Mahon Deffier Farm

Arrivals New York   1910 - 1915

Joseph Mahon left for NY on the Lucania from Queenstown on 29 January 1905.  Listed as farmer, aged 35.  There’s a 6/8 year discrepancy in the real age and listed age but great fluidity in stated age appears to be common in records of that time.   His recorded destination is - cousin Bernard Malone, 123 Cherry St.  NY.   This always was a puzzle to myself and other family members as we hadn’t ever heard of a Malone family connection.  

I checked ship passenger record and see that Bernard Malone (25) from Drumshanbo is also listed as a passenger on the Lucania.  Recorded as Clerk and U.S. Citizen - returning to 123 Cherry St. NY.   He emigrated to NY with his sister Maggie in July 1897, listed as a Labourer then.  The Malone family had lived at several different addresses in Drumshanbo area.  They were renting a house in Deffier in 1901 so probably still there in 1905 when Joseph decided to join Bernard on his return to NY. 

Jack Doherty says that Joseph first stayed with his niece Annie Horan (later updated to cousin).  I checked records for her family and find that she was Annie Shanley from Shancurry (niece of Joseph Mahon) married to Patrick Horan from Deffier.   Frank Shanley mentioned by Jack would be her brother, not a son.  

For the 1 June 1905 NY Census they lived at 527 East 16th St. NY.   Listed at this address are: Patrick Horan, Anna Horan and 2 children + Patrick and Thomas Shanley (Boarders).   Frank Shanley who arrived 21 May 1905 also listed this address as his destination.  Frank Shanley (20) had already been recorded as DETAINED ALIEN PASSENGER from the Teutonic Ship of 17/04/1902 and listed James Horan 527 East 16th St. as destination.  Lizzie Malone (19) from Drumshanbo was also on this Detained Alien List.   

Joseph M. isn’t listed at Annie Horan’s home in June 1905 but probably had stayed for a short time when he first arrived and then moved on to other room lodging in that area.  

Mary Marcella Mahon (17), Eugene Mahon (22), Joseph Mahon (20), Lucy Mahon (21) and Joseph McRann (22) all arrived 13 April 1910 on the Oceanic from Queenstown.  Lucy was sister of Joseph and they were first cousins of Joseph McCrann, Mary M. and Eugene.  The four Mahons were listed as joining Joseph (Sn) at a difficult to read address but looks like: 252 Corner 15th St. Ave.B.

There was a NY Census that month.  On 21 April 1910 Joe (Sn) and his nephew Joe are listed at 626 East 14th St. as Boarders.  No other Joseph/Joe Mahon show up with the correct arrival years of 1905 and 1910.  Joseph (Sn) listed age 39 (really 45/48), listed as 18 yrs. married, which is correct.  Joe (Sn.) occupation is Railway Labourer.  Joe (19) has no listed occupation, he had just arrived.  This household has ten people listed:  couple with one child, two nephews and five boarders and a total of eighty-one people living in No. 626.  

 In this census Lucy Mahon (21) is listed as a cook at 58th Street.  Her arrived date is listed as 1910 and no other Lucy Mahon arrived that year.  At the house there is a husband, wife, one daughter and three servants.  

523 East 16th St. is given as the destination address in NY of several Mahon cousins on their Ship records.  In the April 1910 NY Census Annie Horan and family are listed at this address.  They have moved from 527 East 16th St. sometime since 1905. 

 523 East 16th St. NY in April 1910 Census:  Patrick Horan, Anna Horan and 4 children + Patrick and Frank Shanley (Brothers-in-Law).

Lena Mahon (18) – arrived 26 October 1911 – going to her brother Joseph but note says he is in Manhattan State Hospital so going to her sister Lucy at 523 East 16th St.  Listed as Housemaid.  (Their father, John, and mother, Margaret, are both dead).   Her listed next of kin in Ireland is her uncle Thomas Mahon

John Joseph Mahon (30) arrived 15 May 1913 to brother Eugene at 523 East 16th St.  (Their father is Thomas). Listed as Labourer.  It looks like John Joseph was in NY previously, there in 1910 and returned again. 

