Michael Bolger

Born
2.Bridget Bolgerb1903 ,
3 Hannah Bolger b1904,
4.Mary Bolger b1908,
5.Elizabeth Bolger b1910,
6.Sarah Bolger b1912,
 Residence

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## Birth

Michael Bolger was born on the 23rd/24th April 1864 in Leighlinbridge. He was the son of Patrick Bolger and Biddy (Bridget) Timmins.

source for this information **Leighlinbridge Parish Baptism register**

## Background

Michael Bolger the son of Patrick Bolger and Biddy Timmin, was born in Craan, Coolnakisha, Leighlinbridge in about 1863. He was by all accounts, a big , fine, able bodied man who worked as a farm labourer for a family called Cummins who had a farm in the same part of Coolnakisha.

It is possible that Michael simply followed his father in working for the Cummins family (as a copy of Michaels baptismal certificate names a Patrick Cummins as his God father/Sponsor). This would imply that Michaels father Patrick Bolger certainly knew or possibly even worked for the Cummins family in the 1860s

It is not clear how Michael actually met Kate Shaw or how they decided to marry, but it is thought likely that Michael was a long time friend of the Shaw family, possibly in particularly a friend of Kates father Thomas. The evidence to support this lies in the extract from the Leighlin parish marriage register, which states that one of the two witnesses to the marriage (or best man possibly ?) was a Thomas Shaw. This would imply perhaps that either Thomas and Michael were close friends or even work-mates, or alternatively that the wedding was a low key affair due to the scandal caused by Kate being a single mother, and that Thomas Shaw simply acted as a witness. This theory is supported by the fact that there are no female witnesses (or bridesmaids) on the marriage register.

Michael and Kate were married on 27 February 1900.

After Michael and Kate were married, they lived initially in an old house in Coolnakisha belonging to a family called Agan. Then around 1907 the council built a cottage in Coolnakisha which was rented out to Michael, Kate and their small family (which eventually grew to include five more children Patrick born 1900, Bridget born 1903, Hannah, Elizabeth born abt. 1910 and Mary.

By all accounts Michael and Kate got on very well, and were happy enough until one Saturday afternoon during in late August 1914, when Michael (then aged then about fifty), came home from the harvest field where he had been helping out with the threshing in another local small farm owned by a family called Byrne (At that time it was customary for farmers to send their workmen out to help at neighbouring farmers hay-making threshing).

After his dinner of Bacon , Cabbage & Potatoes, Michael began to complain of an inward pain. His wife Kate put him to bed on the Saturday evening, and early on the Sunday morning, the doctor was sent for. On seeing Michael, he admitted him immediately to Bagenalstown hospital.

Kate thought at the time that the bacon and cabbage wasnt cooked enough and that it had given Michael some type of Colic.

For whatever reason, Michael was not diagnosed immediately as having a burst appendix, and by the time it was diagnosed and the surgeons operated it was too late. Michael Bolger died on the operating table. His death again saw things become very hard again for Kate who had a large but young family to support.

Michael Bolger is buried along with his wife Kate in the old graveyard in Tomard.

## Marriage

When Thomas Shaw (son of Kate Shaw) was about 15 months old in February 1900, Kate Shaw married Michael Bolger.

It seems that Michael was a long time friend of the Shaw family, and in particular a friend (possibly a work mate) of Kate’s father Thomas (who was in fact Michael’s best man at the wedding). This in turn would suggest that Michael had probably known Kate for most of her life in Leighlinbridge. He was ten or eleven years older than Kate and it may be that they married initially not because they were in love but in order that Kate could support Thomas and at the same time help to overcome the great scandal caused by Thomas’ birth.

Michael Bolger and Kate Shaw were married on 27th February 1900 in St Laserian’s Church in Leighlinbridge.

File:Kate shaw michael bolger marriage cert.jpg

**Copy of the Marriage Certificate of Michael Bolger and Kate Shaw**

## Baptism

Michael Bolger (source http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Leighlinbridge\_Bapt\_1.htm )

**baptism record**

24 April 1864 Bolger Michael

parents Pat Bolger & Biddy Timmins

witness / godparents Patrick Cummins & Eliza Kelly

Craan

## Children

Michael and Kate had six xhildren and step son Thomas the eldest (whose father is not known).

* Thomas Bolger or Thomas Shaw as he was registered at birth,
* Patrick Bolger,
* Bridget Bolger,
* Elizabeth Bolger,
* Hannah Bolger,
* Mary Bolger
* Sarah Bolger

## Census 1901

It is known (from the Tom Bolger life story tape ) that after Michael and Kate were married in 1900, they lived initially in an old house in Coolnakisha belonging to a Farming family called Agan (or Agar ).

**Residents of a house 6 in Craanavonane (Rathornan, Carlow)**

Source - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Carlow/Rathornan/Craanavonane/1043534/

File:1901kateshawcensus.jpg

## Census 1911

**1911 Census entry for Michael and Kate Bolger**

There is a mention of the family of Michael and Kate Bolger (nee Shaw) in the 1911 Ireland Census. They are recorded as living at house 16 in Coolnaskisha, Rathornan, Carlow

**Residents of a house 16 in Coolnaskisha, Rathornan, Carlow**

**Source ( http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Carlow/Rathornan/Coolnaskisha/314518/ )**

File:Bolger census 1911.jpg

## Death

Michael died from a burst appendix in August 1914 in the hospital in Bagenalstown. He is buried beside his wife in the old graveyard in Tomard

File:MichaelBolgerdeathcert.jpg

**Above** - A copy of the The Death Certificate for Michael Bolger

File:Tomard.jpg

**The Graveyard adjacent to St Bridget’s Church, Tomard, Leighlinbridge**

The graves are located directly behind the shrine, on the right of the picture above. Three iron crosses mark their location simply. The plot appears to have been purchased by the Bolger family and is also the final resting-place of Kate’s daughters Hannah Bolger, and possibly also Elizabeth Bolger. It is also the final resting-place of three children belonging to ‘Mags’ (Margaret) and Ned Bolger, all of whom died in infancy.

File:Tomard 2.jpg

**The Cross on the Left of the picture marks the grave of Michael Bolger and Kate Shaw**

File:Tomard 3.jpg

**Grave of Mick annd Kate**

**Photos reproduced with grateful thanks from the Ancestry.com/Facebook Collection of Roni Budde (nee Roni Robinson)**

## Descendants

If you feel that there is something incorrect or needs changing or removing then please don't hesitate , let Paul Bolger know via email c/o paul.bolger@ntlworld.com

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## Ancestors

If you feel that there is something incorrect or needs changing or removing then please don't hesitate , let Paul Bolger know via email c/o paul.bolger@ntlworld.com

**Click Here to see the Ancestor Chart**