Thomas Bolger

Born
 Children
2.Rose Bolger,
3.Frances Bolger,
 Residence

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## birth location

Map showing the location of Coolnakisha, Co. Carlow

## Tom Bolger

Tom Bolger (or 'Tom the Hat' as residents of Carlow sometimes affectionately knew him) lived most of his life at **No 1 Bestfield**, Carlow.

He worked for over forty years in the **Carlow Sugar Factory** at Strawhall.

Thomas (named after his mother Kate Shaw’s father) was the eldest child of the family of Kate Shawe and Michael Bolger, (although Michael Bolger was not actually Tom’s natural father).

## Thomas Bolger’s Birth (and Birth Certificates)

Tom Bolger passed away in December 1976 without ever revealing the secret to any of his Children. It was not until grandson **Paul Bolger** was researching the family tree that it was noticed that Tom's birthdate occurred BEFORE the Marriage of **Kate Shawe** and **Michael Bolger**.

Such must have been the embarrassment and disgrace at the time, all through his life Tom never ever mentioned to any of his children that **Michael Bolger** was not his biological father.

Further investigation showed that Tom's birth certificate was even doctored in order to try and hide the secret. You can read more about the secret of Tom's birth name on the **Tom Bolger's birth certificate page**

## Descendants

**Click Here to see an Descendant Chart**

## How the mystery of Tom Bolger's Unknown Father was actually solved

In late 2020, I (**Paul Bolger**), grandson of ****Thomas Bolger**** , finally took a DNA test with the **Ancestry.Com DNA** testing service . The results that came back matched me up with a branch of the  Malone Family who were in no way related to me , but who were related by marriage ( not blood ) to **James Shaw** the older brother of Kate Shaw.

James Shaw lived and worked up in Terenure, Dublin at the same time that Kate Shawe was working in Dublin as a trainee midwife in the mid 1890's.

Mary Anne Malone, the wife of James Shaw, was also working as a midwife with Kate Shawe at the time in Holles Street, Dublin.

As a result of these relationships, its quite certain that Mary Ann's brother Patrick Malone b1875, will have known and socialised with Kate and that both would have been at the wedding of James and Mary Ann in Rathgar on 22nd April 1894.

So at some point between 1894 and early 1898 that friendship possibly grew into something serious between Kate and Patrick

Further investigation of the DNA results duly matched my DNA directly to **Patrick Malone b1875**, the brother of Mary Anne Malone, the wife of **James Shaw**.

There should not be any DNA link between a Bolger and a Malone , because the Malones are only linked to the Shaw family via the Marriage between James Shaw and Mary Anne Malone.

And so , some 45 years after Tom Bolger passed away in 1976, Tom's father was finally identified as **Patrick Malone b1875**.

It's highly probable that **Patrick Malone b1875** never even knew he was Tom's father.

Kate on being found to be pregnant , left her job in Dublin and returned home to her family in Leighlinbridge to have Tom , who was born on the 10th October 1898.

**Patrick Malone b1875**, went on to marry and raise a family in Dublin quite probably oblivious to the fact that Kate was to have his baby.

Some six months after the birth of her son Thomas, Kate was AGAIN pregnant by April 1899 with what would be her second son **Patrick Bolger**. This time Kate did marry the father **Michael Bolger**

Patrick Bolger was born on the 10th January 1900 , some seven weeks before his mother **Kate Shawe** then married his father **Michael Bolger** in Leighlinbridge.

## Possible Reasons why parents Kate Shaw and Michael Bolger married

**Kate Shawe** was obviously a single mother from October 1898 onwards after her first son ****Thomas Bolger**/Shaw** was born. All through her life Kate never divulged the name of Tom's father. It was only as late as 2020 that a DNA test actually solved the puzzle by identifying Patrick Malone b1875 as the father of Tom ( a whole 45 years after Tom had passed away ).

We note also that Kate's second son **Patrick Bolger** was born on the 10th January 1900 and christened over a month BEFORE **Kate Shawe** married **Michael Bolger** on 27th February 1900.

So Maybe Michael Bolger had to make an honest woman of Kate Shaw , maybe it was a love match ....

But Kate was certainly a notorious woman to the locality, having managed to give birth to two sons before actually reaching the aisle and altar !

