Paddy and Cyril McCormack
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Count John McCormack and Sir William Orpen 1923
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McCormack of Glena, Booterstown & Hollywood House, Mount Anville
Andrew McCormack married Hannah Watson
born circa 1857 6 Nov 1874 born circa 1858
Galashiels, Scotland Galashiels Selkirk, Scotland
died 6 Jan 1941 died 2 Jun 1938
Monkstown Monkstown
Andrew McCormack born circa 1857 married Hannah Watson on 6 Nov 1874 at Galashiels
Roman Catholic Church. Hannah was the daughter of John Watson, shoemaker. In 1881
they were living at Cobden Street, Alva, Stirlingshire and were in Ireland by 1884. In 1911
they had eleven children of whom six survived and they lived at Auburn Terrace, Athlone.
Andrew was a superintendent at Athlone Woollen Mills. Andrew retired circa 1917 and
they moved first to Greystones and later to Monkstown. Hannah Died 2 Jun 198 and was
buried at Deansgrange, Andrew died on 6 Jan 1941 at Packenham Road and was buried
with his wife.
1 Peter McCormack died an infant at Wilderhaugh on 28 Oct 1877.
2 Isabella McCormack born circa 1879 Menstrie, Stirlingshire, Scotland died
1 Jun 1894 at Strand Street.
3 Jane Ann McCormack born circa 1881 in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland was a
dressmaker living with her parent in Athlone in 1901. Jane married Mr Coupland
and lived in Dumfries.
4 Mary Anne McCormack died an infant.
5 John Francis McCormack second son born 14 Jun 1884 at Mardyke Street, Athlone.
He was educated at the Marist Brothers in Athlone and later got a scholarship to
Summerhill College, Sligo. His career took flight when in won gold at the Feis Ceol in
1903. In 1904, he sang at the St Louis International Exposition. He went to Italy to
receive instruction from voice trainer Vincenzo Sabatini and two years later he was
performing at Covent Garden. He toured the US, Europe, Australia and Asia singing
opera but introduced more ballads and popular music into his concerts. He married
Elizabeth (Lily) Foley in 1906 and they had two children. She was a concert soprano
and opera singer but retired shortly after their marriage. His hits included ‘It’s a Long
way to Tipperary’ and ‘Mother Machree’ and at the height of his career in America, he
was earning $200K per year. In 1917 he became an American citizen and they
adopted Kevin Foley. He created 100's of phonographs and was a radio megastar. He
was created a papal Count in 1928; this rank was a hereditary one which was unusual
and he also had an honorary doctorate from UCD. In 1929 he earned $500,000
dollars when he appeared and sang in the film called Song o' My Heart and he bought
a ranch in the Hollywood Hills. Their Irish home was at Moore Abbey in Monesterevan
where John kept a number of racing horses. He collected Rolls Royce cars and art and
had his portrait painted by Sir William Orpen. He decided to retire in 1938 and made
a farewell tour which included the Royal Albert Hall. He purchased Glena in
Booterstown in 1943 from the estate of solicitor Patrick Joseph Brady. He died
16 Sep 1945 at Glena and was buried at Deansgrange. Lily moved back to America
returning to Dublin each year to holiday. On her visit to Ireland in 1970 she was too ill
to return to America and died 29 Apr 1971 at St Vincent’s Hospital late of Fifth Avenue,
NY and was buried with her husband.
