Patrick Lawrence O'Driscoll (1877 - 1953)

Born 24 Mar 1877 in Courtmacsherry, County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor Frances Ann (McCarthy) O'Driscoll — married 2 Mar 1909 in Roman Catholic Church of Timoleague, Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1953 at age 76 in Courtmacsherry, County Cork, Ireland

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sheila McCarthy [send private message] and Kathleen Daly [send private message]

Biography

Recollections of grandson, Patrick McCarthy:

Dr. Paddy had a brother who went to South Africa and was never seen or heard of again.

Dr. Paddy also had a sister, nicknamed Pidge, who looked after my mother (Sheila Mary O'Driscoll) from time to time as a child, however, Sheila never knew Pidge's real name.

I remember Dr. Paddy with fondness. He was a kind and gentle man to me. When my mother, sister Maureen and I returned from the Far East after World War II, we lived with Dr. Paddy in Courtmac. When my father (Hughie) returned from the Far East a year later, my parents bought a house in Courtmac several doors down from Dr. Paddy's.

Dr. Paddy's twins, John and Nancy, were born in London some 11 years after my mother Sheila. When we were living with Dr. Paddy after the war, both John and Nancy were living in the house as well. There was no work in Ireland so both went over to England in the 50s. In the late 1950s, Nancy emigrated to California, eventually married but had no children. She died in San Francisco. I met her briefly on about three different occasions in California when I was passing through there on business; the last time being shortly before her death. I must confess that I never pumped her for information on the O'Driscolls, something I regret now. On the other hand, it seems to have been a trait in Ireland in those days, certainly with the O'Driscolls, to never mention family, unlike the McCarthy side where I have much more information. Nancy was a lovely lady; I miss her now.

John went over to the Wolverhampton area, married Maureen O'Hara and had four children. All four and their families are living in England. I keep in touch with Sheelagh and Jo who have always wanted to know more about the O'Driscolls.

Recollections of Patrick E. McCarthy dated 23 April 2018:

Paddy had a bathtub filled with cold water (tub still in the house), and a toilet. For toilet paper he used newspaper. He would cut squares, put a hole through them, and it would hang by wire next to the toilet.

Ivy Cottage, Hamilton Row, Courtmacsherry, County Cork, Ireland: Dad and his sister were washed with hot water in a basin/container (1947).

... came across the following in the Courtmacsherry and Barryroe History Society Webpage under Memoirs of Mary Sheehy. It is very interesting but I just copied out a little bit for you. She goes right through the whole village.

'No. 4 was home to Dr. & Mrs. O'Driscoll. Dr. O'Driscoll practiced in India for some time. On his way home he visited relatives in London and there met and fell in love with a young lady who had been presented at Court, a prerequisite in those days before being launched in society and marrying. He married her and she came to live in Hamilton Row. She was tall and beautiful and a well-known (in London) classical violinist. Passers-by were her only audience during many lonely years in Courtmac. Of their children­ John emigrated to Canada and Nancy married in the U.S. Their daughter Sheila married Colonel Hughie McCarthy who was based in India and their children Pat and Maureen were born there. When Hughie retired, they came back to Hamilton Row. Hughie was the architect of the ˜Burma Road", a walkway at the water's edge, below the woods from Slattery's Boat House to the Coves. The "Burma Road" hasn't survived the years'.

Newspaper clipping (c1914-1918): Skibbereen Eagle, December 18th 1915

The friends and associates of Dr. O'Driscoll met at the Esplanade Hotel, Courtmacsherry, on Thursday evening 2nd inst. [this month] to give him a fitting send-off on the occasion of his departure to take up his duties with the Navy. Dr. O'Driscoll is a native of the district, and has spent thirteen years as Medical Officer in Timoleague, and his services in his exalted profession were much esteemed by those who have come under his treatment. Seeing that it was incumbent upon him to reply to his country's call, he voluntarily and unhesitatingly responded, and has now gone forward to do his duty for a noble cause. He has obtained a commission as Lieutenant in the Navy.

At the supper, Mr. Griffin, J.P., presided and was highly complimented on the manner in which he proposed the various toast. As Chairman, he did his duty in superb style, as was evidenced by the plaudits manifested on each occasion when his turn came to respond.

Mr. Rowan, D.O., was most entertaining, and whenever called upon he was always wiling. His eloquence, wit and humour are well known throughout the district, so that he was really a treat in himself to the guests at Courtmacsherry that evening.

Songs were given by Messrs. T. O'Donovan, N.T.  ; D. McCarthy, N.T. ; E. Smith, Capt. Surgeon Nyhan, Jerh. Whelton, J. Rowan, D.I. R.I.C. ; John Driscoll, Con McCarthy, Thomas Brophy, and recitations by Mr. Sean O'Briain, while Messrs. B. Murphy, Capt. O'Driscoll, Dan O'Leary, W. Murphy, C. O'Regan, N.T., and Dan O'Brien very ably responded to the calls which were made upon them.

At the conclusion, Mr. Rowan thanked the Chairman for the very able manner in which he presided, and for the very efficient manner in which he performed the arduous, yet pleasing, duties which devolved upon him. He complimented Dr. O'Driscoll, who was making such great sacrifice in the hour of need by leaving his beautiful home and family behind to go out and render aid to the sick and wounded wherever he was destined to be sent. He also paid some praiseworthy tributes to Capt. Surgeon Nyhan, who as already done his share on the shores of Gallipoli, and, though home on sick leave for some time past, is going back very soon again to render assistance to the dying and wounded soldiers.

