AN IRISH ROMANCER:
THE SEARCH FOR THE REAL
WALTER ROBERT FITZGERALD-MOORE
He made two great fortunes and lost them both, but not without tasting the fruits of his success in the enjoyment of mansions, carriages, and liveried footmen. His son Robert, whom he was unable publicly to acknowledge, was as great a romancer as his father and left an equally obfuscated trail of birth dates and parentage. Some years ago I undertook the immensely difficult task of checking every statement and record that I could lay my hands upon. I have been very successful in dispelling some of the lies; but much less successful in arriving at the truth. The search continues!
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Moya Sharp
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Hi Moyà,
What a colourful character your grandad was. Your account of your grandad’s life was liken to reading a mystery novel!! I thoroughly enjoyed your article.
Thanks ?
An interesting similarity between this story and those shown on the attached 1901 Irish census sheet from Canavan. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000453629/
The given names aren’t exactly the same but very close and we have to remember that there wasn’t a great deal of standardisation in how these forms were filled in or by whom. I have assumed from his given name that the religion he used was Protestant as it is very unusual for Walter to be used in a birth name in the RC religion..