Esther Fitzgerald

Born
2. Rose Bolger,
3. Frances Bolger,
 Mother

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## Birth

Esther Fitzgerald was born on 7th April 1898 in in Knockroe , Castledermot

File:Essiefitzbirthcert.jpg

## On-Line Family Trees - Fitzgerald Ancestors

* The Complete Dunne and Fitzgerald Tree (Part 1- From About 1750)
* The Descendants of William Fitzgerald and Mary Ann Nolan From About 1849 - Part 1
* The Descendants of William Fitzgerald and Mary Ann Nolan From About 1849 - Part 2

## Knockroe

Click here to view Knockroe as it looks today

File:Knockroe.jpg

Above - Knockroe (circa 1998) the Fitzgerald Family homestead where Eleven children were raised in a two roomed house.

## Esther Fitzgerald - Photo Collection

Esther01.jpg**late 1920's** - **Esther Fitzgerald** close upEsther02.jpg**late 1920's** - **Esther Fitzgerald** with younger brother John James Fitzgerald and new husband Thomas BolgerEsther03.jpg**1936** - **Esther Fitzgerald** - possibly in the garden at belvilleEsther04.jpg**1936** - handwritng of **Esther Fitzgerald** found on photo taken in garden at belvilleEsther05.jpg**1936** - Thomas Bolger with wife **Esther Fitzgerald** and new son Anthony Bolger - possibly in the garden at belville with Factory manager's wife Mrs Hayek (**Note** cant be Bestfield becuase the Sugar factory chimneys are in view behind)
## 1901 Census - Residents of a house 5 in Knockroe (Graney, Kildare)

**Source http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Kildare/Graney/Knockroe/1436338/**

## 1911 Census - Residents of a house 1 in Knockroe (Graney, Kildare)

By 1911 Knockroe seems to be the first house on the road ( it was the 5th house back in 1901 )

**Source http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Kildare/Graney/Knockroe/539029/**

Very sad to see that Elizabeth , Mary and William the children of John O'Brien and his wife Bridget Fitzgerald are now living with their grandparents at Knockroe. Thier mother Bridget Fitzgerald died young. The Census states that of the original Fitzgerald 11 children , only 10 lived.

it is assumed that Bridget Fitzgerald therefore passed away sometime between the birth of her son William (Willie) O'Brien born 1910 and this 1911 Census. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that Bridget Fitzgerald probably died during child birth.

With no other means of being supported , the O'Brien children went to live with their grandparents.

## Tom Bolger meets Esther Fitzgerald

While serving in the Army, Tom Bolger’s brother Paddy was seeing a local girl who worked in Baltinglass, called Esther Fitzgerald. On one particular evening when Paddy had already arranged to meet Esther, he was called on for extra guard duty.

In those days before telephones, it was not possible to cancel or rearrange a date with a girl quite so easily, so Paddy asked Tom to go in his place and to meet up with Esther to explain what had happened.

Tom duly turned up and explained the situation, and asked Esther what the arrangements had been. Esther explained that they had arranged to go to the cinema. Tom asked Esther if she would mind if he took her to the cinema instead. Esther accepted.

Tom and Esther hit it off almost instantly, and inevitably Esther stopped seeing Paddy as romance began to blossom with Tom..

## Esther Fitzgerald Works in a Dublin Hospital 1921-23

Esther worked in the Elphis Hospital in Dublin, which explains why Tom (stationed in the barracks in Baltinglass) and Esther (from Knockroe, Kildare) were married in Dublin.

The Elphis hospital , was located on Lower Mount Street ( just around the corner from Westland Row), Dublin and was famous for being the place where Michael Davitt (the famous Irish republican and nationalist) had passed away earlier in 1906 (long before Esther's time there).

When the Elphis Hospital closed it became a convent run by the Marie Auxiliatrice Sisters.

Today the building is used as a student accomodation hostel housing American students studying at the **American College Dublin** (located on nearby Merrion Square)

## Tom Bolger marries Esther Fitzgerald

After about a year of ‘courting’, Tom Bolger asked Esther Fitzgerald to marry him, she duly accepted and on July 5th 1923, they married at the Garrison Church of St. Andrew, Westland Row, Dublin.

File:Tom bolger 10.jpg

**A copy of the wedding certificate of Thomas Bolger and Esther Fitzgerald**

The wedding was a military affair with both Tom , and Paddy (who ironically turned out to be Tom’s Best Man) wearing their Army Uniforms. The wedding was also attended by their sister Bridget along with Esther’s younger brother Bill Fitzgerald and the bridesmaid Brigid Dunphy (who was a friend of Esther’s).

The wedding breakfast was held at a hotel in Dublin before everybody returned back to Carlow (with both Tom and Paddy in full Army uniform, which was a risky thing to do as the Republicans were intent on shooting anybody in the Irish Free State uniform).

File:Tom bolger 11.jpg

**Above - The only known photograph of Tom and Esther Bolger’s wedding (Back L-R) Bridget Bolger, Bill Fitzgerald, Brigid Dunphy,(Front L-R) Tom Bolger, Esther Fitzgerald, Patrick Bolger**

## Children

Tom and Esther Bolger had four children

* Eileen Bolger
* Rose Bolger
* Frances Bolger
* Anthony Bolger

File:EstherandTony.jpg

**Above** - A photo of Esther and Tony circa late 1936/early 1937

File:EstherandEilenandFrances.jpg

**Above** - A photo of Esther (center wearing a hat) on a day out before the birth of son Tony. Stood up (left with ribbon in her hair) is Rose Bolger, Stood up (right) is Eileen Bolger, and Esther is probably holding baby Frances Bolger circa 1935/36

## Photos of Esther

File:Estherportrait.jpg

**Above** - Esther posing for a professional portrait

File:Estherinherprime.jpg

**Above** - Esther in her prime (probably relaxing out in the rear garden at Bestfield on a summers day) , the handwritten inscription on the back of the photo reads - 'Me having a lazy day'

File:Estherandbill.jpg

**Above** - Esther with her younger brother William Fitzgerald in their sunday best probably taken outside their home in Knockroe , Castledermot

## Death of Esther Fitzgerald

Esther died on 10th October 1937 ( husband [[Thomas Bolger]'s birthday) from complications caused by T.B. (which back then was not cureable).

Husbamd Thomas Bolger was himself in hospital suffering from Pneumonia on the very day that Esther passed away. So ill was Tom, that he was not able to go to the funeral. The hospital was (ironically) situated right next to the cemetery and had a view of the whole graveyard.

On the day of the funeral Tom was very ill, he was helped by nurses to get to a window where he was able to witness the funeral procession for his wife.

How demented must Thomas Bolger have been on that day. His whole world must have felt like it was crushed.

## Immediate Family Tree - Fitzgerald Descendants and Siblings (Part 1)

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## Descendants and Siblings (Part 2 )

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## Family Tree - The Descendants of Tom and Esther Bolger

* The immediate descendants of Thomas and Esther Bolger

## Information Credits

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