1 Cyril Patrick McCormack born on 27 Mar 1907 at 27 Mountjoy Square. He was
an apprentice in a Dublin Engineering firm in 1929. He was living in England in
1936 and was one of the first people to register as an Irish Free State citizen. He
married Evelyn Patricia (Paddy) Eccles on 21 April 1941 at the University Church,
Dublin. Paddy was the daughter of William Eccles of Duaderry Park, Navan. He
was an officer in the Irish Army and Paddy was the poster girl for Ponds Creams
in the 1940s. Cyril applied for the title to be transferred to him and in 1950 the
Vatican ratified this. They had three children and they lived at Glena, Booterstown
which they put up for sale in 1954. They moved to Hollywood House in Mount
Anville from 1954 to 1961. After Cyril left the army he had a successful business
hiring self-drive cars with premises at Kingram Place, Fitzwilliam Place and was
agent for Skoda, Opel and Zetor tractors. He was a representative of An Tóstal,
he opened the IDA’s offices in NY in 1958 and represented Córas Tráchtála in
America. He was on the board of the Royal Hibernian Hotel, Russell’s Hotels
and Old Conna Hotel.
2 Gwendolyn Mary (Gwen) McCormack born 31 Jul 1908 at Mountjoy Square
was an experienced horsewoman and sailor. Her boat was called Crafty.
She married Edward Pyke at Brompton Oratory on 16 Sep 1933. Her father
sang Ave Maria at her wedding. Edward was a director of Robertson
Urquhart & Sons, Insurance brokers and of Joseph Pyke and Sons, corn
merchants of Liverpool.
6 Andrew McCormack born 7 Feb 1886 at Convent Lane died 4 Oct 1892 at Barnett Street.
7 Mary McCormack born circa 1889 in Athlone living with her parents in 1901 died
unmarried on 8 Feb 1960 and was buried with her parents.
8 Thomas Peter McCormack died an infant on 12 Dec 1890 at Barnett Street.
9 James McCormack born 9 Aug 1892 at Barnett Street in Athlone, Co Westmeath was a
wool finisher in 1911. He then served as a wireless operator in the British Navy and
later moved to Philadelphia.
10 Agnes Clare McCormack born 29 Dec 1895 at Goldsmith Terrace, Athlone. She married Mr
Feeley and they moved to New York.
11 Marjory Florence McCormack born 16 Aug 1897 at Goldsmith Terrace, Athlone. Florence
died unmarried on 10 Oct 1953 at Monkstown Hospital and was buried with her parents.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2024
Return to Hollywood House page
Return to Glena page
Andrew McCormack married Hannah Watson
born circa 1857 6 Nov 1874 born circa 1858
Galashiels, Scotland Galashiels Selkirk, Scotland
died 6 Jan 1941 died 2 Jun 1938
Monkstown Monkstown
Andrew McCormack born circa 1857 married Hannah Watson on 6 Nov 1874 at Galashiels
Roman Catholic Church. Hannah was the daughter of John Watson, shoemaker. In 1881
they were living at Cobden Street, Alva, Stirlingshire and were in Ireland by 1884. In 1911
they had eleven children of whom six survived and they lived at Auburn Terrace, Athlone.
Andrew was a superintendent at Athlone Woollen Mills. Andrew retired circa 1917 and
they moved first to Greystones and later to Monkstown. Hannah Died 2 Jun 198 and was
buried at Deansgrange, Andrew died on 6 Jan 1941 at Packenham Road and was buried
with his wife.
1 Peter McCormack died an infant at Wilderhaugh on 28 Oct 1877.
2 Isabella McCormack born circa 1879 Menstrie, Stirlingshire, Scotland died
1 Jun 1894 at Strand Street.
3 Jane Ann McCormack born circa 1881 in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland was a
dressmaker living with her parent in Athlone in 1901. Jane married Mr Coupland
and lived in Dumfries.
