Spotlight On ... A Breakthrough Moment

A Breakthrough Moment: 

When Two “Tipperary Athlete” Articles Unlocked the Kiely Sisters

Connection to my family tree:  all six Kiely sisters were sisters-in-law to my maternal 2nd cousin 2x removed, Mary Agnes O'Donnell, the wife of Thomas Francis (Tom) Kiely.

Every family-history project has that moment where the fog suddenly lifts. You’ve been circling a question for ages—collecting scraps, half-truths, and “maybe?” guesses—and then one day, two small sources land in your lap and everything clicks.

For the Kiely family, that breakthrough came through two athletics profiles written by Michael O’Dwyer in his “Tipperary Athletes” series: one focused on champion athlete Tom Kiely, and the other on his brother Larry Kiely. 

What looked like sports-history writing turned out to be something rarer for my genealogy research: 

-  the article  about Larry identified the female siblings and - crucially - named the five sisters who entered religious life with their religious names and locations.  This was information I had never heard or seen before.

- the article about Tom included a tidy, structured “Kiely Family” section at the end of the article that anchored the parents, identified the siblings, and also named the six sisters - five with their religious names (great confirmation) and one with her married name.  There were extra life details - baptism dates where birth dates were uncertain, death dates, locations, and even the blunt but helpful note: “left religious life” for one of the sisters.

The baseline that suddenly anchored everything

O’Dwyer’s Tom Kiely profile gave the core framework:

Parents

• William Kiely (c.1831–1914) and Mary Kiely née Downey (c.1844–1917)

• Married 29 Jan 1866, St Mary’s Church, Ballyneale

Sisters listed

• Mary (Sr. Camillus)

• Hanna/Johanna (Rev. Mother Ita)

• Kate/Catherine (Sr. Teresa)

• Ellie/Ellen (Rev. Mother Benignus)

• Nano/Honoria (Sr. Brendan)

• Margaret who married Denis Slattery

The Larry Kiely profile did something that researchers love: it confirmed that there were “five sisters took holy orders” and added a place-link for one sister that might actually be useful in chasing down records—Willesden, London (Convent of Jesus and Mary) and Crossmolina, County Mayo (Gortnor Abbey) tied to Rev. Mother Benignus.

At that point, the work shifted from “family lore” to working brief: named women, named orders, named places—meaning I could possibly prove (or disprove) each thread with civil registration, convent archives, and newspapers.

Why this counts as a real breakthrough

Those two O’Dwyer profiles didn’t just add colour—they turned part of the family story (“the sisters all became nuns”) into a structured research map: five women, five religious names, specific convents, and place-links across Waterford, London, Mayo, and Belgium. That’s the difference between wandering and working.

From here, my next phase was clear: primary records such as church / civil records / obituaries / funeral notices + local newspapers helped turn the “skeleton facts” into profiles—some sketchier than others.  The best part? I was no longer guessing. I had anchors—and I had momentum.

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From source notes to best-evidence profiles: sister-by-sister

1) Ellen “Ellie” Kiely — Reverend Mother Benignus RJM 

Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary: Convent of Jesus and Mary in Willesden, London and Gortnor Abbey in Crossmolina, County Mayo.

Evidenced now

• Birth Record found:  Born 27 Oct 1876 (Birth record 02110857 / 623), with place of birth listed as Ballyneale and parents listed as William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Died 1962,  (death record not yet located)

Photo dated 1908

• Associated with Convent of Jesus and Mary, Willesden, London and linked also to Gortnor Abbey in Crossmolina, County Mayo - have not found records that provide dates but likely posted to London between 1900 to 1930, and possibly posted to County Mayo around 1950.

Next research actions

• UK Catholic press or Irish newspaper obituary/death notice search (often gives origin: “formerly of Ballyneale”)

• RJM archives: entry/profession dates, postings, offices held

• Follow the Crossmolina lead: local newspapers/diocesan notes for a Jesus & Mary house/school/mission - perhaps died in Ireland not London.

