Timothy Meehan was born in 1834 in Bruree, County Limerick, Ireland, to John Meehan and Margaret Shanahan. Timothy was a cooper.
Johanna Lyons was born in 1843.
Timothy married Johanna on March 5, 1859, in his hometown of Bruree. Witnesses were Thomas Harding and Margaret Meehan. I assume that Margaret Meehan was Timothy’s sister. They had seven children in 16 years.
CHILDREN of Timothy Meehan and Johanna Lyons
1860 Jan 15 Catherine Meehan in Bruree, Limerick, Ireland.
1861 Margaret “Maggie” Meehan was born in July 1861 in Bruree, County Limerick, and baptized on the 21st. Her godparents (sponsors), Denis Fitzgerald and Bridget Shea, stood beside her as she was welcomed into the world. She grew up in Bruree and became a dressmaker, skilled with a needle and thread.
In October 1883, she married Patrick Collins, a carpenter like his father, John. The wedding took place in Bruree, with Mick O’Neale and Catherine Cox as witnesses. Together, Maggie and Patrick had three daughters—Mary in 1884, Bridget in 1887, and Delia in 1888.
By 1901, Maggie and Delia were living with Johanna, but Patrick’s name was missing from the record. A decade later, in 1911, Maggie was still there—Patrick was not. What became of him remains uncertain, but Maggie, like so many women of her time, carried on, raising her daughters and continuing the life she had built in Bruree.
1863 Aug John Meehan was born in Bruree, Limerick, Ireland. He died the following year on 12 Dec 1864
1865 October 7 Patrick Meehan was born in Bruree, County Limerick, Ireland. He was baptised in Bruree on October 17, and the sponsor was Timothy Meehan.
Patrick was both a cooper and a postman. He was committed to Limerick Mental Asylum by court order when he attacked his mother and threatened suicide. But he obviously recovered and was released.
Patrick Meehan died on 1st July 1941 at the age of 75 – never having married. Cause of his death was myocardial degeneration (90 days) and chronic bronchitis (40 days). His sister, Margaret Collins was present at death.
1868 April 10 John Meehan was born on April 10, 1868, in Bruree, County Limerick. His baptism is a bit of a mystery—church records say he was baptized the very next day, on April 11, which would have been unusual unless there was concern for his survival. Yet, the civil record lists his baptism as April 23. Whichever date is correct, his godparents were William Walsh and Kate Burns.
John’s life was short. At just 17 years old, on September 16, 1885, he passed away from phthisis—tuberculosis. He had suffered from the disease for a year before it finally took him. One can only imagine the pain and suffering that his family, as well as John himself endurec for that final year of his young life. His mother registered John’s death.
1872 Jan 25 Daniel Meehan was born in Bruree, County Limerick, Ireland. He died on February 6, 1872 less than 2 weeks old.
1876 October 7 Timothy Meehan was born on October 7, 1876, in Bruree, County Limerick. He was baptized nearly two weeks later, on October 19, with Margaret Meehan— his aunt or grandmother?—standing as his sponsor.
Timothy lived an interesting life. He worked as a postman and was also a writer. I was lucky enough to find one story written by him, published in the Sunday Independent on 1 Nov 1909, which you can read further down this page. By the time of the 1911 census, Timothy had been diagnosed with lupus, a condition that wasn’t mentioned in 1901, suggesting it may have developed later in life.
His story takes a somber turn in 1919. On February 15, at just 42 years old, he died in Kilmallock Workhouse. The cause of death was recorded as lupus, debility, and asthma, with a note suggesting he had been ill for about a month before passing.
At first, discovering that he died in the workhouse painted a bleak picture—was he destitute, abandoned? But perhaps the reality was different. Workhouses were not just for the poor; they also housed the sick, and Kilmallock’s facility even had a fever hospital. By 1920, the workhouse was taken over by the military and eventually shut down, erasing its original purpose from history.
Interesting QUESTIONS from the 1901 Census below:
- Margaret Meehan’s’ husband, Patrick Collins is missing from both the 1901 and 1911 Census – where is he?
- Delia – Where did she go between 1901 and 1911 as she is missing from 1911 census?
Interesting Facts from the 1911 Census below
- all the family could read and write
- Catherine is listed as a servant – but a servant where?
- Margaret is a dressmaker
- Timothy is postman in 1901 but Patrick is a postman in 1911 and Timothy has “no calling”?
- Patrick was a master cooper in 1901 but a postman in 2011
- Patrick is 45 instead of 39 in the 2011 census
The story written by Timothy Meehan, published in the Sunday Independent newspaper on 7 Nov 1909. It was titled “Covetous Ned and the Leprachaun – a Limerick Folk Story and appeared as the paper’s prize story.
Timothy Meehan, the patriarch of the Meehan family, passed away on July 10, 1899, in Kilmallock, County Limerick, at the age of 63. He had been married to Johanna for 40 years, building a life with her over the decades.
In the final years of his life, Timothy suffered from an irreducible hernia, a condition that lingered for two years. He eventually underwent an operation to treat it, but tragically, the surgery led to complications, and he passed away just 24 hours later from cardiac failure.
His death marked the end of an era for the Meehan family, leaving behind the memory of a man who had navigated life’s challenges for over six decades.
Johanna Lyons died on July 30, 1917, in Bruree, Limerick, Ireland, at the age of 74.
Johanna left an estate value of STG76 14s and 3d. (£77 in 1917 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £6,780 in 2025).
I have not been able to find the graves of any of this Meehan family. Their story, like so many, is full of unanswered questions. But what remains certain is that they were more than just a names in dusty forgotten records – they deserve to be remembered.