Ned Kelly link leads to Fore
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The group enjoying a Fore Abbey walk and talk with Seamus Smith, Ballinacree Historical Society, (from left) Michael Sherry, Jim Gibney, Mary O’Connor, Rosemary Gibney Sherry, Elisa Kennedy, Jacob Kennedy, Seamus Smith, Daniel Courtney and Mrs Courtney.Image 2 of 4
Michael Heery, current owner of the Kennedy ancestral home, welcomes Jacob Kennedy to Tonaghmore, Fore, on Saturday.Image 3 of 4
Sean Gibney (Left) receiving a copy of the book ‘Black Snake - The Real Story of Ned Kelly’, written by Jacob’s father Leo Kennedy.Image 4 of 4
Presentation to Jacob and Elisa Kennedy by joint organisers Jane O’Reilly (second from left) and Michael O’Connor (far right). Jane was the host of the event at Fore Abbey Coffee Shop. Michael is the author of upcoming book ‘From Sligo to Stringybark’, which tells the story of the murders and looks at the lives of the policemen of Stringybark, who were all born in Ireland.The great great grandson of Sergeant Michael Kennedy, one of three Irish born policemen murdered by the notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, visited his ancestral home in Tonoughmore, Fore, last Saturday as part of his honeymoon. Jacob Kennedy was the first of his family to return to the homestead since Michael left 160 years ago, in 1864.
He and his new wife Elisa were greeted in the Fore Abbey coffee shop by the proprietor, Jane O’Reilly, his fourth cousins Rosemary Gibney-Sherry and Jim Gibney, Michael Heery, who was born in the same house as Michael Kennedy, but 100 years later, Michael O’Connor, who has written a book on Sergeant Kennedy and those who died with him, Seamus Smith, a local historian, and other well-wishers.
The group was given a history of the Kennedy family by Seamus Smith, and an audio-visual presentation on the history of Fore and the abbey, followed by a tour of the abbey and a visit to the homestead at Tonaghmore.
Jacob told the Westmeath Examiner that he was thrilled to discover he had relatives in Ireland. “In Australia, you are always from somewhere and I wanted to see where my family was from,” he said.
Elisa, like Jacob, is from Melbourne and her father is Con Walsh, although her family history is less clear than that of the Kennedys.
Rosemary Gibney-Sherry declared that she could “see the Gibney” in Jacob. She only found out the family connection last year.
Jacob’s father Leo Kennedy has written a book, ‘Black Snake – The Real Story of Ned Kelly’, which “tells the story from the family’s side”, Jacob said.
Michael Heery is the only one alive that was born in the same house as Michael Kennedy, but 100 years later, in 1941. Mr Heery served as president of the Athletics Association of Ireland for several years. He was present with his wife Brigid.
Michael O’Connor, along with Jane O’Reilly, organised the event. He is publishing a book on the murder of the three Irish born policemen. It is the culmination of 20 years of research and is due out in the coming months.
“I was a big fan of Ned Kelly until I visited the graves of the three policemen,” Michael said.
Last year, a plaque was unveiled in the Fore Abbey coffee shop in memory of Sergeant Michael Kennedy, who died at Stringybark Creek, Victoria Australia, on October 26, 1878.