Stories

John Joseph FitzMaurice [M2] was remembered by my Aunt Nellie (Cahill) as "a fiery little guy" about 5 feet 3 or 4 inches in height with strawberry blond hair. He was working for "the railroad" in 1922 and had a stroke in early 1924 which prevented any further gainful employment. Nellie met him only once before the stroke.

As a result of the stroke, my grandfather [M2] acquired a serious speech impediment. He found this to be frustrating. According to Nellie, he [M2] became angry whenever he spoke and was not understood.

I can remember playing on the floor next to my grandfather's chair. First it was a rocking chair and then (I think) a wheel chair. He smoked a corn cob pipe and had a rustic looking blackthorn walking stick.

I don't know for certain whether JJF spoke Gaelic. It seems probable. My sister Loretta told me that he sang Gaelic lullabies to me when I was a baby. Because of his heavy brogue combined with a speech impediment, I never understood a word he said. I always needed an interpreter. It seemed to be important to him to have his daughter Veronica [M2.2] learn at least the traditional songs in Gaelic. My mother [M2.1S] told me that he would not let my aunt [M2.2] wear a yellow ribbon as a small girl because the color was too close to orange.

My aunt Veronica [M2.2] told me that she had inherited documents signed by "all the famous Irishmen". These documents no longer exist. Hence, we cannot verify their content. On the basis of what we do know of JJF, however, it seems that he was a member of the Fenians despite his disability. (The Fenian Brotherhood was formed as a secret society in the United States in 1858. The Fenians provided financial, political, and military aid to Irishmen fighting the English until well into the 20th century.)^20,21