County Longford Association
of Greater New York, Inc
.

Founded

History of the Association

History of the County Longford Association of Greater NY

by John Ridge

The Year was 1891. Benjamin Harrison was the President of the United States. Lee XIII issued his famous Encyclical “ Rerum Novarum” on social justice and the rights of labor. Victoria was on the throne of England. Charles Stewart Parnell “the uncrowned kings of Ireland” died. It was an age of rugged individualism and the “Robber Barons” The social programs we take for granted today were unknown.

 During this period the poverty of immigrations was extreme. Life expectancy was short and many a bread winner was snatched away leaving a widow and children destitute. In order to help relieve this distress, a group of County Longford men established the County Longford Social and Benevolent Association in the City of New York on February 12th 1891. The goals of the society were to assist as much as possible the needs of those in want.

The State charter of the Association was sealed on December 27th 1892. Six members signed as trustees: Patrick Quirk, Bernard McCabe, John Kirk, William Cooke, Frank Mollahan and Daniel O’Brien. Patrick Quirk was probably the first president. Among the early presidents were Bernard Corrigan and Patrick Quinn.
No adequate history of the association is available because all of the early records have been lost. Thus many notable events and names are unknown.

How well the Association carried out its functions? Our scant records indicate that thousands of dollars were paid out in sick and death benefits over the years. In the early years when poverty of our people was extreme this was probably the Association’s most important function.

In order to insure Christian burial of any member who died without funds, the Association purchased a grave site in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside Queens, NY. On August 14th 1898 Patrick Rudden, forty years of age was interned in this grave, located in 3rd Calvary, Section 20, Plot 10, Range C, grave 14. The Association erected a headstone in 2007.

Its charity was also extended to the missions and missionary priests laboring in fields afar. Many churches in Longford have been helped financially. Substantial sums were sent to Ennybegs church.

The church in Ballinalee received donations for the main altar, dedicated to the memory of Sean Connelly killed in action by the British in March 1921. Smaller amounts went to Abbeylara and others. There is no way of measuring the contributions of the Association to the struggle for Irish Independence – most of the work by its very nature will remain unknown. Members attended the Irish Race Convention in 1916 and the friends of Irish Freedom convention.

The Association contributed to the Defense of Ireland Fund, to the fund for the suffering of people of Ireland and to the Victory fund in 1919. Many of the members were active in the Clan –na Gael during that period.

In March 1921 almost $4,000 was sent to the County Longford Relief Fund to assist those in the areas of the county affected by the war.

Members of the association have served in World War 1, World War II, Korea and Viet-Nam. At least twenty five members served in World War II. One member served in both World War II and Korea.

In 1939, the Longford Ladies Auxiliary was established. The late Ann Corrigan was installed as President with her slate of Offices at the Saint Patrick’s Ball on March 17th 1940. Rose Cosgrove was elected President in 1941. The Ladies Auxiliary was disbanded in recent years and incorporated into the men’s Association with the name change to the County Longford Association of Greater New York.

Happily, the social problems which prompted the founding of the Association have been greatly reduced by the upper mobility of our people on the social and economic level. We can now turn to other fields of endeavor such as assistance to any newly arrived immigrants and by offering scholarships to the children and grandchildren of our members.

The Association Scholarship Fund was named in memory of Rev. John Drumgoole, born in Longford in 1861. Father Drumgoole was a pioneer in the child care field. He was ordained on May 22nd 1868 in his 53rd year. He assumed control of St Vincent’s Home for homeless boys in September 1871. In 1882 he founded the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin and Mount Loretta on Staten Island. By 1886, he was caring for approximately 1200 children. Father Drumgoole died on March 28th 1888.


Past Presidents of the Association

Patrick H. Quirk

1891

1893

William A. Cooke 

1897

1899

Francis Mollaghan

1904

1905

James Lennon

1906

1907

Matthew Farrell

1908

1910

Patrick Quinn

1911

1914

Matthew Farrell

1915

1916

Bernard M Sheridan

1916

1918

Francis Reilly

1918

1920

Thomas Manning

1920

1921

Charles Kane

1921

1922

Bernard M. Sheridan

1922

1930

Christopher Newman

1930

1932

Patrick Heaney

1932

1935

Bernard M. Sheridan

1935

1936

John J. Flynn

1937

1939

Patrick Carney

1940

1941

Patrick Keegan

1942

1943

James Corrigan

1944

1946

John Hughes

1947

1947

John Fallon

1948

1949

Patrick Christy

1949

1950

Thomas Wade

1951

1952

James Farrell

1953

1953

Patrick Christy

1954

1955

Patrick Thompson

1959

1960

Andrew Kenny

1958

1958

Patrick Thompson

1959

1960

Patrick Armstrong

1961

1962

Edward Leavey

1963

1964

Noel Marsden

1965

1966

Patrick Christy

1967

1968

Anthony Bracken

1969

1971

Matthew Nevin

1972

1973

Thomas Kelly

1974

1975

Patrick Armstrong

1976

1978

Patrick Burns

1979

1981

Rose Cosgrove

1982

1984

Thomas Gunshinan

1985

1986

Michael Prunty

1987

1989

John (Noel) Lennon

1990

1992

Patrick Macken

1993

1996

Christina Lennon

1997

1999

Olive Keegan

2000

2003

Michael Prunty

2004

2006

Anne (Leavy) Hearn

2007

2009

Michael Prunty

2010

 Present


 

 

 

 

 

presidents Of the County Longford Ladies Auxilary

 

Anne Corrigan

1939

1941

Rose Cosgrove

1942

1944

Mary McGuire

1945

1946

Anne Corrigan

1947

1948

Bessie Sheerin -Sheridan

1949

1950

Betty Smith

1951

1953

Mary McLoughlin - Murphy

1954

1955

Bridie Reilly

1956

1960

Mary Begley - Devine

1961

1962

Kitty O'Sullivan - O'Hagan 

1963

1964

Mary Brady - Reilly

1965

1967

Rose Cosgrove

1968

1975

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