History

Thomas Kinsella
Ex-Alderman of City of Montreal, 1896-99

Patrick Phelan is often considered the “founder” of St. Columban since he
was responsible for having his order “The Company of Saint Sulpice”, offer land to the first Irish settlers in the area.

Birth: Feb. 1, 1795
Death: Jun. 7, 1857

Emmett Matthew Hall may not be the first name that pops into your head when it comes to a Cool Canadian, but once you hear of his achievements, it will be impossible for you to forget him.

Gerald Phelan, who was Post Master in St. Columban for at least 40 years, never married. His sister, Jessie Phelan, lived in the same house at the four corners in St. Columban. She also never married. Gerald died before Jessie. Gerald Phelan donated the land that the cemetery is on to the church. Gerald and Jessie had siblings who moved south to Massachusetts. There was a second family of Phelans who owned the next farm to Gerald Phelan's. There were three brothers and at least one sister, but the brother who stayed on the farm was Patrick Phelan.

From An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California... published 1890.

Note:

On my mother’s side (Beverley Keyes), I am also connected to St. Columban as a descendant of the Keyes family. For an overview of this family, please see the notes under Keyes, Casey etc.

It is on my father’s side (Brian Delaney) of the family that I related to the Carroll clan.

Sean Delaney

Descendants of William Carroll

THE SKELLY FAMILY
FROM WESTMEATH, IRELAND
TO ST-COLUMBAN, QUEBEC, CANADA
By Kelley O’Rourke

The Skelly family can be traced back to the pretty little village of Ballynacarrigy, or Balnacarrig (referred to in John Skelly’s 1937 letter as Ballycarga), in the barony of Mygoish, county of Westmeath, and province of Leinster, 7 miles from Mullingar, and 45 miles from Dublin. The surrounding landscape includes bogs, mountains, and beautiful lakes.

Descendants of Patrick Grace

Generation No. 1

1. PATRICK1 GRACE was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland. He married MARY ADDEY. She was born Abt. 1758 in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and died November 16, 1828.

Notes for PATRICK GRACE:
He was illiterate.

Notes for MARY ADDEY:
Mary Addey or Adday, or Adée, from County Kilkenny, Ireland.

She was a widow at her death.

First Generation:

William Casey (born Nenagh, Co. Tipperary in 1772) and his wife Mary McCormick (born Ireland 1783) emigrated to Canada with their six children ca. 1823 / 1824, and settled briefly in Montreal’s Griffintown before taking up land in Ste. Scholastique Quebec. William died at St. Columban 28 Oct. 1836, at the age of 64. His wife, Mary McCormack, remained in St. Columban, and died there on 27 April 1853, in her 71st year.

Generation No. 1

1. TIMOTHY SLATTERY was born Abt. 1801 in Tipperary, Ireland, and died September 1868 in St. Columban, Canada. He married CATHERINE CASEY 24 September 1832 in St. Scholastique Canada, daughter of WILLIAM CASEY and MARY MCCORMICK. She was born Abt. 1814 in Tipperary, Ireland, and died 04 April 1842 in St. Columban, Canada.