4 Mary Anne McCormack died an infant.
5 John Francis McCormack second son born 14 Jun 1884 at Mardyke Street, Athlone.
He was educated at the Marist Brothers in Athlone and later got a scholarship to
Summerhill College, Sligo. His career took flight when in won gold at the Feis Ceol in
1903. In 1904, he sang at the St Louis International Exposition. He went to Italy to
receive instruction from voice trainer Vincenzo Sabatini and two years later he was
performing at Covent Garden. He toured the US, Europe, Australia and Asia singing
opera but introduced more ballads and popular music into his concerts. He married
Elizabeth (Lily) Foley in 1906 and they had two children. She was a concert soprano
and opera singer but retired shortly after their marriage. His hits included ‘It’s a Long
way to Tipperary’ and ‘Mother Machree’ and at the height of his career in America, he
was earning $200K per year. In 1917 he became an American citizen and they
adopted Kevin Foley. He created 100's of phonographs and was a radio megastar. He
was created a papal Count in 1928; this rank was a hereditary one which was unusual
and he also had an honorary doctorate from UCD. In 1929 he earned $500,000
dollars when he appeared and sang in the film called Song o' My Heart and he bought
a ranch in the Hollywood Hills. Their Irish home was at Moore Abbey in Monesterevan
where John kept a number of racing horses. He collected Rolls Royce cars and art and
had his portrait painted by Sir William Orpen. He decided to retire in 1938 and made
a farewell tour which included the Royal Albert Hall. He purchased Glena in
Booterstown in 1943 from the estate of solicitor Patrick Joseph Brady. He died
16 Sep 1945 at Glena and was buried at Deansgrange. Lily moved back to America
returning to Dublin each year to holiday. On her visit to Ireland in 1970 she was too ill
to return to America and died 29 Apr 1971 at St Vincent’s Hospital late of Fifth Avenue,
NY and was buried with her husband.
1 Cyril Patrick McCormack born on 27 Mar 1907 at 27 Mountjoy Square. He was
an apprentice in a Dublin Engineering firm in 1929. He was living in England in
1936 and was one of the first people to register as an Irish Free State citizen. He
married Evelyn Patricia (Paddy) Eccles on 21 April 1941 at the University Church,
Dublin. Paddy was the daughter of William Eccles of Duaderry Park, Navan. He
was an officer in the Irish Army and Paddy was the poster girl for Ponds Creams
in the 1940s. Cyril applied for the title to be transferred to him and in 1950 the
Vatican ratified this. They had three children and they lived at Glena, Booterstown
which they put up for sale in 1954. They moved to Hollywood House in Mount
Anville from 1954 to 1961. After Cyril left the army he had a successful business
hiring self-drive cars with premises at Kingram Place, Fitzwilliam Place and was
agent for Skoda, Opel and Zetor tractors. He was a representative of An Tóstal,
he opened the IDA’s offices in NY in 1958 and represented Córas Tráchtála in
America. He was on the board of the Royal Hibernian Hotel, Russell’s Hotels
and Old Conna Hotel.
2 Gwendolyn Mary (Gwen) McCormack born 31 Jul 1908 at Mountjoy Square
was an experienced horsewoman and sailor. Her boat was called Crafty.
She married Edward Pyke at Brompton Oratory on 16 Sep 1933. Her father
sang Ave Maria at her wedding. Edward was a director of Robertson
Urquhart & Sons, Insurance brokers and of Joseph Pyke and Sons, corn
merchants of Liverpool.
6 Andrew McCormack born 7 Feb 1886 at Convent Lane died 4 Oct 1892 at Barnett Street.
7 Mary McCormack born circa 1889 in Athlone living with her parents in 1901 died
unmarried on 8 Feb 1960 and was buried with her parents.
8 Thomas Peter McCormack died an infant on 12 Dec 1890 at Barnett Street.
9 James McCormack born 9 Aug 1892 at Barnett Street in Athlone, Co Westmeath was a
wool finisher in 1911. He then served as a wireless operator in the British Navy and
later moved to Philadelphia.
10 Agnes Clare McCormack born 29 Dec 1895 at Goldsmith Terrace, Athlone. She married Mr
Feeley and they moved to New York.
11 Marjory Florence McCormack born 16 Aug 1897 at Goldsmith Terrace, Athlone. Florence
died unmarried on 10 Oct 1953 at Monkstown Hospital and was buried with her parents.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - April 2024
Return to Hollywood House page
Return to Glena page