On 14 July 1859 Bernard and Catherine Heraghty and their four surviving children, assisted immigrants under the Donegal Relief Fund, arrived in Sydney on the "Lady Elma Bruce". The four children were Michael, Hannah, Ferigle and Mary. They settled in Maitland, NSW.

There developed several variations of the family name, Heraghty - Harity, Heraty, Herity, Herighty, Hegherty, Hegarty, Heggarty, Hegerty, etc.

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Bernard died in Maitland in July 1860.

Michael married Brigid Doohan in East Maitland in 1862. She also arrived on the "Lady Elma Bruce". They eventually settled in Parkes, NSW.
Hannah married John Galvin in Newcastle in 1874.
Ferigle married Elizabeth Calvert in Sydney in 1885.
Mary married John Brennan in the Church of St Francis Xavier in Wollongong on 15 May 1871.

Their mother, Catherine, died in Wollongong in 1885 and is buried in Wollongong cemetery. I assume she had been living with or near Mary and John Brennan, after Hannah died in Newcastle. Others in the family are also buried there.

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I work in the Kiama Family History Centre as a volunteer. In November 2011 I located further details concerning the JOHN BRENNAN who married my Great Aunt, Mary Harity.

? John?s father was also named John Brennan. He was born in c.1812. He married Ann Teresa Spain in Dublin in c. 1839. They arrived in Australia in c.1842. John died on 2 July 1900 at his residence in Balgownie and was buried on 3 July 1900. The death and burial notices were published in the Illawarra Mercury on 3 July 1900.

? Ann was born in c.1811 in Kings County, Ireland, the daughter of Patrick Spain. She died on 19 December 1877 from paralysis and was buried in the Roman Catholic Burial Ground, Wollongong, on 21 December 1877 by the Rev. Michael Flanagan.

? John and Ann?s places of residence were: Fairy Meadow 1843, Sussex St. Sydney, 1846, Wilmot St. Sydney, 1848, Fairy Meadow 1871, Wollongong 1878, Fairy Meadow 1879 and, later, Balgownie.

? Of John and Ann?s children ?
 Mary Anne was born on 4 July 1843. She married Albert Ashbury on 26 June 1879, in St Michael?s Church ,Wollongong. The celebrant was the Rev. Dean Ewing.
 John was born on 12 December 1846 in Sydney. He married Mary Hegherty/Herrity/Harity in St Francis Xavier?s Church, Wollongong, on 15 May 1871. The celebrant was the Rev. Michael Flanagan.
 Susanna was born on 3 April 1848. I have no other details about her.
 There were four other males and one other female. I do not have any details about them.


Mary and John Brennan had five surviving children; one male and one female were deceased.

John Peter, born in Wollongong in 1871.
Catherine, born in Maitland in 1873.
Bernard, born in Lambton in 1874.
Michael, born in Wollongong in 1882.
Annie ? no Annie is listed in the NSW Registry of births as their child; but a Mary H. is listed in 1884, born in Wollongong

Mary died in childbirth on 11 September 1886, aged 35.

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John P. Brennan married Margaret Jones in 1904, and the marriage was registered in Woonona.

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Bernard and Catherine Heraghty are my Great Great Grandparents.
Michael and Brigid Heraghty are my Great Grandparents.

Mary Brennan is my Great Aunt. Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are my cousins


If you are related to any of these children of Mary and John Brennan, would you please tell me. I would be delighted to meet you and share our family history !

Yours sincerely,


John P. Phelan