Extract from Facebook: The Vintage Lens – Looking at Times Past in Co. Clare. August 22, 2020

My granduncle Donny, my grandmother Marcella’s brother and his wife, Julia, who was always a great pleasure to meet. They had one daughter, Anne Blake-Forster who married Fachnta Mellet and as far as I am aware there are three children.

This is interesting for family history. Recently I decided to add my DNA to 23andMe. I found that I had 1500+ cousins (includes 4th) and I only recognised one name and his grandmother was my aunt Marcy whose mother was Marcella Comyn, nee Blake-Forster. Frances*, would also be a sister of Uncle Donnys.

“O’Donnellan Blake-Forster (1886-1938) and his wife Julia, nee Conole (1903-1998), outside their house, Ballykeale House, Kilfenora in the mid 1930’s. They had married in 1934. Julia was a nurse and had worked in America. Her parents were Michael and Bridget nee (Lawlor) Conole and they were shopkeepers in Kilfenora.

O’Donnellan was one of the first to join the IRA in North Clare and Ballykeale House was at the disposal of the IRA during the War of Independence. When he died in 1938 members of the North Clare Brigade attended his funeral. His parents were Captain Francis Donnellan Blake-Forster (1852-1912) of Castle Forster and Marcella nee Johnston (1852-1917) from Doolin. They married in 1879. Captain Francis was High Sheriff of Galway in 1878. One of their other children, Frances Rose Blake-Forster* (1890-1971) married Arthur Matthew Kelly (1891-1968) from Porte House, Ruan, in 1918. This photo is courtesy of the Kelly’s great granddaughter, Helen O’Halloran.

Ballykeale House (photo in comments) was built by George Lysaght c. 1800. It replaced an earlier house called Ballykeale Court. Other surnames connected to the house were McDonagh, Comerford and Fitzgerald. Daniel O’Connell and Eamon de Valera were two of its many guests.

Family lore – it may be true or it may not. My grandfather Michael Comyn KC was electioneering and met my grandmother Marcella at Ballykeale. They married in 1924. There were two daughters, Marcella and Rose Comyn.

For more about the family connected to Ballykeale

Google: canisgallicus.com

O’Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forster (The Sept)

Comyn

macnamara