The Chairman, who replied amidst cheers, said he was extremely grateful to Mr. Rowan for his very kind and flattering remarks, and assured them that anything he had done that night was but a faint attempt to do honour to their esteemed and worthy friend, Dr. O'Driscoll.

Capt. Surgeon Nyhan said he was very grateful to Mr. Rowan for his kind reference to himself and he was glad to see his colleague, Dr. O'Driscoll, so much honoured there that evening, but he did not think that any honour or respect they could pay to Dr. O'Driscoll would be half as befitting as it deserved to be.

Dr. O'Driscoll said he was most thankful to Mr. Griffin and the other guests who had come to do him honour that evening; and, though he regretted his departure very much from them, he hoped to see them all again when the war is over and won, and when all Irishmen who have gone to do their bit will be congratulated and honoured throughout the length and breadth of Holy Ireland.

A vote of thanks to Miss Murphy for the careful and able manner in which she catered for the guests, and for the beautiful and tasteful way in which the table was decorated, brought a most enjoyable night's entertainment to a close.

Dr. O'Driscoll left for Plymouth on Saturday, and was heartily cheered on leaving Timoleague Station.

Recollections from Patrick McCarthy, Dr. Paddy's grandson:

c1919-1921. Dr. Paddy would get a call in the middle of the night, have people come to their home on Hamilton Row, Courtmacsherry, blindfold him because they didn't want him to know where he was being taken, and make him treat gunshot wounds from either side (IRA or Black and Tans).

We had an interesting trip to Courtmacsherry early in the summer. I met another Sheila McCarthy, the current occupier of the O’Driscoll house in the village. We had a great chat and she brought me into the house, showing us where Dr Paddy held his clinics. He was something of a skin specialist and made up his own medicine with water from a particular spot in Courtmacsherry Bay. Sheila also pointed out that the banisters were made from the timbre of a ship owned by Patrick O’Driscoll, our g-g grandfather.

Source: Lawrence O'Neill (13 Sept 2017)

He is buried in Timoleague Abbey Cemetery, Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland.

Records

Record of birth:

• Name Patrick Laurence O'Driscoll
• Gender Male
• Birth Date 24 Mar 1877
• Birthplace Courtmacshery, Cork, Ireland
• Father's Name Patrick O'Driscoll
• Mother's Name Bridget Mulcahy O'Driscoll

Marriage of PATRICK LAWRENCE ODRISCOLL and ELEANOR FRANCES A. MCCARTHY on 05 January 1909:

• Party 1 Name PATRICK LAWRENCE ODRISCOLL, age 31, Medical Doctor, of Timoleague
• Party 2 Name ELEANOR FRANCES A. MCCARTHY, age 20, of Timoleague
• Date of Event 05 January 1909
• Location of Event Roman Catholic Church of Timoleague, Clonakilty, County Cork
• Group Registration ID 1880407
• SR District/Reg Area Clonakilty
• Groom's Father Patrick O'Driscoll, Farmer
• Bride's Father John McCarthy, Gunner R.N.
• Witness 1 Daniel M. Donovan
• Witness 2 Mary E. McCarthy
• Image from https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/

Record of death:

• Name Patrick O'Driscoll
• Event Type Death
• Event Date Jan - Mar 1941
• Event Place Cork, Ireland
• Registration Quarter and Year Jan - Mar 1941
• Registration District Cork
• Age 56
• Birth Year (Estimated) 1885
• Volume Number 5
• Page Number 162

Military Service

United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records:

• Name Patrick O'Driscoll
• Event Type Military Service
• Event Year Range 1918-1921
• Event Place United Kingdom
• Birthplace Cork
• Birth Year 1885

Census

Sources

• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGF1-7JL : accessed 7 January 2016), Patrick Laurence O'Driscoll, 24 Mar 1877; citing Courtmacshery, Cork, Ireland, reference v 10-1 p 109; FHL microfilm 255,985.

• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRQM-4MF : accessed 7 January 2016), Patrick Laurence O'Driscoll, 24 Mar 1877; citing Courtmacshery, Cork, Ireland, reference ; FHL microfilm 255,985.

• Record of Marriage from https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/

• 1911 Irish Census from http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

• 1911 Irish Census actual document from http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

• directory of physicians and surgeons 1913 O'Driscoll, Patrick Lawrence, Timoleague, MB, BCH, BAO RU I 1900 from http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/ (note: MB, BCh, BAO are used at the Queen's University, Belfast)

• directory of physicians and surgeons 1921 O'Driscoll, Patrick Lawrence, Timoleague, MB, BCH, BAO RU I 1900 from http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/ (note: MB, BCh, BAO are used at the Queen's University, Belfast)

• "United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records, 1835-1941," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCWM-SV4 : accessed 7 October 2015), Patrick O'Driscoll, ; From "Merchant Navy Seamen 1835-1941," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing BT 112-116, 119-120, series BT350, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FT2N-NT5 : accessed 7 October 2015), DEATHS entry for Patrick O'Driscoll; citing Cork, Jan - Mar 1941, vol. 5, p. 162, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,741.

• FindAGrave memorial from www.findagrave.com