Thanks to Michael Daley for the following. He has done a tremendous amount of
work regarding the history of the South Gloucester area and Osgoode Township.
He has written much material concerned with local, church and family history.

   HOW ENNISKERRY GOT ITS NAME   [a brief review]                         
   
   As early as 1834 , The Bytown Prescott Stagecoach,  a springless wagon passed this way , 
   my grandfather , Michael Daley  could recall'  in the years of his youth, of  two 
   stagecoach passing this way ,  the parish  of  St. John the Evangelist  was established 
   in 1854 , a small frame church was built, as a mission  to "Our Lady of The Visitation". 
   in 1860,Father Thomas O'Boyle , native of County Mayo , Ireland ,was  appointed as the 
   first resident priest, in this Irish settlement, which became known as the Prescott Road 
   Parish,  he died here Jan .7,1866, his body was interred in the parish  cemetery,  
   July 17 ,1870 ,Father Aeneas MacDonnell was appointed pastor , and remained until 1879 , 
   a post office was established  April 1 ,1875 , at the McEvoy Homestead ,with John 
   McEvoy as first Postmaster ,  it was called Dawson post office  a name that honored 
   Father Dawson  ,  The parish became known as St, John's of Dawson ,  Father Dawson was 
   born 1810 in Red Haven  Banffshire Scotland , on both his father and mother's side ,
   he was directly descended from Historic  Scottish families ,
   
   November 1, 1899, the name Dawson was replaced by the name Enniskerry because  mail 
   was getting mixed up with Dawson in the  Yukon ,and  Dawson in Osgoode , April 4 ,1914 , 
   rural routes came in , the small post offices were closed , and mail was delivered  from 
   Osgoode station, the name Enniskerry , fell by the way side, the parish became known  
   as St, John's. The once thriving  community of farmers, cheese factory , post office, 
   general store , with gas , feed store  , etc, are now but a memory , 
   
   November 1980 , I received a phone  call from  Dr. Arnold Taylor  chairman of the 
   Osgoode Township planning board , informed me they were going to designate  St ,Johns  
   as a hamlet , and how should they spell it ,  St, John, or St ,John's , I told i 
   wanted it called , "Enniskerry", well that threw him , He asked me to get the church 
   hall for a meeting of the local people, which I did ,  
   
   November 24  1980 , a lively  meeting  was  held , A vote by secret ballot was held,,  
   [I  had all the right people there! ], the name Enniskerry was reinstated, The signs 
   went up in 1982 ,       
   
   The name Enniskerry derives from its  namesake situated 12 miles from Dublin City 
   gateway to some of loveliest scenery of  County Wicklow - the Garden of Ireland, 
   
   As one wanders amidst the tombstones in this Pioneer cemetery, reading their 
   inscriptions one notices the words "Native of County Antrim, Coounty Carlow, Kings County, 
   Coounty Cork, Conty Mayo, County Sligo, County Wexford, etc.  
   
   The following are a few of the family names engraved on their tombstone, ravaged by 
   the mists of time:      
   
   The Clelands and the Canglys  
   Likewise the Daleys too 
   The  McEvoys, they number quite a few 
   The Buckles, Burns, and the Blanchfields,  
   The Herberts ,and the Jordans too
   With names like Dewan, Doyle, and Devereaux                                         
   Fitzpatrick and O'Brien, O'Byrne, O'Boyle                                                   
   O'Rourke, O'Connor, O'Callaghan and Leahys too                                        
   The Shields and the Mantils, Terry, Tobins,                                                
   Turner and Sullivan too,  Sure n'tis little wonder 
   the name was changed to Enniskerry 

... Michael Daley 
______________________

I believe that Mr. Daley's most recent work is "150th Anniversary, 1854-2004, An Historical Sketch". This book details the history of 
St. John the Evangelist Church (Osgoode and Enniskerry), and St. Bridgid Church, Manotick, (on the River Road, south of Manotick).
... Al 


 May 2, 2012:

New e-mail address for Mr. Michael Daley is mbdaley@xplornet.ca (incorporated in the list below)
   

 
E-mail Michael Daley, Mary Quinn and Al Lewis



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