Families from US and Ireland reunite in Killererin

Mitchell family member from Killererin first moved to New Orleans in 1880s

A FAMILY reunion in Killererin brought emotion and excitement with it through the visit of relatives from the United States.

Approximately 150 years ago, a man named Michael Mitchell (21 years of age at the time) from the townland of Cloondahamper in Killererin, moved to New Orleans in Louisiana in search of better opportunities.

Coming from a family of nine, he was followed by his four brothers and a sister in the later years while, one brother Arthur Mitchell stayed behind. Over the years, the siblings remained in touch and the communication was then carried on by the following generations.

Both Michael and Arthur have left behind a legacy through their families who are now settled in different parts of Ireland and New Orleans.

Arthur’s granddaughter Patricia Mitchell, who lives in Sligo, told The Tuam Herald that Michael’s great granddaughter Bonnie Clay is the fourth generation of his family to come to Ireland to explore the roots of their family. Bonnie visited Ireland with her children and grandchildren, the fifth and sixth generations of the family to make it to these shores.

“A total of 19 members of the family including Bonnie were here and we had a great day together with both sides of the family getting to know more about each other,” said Patricia of the family reunion that was held in Killererin Community Centre recently.

“I had met Bonnie and some of her family before when we travelled to New Orleans which sparked their interest in coming to Ireland. We had a lunch arranged for them at the community centre where Deputy Pete Roche met with them.

“They also met the other Irish relatives including my six siblings, and my uncle’s children and grandchildren.”

Other relatives living in the local area who were also present at the family reunion included members of the Smyth family, the Byrne family and the Colohan family.

One of Patricia’s nephews Aaron Mitchell, who plays football with Killererin, showed his American relatives some football moves, while her grandnephew Tomas McMahon Manning (10) who came from Ennis in County Clare, demonstrated his hurling skills.

"It was an exchange of culture where we brought them to our local GAA pitch and showed them our sports while they showed us how to play baseball,” said Patricia.

Michael Mitchell went on to establish his own businesses in New Orleans including a construction company and a mineral water company.

They were living far from Ireland, but they never forgot their roots, which led to two of his great granddaughters representing New Orleans at the Rose of Tralee competition. Another set of his children and grandchildren are the McKay family, one of whom is Jim McKay, a retired judge of the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal.

For Patricia Mitchell and her family, it was an “extremely emotional day to talk about the man who left Ireland 143 years ago."

The descendants of the late Michael Mitchell also went to the house he grew up in that is still standing after 300 years.

“They visited the house and then we also went to the grave of my great grandparents who are buried in the local cemetery in Killererin,” said Patricia.

“They were so overwhelmed with the welcome they received, while me and my siblings were emotional to think that they are the family of the man who came from the same home and the same farm that we did."