Page 3 - O Mahony Society Newsletter NOV 2025_Neat

EDITOR’S NOTE: We received heartwarming and powerful submissions of various perspectives on the OMS 70th
Anniversary in-person gathering in Ireland. We begin with Martin Kaufman’s story about his attendance:

From London to Rath Raithleann and Cork City:

A PERSPECTIVE FROM A FIRST TIME CLAN GATHERER
by Martin Kaufman – O Mahony Society Member

I am a 77-year-old Londoner of mixed Ashkenazi Jewish and Gaelic
Irish heritage (my mother was a third generation ‘London Irish’
O’Mahony), a professional charity fundraising consultant and a
long-time bass singer with the largest gay choir in Europe. I use my
available time as a passionate – if not a bit obsessive – enthusiast for
many types of history (including Irish and Jewish history and genealogy).
As such, I thought it was about time I joined everyone else in celebrating our O Mahony
heritage. I had thought of taking part a number of times over the years but never got
round to doing so. The time was right for me in June 2025 - after all, the big anniversary
of 70 years of the Society is almost as old as I am myself!
On Friday 13 June, I flew from London Gatwick to Cork. It was marvellous to feel
welcomed by a photo of the Gap of Dunloe as I stepped into Cork Airport, as this was
precisely where the family of my great-great-grandfather ‘Dunloe’ Dan Mahony came
from. It was also heartening to see the terminal hung with Pride flags!

I took a (not too expensive) taxi from the airport to the Castle Hotel in Macroom (some 26
miles/42 km) to ensure I got to the “Meet and Greet” at Coolcower House in time. The
first one there, I had a good view of the spectacular vista of the River Lee from the terrace
of the restored and extended early 19th century Coolcower House.

Straight away, I was delighted to meet someone I had emailed loads of times before:
Council Member Linda McConnell Baker, along with her sister, the Taoiseach Mary
Haislip, and Tanaiste Helen O Mahony Mangan. I was welcomed like a long-lost cousin
(which, I suppose, in one way I was!). Later I met another of Linda’s and Mary’s sisters,
the Runai Jean McConnell Dinwiddie.
The Meet and Greet was an informal and relatively small affair, but I managed to get
introduced to a number of my Mahony clan folk and it gave me an opportunity to look
at the fascinating exhibition about 70 years of O Mahony Clan Gatherings which Helen
had curated from recently recovered O Mahony Society archives. She ensured I took
the wonderful 70th anniversary ceramic plaque she had generously made for all the
attendees, and a collection of back copies of the O Mahony Journal that the Council had
directed be available for all participants to the Gathering.
The next day, Saturday 14 June, saw me return to Coolcower House to get a lift from
Linda Baker for a long drive with her sister Mary and Jacque Mahoney (an opera singer
from San Francisco, over for the Gathering with her son Damon and his husband Gavin)
through the stunning scenery of West Cork. We headed for the Michael Collins House
Museum near Clonakilty, a private museum owned by Tim Crowley and his wife.

Chocabloc with memorabilia about the great Irish revolutionary, what I liked was Tim's
40- minute confident, balanced, and unsectarian presentation and contextualisation of
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