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2) Hanoria “Nano” Kiely — Sister Mary Brendan RJM 

Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary: Convent of Jesus and Mary in Willesden, London, then left religious life.

Evidenced now

• Birth Record found:  Born 16 Sep 1878 (Birth record 02080695 / 572).  Place of birth listed as Ballyneill, and parents listed as William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Entered Convent of Jesus and Mary, Willesden in London

• Left religious life, returned home to the family farm.

• Death Record found:  Died 21 Jan 1941.  Death recorded under the name of Norah Kiely, and place of death listed as Ballyneale. Her occupation was listed as: Farmer.  Her brother Laurence Kiely was listed as the person present at her death.

• Obituary found: but it did not mention her religious life.  She was identified as the sister of "Messrs. Thomas Kiely, a former world's champion athlete.

• Buried in the family plot at the Ballyneale Cemetery in Ballyneill, County Tipperary.

Next research actions

• Deepen the civil trail after leaving religious life (residence/occupation clues; census/records depending on availability)

• Recheck local press around Jan 1941 for alternate notices (sometimes multiple notices appear)

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3) Mary Ann Kiely — Sister Mary Camillus RSM 

Religious Sisters of Mercy: Mercy Convent in Dungarvan, County Waterford.

Evidenced now

• Birth record found: dated 15th February 1867 (02284276 / 689). Place of birth listed as Ballyneale, and parents listed as William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Church Baptism Record found: dated 15 Feb 1866 - which appears to be a transcription error.

• Death Record found:  Died 17 Dec 1956.  Death recorded under the name of Sr. M. Camillus Kiely.  Place of death listed as the Mercy Convent, Dungarvan.  Occupation listed as: Religious.

• Obituary found: Identified as Sister Mary Camillus (Kiely).  It mentions that she had spent 67 years in the Order, which means she entered the order in 1889 at the age of 21.  The obituary goes on to mention that firstly she worked on the nursing staff at Dungarvan Hospital, and then later on the teaching staff.  It explicitly notes she was sister of Tom Kiely, world champion athlete.

Next research actions

• Mercy archives / house annals / necrologies (profession date, postings, training, community roles)

• Local funeral notices (often list family links—especially when a sibling is famous)

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4) Johanna / Hannah “Hanna” Kiely — Reverend Mother Ita PBVM 

Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Presentation Sister: Presentation Convent in Lismore, County Waterford.

Evidenced now

• Birth Record found - Born 19 Aug 1872 (Birth record 02184510 / 643). Place of birth listed as: Ballyneale.  Her parents were listed as William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Baptism record found:  It shows the baptism date as 31 Jul 1872 - which is clearly a transcription error as it predates the date on her birth record.

• Death Record found:  Died 15 Feb 1941.  The name listed as Hannah Kiely (Sr. M. Ita).  Her place of death was listed as: Presentation Convent, Lismore.  Her occupation was listed as:  Presentation Nun.

Next research actions

• Presentation archives (entry/profession dates, offices held, obituary circular)

• Local press Feb 1941: deaths of a “Reverend Mother” were often reported with detail.

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5) Catherine “Kate” Kiely — Sister Teresa OSU 

Order of Saint Ursula / Ursuline Sister: Ursuline Convent in Wilrijk, Belgium.

Evidenced now

• Birth Record found:  Born 14 Oct 1874 (Birth record 02145037 / 614).  Place of birth listed as: Ballyneale.  Parents listed as:  William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Died Oct 1906 at the Ursuline Convent in Wilrijk (Antwerp), Belgium.  Belgian death record not yet located.  No death record found in Irish databases.

• Death notice + obituary found (dated 26 Oct 1906): mentions the four other daughters serving in religion (Dungarvan, Lismore, and two in England)

• Entered the convent in 1904, when she was aged 30.  She was “professed on her death bed”.

Next research actions

• Ursuline archives in Belgium: death register and profession note (you now have month/year and place)

• Irish diocesan/local press for cross-channel notices (families often placed brief notes at home)

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The Dowry Detail: a new clue about the Kiely sisters’ entries

A further “lightbulb” moment came from a separate source: an excerpt in Tom Hunt’s article, “Tom Kiely: Ireland’s First Track and Field Olympic Gold Medallist.” Hunt notes that, in an interview with Tom Kiely’s grandson (also named Tom Kiely), the family spoke directly about the practical reality behind the sisters’ religious lives: dowries.

