Note from Aunt Mary, Hugh’s Doherty’s daughter to Aunt Ciss.

Ellen Dougherty stayed home on the farm to take care of parents. Catherine came to Rhode Island to take care of youngest brother Hugh my father.Michael, Patrick and John went to Pennsylvania. One more sister went to Worcester, Mass. There were from the town of Leitrim, County Leitrim on the banks of the Shannon River. Aunt Kate did not dwell on Ireland. She was more interested in the United States as her new homeland. Grandfather John carried passengers across the Shannon in his passenger boat.

One of the real few pieces of information I had from my family when I started this search came to me through my Aunt Ciss, that is the note at the top of this page. She had received it from Catherine Doherty's granddaughter Mary who also lived in Pawtucket. The amazing thing about this bit of information was that it was at least 100 years old. And amazingly it was very accurate except for just one part. The Doherty's as far as I know never lived in Leitrim City they lived about 10 miles away, which I have told you before. When we got to Patty's and after we got a little more comfortable He took Deb and me to the back of his property and he started to tell us of all things about John Doherty. When I first looked out the back I didn't see it, but sure enough there sat the Shannon River (THE PICTURES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE ON THE RIGHT IS A CLOSEUP OF THE ONE ON THE LEFT). It is not very large in that part of Ireland, but there it was. Patty started telling us about you guessed it, where John Doherty took people across the Shannon River. It was just amazing. Patty also lamented to me that we couldn't have been there earlier. He told me about his mother and his grandmother missing their brothers and sisters so much when they left. When they went to America that was it, all 8 or 9 were never heard from again. Just think of that, but I told Patty my story and I told him that I hope now that this will open a new chapter in the history of our families. I know for me and Deb it has been an amazing eye-opening experience. One that we will never forget and we intend to be back in Ireland as soon as we can. For sure in 2008 for the next Doherty reunion. It has been 135 years since the Doherty's of Ireland and the Antosy's of Reading, Pa. have made contact. I pray it won't be another 135 years.