American football legend’s family visit ancestral home

Tom Brady's great, great grandfather from Drumlane.

There was considerable, yet contained, excitement at the arrival of former NFL great Tom Brady’s family to the village of Milltown last Sunday.

Tom Brady's parents, dad Tom Senior and mum Galynn, visited Cavan alongside his sisters Julie and Nancy, and their grandchildren, as they traced their ancestry in a week when the county is expected to host hundreds of others from all corners of the globe with similar intention.

They paid tribute to the parents of Tom Sr's Great Grandfather John Brady, who left the parish sometime in 1850s before setting sail for America, first landing in Boston where he worked as a labourer, and married his wife and fellow famine refugee Bridget Bailey.

Bridget's sister, who had also emigrated, left for San Francisco with her husband, and the Bradys followed that same westward path shortly before the American Civil War broke out.

Tom Sr's dad was Harry C Brady, born to Philip Francis Brady and Nellie G Donohue, whose parents were Dennis Donohue and Margaret Devenney.

Tom Sr's mother meanwhile was Margaret Peggy Buckley, daughter of Michael Buckley and Barbara Lally.

Michael's parents were Patrick Buckley and Bridget Donlen, while Barbara was born to Martin Lally and Elizabeth E Moore.

“More is known about John Brady and Bridget Bailey than the rest,” explains Fr Gerard Comiskey.

He credits much of the research to the late Fr Hugh O’Reilly, a native of Milltown and former Missionary priest who maintained a keen interest in researching the genealogy of the local area.

“He’d done incredible research, and we know for sure there was considerable movement between the Bradys of Montana, Canada and California and Boston right up to the late 1990s. He was a passionate Drumlane man and he recorded it all, including all the inscriptions from the old cemetery.”

Last weekend’s visit put to rest one persistent myth - neither Tom Sr, nor Tom Jr, had until now ever before set foot in Cavan never mind Milltown.

The “confusion”, Fr Comiskey surmises, can be put down to the huge number of Brady connections to the area.

“It became part of this legend that grew. If anything I think they found it funny having people come up to them saying ‘I remember you well’, or ‘Your grandfather was a great skittles player’.”

From the annual Blessing of the Graves at the historic Drumlane Abbey, the Bradys and their attending party decamped to Milltown National School where several presentations were made.

“They were absolutely overwhelmed, and very emotional. I was accompanied most of the day by [Milltown NS principal] Keith Conefrey, and by a couple of others, Ronan and Noel Fitzpatrick who’d worked with me on the research. It’s been like piecing together a very large jigsaw. We’ve a lot of the pieces, but we’re still missing a few.”

How they came to be in Milltown for the parish’s Blessing of the Graves at Drumlane Abbey last Sunday, or in the week that Cavan Calling takes place, was a result of coincidence as much as good fortune.

The Bradys were in Ireland to watch granddaughter, an elite athlete in her own right, Maya Ann Brady-Timmons, play with the USA in Group A of the world premier women's softball tournament.

Fr Comiskey, who first met Tom Sr almost four years ago at which time he shared the family connection to Drumlane, generously pencilled in an itinerary for the Bradys to follow - Clare, Knock in Mayo, Sligo - and eventually Cavan.

“They’re devout Catholics and family values are extremely important to them. So when we walked around we could show them tombstones from the 1700s with the Brady name on it, and also we could make pretty definite conclusions for them as well, it was amazing to them.”

There was even time for youngest grandchild and Tom Jr’s nephew, Ryan Bonelli, who’ll make his Communion next year, to lead the Blessing of the Graves’ congregation in a rendition of ‘Our Father’.

Among the gifts presented to the Tom Sr and the family was a handcrafted piece of wood taken from St Mogue’s Island, etched with an image of Drumlane Abbey by Tommy Dolan of Bawnboy, and containing vials of Holy Water and soil from the island.

The family also received a book containing details of what’s known of their connection to Ireland, and before departing Fr Comiskey gave a gift to Tom Sr for his famous son, a mug with a Brady coat of arms emblazoned on it.

“I couldn’t give him another Super Bowl I said, so I thought I’d give him a decent mug instead.”

Tom Jr had himself been due to travel with his family to Ireland but for a last minute commitment.

Cavan County Council has in the past extended an invite to Tom Jr, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time, with a career spanning 23 season in the NFL, winning seven Super Bowls and named the Most Valuable Player of the Year on three occasions. It’s understood that following the Brady family visit that that invite will be reviewed.

“They’re clearly very close. They spoke [to him] every evening, and I truly believe, as a family enjoyed their time in Cavan, without a doubt,” says Fr Comiskey of the Brady family, who stayed at Ballyconnell’s Slieve Russell Hotel during their time in Cavan.

“Tom Sr has expressed a wish and desire to come back, and with his son. We had the room booked, but it wasn’t to be on this occasion. I do believe they’ll be back and it will be wonderful when they do.”