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1854 - 1931 |
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James Joseph Gibbons was born in Crompton, Rhode Island on 4th. March 1854 and baptised in the Church of St. James in West Warwick one day later. (This date is based on a copy of his Baptismal Certificate. His Diocesan declaration of 1886 says he was born in 1855). His father was James Gibbons, whose own parents, Patrick & Sarah (nee Loughan (sic)) came from the area around Tuam, Kilrooskey, Co. Roscommon. His father was born on 15th August 1824 and emigrated to the US in 1847. His mother was Anna Wade, also from Roscommon, whose parents were Michael & Mary (nee Rogers, from Longford). Michael died young, in Ireland, and his widow and family came to the US and settled in Brooklyn. James & Anna were married in The Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich CT on 21st. October 1851. James senior worked as a farmer and on the railways. The family moved to Wisconsin when James J. was an infant and in 1863 they moved again, this time to Iowa. This pioneering journey west was by horse drawn wagon. They arrived in Barclay township, Iowa and settled there on 150 acres of land.
James J. was the second eldest in the family and first son. His older sister was Sister Mary Omar of the convent at Sioux City, Iowa. His younger siblings were Michael (married, seven children), Sarah, Anna (deceased), Ella (married James Farrell, four children), Susan (married J. H. Hogan, eight children), Josephine (deceased) married Mr. Patterfield, five children), Henry, John (married, four children), Peter Edward (deceased) and Omar. In the "History of Black Hawk County" (no date) J. J. Gibbons parents are credited with 38 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
J. J. worked on his fathers farm until 1874 / 75 when he began his classical studies at St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, where he stayed until 1876. He taught school and worked on a farm until he went to Iowa State Normal College (1878) and St. Joseph's College, Dubuque, Iowa (1879 - 1882). On 13th. September 1883 he came to St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. He left in his second year due to ill health but continued his studies at St. Viateur's (St. Viator's) in Illinois (1885 - 1886). He was ordained for the Diocese of Denver by Archbishop Feehan of Chicago on 4th. June 1886.
Above:
James and Anna Gibbons. No date.
(Copyright: © J. Fox. 2008.)
Fr. Gibbons served as assistant to the Denver Cathedral until July 1886 when he was temporarily transferred to Georgetown, Colorado until October, and was then assigned as Assistant at Leadville, for the first time. He remained there until 12th. August 1888 when he transferred to Ouray & Missions, a mountainous area of Colorado. The territory he covered, according to his own estimate was as large as the whole of Ireland. He often travelled 150 miles to make sick calls. It once took him ten days - travelling by horse, mule and on foot. He wrote two books about his experiences there, including "In the San Juan, Sketches" (follow link for more info.).
Images on Right: "In The San Juan - Sketches". Calumet Book & Engraving Co. Chicago. 1898. Postcard of the "Church of the Annunciation with the "World's Highest Steeple", Leadville, Colorado". No date. Illustrations of the medal that was struck for the consecration of the Church of the Annunciation, Leadville, on 29 May 1902 showing the church and Fr. Gibbons.
He served as Pastor of St. Francis de Sales' Church, Denver from 1892 until he was sent, once again, to Leadville, this time as Pastor, on 18th. October 1898. On 29 May 1902 he celebrated the consecration of the Church of the Annunciation at Leadville. The church had been completed in 1879. To celebrate the occasion a medal was given to parishioners showing the church on one side and Fr. Gibbons on the other.
On 12 November 1912 he was appointed Pastor of the Presentation Church, Denver and he remained in Denver for the rest of his life. He died at Mercy Hospital, Denver on 2nd. December 1931 at the age of seventy seven (his obituary says 76) and was buried on 5th. December in Mt. Olivet Cemetery after Requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Urban J. Vehr, Bishop of Denver. It is recorded that when he said his first Mass as a priest there were only three people in the congregation - his sister (Sister Monica of the Mercy Hospital), another nun, and an aged coloured woman. When he died in 1931 the congregation numbered seven hundred people.
