Timothy Crowley of Derrymihan, Castletownbere

Our strongest family clue comes from a well-known, illustrious son of Castletownbere (Derrymihan). Family lore tells us that our grandfather William F. Crowley was the nephew of Reverend D. O. (Denis Oliver) Crowley born about 1852 in Derrymihan and died in 1928 in San Francisco. The Reverend was very well-known and influential in his time in San Francisco. Some of his achievements were

·         Influential and powerful in San Francisco politics.

·         President and manager of the California Youth Authority, a home for homeless and abandoned boys with in San Francisco with an affiliate home in Napa Valley.

·         Appointed by the archdiocese of San Francisco to supervise the making and distribution of sacramental wine during the years of alcohol prohibition in the USA. He worked hand in hand with Beaulieu Vineyard in Napa Valley, California and as a result that vineyard survived prohibition and is still a large producer of California wine.

·         Poet – who fondly wrote about his roots and longing for Ireland and Castletownbere.

®      Article: An Almost Forgotten Beara Poet - http://www.gerdie.bhs.ie/frcrowley.htm

®      His book of poems is currently available on Amazon.com

o    Songs, Sonnets and Essays <Republished – September 2, 2015>

o    by Denis Oliver Crowley (Author), Timothy Leonard Crowley (Author)

 This is who we are starting backwards.

·        Steve, Bill, Kathleen Crowley Keller born in San Francisco, California traveling to Ireland shortly.

·        Mother Jean Marie Crowley born in San Francisco.

·        Grandfather William Francis Crowley born in Boston.

·        Great grandfather and grandmother Jeremiah J Crowley (Ireland, probably County Cork about 1845 and wife Alice Capelle (Wales). Residents of Boston.<Here are our doubts. In which town was Jeremiah born? Did he immigrate to the USA about 1863 alone or with his parents?>

·        Great great grandfather and grandmother Timothy Crowley and Mary Sullivan (we think).

If you would like to meet up for a pint and a bit of storytelling between Sept 26-28 2019 please contact us through private chat on Facebook Steve Keller https://www.facebook.com/steve.keller.5492