American family's emotional return to ancestral Irish home

There was a great atmosphere of excitement, pride and homecoming in Irishtown on Easter Monday as members of the Fitzgibbons and O’Malley families - descendants of local woman Mary Ellen O’Malley -returned from Boston for a long-awaited reunion. The group of 34 travelled to Mayo as part of a wider family trip to Ireland, enjoying time in Dublin and Galway before making their way to the ancestral home in Boleyboy, Irishtown.

Leading the welcome was Monica O’Malley-McMahon, a cousin of the visiting family and now based in Mossbrook, near Mayo Abbey. Monica’s father Stephen and Mary Ellen O’Malley were brother and sister, both born and raised in Boleyboy. Monica, who has lived in Mayo for over 20 years, was delighted to meet and host the American side of the family.

“Mary Ellen emigrated to Boston in the 1930s when she was just 17. There wasn’t much here at the time, so like many, she made her way across the Atlantic in search of a new life,” Monica explained.

Mary Ellen met Joe Fitzgibbons, who was born in Boston to Cork parents. They settled in Quincy, Massachusetts, and went on to raise a family of eight. Three of their daughters, Nora, Gayle, and Anne, made the journey to Ireland for the reunion, accompanied by several generations of their family.

The visit was more of a pilgrimage than a holiday. It included a visit to the old homestead in Boleyboy and the old Cuillaun National School where Mary Ellen was educated. There was also a poignant trip to the O’Malley family grave at Irishtown Cemetery. 

“Their grandfather, John O’Malley, and his wife Ann Sheridan are buried just inside the gate. It’s a deeply personal journey for them,” Monica said.

The idea for the trip had taken shape some months earlier when one of Mary Ellen’s great-granddaughters planned to study for a semester in Dublin. That sparked a flurry of conversation among the wider family, which eventually led to the decision to organise a group visit. The family contacted Monica’s sister Catherine in Dublin, who put them in touch with Monica, given her local roots.

Nora McCarthy, one of Mary Ellen’s daughters, reflected warmly on her mother’s legacy and the significance of the visit. 

“She was the eldest of ten and the first to emigrate. She made a life in Boston and worked incredibly hard. She ran a rooming house and raised eight children. She was so kind, so hardworking, and the person everyone gravitated toward.” 

The rooming house became a soft landing for other members of the O’Malley family, including several of Mary Ellen’s sisters who arrived from Ireland. It also became a base for newly arrived Irish emigrants trying to find their footing in a new world.

Nora described her mother’s love of fun and storytelling. 

“She adored parties and was the heart of every gathering. My father used to call her Rosie. He once pointed to a painting of a man looking out over the ocean and said, ‘That’s me waiting for your mother to arrive from Ireland.’ She meant the world to him.” 

Mary Ellen returned to Ireland several times over the years. Her final resting place is in Boston, where she was buried on September 11, 2001 - the same day as the World Trade Centre attacks. 

“She was 90 when she died,” Nora said. “We remember her every day.” 

Daniel O’Neill, a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, was visiting Ireland for the first time.

“It absolutely met my expectations. The people are so warm and welcoming. What struck me most is how the houses and buildings seem to blend with the land. At home everything is so structured. Here, it feels more organic.” 

Daniel, like many of his generation, is part of a large extended family that remains tightly connected in North Andover, Massachusetts. 

“We see each other all the time. There are about 50 of us living in the same town. My mother’s side of the family has a real closeness.” 

The Irish trip was a chance to deepen those bonds and explore the roots of that closeness. Daniel and his cousins visited Dublin and Galway before making their way to Irishtown, where they spent the day immersed in local heritage, hospitality, and family history.

As the family gathered in the village that their ancestor once called home, it was fitting that the visit coincided with the unveiling of new sculptures in Irishtown commemorating the Land League. 

“I was conscious of wanting the family to be part of today, especially with the sculptures being launched," said Monica. "This is where the Land League began - it’s the cradle of that movement. I think Mary Ellen would have been proud.” 

For this extended Irish-American family, the visit was more than a homecoming—it was a reconnection, a celebration of resilience, and a powerful reminder of the ties that bind across oceans and generations.