to pay 2/6 fine (2 Shillings and 6 pence in Irish currency) and
if he was “in default of payment to be imprisonment in Armagh for 7 days.”
He also had to pay 6 pence in court/confinement costs. He likely paid both
rather than going to jail. This was not an uncommon charge back in the day
and Patrick obviously learned a lesson since there are no indications that
there was ever a recurrence of the incident.
As a young man, Paddy found his way to
the Firth on Clyde, Dumbartonshire in Scotland. He worked there as a
gardener. He met, courted and married Sarah Sweeney (1885-1962) who was
born and raised in Helensburgh. At the time of the 1901 census of Scotland, Sarah was listed as 16 years of
age, the daughter of James and Bridget Sweeney living at 9 John Street in Helensburgh in the civil parish of Row. Her occupation was stated as
Domestic.
Patrick and Sarah were married January 5,
1915 in Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Helensburg. At the time of the
marriage Patrick's occupation was given as Gardener and his father was
listed as Robert Tinnany - occupation Carpenter, his mother as Bridget
Tinnany nee Rooney. Sarah's occupation was given as Laundry Worker, age 33
with her residence as 11 Colquhoun Square, Helensburg and her father - James
Sweeney, occupation Gardener, her mother Bridget Sweeney - nee Campbell
(deceased). Witnesses to the marriage were Edward Sweeney and Annie Wilson.The marriage was performed after publication of Banns, in the Parish
of Row, Co. Dunbarton.
Paddy and Sarah had six children Elizabeth, Helen
“Ella”,
May, Winifred, Sarah “Sadie”
and two sons who died in their infancy.
Photo: Sarah
Tinnany holding daughter Winfred with
Helen (Ella)
left and Elizabeth right. Courtesy of Muriel Cudby.
Photo: Sarah seated background
with her daughter Sarah “Sadie” foreground. Courtesy of Muriel
Cudby.
Photo: (L-R) Sarah, Helen and
Margaret Daughters of Paddy and Sarah Tinnany. And two of Paddy and
Sarah's
grandchildren, Ian and Muriel, sitting on the rail. Taken at Dunoon,
Scotland about 1953. Courtesy of Muriel Tinnany Cudby.
Paddy's brother
William and his daughter Pat came from England and visited Paddy
and his family in Helensburgh several times prior to 1955. Paddy's nephew Joseph Tinneny
(Fr. Joachim OFM) also
visited Paddy and his family around 1955-56.
Paddy's daughters Ella and Sadie traveled
to the Franciscan Friary in East Bergholt, England to attend the ordination
of their first cousin Fr. Joachim on September 24, 1955. Following the
ordination they attended Joseph's First Mass at the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate Church, Quex Road, Kilburn, London. After the ordination, Fr.
Joachim spent a holiday at the home of his Uncle Paddy.
Joachim described Paddy as being
“very tall and quiet”
whereas, his own father, Paddy’s
brother William, was “quite
short but otherwise the two looked much alike.”
Photo: Sarah with her granddaughter
Muriel Tinnany Cudby.
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Photo: Paddy Tinnany and his nephew
Joseph, (Rev. Joachim Tinneny, OFM),
taken during Joseph’s
visit to his uncle and the Tinnany family in Helensburgh shortly after his
ordination. Courtesy of Muriel Tinnany Cudby.
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