and sisters regularly, especially on a Sunday on the horse and side-car. Micheál Higgins, William’s son thinks that the Higgins family was related to the Joyces in some way i.e. Martin and Mike Joyce. Richards’s sons, Thomas and Richie remember their father visiting the Joyce household every Sunday night. Usually Richie would go with him across the fields from Castlelambert to Carnaun. Not alone was there a friendship there reinforced by their sporting endeavours but it also seems that there was a family connection of some sort too. This connection was most likely through the Higgins’ father’s side of the family – i.e. Máirtín Bhilie’s ancestors. The Ruane Brothers: Jack and Martin Ruane from Lisheenkyle East. Jack and Martin Ruane lived in Lisheenkyle East in 1911. Their father was Stephen Ruane and was aged 68 years in 1911. He was a Farmer. By His wife was Sarah Connell and in 1911 she was aged 60. They were married in 1876, so they would have been married 35 years in 1911. Stephen and Sarah Ruane had ten children – Matthias, Unknown, James, Mary, Patrick, Bridget, Michael, John, Martin, and a second Patrick. It was often common practice then that when a child died that often that they would rename another child the same name particularly if the name was a traditional family name. In the 1911 Census it states that six of these children had survived and that four hadn’t. Some of them died from fever around 1908. In 1911 the neighbours of the Ruane family included Poniards, Grealishes, Hollands, Morans and Fordes as documented in the Census of that year. Jack and Martin were the youngest of the family. Martin was born on 24/10/1891. He was aged 19 according to the 1911 Census. He married Bridget Morrissey of Cahercrin in 1926. His brother Matt actually married her sister Honor Morrissey. They continued to live in the home place in Lisheenkyle. Martin got a division of the Castlelambert Estate and farmed it all his life. Both he and Richard Higgins were neighbours all their lives. Martin had six children, Pake and Seán Ruane of Castlelambert and Mary B. Keane nee Ruane who lived in Athenry are children of Martin Ruane and Bridget Morrissey. Martin Ruane died at the age of 66 on 5/3/1952. He is buried in the New Cemetery Athenry. He was, like all his brothers, a big and strong man according to his nephew Gill Ruane. Martin’s brother Jack was a very prominent member of the 1911 team. Although he had to go off in the County Final match due to injury, the team themselves all always believed that Derrydonnell would have scored a lot more if he was on for the full duration of the match. He also played for Galway in the peak of his hurling years. He was a big tall man – 6ft 4 inches. He was a great hurler and also a great dancer. He was meant to resemble John Joe Ruane. Jack was born on 25/03/1890. He was aged 21 in 1911. Jack emigrated and lived to the US. He sailed from Queenstown on 10/06/1914 on the ship the S.S. Laconia. His emigration manifest documented that he was a labourer and was 23 years of age. His last place of residence was listed as Athenry and his mother Sarath Ruane, Castlelambert, 32
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