Five stay, five go. Ninety years later, cousins say “Hello”.

Anne-Marie Smith, M.A.G.I.

Smith Family circa 1924

The photograph above was taken circa 1924 and shows my father Seamus (little boy in front) and his parents/siblings of Abbeyfield, Killester, Dublin. This was the last photograph taken of the family all together as five of them left Ireland for America shortly after. My grandfather had fought in WW1 and was in the British Army. Their daughter Maggie married a man who was a member of the IRA, which made for an interesting conversation at meal times!!

Mary, Paddy, Julia, Annie and John went to New York. Annie (third from right in front) actually married her uncle soon after arriving in New York! He had been married before, and his wife had died. John Smith in front with his arms folded, went on to join the US Army and fought at the Battle of the Bulge during WW2. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his bravery, along with various other medals including the Bronze Star. He never spoke about his time in the War. Paddy Smith, who worked in Jacobs prior to going to New York, allegedly (cannot be proven of course) took the recipe for Jacobs ‘Cream Crackers’ with him and went to work at a biscuit factory in New York! In 2013 I went to New York and met up with the descendants of 3 of the 5 who emigrated (Annie and Paddy had no children). The family had now come full circle and had been reunited almost 100 years later!

Smith Reunion in New York 2013