ANCESTOR NO. 19: MARY MULLANEY (1842-1924)

                                                         Ardfinnan, Tipperary, Ireland

Mary Mullany: An Irish Immigrant's Journey

Mary Mullany was baptized in the rural parish of Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Ireland, on March 13, 1842, the daughter of Michael Mullany and Catherine White.[1] Mary was the first child of her parents, who had married in February 1841.[2]

Life in Ireland and Immigration

Mary grew up in Ardfinnan and Ballylooby (west of Ardfinnan) during a tumultuous period in Irish history, in the aftermath of the Great Famine. Little is known of her childhood years in Tipperary, but like many Irish of her generation, she would eventually seek a better life across the Atlantic. In 1866 or 1867, when she was in her mid-twenties, Mary made the journey to New York, leaving behind her homeland and family.[3]

Marriage and Family in Brooklyn

Mary settled in Brooklyn, where she became part of the large Irish immigrant community. On June 30, 1872, at the age of 30, she married Daniel Fennessey at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn.[4] Daniel, who was 32 at the time, was also from Ardfinnan parish, having emigrated about 1864.[5] Their shared roots in Tipperary likely brought them together in their new home. James Pendergast and Alice Ryan witnessed the ceremony.

Like many Irish immigrants of their time, Mary and Daniel married later in life than native-born Americans, likely due to the economic challenges and lack of family support they faced as newcomers to America.

However, documentary evidence and DNA matches with people who trace their family to Michael Mullany and Catherine White show that at least a couple of Mary’s family members joined her in America: her brother Michael and her sister Margaret. They were sponsors at the baptism of her daughter Catherine in late 1879.[6] Michael moved to San Francisco, but Margaret stayed in New York City.[7]

Building a Life in Brooklyn

Mary and Daniel made their home in Brooklyn's working-class neighborhoods, initially settling on Baltic Street. Between 1875 and 1884, Mary gave birth to at least five children who survived to adulthood:

• John (born May 11, 1875)[8]
• Edward (born January 28, 1878)[9]
• Catherine (born December 24, 1879)[10]
• Mary Agnes (born December 23, 1881)[11]
• Daniel William (born October 30, 1884)[12]

Mary was fortunate in an era of high infant mortality, particularly among immigrant families living in crowded tenements. Census records indicate she might have lost a child, but she managed to keep five of her children alive during the perilous years before modern medicine—an unusual achievement that stood out among her neighbors.

The family moved to 210 Hoyt Street by 1880, and by 1900 had settled at 399 DeKalb Avenue, where Mary would remain, probably for the rest of her life.[13] Their household was typical of Irish immigrant families, with adult children living at home longer than was common among native-born Americans.

A Working Family

Daniel worked as a laborer throughout most of their marriage, though by 1900 he had no listed occupation, possibly due to health issues stemming from a head injury. The burden of supporting the household increasingly fell to their children. By 1900, all four children living at home—Edward (an expressman), Kate (a silk worker), Mary (also a silk worker), and Daniel (an expressman)—were employed and contributing to the household.

Mary herself kept house, as was expected of married women of her generation and class.[14] Though she could read, write, and speak English—skills not universal among Irish immigrants of her time—her world centered on her home, family, and church.

Widowhood

On December 14, 1917, after 45 years of marriage, Mary’s husband Daniel died at home of chronic heart disease. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, where Mary erected a fine tombstone, adding “Born in Tipperary Ireland," to the usual name and date.[15]

By 1920, Mary still lived in the same apartment; all her children had married and had their own households nearby.[16]

Final Years

Four years later, Mary suffered a stroke. She died on November 15, 1924, at Catherine's home on Gilmore Street, in East Elmhurst, Queens.[17] She was 82 years old, though her death certificate listed her age as 76—a discrepancy common among Irish immigrants who paid less attention to exact ages than later generations would.

Mary's funeral was held at St. Patrick's Church on Kent Avenue, the parish where she had worshipped for over three decades.[18] She was laid to rest beside Daniel at Holy Cross Cemetery on November 18, 1924.[19]

Legacy

Mary’s children paid for a real obituary in The Standard Union. It stated that she was survived by her five children: John, Edward, Daniel, and her two daughters, known by their married names, Mrs. John Regan (Catherine) and Mrs. James Clark (Mary).[20] Her life embodied the experience of countless Irish immigrant women who left their homeland in search of opportunity, built families in America's cities, and maintained their Catholic faith through generations.

From her baptism in rural Tipperary to her funeral in urban Brooklyn, Mary's 82 years spanned a period of tremendous change. She survived famine's aftermath, crossed an ocean, raised children in a new land, and died surrounded by family in a country that had become home—a journey that defined the Irish-American experience of her generation.

