Thomas Key

Thomas Joseph Key - Uncle Tom

Thomas Joseph - Tom - first son of Tom and Mary Key (nee O'Brien), and was born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland on 31st August 1904

Uncle Tom lost an eye as a boy playing amongst a rubbish dump near one of the army camps and an explosive went off. In several pictures he is only pictured standing sideways to hide the wound, but wore an eye patch for the rest of his life.

Tom was the only one of the family to stay in Ireland – he was very protective of his mother – who died in 1933 – but is said to have been the only one of the children to have gone to his father’s funeral. When he travelled over from Ireland to Stoke-on-Trent for his father’s funeral in 1935, he was late and arrived as they were coming out of the graveyard/cemetery.

Tom was a butcher and worked for A.B.Kennedy on Gladstone Street, Clonmel, – he started work there immediately out of school. He was very generous with little regard for money.

Tom lived at 63 Upper Irishtown – Tom and his sister Lily both lived in 63, after their mother died (1933) – Lily moving in 1944 and Tom in 1945. Tom moved to Western Lodge, Western Road until 1962 when the family moved to 10 Staunton Row.

He married Margaret Roche (born 1906) in 1933 - she was known as Madge.

Madge and Tom had 5 children:

	Mary Bernadette Key, born 30th August 1934, married James Harney in 1973
	Joseph Key, born 26th Jan 1936, married Juoquina Caballero in 1966
	Philomena Key, born 17th September 1937, married Vincent Kinsella on 28th July 1964in St Peters and St Pauls Church, Clonmel
	Margaret Key, born 10th November 1938, married William Fennessey on 25th October 1961 in Powerstown Church, Clonmel
	Colette Key, born 6th March 1941, married Lewis Kempton on 27th December 1970 in St Mary's Church, Clonmel.

During The Emergency (Second World War in Ireland – itself neutral) Uncle Tom was in the Local Defence Force.

In 1984 there was an article in The Nationalist about Angela Roche, sister of Madge Key (Nee Roche):

“A drapery in the old family home of Cahir is still carried on by her niece, Mrs Brenda Crowley, daughter of her sister Dot. Another sister Madge, the late Mrs Keyes of Clonmel, had two daughters in drapery – Margaret and Philomena – Philomena is the wife of Vincent Kinsella, also in the drapery business.

He was a keen field sports man who enjoyed hunting, fishing and shooting – he had a deer’s head in the house mounted. Tom was a friend with Dr Pat O’Callaghan the 1929 Olympic discus thrower, who was a partner with Tom over the ownership of some racing greyhounds. In the winter Tom would go pike fishing. Tom rented a strip of the River Suir from ‘Old Grubb’ and had a small fishing hut there.

Madge passed away on 4^th February 1964 and Uncle To, died on 26^th December 1981. They are both buried in the principal cemetery in Clonmel. It is inscribed: “KEY. In loving memory of Margaret Key (Madge) Staunton Row died 24^th Feb 1964 RIP, Thomas Key (Tom) Staunton Row died 26^th Dec 1981 RIP”