## Census 1901

There is a mention of Tom Bolger in the 1901 Census of Ireland as living in **Craanavonane**, Rathornan, Leighlinbridge. To view the details please go to the **Tom Bolger 1901 Census** page.

## Census 1911

There is also a mention of Tom Bolger in the 1911 Census of Ireland as living in **Coolnakisha**, Rathornan, Leighlinbridge. To view the details please go to the **Tom Bolger 1911 Census** page.

## Photo Gallery - Assorted Tom Bolger

TomBolger07.jpg**(circa 1954)** - Tom Bolger taken at with sister-in-law Julia Gorman Jr and her husband and also son Anthony Bolger at the Gorman's home in CastledermottTomBolger08.jpg**(circa 1954)** - Tom Bolger taken at the Esplanade in front of Edinburgh CastleTomBolger110.jpg**(July 1961)** - **Thomas Bolger** and wife Esther Gorman(/Hettie Bolger)in the front garden at Bestfield (If you zoom in you can see the sapling legendary Monkey Puzzle Tree)Pbphotos03.jpg**1964/65** - **Thomas Bolger** and daughter-in-law's father [[Davy Keating] in Gragaugh with grandson Paul BolgerPbphotos04.jpg**1964/65** - **Thomas Bolger** and daughter-in-law Mary Jane Keating and grandson Paul Bolger and brother of charity Alban at Liseux Hall, ChorleyTomBolger100.jpg**(circa late 1960's)** - Tom Bolger At Home in BestfieldTomBolger101.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger at a function with Mrs Filgas, Percy McDarby and Mr Filgas - The Filgas's were Anthony Bolger's god parentsTomBolger102.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger at Gragaugh with Sr Celestine Joan Keating sister of daughter in law Mary Jane KeatingTomBolger103.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger at Gragaugh with Sr Celestine Joan Keating sister of daughter in law Mary Jane KeatingTomBolger104.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger at Gragaugh with Sr Celestine Joan Keating sister of daughter in law Mary Jane KeatingTomBolger105.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger at Gragaugh with Sr Celestine Joan Keating sister of daughter in law Mary Jane KeatingTomBolger106.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger taken at Gragaugh - **Great Photo**TomBolger111.jpg**(circa early 1970's)** - Tom Bolger on a Workman's club coach trip outing
## Photo Gallery - July 1972 in Bestfield Carlow

1972TomBolger03.pngTom Bolger July 19721972TomBolger04.pngTom Bolger July 19721972TomBolger01.pngTom Bolger and Son Anthony Bolger making hay in Bestfield July 19721972TomBolger02.pngTom Bolger and Son Anthony Bolger making hay in Bestfield July 19721972TomBolger05.pngTom Bolger and Daughter In Law Mary Jane Keating making hay July 1972
## Audio of Tom Bolger speaking in 1976

**NEW - Listen to Tom Bolger speaking in 1976**

## Tom's Early Life

Tom spent his later childhood in the old house in **Coolnakisha**, on the hill overlooking **Leighlinbridge**. There are more details of Tom's childhood years on the **Tom Bolger childhood** page.

## Tom Bolger's Schooldays

Tom Bolger was schooled in nearby **Ballinabrannagh National School**, about 3 miles away from where he lived in **Coolnakisha**. You can read more details on the **Tom Bolger's Schooldays** page.

## Tom Bolger's Early working Life

Tom Bolger was quite bright academically. The untimely death of his father **Michael Bolger** in 1914 meant that Tom (then aged 15) had to leave school in order to find employment to support his family.

You can read more details about Tom's early working life on the **Tom Bolger Early Working Life** page.

## Tom Bolger joins the National (Free State) Army

The Irish Free State was declared in London on the 6th of December 1921 conferring dominion status on the country which was to be made up of the 26 southern counties (with the remaining six in Ulster staying as part of the UK). It meant that although independent from England, members of the free state parliament still had to take an oath of allegiance to the King, but only after they swore allegiance first to the constitution of the Irish Free State.

One of the consequences of the declaration was that Ireland could now have its own its own Free State Army. To encourage volunteers to join up, the pay in the Army was attractive, certainly better than many of the wages available to farm labourers, and as a result many young men joined up.