 

 

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[1] Catholic Church (Ardfinnan parish, Waterford and Lismore diocese, [Tipperary, Ireland],  Parish register, Baptisms Jan. 4, 1827-June 30, 1845; Marriages Jan. 24, 1827-June 26, 1845, unnumbered pages, unnumbered entries in chronological order, “Mariam Mullany,” baptism, 13 March 1842; “Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655–1915,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 January 2026) > Waterford and Lismore > Ardfinnan > 1827–1845 > image 124 of 188; National Library of Ireland microfilm 02457/04. Note: the baptism record called her mother Brigida, but Michael Mullany’s marriage record the year before called her Catherine, as did Mary’s death certificate, and records of her siblings.

[2] Ibid, 21 Feb. 1841, image 180.

[3] “1900 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan. 2026) > New York > Kings > Brooklyn Ward 07 > District 0077 > image 8 of 40; Mary Finnessey, 399 DeKalb Ave., Ward 7, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 4 (penned), sheet 184B (stamped), line 78, dwelling 30, family 84; from NARA, RG 29, publication T623, FHL film 1241046. Note: this says Mary immigrated in 1866. “1910 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan. 2026) > New York > Kings > Brooklyn Ward 7 > District 00092 > image 17 of 35; Mary A. Fennessey, p. 9A (penned), 399 DeKalb Ave., dwelling 97, family 232, line 36, Brooklyn, Kings, New York; from NARA, RG 29, publication T624, FHL film 1374970. Note: this says Mary immigrated in 1867.

[4] James R. Reilly, comp., St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, New York: Baptism and Marriage Records, 1857-1900, Volumes I-II (Salt Lake City, UT: Redmond Press, 1996), 18; “Brooklyn, New York, U.S., St. Paul’s Catholic Church Marriage Records, 1839-1900,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1255/images/VRMUSANY1857_089977-00017?pId=925: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > 1857-1900 > F > image 2 of 4; 30 June 1872, Dan Fennessy & M McLaney [sic].

[5] Ibid, 1900 and 1910 censuses.

[6] Ibid., Reilly, 76.

[7] Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, death certificate no. 2030 (1912), Margaret Purcell, 19 Jan 1912; "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WYF-YFV: accessed 31 Dec. 2025). Note: this is an abstract. Parents were Michael Mullaney and Catherine White. Note: DNA matches of Michael Jr.’s descendants in San Francisco lead to documentary evidence for him.

[8] Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, birth certificate no. 2518 (1875), _ Finnessy; New York City Municipal Archives; “Brooklyn Birth Certificates, 1866-1909; Birth certificates no. 2201-5450 1875,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W31-KM4: accessed 17 Aug 2021), IGN 4200111.

[9] Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, birth certificate no. 892 (1878), _ Finnessy; New York City Municipal Archives,

“Historical Vital Records,” database with images, New York City Department of Records & Information Services (Doris) (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/10343182: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > B-K-1878 – 0000892; certificate image, _____ Finnessy, 28 January 1878, no. 892, citing NYC Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records.

[10] Ibid., Reilly, 76.

[11] Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, birth certificate no. 10188 (1881), Mary Agnes Finissey; New York City Municipal Archives; “Historical Vital Records,” database with images, New York City Department of Records & Information Services (Doris) (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/12297: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > B-K-1881 – 0010188; certificate image, Mary Agnes Finissey 23 December 1881, no. 10188, citing NYC Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records.

[12] Ibid., Reilly, p. 76.

[13] “1880 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > New York > Kings > Brooklyn > 080 > image 10; Mary Fenisey in household of Daniel Fenisey, 210 Hoyt St., Tenth Ward – 4th Electoral District, Brooklyn, New York, p. 11 (penned), sheet 105C (stamped), line 42, dwelling 114, family 123, image 10 of 51; from NARA, RG 29, publication T9, roll 845. “1900 United States Federal Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 August 2021) > New York > Kings > Brooklyn Ward 07 > District 0077 > image 8 of 40; Mary Finnesey in household of Mary Finnesey, 399 DeKalb Ave., Ward 7, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 4 (penned), sheet 184B (stamped), line 78, dwelling 30, family 84; from NARA, RG 29, publication T623, FHL film 1241046.

[14] Ibid, 1900 census.

[15] Find A Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 31 Dec. 2025), memorial 172747939, Daniel Fennesey (4 Dec. 1917), Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York; gravestone photograph by Inis Fada.

[16] 1920 United States Federal Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, ED 613, p. 3B, 399 DeKalb Ave., dwelling 66, family 90, Mary A. Fennessey; “1920 United States Federal Census,” database and images, Ancestry (http:www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > New York > Kings > Brooklyn Assembly District 11 > District 0613 > image 6 of 17; from NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1160.

[17] “Historical Vital Records,” database with images, New York City Department of Records & Information Services (Doris) (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/5648395: accessed 2 Jan. 2026) > D-Q-1924 – 0004838; certificate image, Mary Fennessey, 15 November 1924, no. 4838, citing NYC Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records.

[18] “Death Notices,” The Standard Union (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 17 November 1924, p. 18, col. 7; images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 Jan. 2026).

[19] Find A Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 1 Jan. 2026), memorial 172747534, Mary Mulaney Fennessey (15 Nov. 1924), Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York; gravestone photograph by Inis Fada.

[20] Ibid., “Death Notices.”