Offaly clan gathers in Tullamore

One of the largest families in Offaly has celebrated its very own Irish gathering.

Descendants of Tom and Agnes Dillon from Cadamstown met in the Tullamore Court Hotel last month.

Four generations were represented – from 90-year-old Willie Joe Dillon to the newest member of the family, seven-week-old Siabhra Spain.

Tom and Agnes were married in 1916 and had 18 children and 65 grand-children. Today the extended Dillon clan is more than 250-strong.

“It was a fabulous day,” said Agnes Dempsey (65) from Birr, the youngest of the original brothers and sisters.

“I met cousins I hadn’t seen for years,” said Carmel Halpin from Dublin. “As with any big family, you sometimes only get together for funerals. But this was a really happy occasion.”

More than 130 members of the family in Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand use Facebook to keep in touch.

“The ‘gathering’ started when we posted a message on Facebook saying that my dad, Paddy, who’s 85, was visiting from Scotland,” said Agnes Scott, from near Edinburgh. “It just grew from there.”