John Mahon (20) arrived 11 May 1914 – going to his father Joseph at 523 East 16th St.  Listed as Labourer.  Also listed on this ship arrival record is Patrick Mahon (31) - son of Thomas - going to his brother Eugene at same address.  Listed as Bar Tender. 

Between 1910 and 1914 Grandfather Joseph had been joined by eight family members from Deffier - his children,  Mary and John plus three from Thomas/Maggie Mahon’s family (John Joe, Eugene and Patrick) plus three from John/Margaret Mahon’s family (Joseph, Lucy and Lena).  

By the time of the 1915 NY Census we assume that Joe (Sn) has returned to Ireland.   

523 East 16th St. NY in 1915 Census – Patrick Horan, Anne Horan and 4 children + Patrick Shanley and Frank Shanley (Brothers-in-Law)   + John Mahon (28) Boarder  - ?man with Rail Road Co. - I presume this is cousin John Joe M., born 1887.    Patrick Shanley also recorded as working for Rail Road Co.  

From the limited information I have collected I'm assuming that the destination addresses used between 1905 and 1914 didn’t mean that this would be home after arrival - it may have been for a short time or used as an arrival meet-up point.  The women probably had live-in service jobs lined up and the males lived in temporary boarding rooms in crowded tenements in the 14th to 16th St. East Side area.  

My first grandchild Beatriz Kearney Lopes was born in July 2005 in NY, her parents Laura and Victor living at 628 East 14th St.  Ave. B.   Their small walk-up apartment on the 2nd floor of a five storey building was part of a co-op building with identical adjoining house 626.  We knew at the time that grandfather had arrived into and lived in this area 100 years before. We looked at old photos of East side Manhattan and read about life there at that time, thinking what a vision it must have been for our family members arriving from Deffier.   Later we realised this amazing co-incidence of living accommodation in Manhattan.   Two Joe Mahon’s listed there in 1910!  

Mahon NY Arrivals from 1915

After Joseph’s return to Ireland four more of their adult children came to NY.  

Annie Teresa Mahon arrived 16 October 1915 on ship Philadelphia.  5’6”, age 18.  Listed as Servant with $8.  Her first destination address of 523 east 16th St. is crossed out and replaced by - to her sister Mary Mahon at 270 W 77 St. 

Rose Anna Mahon arrived 06 October 1922 on the Carmania.  5’3”, age 19.   Destination - to her sister Teresa Mahon 270 West 77 St. 

Teresa returned home for three months from 7 June 1924, arriving back on 14 September 1924. Housemaid.  Destination - to her sister Mrs. W.J. McNally, 2534 7th Ave. 

Joseph (Joe) is listed as sailing on the Republic to Ellis Island on 21 February 1925 – Age 24, Agricultural Labourer - 5’11”. Destination - to his brother John, 270 West 77th Street.  Joe was earlier listed on the Republic to arrive November 1924, but ‘Did Not Sail’ is inserted on his line. 

Patrick Augustine (Pakie) sailed from Londonderry 22 March 1925 heading for Halifax, Canada.  He is recorded as Labourer, age 20. Destination - to friend Bernard Lee (20), St. Thomas, Ontario.  His fare had been paid by his father, he had £8 in his possession.  Train travel from Halifax to St. Thomas would have taken up to 24 hours then.  Also listed on the ship was William Lee going to his brother Bernard at the same address.  He had £4 in his possession. The Lees were from Kilclare, about 4 miles from Drumshanbo and would have links with the Mahons through War of Independence/Civil War times.  

The next record for Patrick Augustine is his arrival in the Port of Detroit on 15 June 1925.   Information recorded is: from Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim and Arrived by Ferry.   I presume he headed to NY by train and joined some of his three sisters and two brothers already there. 

Eliza Doherty (Elsie) arrived 26 September 1927 on Laconia with her son John (Jack) 10 months.  Age 26. Destination – to husband, Thos. Doherty, 161 East 122nd St. NY.  

Elsie and Jack returned to Deffier for four years and returned to NY in March 1936 on the Samaria.  Destination - to husband Thomas Doherty, Long Island.  

Rose Kearney

 Updated April 2026