James Joseph NILAND was born in Tubbercurry Ireland. a machine miner at the Lake View and Star GM, Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
James Joseph NILAND – photo Ancestry.com
James married Margaret Ellen MURPHY in Fremantle WA on 2nd September 1895. Margaret was born in Marble Bar, Ireland. The family moved to Kanowna where their first child Catherine was born and then on to Boulder where they lived most of their life at 41 North Tce.
James and Margaret NILAND – Kalgoorlie Cemetery – Photo Danelle Warnock
James was top died of Phthisis (Miners Lung) on 24th March 1923 aged 58yrs at the St John of God Hospital, Kalgoorlie. Margaret never remarried and lived in Kalgoorlie Boulder until her death in 1960 age 93yrs.
Kalgoorlie Miner, Thu 24 May 1923
In 1907 James must have tried to get out of mining as he applied for a publican’s general license for premises he intended to erect on Lot 1063 on the corner of Wilson Street and North Tce Boulder. It was said the proposed building would be erected at the cost of £2000. His application was refused. He applied again in 1908 and was unsuccessful again.
Margaret Ellen NILAND nee MURPHY -photo Ancestry.com
The couple had the following children.
Catherine Mary NILAND born in Kanowna 1899
Margaret Ellen NILAND born in Boulder 1900
Winifred Josephine NILAND born in Boulder 1904
Catherine Mary HEFRON nee NILAND – photo Ancestry.com
James and Margaret’s daughter was also to lose her husband as well as her father to the mines. Catherine Mary Niland married Michael Lancelot ‘Lance HEFRON in 1933. Michael was killed in a mining accident at the Lake View and Star GM in 1952 leaving her a widow with four children. Like her mother, Catherine also never remarried and lived in the Goldfields till her own death in 1985 at age 87yrs. Catherine and Michael Hefron are buried together in the Boulder Cemetery.
Further research done by John Pritchard:
As your story says Margaret was born in Marble Bar, Ireland which is in the suburban area of Kilkenny, about a km from Kilkenny Castle near the River Nore but a fair way from Tubbercurry.
Again your story says that James was born in Tubbercurry (sometimes written as Tobercurry), Ireland which is in Co Sligo, about 20 km from that town on the N17 and R294 road intersection. At the time of the 1901 census, there were still members of the Niland family living in Tubbercurry but James was likely on his way to Australia via ports like many others by then.
Tubbercurry holds a special place in history in the days of the Famine (now known as the Great Hunger) about a generation before the birth of James Niland and this was due to a racehorse named Pride of the Ballyhara which was owned by the local Dr Joe P Mullarkey. Pride won many races and also won the Gold Cup in England. His owner was a philanthropist and as this was during the great Irish Famine, he and his family took their winnings and purchased food for the inhabitants of Tubbercurry to prevent their starvation.
Pride was retired from racing in 1845 and in his retirement he pulled food carts loaded with grain on 50 mile round trips during the Famine. The family held Pride of Ballyhara in high regards and buried him in the family plot at the old Ballyhara Cemetery in Tubbercurry to lie beside them. Note some of the more recent family interments since the year 2000 lay at rest in the St Attracta Cemetery in Tubbercurry.
The following inscription was placed on his tombstone.
Inscription
The Pride of Ballyhara
Tread softly on this spot
If blood can give nobility
A noble Steed was he
His Sire was blood
And blood his Dam
And all his pedigree
This slab is in remembrance
Of a famous Thorough Bred
That netted a fortune for the Mullarkey family
In black 47 the famine years
Dr. J. P. Mullarkey
Purchased 2 gargoe
of oatmeal
And 2 gargoe of potatoes
And carted to Drumartin
Aclare, Tubbercurry
As a gift
We shall never meet
His like again
The following link contains a photo of the tombstone of Pride of Ballyhara. pride of ballyara – Bing images https://binged.it/3KaMqUr
The following link contains motion picture of the old Ballyhara Cemetery in Tubbercurry in which Pride lays at rest with his Mullarkey family owners. The cemetery hasn’t had any new burials in recent times.
Ballyara Cemetery – YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLRo082kjKM
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