Above: Newspaper report of Fr. Gibbons death and Right, His obituary from "Voice" (Alumni Magazine of St. Mary's Seminary). (Copyright: © J. Fox. 2008)
He visited Ireland in 1912 and family lore recalls that he stayed in the farmhouse of a relative, David Gibbons in Aghamuck, Kilrooskey (in his novel spelled Aughamuck: a townland of 189 acres in the Parish of Kilgefin and Barony of Ballintober South) and also with the Casey family who lived somewhere nearby. This information was relayed by the late Hugh Gibbons in a letter written to his relations in 1977. (J. Fox 2008)
His book "Slieve Bawn & the Croppy Scout" (below) is not listed in "Roscommon Authors" by Helen Maher (Roscommon - 1978) or in "Ireland in Fiction" by Fr. S. J. Browne (2nd. Edition: 1919, Reprint IUP, 1968). We hope this page makes up somewhat for that deficiency. Our sincere thanks to Linda M. Lebsack of Denver, Kieran Furey, and especially to Jim Fox, a relative of Fr. Gibbons, for the information that made the above biography possible, and to Jim's relatives, Kay Briskie and Kathy Trimberger in Wisconsin and his sister Ellen Ford in Rhode Island, who collected the information in the first instance.
If you know more about this writer or have more material produced by him, or relating to him (including the medal pictured above) please contact us.
Slieve Bawn and the Croppy Scout.
Printed by The Kistler Press, Denver, Colorado, USA. 1914.
283 pages. Hardback.
Slieve Bawn is the name of a small mountain range in the east of Co. Roscommon overlooking Aghamuck, Strokestown and Ballyleague. It was said by John O'Donovan to be the last haunt of the Fir Bolg in the county. The Croppys were a name given to the insurgents of 1798.
MUSE (From: "The History House" by Kieran Furey (2008) © Copyright. Used with permission).
Slieve Bawn, viewed from Kilbride. (© Roscommon Historical Research. Aug. 2008) There is a public house in Ballybeg, in the shadow of Slieve Bawn, until recently owned by the Gibbons family and not far north of it is Ballyduffy where the "Ballyduffy Rangers" in the novel supposedly trained. "Eileen Gibbons", the heroine of novel, lived there with her father Joe. "Mulcaghey", the hero in the novel, lived at the foot of Slieve Bawn across from Ballybeg at Moher. It is quite possible that Fr. Gibbons stopped at Ballybeg Public House when visiting the area in 1912. (J. Fox: 08/2008)
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Above: A billhead from 1941 and a photograph of the public house that was used after 1924. Even to this day it is sometimes known as "Luke Gibbons". (Photograph: © Roscommon Historical Research)
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Ballybeg Public House. The earliest recorded occupier of the premises known as "the old house" (photographs on right) was Thomas "Baker" Farrell who ran the property until 1895. He was replaced by James J. McDermott from Pollymount, Scramoge who ran the business until about 1902 when he moved to Portrun and set up business there. The property was then taken over by Luke Gibbons from Tuam, Kilrooskey and he remained in occupation until he moved to the new premises (photograph left) in 1924.
This new building had originally been two separate buildings, a constabulary barracks, which was closed down about 1860 and a private dwelling. The buildings had been used as a Republican Courthouse during the early 1920's by the local Carnaska Company of the IRA. The property was bought by Luke Gibbons from Jim Kearns, Clooncage and Pat Carlos, Clooneycarn around 1923 and was renovated by a contractor called McGoldrick from Co. Monaghan. It opened for business on 8 December 1924.
In the mid-1950's Luke Gibbon's daughter Sheila Collins inherited the business and ran it as a successful enterprise until they finally sold the property in 2004 (see below). They added the name "Franks". |
Above: The remains of the original pub in Ballybeg. Used up to 1924, it is situated approx. 20 metres from the new pub on the Strokestown side. This is where J. J. Gibbons could have had his few "Irish" with his relations, during his visit in 1912? (Photographs: © Roscommon Historical Research)
The sales particulars for "Luke Gibbons" Pub in Ballybeg in 2004. The property was sold by Property Partners Earley, Roscommon. |
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(Information: © Henry Owens. Used with permission and sincere thanks). |
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The new owners of "Franks of Ballybeg", Frank & Ann Casey, would welcome your custom should you ever find yourself in Ballybeg - under the shadow of Slieve Bawn. The newspaper piece (below) is from The Roscommon People of 28 November 2008.
You can say that J. J. Gibbons sent you! |
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We would welcome additional material for this writer or the area. If you have material that you do not want, please contact us. |
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