Main Street
Bantry
Co. Cork
Ireland
James was a son of Peter Gilhooly & Mary Harrington
James Gilhooly and Mary (Polly) Collins married on 14 Aug 1883 in Dunmanway. The Witnesses were Charles J. Crowley and Hannah Collins. Celebrant was Rev John Cotter, Parish Priest. On the marriage cert it says both Peter Gilhooly and Jeremiah Collins were deceased at that time. Note: many sources state incorrectly that their marriage was 1882.
Their children, born in Bantry were:- Mary (born Jul - Sept 1884) Kathleen (born Oct - Dec 1885) John (born Jul - Sept 1887) Agnes (born Apr - Jun 1890) Maurice (born Apr - Jun 1891)
James Gilhooly was an Irish nationalist politician and MP.
in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Irish Parliamentary
Party, from 1910 the All-for Ireland Party, who represented his constituency (West Cork) from 1885 for 30 years until his death,
retaining his seat in eight elections (four of them contested). He was known to remove a window from the first floor of his property in Main Street so that he could address the crowd gathered on the street below.
As chair person of the local branch of the United Irish
League he was some-time president of the local Irish National League. Involved
in local politics, he served as Chairman of the Bantry Town Commissioners and oversaw the renaming of Egerton Square to Wolfe Tone Square in April 1899.
He was at various times chairman of the Bantry Rural District Council and was a member
of the Cork County Council as an ex officio member of the Bantry RDC from its
establishment in 1899. He died on the 16 October 1916 at Madame Goulding’s Private Hospital, Patrick’s Place, Cork and was buried at Abbey Cemetery,
Bantry, the town closing down for his funeral and many houses showed black
crepe.
A plaque on the Fáilte Ireland Tourist Office (former Courthouse) on Bantry Square reads:- THIS PLAQUE HAS BEEN ERECTED IN COMMEMORATION
OF
THE BANTRY BAND
THE SULLIVANS, HEALYS, HARRINGTONS, MURPHY AND
GILHOOLY,
WHOSE BRILLIANT DEFENCE OF IRELAND'S CAUSE
IN THE BRITISH HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT
WAS ACCLAIMED BY ALL IRISHMEN.
Census 1901: James was in London at Census time.
Census 1911: James was "away from home" at Census time. 
James Gilhooly Terrace, on S.E. side of Bantry |
