My grandfather, John Fay, was born in Finavarra, County Clare in 1896. The youngest of twelve children, he grew up on a farm that juts out into Galway Bay. Family lore has it that he had an almost idyllic childhood - trapping lobsters and playing amongst the ruins of an abandoned fort. He also attended school until he completed his secondary education. That in itself seems … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Grandfather’s War Years
Photo Album
Photo Album: Grandma Carrie
Pictured in this photograph is my Scotch-Irish grandmother, Carrie (O'Neal) Miller, the shining light in our family. Over the years, she wore a variety of hats: cook, nanny, housekeeper, nurse, and coach, among others. Many times she was gently teased about her height, or lack thereof. Petite at less than 5 feet, she and grandpa made an interesting pair, as he was over 6 feet … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Grandma Carrie
Photo Album: “What’re You Having?”
1939 – Astor Bar, New York My father, Michael Rogers, was a bartender at the legendary Astor Bar on 44th and Broadway from 1937 to 1965, one year before it was destroyed. The large photo above was taken by the New York Daily News for its pictorial series called The Correct Thing -- the subject line for this segment was "Tipping Bartenders." My father was born in Co. Longford … [Read more...] about Photo Album: “What’re You Having?”
Photo Album: Going to the Chapel
This is a photo of my parents, Anne Connolly and David Carroll, right after they were married in Ireland. They met at St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin where my father worked as a doctor and my mother was a nurse. In 1971, he was offered a position at UCSF in San Francisco. After he was offered the job, they got married in Ireland and then moved to California. My older sister … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Going to the Chapel
Photo Album: Men in Shorts
My father played Gaelic football most of his life. He was the captain of the County Leitrim team that won the New York G.A.A. Football Championship in 1932. Sundays during the spring and summer months were a big day in the McGuire household. Mass in the morning was followed by a hearty breakfast and then off to Gaelic Park where Dad would either be playing or checking out the … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Men in Shorts