Research Finds Carney's Grandfather Repelled 50 Armed Men in 1923 Ireland as PM Visits Mayo
Updated
Updated · The Globe and Mail · Jun 13
Research Finds Carney's Grandfather Repelled 50 Armed Men in 1923 Ireland as PM Visits Mayo
1 articles · Updated · The Globe and Mail · Jun 13
Summary
New genealogical research found Mark Carney’s grandfather Robert, one of the first Garda recruits, helped three other officers fend off 50 armed men attacking an Irish police station in 1923.
The study, prepared by Dublin’s Irish Family History Centre to coincide with Carney’s first official Ireland visit, also said Robert fought in the 1919-1921 War of Independence before emigrating to Canada in 1925.
Sunday’s itinerary takes Carney to Aughagower in County Mayo, where his paternal grandparents came from; he is due to attend mass and visit a cemetery where some ancestors are buried.
Researchers traced three of Carney’s four grandparents to Counties Mayo and Cavan and documented 200 years of family records, including ancestors who were coal miners, tenant farmers and linen weavers.
The visit blends personal ancestry with diplomacy ahead of next week’s G7 summit in France, with Carney’s office calling it a chance to deepen Canada-Ireland ties.