There were problems with the declaration of the Irish Free state, for despite the signing of the treaty (by amongst others Michael Collins) which resulted in the dividing up of the 32 counties in this way, at least half of the Irish Cabinet (including Eamonn De Valera) still wished to secure the independence of ALL 32 counties. The result was that Ireland was gradually plunged into civil war by the end of June 1922.

On 17th October 1922, Tom Bolger (aged about 24) on a day off from work one day went to Baltinglass to visit his brother **Patrick Bolger** who was stationed in the Barracks at Baltinglass. Tom never returned home.

Tom joined the Irish Free State Army on a whim. You can read more about Tom in the Army on the **Tom Bolger Army Career Page**.

## Tom Bolger meets and marries Esther Fitzgerald

Tom's first wife was Esther Fitzgerald , who hailed from Corbalis County kildare which is situated between Castledermot and Kildare.

You can read more about how Tome and Esther met and married on the **Tom and Esther Bolger** page.

## Early Married Life in Carlow

Married life started back in Carlow, where Tom managed to get a furnished room (near to **Shamrock Square** at the ‘Top of the town’) to live in for the sum of ten shillings a week.

Esther hated living there on her own as Tom was still stationed up in Baltinglass. Shortly after however, Tom managed to get a transfer from the barracks in Baltinglass to the barracks in Carlow (on the Kilkenny Road where the technical school is now).

Things began to improve slightly as the war began to wane, when because he was married, and his wife was living in Carlow, Tom soon managed to secure a ‘sleeping out pass’ which meant that he had to be at the barracks for 7am every morning, do a days guard duty until 4pm before being able to return home to Esther at tea time.

Tom and Esther were married for about four years before their first child Eileen was born, they were married for about another three before their second child Rose arrived. With the war over and Army no longer as keen to attract young men, Tom decided to leave as it became obvious that the wage he was earning could not support him and his new family. This was not helped by an unreasonable amount of his the wage having to be spent every week on Boot polish and button shine.

Tom’s first job outside of the Army was at a Quarry in Milford near Leighlin. Living in Carlow, this meant a six mile walk each way every day, and Tom would get up in the morning at 6am , ‘have a sup of tea’, and set off walking. This ordeal was short lived, as not long after Tom got work a little nearer home helping to build and widen the Dublin Road. This was followed by a short period of unemployment.

On one particular day during this ‘rest’ from work, Tom was out in what would have been a communal garden belonging to the house in which the rooms were rented, when he began chatting fence to a man in the next garden, that as Tom puts it, ‘the Belgians or Germans were after taking on at the Sugar Factory to look after the gardens’. The conversation soon established Tom’s knowledge and skills in gardening and growing plants and vegetables. It was established that the man Tom was speaking to new all about flowers, but did not know too much about growing vegetables, something which Tom was an expert at doing. The conversation developed to such an extent that the man suggested he should put in a word for Tom at the factory, which he duly did.

## Employment at Carlow Sugar Factory

Tom eventually secured work in the new **Carlow Sugar Factory**

## In Service at Belville, Carlow

There is a full breakdown of Tom and Esther's job in service as servants to the first manager of the Sugar Factory (**Theodore Hayek**) in the **Tom Bolger's Belville years** page.

Eventually Tom changed jobs and instead of working as a gardener/servant for the family of Theodore Hayek (who returned home to Czechoslovakia at the outset of world war two),

## Return to Employment at the Sugar Factory

When the Hayeks returned home to Czechoslovakia at the outbreak of World War 2, Tom moved out of the servants quarters at Belville and into a brand new purpose built workers cottage at number 1 Bestfield (about ten minutes walk from the sugar factory).

Tom Bolger also moved jobs back into the Sugar factory and worked the Rupo machine (which was basically a crane mechanism housed at the entry gate to the Sugar Factory which was used in the process of unloading and weighing the sugar beet from the lorries delivering to the factory).

## The Move to Bestfield

**Bestfield** was a new housing development of small holdings that backed on to the River Barrow that had been built for Sugar Factory Employees on the Athy Road about a mile north of Carlow Town Centre. On leaving Belville, Tom and Esther moved into **Number 1 Bestfield**

## Death of Esther Fitzgerald

Tom's first wife **Esther Fitzgerald** was ill for some time. She died on 10th October 1937 ( husband **Thomas Bolger**'s birthday) from complications caused by **Tuberculosis** (which back then was not cureable).

