This site is dedicated to my late grandmother Margaret (Ahern) Shanahan (God rest her soul),

who often told us stories of the people and the goings on, during her days growing up in 'Tour'.
These stories are what put the curiosity in me to find out more about this little village and my ancestors who lived there.

Sadly, since starting this site, quite a few of the older family members who I pestered over the years for names, dates and stories etc have passed on. Of these a special mention to my Nan's  late sister Mary (God rest her soul) Joan's Mama as we knew her, who even though well into her 90's could recall so much information about her uncles, aunts and cousins. One time even surprising us by reciting word for word a newspaper article about her cousin Will's stage show from the 1930's.

Also thanks to Frank and Peg (Ahern) Killorin and their daughter Peggy, for filling in quite a bit on the U.S. side and the great pictures.

The site is still under construction, whenever I find out anything new I'll add it in. If there are any mistakes or omissions or if anyone has any information to add please let me know.

Thanks, enjoy looking through, Ashley Maan.

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Tournafulla is a small, scattered village that stretches along a quarter of a mile of road in the high country of south-west Limerick. It is surrounded by a ring of hills over nine hundred feet in height on the north-east and north-west of the village, and has hills to the south of the village, the Mullaghareirk range, which are over a thousand feet in height.  " It's about six miles outside of Newcastle West" as Nana would say.

I'm not sure when the Ahern's first settled in Tour, but they have been there for quite a long time and there are still relatives living there today.

To date I know back as far as my Great Great Grandfather Michael Ahern and his wife Mary, who was also an Ahern.  

Michael or Mickey Beaug ('Small Mike') as he was known, I believe was born in 1816 possibly in Templeglantine, although I haven't confirmed this. He was one of about 10 kids, most of whom ended up emigrating to Connecticut, U.S.A (One brother named Bartholomew, I don't know any other names at this point). He died in Tournafulla in August 1892. Michael's wife Mary was born in 1841, one of 9 children, 6 of whom went to the U.S. She was known as Maire Mor ('Big Mary') She died in Tournafulla in August 1903. 

Michael and Mary had 9 children. Most of them emigrated to the U.S. as well, quite a few of them went to New Haven, Connecticut. (They probably stayed for a time anyway with their uncles and aunts who had gone there the generation before.) 

Click their names below for further details on each of them, look out for links on each page for more info.