DONEGALEIRE-L Archives
Archiver > DONEGALEIRE > 2006-06 > 1151318296
From: "Jackie " <>
Subject: Brennan. Harden. Sleive Foy .Leo Brennan . Clannad., Enya and Defrench
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:38:16 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time)
Hello again Lister's,
I don't know if I did things correctly when I posted my e-mail (listed
below)
As the family I am enquiring about is so well known and documented, I had
expected to be a sit back and wait, hoping that reply's would come rolling
in...sadly I only received two reply's, both from well wishers who were not
able to offer any more information than I already had..thank you anyway.
I think I may need to clarify details in order that everyone has a clearer
insight to the information I am looking for.
Firstly, I am aware of how well known and loved the world over this Brennan
is, I am trying to be totally respectful delving into their family history,
therefore I am being extremely careful to only include details that I am
sure of or that have been well documented.
My interest is not with Leo Brennan and his family, my interests are with
the previous generations, the earlier Slieve Foy showband and members pre
1939, Leo's mothers maiden name and her Brennan marriage and the family of
the Brennan marriage, not the Harden marriage.
My late father Allan Francis Brennan was most likely the child of Leo
Brennan's mother's sister but was brought up by Leo's mother.
Although my father had the name Brennan, I have never been able to obtain a
birth certificate for him, he has not been registered anywhere in Ireland or
England as Allan Francis Brennan..I now believe he was not a Brennan at
birth but took on the name Brennan when his aunt married into the Brennan
family.
I have recently been sent a copy of Maire (Moyra) Brennan's (of Clannad)
autobiography ' The Other side of the Rainbow'
Although the book is a very honest portrayal of Marie's life . The biography
contains a wealth of information. that has helped me put so many pieces
together, I now remember so many more names and places. Things that I could
not put into place, now at last fit!
Maire speaks about the mix up of Leo birth registration, how Leo was
registered as Brennan not Harden and although he grew up being known as
Harden, it wasn't until he needed his birth certificate for his marriage
that he discovered he had been registered, mistakenly by his elder Brennan
sisters as Brennan rather than Harden. Leo is the first child of the Harden
marriage
For ages, I have been trying to discover the name of the earlier showband
before Leo Brennan's Sieve Foy popular dance band of the 1950's.
In her biography, Maire speaks about her father (Leo) joining the Slieve Foy
dance band in 1939...therefore I now know the earlier name was Slieve Foy
and continued to be so.
In the second chapter, Maire speaks of her Gran Harden and says of her that
she was very grand, knew that she had come from England and was very
different to everyone else in her world. She had beautiful jewelry and loved
the finer things in life. She was very fit and had spent most of her life as
a dancer..She later played the drums in the family band and had family as
well as daughters in in America
Most of this I already knew from my father but I was astounded to discover
that my fathers family came from England, never for one minute did I think
that my fathers family came from anywhere other than Ireland.
Later Maire talks of her cousin and his family in Manchester...this is
another huge surprise to me because Manchester is where my father met and
married my mother.. I have always wondered why and how my father came to be
in Manchester.
Maire's book contains a number of photographs, one of the photo's is of Gran
Harden in her old age, she still looks remarkable fit and healthy. This is
the first time that I have seen a of photo of the lady who brought up my
father, I'm in in absolute awe, I keep looking at her photo.. It's
absolutely wonderful to see a photo of the lady who almost certainly saved
my father from being brought up in an Orphanage, I'm full of admiration for
her.
The book also contain a family group photo, it's the weirdest thing ever to
see a photo of people I don't know who look so much like my sister and
myself.
After 5 years, I know I'm almost there, without any doubt whatsoever, I have
the right Brennan family but I need further help regarding Leo Brennan's
mother's family.
I so much hope that some of you 'subscribers' can further assist me.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Kindest regards Jackie.
-------Original Message-------
From: Jackie
Date: 06/19/06 22:33:15
To:
Subject: Brennan. Harden. Sleive Foy .Leo Brennan . Clannad. Enya and
Defrench
Hello Lister's.
I posted a few months ago and had a fantastic response which has enabled me
to pin point the Brennan family that I have been trying to find for the last
5 years.
I'm at the stage where I am almost ready to commission a professional
researcher but today have just discovered how costly it can be, particularly
if there is a lack of information.........so I'm relying on your help again
before I go ahead.
Here goes, this is a very tangled web.......
My late father was Allan Francis Brennan born 1924/5 to a young unmarried 15
yrs old girl, named Lulah, Lola who after his birth is believed to have gone
to America, where she went on to have a family.
My father did not know his birth father but believed he was named Defrench
or Defrank and was from a high status family.
My father was brought up in Donegal with a Brennan family who had a showband
..a couple of months ago before your help that's all I had.
It would now appear that my father's mother was probably the sister of Mena,
the mother of Leo Brennan the father of Enya and Clannad..
Mena had 3 marriages/partners but I have not been able to trace Mena's
maiden name. I was hoping that if I could I would be able to trace the birth
name of my father.
My father always said the early family were travelling musicians and after
his very short visit back to Donegal (from England) in 1960, he came back
saying that his grandfather was still alive and that the family had a
Showband. He also said that he had met up with his brothers and sisters and
mentioned the names Rose-Marie and Tony.
My mother is very old and confused and it is very difficult trying to
extract details from her but recently has remembered the name of the
Showband but not the earlier travelling band. She remembers the name as that
of Sleive Foy from Louth and also remembers the name Leo, Rose Marie, Tony
and a John. She is saying that Leo came from Sligo but thinks the family had
origins in Dublin.
Mum also thinks both Brennan's and Harden's were singing and dancing troupes
She came up with the name Wolfe Brennan which I have never heard of until
her mention. I haven't yet followed through on this one because I don't want
her to get even more confused and I don't want to unintentionally plant
suggestions to her.
Mum is saying that Leo was a Harden not a Brennan as was Rose-Marie, today I
ve discovered this to be true.
I had thought that Mena after her first partner, married a Harden then a
Brennan but it nows appears to be the other way around..
Apparently there were 3 girls and a boy from the Brennan marriage and visa
versa from the Harden marriage.
My mother has never been to Ireland and never met any of this Brennan/Harden
family, the only way she could have this information is via my late father.
This is where I have got very confused. I obviously have the right Brennan
family but if Mena married Brennan before Harden, there becomes the
possibility that my father could have come along with Mr Brennan or perhaps
my father just took on the Brennan name when Mena changed hers.
My father and Leo Brennan are approximately the same age, if they had been
in the same family home Leo Brennan would remember. I've written to Leo's
Tavern twice enclosing details and photo's (of course they much get many
such letters) but have not received any reply.I therefore have to presume
that I will never get a response and have been forced to taken alternative
roots..ie..Rootsweb.etc
The first concrete information I have of my father is when he met and
married my mother 1947 in England. I have no idea how he came to be here or
how he spent his childhood.
Can anyone throw any light on this Brennan Harden saga?
Most appreciative for any info received.
Mail me at
Kindest regards Jackie.
I
This thread: