Edward Cahill

Edward only attended school (Portlaw national school) for two years in his youth. The school records (researched by Patk J Kirwan) showed that he missed large amounts of time during his second year, presumably because he had to work to help support his family. Despite this, he was still able to read and write and was remembered by his daughter Annie Kirwan as being an avid newspaper reader.

Edward married Mary Mooney (nee Burke/Bourke) aftter the death of her first husband Richard Mooney in World War I in Ypres in 1917.

Both Edward and Mary were listed in their marriage certificate as 'full age', meaning they were over 21 years of age. Edward's name was given as Edmond. He was recorded as a bachelor, indicating he had not been married previously. Mary was listed as widow, her previous husband having been killed in the first great war.

Both were recorded as living at Old Grange, Carrick-on-Suir, at the time of their wedding.

Both of their fathers were listed as deceased: Edward's father, Richard, was recorded as a labourer (not a ploughman); Mary's father, Daniel Bourke [sic], was also listed as a labourer.

The witnesses to the marriage were recorded as John and Margaret Mooney (obviously member of the Mooney family - but what relation?). No Cahills acted as witnesses. Both Edward and Mary and their witnesses failed to sign the register - the registrar signed on their behalfs.

The discovery of the name Edmond on the marriage certificate came as a surprise. However, there has historically been a lot of confusion about Irish names due to the Catholic church's habit of recording them all in Latin and also insisting that newly christened children had to adopt saints' names.

Thus, researchers in nineteenth century records have to regard Edward and Edmond as synonyms in the Irish context. Although they are two distinct names in England, they have one Irish form: Eamonn. Irish Eamonns were randomly turned into Eduardus or Edmondus by over-enthusiastic clerics in baptismal records; these names were then translated back into English rather inconsistently. Edmond is what most Eamonns were meant to be christened - their patron saint being more likely to be St Edmond the Confessor than King Edward VI.