The Story of John O'Donnell and Ellen Cooney

This is the tale of my family's connection to a quaint family-owned pub that harboured a hidden secret beneath its timeworn floorboards for generations.   My link to this fascinating history traces back to my maternal Great Grand Uncle, John O'Donnell (Daniel)  (1861-1919).  He unwittingly became part of this particular pub's past through his marriage to Ellen Cooney  (1859-1926).  Little did they know that a treasure lay concealed right beneath their feet!

John was the 6th of 13 children born to John O'Donnell (Daniel) and Catherine Joy.  The family's Irish surname had been anglicized during his father's lifetime, and while John (Junior)'s baptismal record listed the name as Daniel, it eventually reverted to O'Donnell as John grew older.  

Parish Register - Owning & Templeorum Parish / Ossory Diocese

John O'Donnell (Jnr.) was born on the family farm in Killonerry (spelt incorrectly on the transcription), County Kilkenny, Ireland and baptised in the Owning & Templeorum Parish in May of 1861. 

Parish Register - Ballyneale & Grangemockler Parish / Waterford & Lismore Diocese

Ellen Cooney on the other hand, hailed from Ballyneale, County Tipperary, Ireland and she was baptised in 1859.  She was the 3rd of ten children born to  John Cooney and Mary Fitzgerald.

John O'Donnell and Ellen Cooney married in late 1891, when he was 30 years old and she was 32.

Looking at the information recorded on the marriage record, it's interesting to note that when they married, Ellen's occupation was recorded as 'publican' which means she had taken over the running of a 'public house' (as they were called in those times).  This public house was located on Main Street, a prominent street in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.  The public house itself was on the street level of a two-storey property, and there was a home above that on the top storey.  It was most likely a family-owned establishment, maybe passed on to Ellen after the death of her father in 1883.

Ellen's new husband on the other hand had been a 'shop assistant', working not too far away on Bridge Street, but likely still living at his family home in Killonerry.  After they married, John moved into the Main Street property with Ellen and they ran the business together.

The 1901 Census for Ireland shows that John and Ellen, their son John and Ellen's younger sister Johanna were now all living on Main Street in Carrick-on-Suir.  John's occupation was listed as 'licensed grocer'.  It's likely that John also held a retail spirits licence, as that was common at the time, and the shop was likely selling spirits (alcohol) in addition to groceries. 

Whilst Ellen's occupation was not specified, she was undoubtedly working in the grocer/spirits shop, while also managing the household and caring for their son John, who was six years old.

Ten years later, in the 1911 Census for Ireland, John and Ellen were still living and working on Main Street.  Ellen's sister Margaret had joined them and was assisting at the shop.  John's occupation was listed as 'grocer and spirit trader' and 'manager of the ironmongery' was also added underneath.  It seems John's business interests had grown by this time.

Ellen's occupation was listed as 'managing grocer', so she was still working full time at the shop.  The Main Street business was also providing employment for another of Ellen's sisters, Margaret Cooney. 

Sadly, just a mere eight years later, John died at the age of 56.  The cause of death was listed as "nasopharyngeal cancer", a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx - the tissue that connects the back of your nose to the back of your mouth.  This disease was not at all common at the time.  It can also cause hearing loss or chronic ear infections, facial pain and numbness and breathing difficulties, and John may have experienced all of these symptoms over the year and a half he suffered from the disease.

Ellen would have been shouldering the dual responsibilities of shopkeeper and homemaker, all the while caring for her ailing husband during his prolonged illness.

After the death of John, Ellen continued running the shop until her own demise around 43 years later.  

Ellen died in early 1926 at the age of 67.  The cause of death listed on her death certificate was "peripheral neuritis", a disease characterized by pain and loss of function in the nerves that carry signals from the central nervous system to other parts of the body.  Ellen would have experienced loss of function in her chest, shoulders, arms and hands, which would have made it difficult for her to continue working.  By the time Ellen had died, her only son John had also passed away, leaving no direct descendant to inherit the business and the property.

Both were passed on to Margaret, Ellen's sister, who had been living with Ellen on Main Street.  It was during Margaret's lifetime that the business became just a pub.  No groceries!  She continued running the establishment for another 33 years until her her death.  Upon Margaret's passing in 1959, Ellen's and Margaret's nieces, Bridget and Nora Cooney took over.  They were the daughters of Ellen and Margaret's younger brother Joseph and his wife Margaret O'Mara.

Both the sisters apparently worked at the pub for the remainder of their lives, although it became known as "N. Cooney's Pub", indicating that it was Nora who took on the main role of publican and her name was on the sign outside. (actually, it's still there!) Twenty seven years later, after Nora's death in 1986, the pub was closed and then sold in 1988. 

The sign "N. Cooney" remained on the pub after the death of Nora and the sale of the property in 1988
(this photo was taken in 2014 when I visited Carrick-on-Suir)

Remarkably, the Cooney family had owned and operated the establishment for nearly a century, and it's likely that their connection to the property stretched back even further, although concrete evidence of this remains elusive.

The most astonishing chapter in the tale of this property however did not unfold until June of 2013, twenty-five years after the Cooney clan were no longer involved in its ownership.

Workers, while laying concrete in the fire-damaged pub in Carrick-on-Suir, stumbled upon a remarkable treasure. As they carefully removed the old floorboards at Cooney's bar, a gleaming line of coins came into view. Upon cleaning and counting them, the workers discovered a total of 77 guineas and 4 half-guineas, dating from 1664, during the reign of Charles II, to 1701, the reign of William III. Each coin was rich in gold content, creating a treasure trove that would go down in history as one of Ireland's greatest archaeological discoveries. 

According to an article published by The Irish Times on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013:

The coins had been stacked in a row, likely held together by material that did not survive, and bore the profiles of Charles II, James II and William III. Once the authorities were alerted, as required by law for any archaeological find, the discovery was quickly cited as one of the most significant of its kind in Ireland.

“It’s probably the wealth of a family amassed over several generations throughout the second half of the 17th century, but you’d wonder why it got buried and when,” says Eamonn Kelly, keeper of Irish antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland. The hoard could have belonged to a Catholic merchant family fearing enactment of the Penal Laws, he says, as finds from the Williamite era were often buried in times of trouble by people who didn’t get an opportunity to dig them up again.

“Or it could be just simple misadventure: grandad buried the coins but didn’t tell anyone where.” Apart from one exception – a hoard of later silver and gold coinage found in Portarlington, Co Laois, in 1947 – gold coins of any kind don’t often turn up in this country.

Cooney's pub re-opened in 2016 and is still operating today. 

One of my bucket-list items is to re-visit Carrick-on-Suir and wander into Cooney's Pub and think about hidden treasure!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.