In the excerpt, Hunt frames the sisters’ entries in religious orders as an indicator of the family’s financial standing, explaining that five of William Kiely’s daughters joined various congregations and made substantial contributions—and that each was provided with a “substantial dowry” on entry. 

The implication is important for family history: this wasn’t only a spiritual pathway, it was also a decision shaped by the economic and social norms of the time, where a convent dowry functioned (in many cases) like a structured “settlement” when marriage wasn’t the chosen or possible route.

This single detail sharpens my research brief in two practical ways:

1. It supports the scale of the story.
   Five entries across multiple orders—including England and Belgium—become more plausible when you account for dowry funding and “congregational contributions.”

2. It points to new record types to hunt.
   If dowries were “substantial,” there may be traces in:

   • family estate/probate and property records (especially around parents William and Mary),

   • convent entry files (some orders recorded dowry amounts, sponsors, and arrangements),

   • correspondence/diocesan notes about overseas placements.

In other words, Hunt’s interview-based note doesn’t just add colour—it opens an economic line of enquiry that could help explain the Kiely sisters’ pathways, timings, and even why particular convents were chosen.

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There was another sister who did not join a religious order -

6) Margaret “Maggie” Kiely — who became Mrs. M. Slattery

Evidenced now

• Birth Record found - Born 25 Mar 1871.  Birth place listed as Ballyneale.  Parents listed as William Kiely and Mary Kiely nee Downey.

• Marriage Record found - married the solicitor Denis F. Slattery on 7 June 1916 at St. Mary's Church, the Roman Catholic Church of Dungarvan, County Waterford.  Her brother Laurence was one of the witnesses.  Her sister Mary Ann (Sister Camillus) was living at Mercy Convent in Dungarvan at the time, so it's highly likely she attended Margaret's wedding that day.

• Margaret and Denis were married for 15 years.  Sadly Denis passed away in 1931 and Margaret became a widow. 

• Death Record found - Margaret passed away in Feb 1950.  Her place of death was listed as:  Emmet's Terrace in Dungarvan.  Her occupation was listed as:  Widow of a Solicitor!  

• Obituary found -  Dated February 10, 1950.  Her name was listed as Mrs. M. Slattery and then Mrs. Margaret Slattery and was referred to as "widow of Mr. Denis F. Slattery, a well known local solicitor".  The obituary goes on to mention that she was the sister of T. F. Kiely (former world champion athlete), and of Messrs. Laurence and William Kiely, both of Ballyneale.

• As was the custom in that period of history, the married woman is spoken about firstly in relationship to the men in her life and then there is mention of others.  As I read through the obituary I noted an rather significant error:  After the mention of her husband and brothers, Margaret is described as "mother of Mother M. Camillus and ... Mother Ita, Mother M. Benignus and Mother M. Teresa ..."  These women were her sisters!  They were not her daughters!

The information included in Margaret's obituary confirms that at the start of 1950:

- Mother M. Camillus was still at Mercy Convent in Dungarvan

- Mother Ita had passed away, as she was referred to as "late Mother Ita, Presentation Convent, Lismore"

- Mother M. Benignus was at Gortnor Abbey  (the obituary states Galway as the location of the Abbey but this is also incorrect, another error)

The obituary does mention Margaret's sister, Mother M. Teresa who went to Belgium, but did not mention that she had passed away - over 40 years ago!

Hanoria, known as Nano, is not mentioned at all.  She had died nine years before Margaret's passing and it seems strange that there is no acknowledgement of her as a member of the family.  

I'm so pleased that I have been able to push my research for the sisters further than "name + convent" or "maiden name + married name", but there remains quite a few active targets on the to-do list.  The research will be on-going!

I'm joining Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  The prompt for Week 5 2026 is:  A Breakthrough Moment.