You can read more about Esther's tragic death on the **Death of Esther Fizgerald** page.

## Marriage to Esther Gorman

On the death of first wife Esther Fitzgerald in 1937, Tom Bolger found himself having to hold down a Job at the Sugar Factory with four children to feed and support at a time in Ireland when there was no help from the state. The close family joined formces to help to support Tom.

Daughter Frances Bolger was sent to live with auntie (Esther's sister) Maggie Fitzgerald up in Dublin.

Other daughter's Eileen Bolger and Rose Bolger were sent to live with Tom's mother Kate Shawe who by this time was widowed and elderley. Kate was by this time living in a tenement building at the 'top of the town' (now shamrock square) in the town centre of Carlow where she already had the hard job of looking after her 'retarded' daughter Mary Bolger (Tom's younger step sister).

Son Anthony Bolger was put up for adoption to a family in England ( which was stopped at literally the last minute when Tom Bolger refused to hand him over to the couple waiting in the next room in the Cathedral in Carlow).

Things looked grave. Then enter onto the scene [[Esther Gorman] who was a close childhood friend of Esther Fitzgerald and a support to Tom during those difficult first few months.

Tom fell for , and subsequnetly married Esther Gorman in July 1938. You can read more about this one the **Tom marries Esther Gorman** page.

## Tom Bolger's second Marriage to Esther Gorman

When ****Thomas Bolger**** lost his first wife **Esther Fitzgerald** in October 1937, he was left with the huge problem of having to work and also look after four children. There was of course no welfare state back in 1938. There was no child care available.

Tom Bolger had the predicament, he had to work to generate the money to feed the children, but while he worked who was there to look after his babies?

Initially Tom's daughter **Frances Bolger** was sent to live up in Dublin with **(Esther Fitzgerald'**s sister), Aunt **Maggie Fizgerald**.

Tom's other daughter's **Eileen Bolger** and **Rose Bolger** were temporarily sent to live with Tom's mother **Kate Shawe** who by this time was widowed and elderley. Kate was by this time living in a tenement building at the 'top of the town' (now called **Shamrock Square)** in the town centre of Carlow where she already had the hard job of looking after her mentally retarded daughter **Mary Bolger** (Tom's younger step sister).

At one point son **Anthony Bolger** was to be put up for adoption. The local parish priests in Carlow had actually set about finding a suitable couple to come and adopt Tony. It got to the point were a couple from England had been lined up to take Tony, and that they had even made the trip over to collect him,, only for ****Thomas Bolger**** at the last minute to renage on the deal and refuse to hand over his only son.

Enter on to the scene **Esther Gorman** from Castledermott, a friend initially of Tom's deceased wife **Esther Fitzgerald** a single lady, who had helped Tom to cope in the period following Esther's death.

Iniitially it may have been a friendship that turned to love, or even it may have been possibly a marriage of convenience, but in 1938 by marrying ****Thomas Bolger**, Esther Gorman** (or Hettie as she was known to all) was the solution which meant that Tom Bolger was able to keep his family together.

There is no doubt that it was ultimately a love match. Tom , Esther and Hettie are all buried together in the same 9 plot grave in St Mary's Cemetery , Carlow. Tom significantly (expressly requested that he) was to buried on top of his second wife Hettie and not his first wife Esther.

## Tom Bolger's Illness

In the summer of 1975 , Tom Bolger started to become ill, and was eventually diagnosed with Cancer

## Tom Bolger's Death in 1976

Tom Bolger passed away in the early afternoon of Thursday 2nd December 1976 (ironically in the Sacred Heart Home in Carlow , which was the same building which housed the original Army Barracks where Tom served in the early 1920's).

Tom was brought to the Cathedral in Carlow from the Mortuary at the Sacred Heart Home on the evening of Friday 3rd December 1976, and was buried after a full requiem mass on a vicious cold frosty morning (Saturday 4th December 1976) in **St Mary's Cemetery, Carlow**

File:TomBolgermemcard.jpg

**Above** - Tom Bolger's memory card

## Family Trees

* The Descendants Family Tree of Patrick Bolger and Mary Cummins from about 1800
* The immediate descendants of Thomas and Esther Bolger From About 1923Information about Patrick Bolger and Biddy Timmins kindly provided by **Jackie Gough** (nee JACQUELINE BOLGER)