Family Tree
This started as a memory aid for me on a trip to Loughanure in County Donegal,
Ireland. In the space of some three days about half the town of Loughanure stopped
by to welcome us and say we were related. Having been made to feel very welcome, I
felt it something of a lack of courtesy that I could not fathom our relation - in
fact, I couldn't even remember the names. So Roisin kindly started explaining who
was related to who ... and before we knew it, we had about 100 names and an awful
mess on half a dozen sheets of paper. A few years on the mess has been cleaned up,
and the exercise sparked off a keen interest in tracing the family - not just in
Ireland - as far back as it would go.
Our Family
Pat and I met in Belgium in 1992 at a party at the British Embassy. We married
in 1994 while on holiday in the Napa Valley, California and a couple of years later
the kids arrived. Although we still live in Belgium, by some twist of fate the
entire family is British. This is ironic since my mother is American, my father
was Dutch and Pat's parents are both Irish. And Andrew and Indigo were born here
in Belgium.
- Patrick Anthony Hanlon - born 26th July 1960
- Annemarie Claire Bruinsma - born 2nd August 1967
- Andrew Conor Bruinsma Hanlon - born 8th January 1996
- Indigo Roisin Bruinsma Hanlon - born 3rd July 1997
Indigo & Andrew Hanlon (May 2000)
Pat's Family
So far, we have the most information on Pat's mother Roisin's family.
More Family Trees
Pat's family:
- Pat's father's family, The Hanlons of Donegal.
- Roisin's mother, "Red Annie" O'Donnell of
Loughanure left Ireland to start a new life in Bayonne, New Jersey.
She got engaged to a young man there, but never married him.
(With photos and a scanned copy of a letter from 1932.)
- Annie O'Donnell's parents Mary Sweeney and
Barney O'Donnell of Loughanure. Their other children included Joseph
J. O'Donnell of Bayonne, and the Second World War soldier Dan O'Donnell
amongst others. (photograph of Pat's great grandmother Mary Sweeney.)
- Mary Sweeney's parents Hugh Sweeney and
Nellie Coyle of Meenaweal, Crolly.
- Mary Sweeney's brother and sisters
Daniel, Annie and Nora Sweeney of Butte,
Montana. They were pioneers of Montana Territory, USA, all settling in the
mining town of Butte, Montana in the late 1800's. This whole branch of the family
had been lost until contact was re-established in 2001 when both sides of the
family went searching for each other on the internet. Incredible stories
and marvellous old photographs - with thanks to Charla, Marvine and Judy.
- Annie Sweeney's
descendants in Butte, Montana.
Annemarie's family:
- My mother's McDonald family goes back to John
McDonald of Argylshire, Scotland born c. 1736. He landed in Georgia,
USA in about 1752 and settled in Virginia. Today his descendants are
spread across at least eight US States and three continents.
- My father's Bruinsma, De Vet and De Leeuw families
of Friesland, The Netherlands.
Links to this website
email to Patrick Hanlon or
Annemarie Bruinsma Hanlon
/ Last updated 23 Oct 2002