Jack Kavanagh

John 'Jack' Kavanagh was born in Askintinny on 10 February 1868, the son of fisherman John Kavanagh and Elizabeth Death. Julia Loughlin, was born on 28 August 1871 at Barriniskey to agricultural labourer Terence Loughlin and Maria Byrne.

Prior to her marriage, Julia gave birth to a daughter, Mary Anne, at Barriniskey on 30 October 1893.

In the 1901 census, seven-year-old Mary Anne was raised in the household of her maternal grandmother, Maria Loughlin, in Barriniskey West, before rejoining her mother's household in later years.

The 1897 Shebeen Case

In October 1897, Jack and Julia featured in local press coverage during a prosecution against Jack's father, John Kavanagh, for illegally running an unlicensed drinking establishment out of the family home at Askintinny. Police constables testified to observing active Sunday drinking on the premises, identifying Jack as being present during the raid and Julia Loughlin as working there, serving drinks to locals.

Marriage to Julia Loughlin

Just months after the shebeen court case, Jack and Julia were married at Arklow Roman Catholic Chapel on 4 January 1898. At the time of their marriage, Jack was residing at Askintinny working as a fisherman, while Julia was living in nearby Clogga employed as a servant.

Between 1899 and 1912, the couple had eight children together, moving frequently between townlands and street addresses in and around Arklow.

Children of Jack and Julia

• Maryanne

• John

• Terence

• Elizabeth

• Maria

• Thomas

• Esther

• Annie

• James

1901 Census

Jack, a general labourer, and Julia were recorded in a single-room cottage at Greggs Hill with their eldest son John.

1911 Census

By 1911, the household had expanded significantly. Recorded at Money Big, Jack and Julia were living in a two-room dwelling with their eight children - John, Terence, Elizabeth, Maria, Thomas, Esther, Annie and James, as well as Julia's eldest daughter, Maryanne, who was fully integrated into the family under the Kavanagh name. The return noted that Julia had given birth to eight living children in her seventeen-year marriage to Jack.

The years following the 1911 census brought profound hardship to Jack and Julia's household as they suffered the devastating loss of two young children, Annie and James, within months of each other.

On 4th July 1912, Julia gave birth to a son, James, at Tinahask. However, the infant succumbed to bronchitis and cardiac failure on 25th April 1913 at Money Big, aged just 9 months. Julia was present at his deathbed and registered his passing.

Barely three months later, tragedy struck the home again when their three-year-old daughter, Anne (Annie), contracted pertussis (whooping cough). After a two-week illness, Anne passed away at Money Big on 2nd August 1913, with Julia once more by her bedside to comfort her and record the death.

Losing two young children in such quick succession highlights the stark health challenges and high infant mortality rates faced by working-class families in rural Arklow during the early 20th century.

1926 Census

By April 1926, Jack and Julia had moved into Arklow town, residing at Pearse Terrace. Jack was working as a labourer on the town water works for a secondary contractor, while Julia looked after the home. Living with them were four of their grown children; John, Maria, Thomas and Esther. The census entry provides a key insight into their family, recording that they had been married for 28 years and had 13 children in total, 12 of whom were still living in 1926.

Jack's Occupational Timeline

Jack’s career reflects the dual reliance on maritime trade and general manual labour typical of Arklow men during this era:

• 1868–1899 (Fisherman): Following in his father John’s footsteps, Jack worked as a fisherman out of Arklow during his early adult life and the first years of his marriage, as recorded on his 1898 marriage certificate and the 1899 birth registration for his son John.

• 1901–1920s (General Labourer): By 1901, Jack had transitioned to work ashore as a general labourer. Civil registration records for his children born between 1902 and 1912 consistently record him as a labourer, as do the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

• 1926 (Municipal Infrastructure): The 1926 Irish Free State Census offers specific detail regarding his work, recording 55-year-old Jack as a labourer employed on the municipal Water Works scheme under a secondary contractor in Arklow town.

Addresses

Jack and Julia’s movements trace a distinct shift from rural coastal townlands into the urban centre of Arklow:

• 1868–1898 (Askintinny & Clogga): Jack was born and raised at Askintinny, remaining at the family home until his marriage in 1898. At the time of their wedding, Julia was residing in the neighbouring townland of Clogga.

• 1899–1903 (Greggs Hill & Ferrybank): Shortly after marrying, the couple moved to Greggs Hill, where their son John was born in 1899. The 1901 census enumerates them at House 29, Greggs Hill—a small, single-room 4th-class cottage. A brief stay at Ferrybank is noted for Elizabeth's birth in 1902, before they returned to Greggs Hill for Terence’s birth in 1903.

• 1904–1912 (The Togher, Well Lane & Tinahask): Over the following decade, civil birth entries trace short-term tenancies across Arklow townlands and streets: The Togher (1904 for Maria), Greggs Hill again (1906 for Thomas), Well Lane (1908–1910 for Esther and Annie), and Tinahask (1912 for James).

• 1911-1913 (Moneybig / Greggs Hill): In the 1911 census, the expanding family of ten was enumerated at House 3, Moneybig (Greggs Hill), occupying a larger 2nd-class, two-room dwelling.

• 1926 (Castle Street No. 5): By 1926, the household had moved into the heart of Arklow town, occupying a three-room home at Castle Street No. 5.

• 1942+ (7 Mellows Avenue): By the early 1940s, Jack and Julia had settled at 7 Mellows Avenue, which served as the family home where Julia passed away in 1942.

Julia passed away at home at 7 Mellows Avenue, Arklow, on 17 April 1942 at the age of 68 from myocarditis and cardiac syncope. Her death was registered by her daughter, Maria Byrne.

Julia’s death record notes her condition as "Married" and the "Wife of a Labourer".

Notes:

There is a death record for a John Kavanagh of Arklow who died in St Colman's Hospital, Rathdrum on 13 Aug 1960.