CO-KSNG-0214

Record Date: 
15 November 2012
Graveyard: 
Newberry (Kilshannig)
Exact wording of epitaph: 

          IHS
CORs CURTIN ERECTED
THIS IN MEMORY OF HIS
WIFE MARY CURTIN
ALIAS McKERIG OF DIRry
WHO DIED JUNE 24TH 1817
AGED 40 YRs MAY HER
SOUL REST IN PEACE
AMEN

Memorial Type: 
Headstone
Grave location
County: 
Cork
Latitude: 
52.122536388889
Longitude: 
-8.7072263888889
Additional details
Erected by: 
Cors Curtin
Number of people commemorated: 
2
People commemorated: 
Name: 
Cors
Surname: 
Curtin
Name: 
Mary
Surname: 
Curtin alias McKerig
Date of death - day: 
24
Date of death - month: 
June
Date of death - year: 
1817
Age: 
40
Notes: 

Cornelius  and Mary's grandson, John, drove his two brothers to Mallow railway station on a jennet and cart as they were emigrating to Australia in 1873. John was so lonesome that his brothers decided to take him with them and word was sent home to collect the jennet .This John's grandson ,John,became very involved in  the Labour movement and became leader of the Labour Party. When Labour won the Australian general election in 1941, John became Prime Minister.To this day John is held in the highest regard in Australia as he is credited with preventing the invasion of his country by the Japanese during the second world war. A complete history of the Curtin family has been published in three volumes, by an Australian branch,and a copy was donated to the heritage centre ,Bru na Carraighe in Rockchapel. The homestead in Kilpadder about four miles from here is still lived in by the same family.