"At the end of the day, my grandfather missed his home." (Kevin Keane)
"The part of my grandfathers story that I have never forgotten is when he arrived home in Ireland, the second he stepped off the ship he said, 'I have just made a horrible, horrible mistake.'" (Kevin Keane).
Michael and Mary's journey home from Brookline, MA to Mayo County, Ireland
Although Michael had a family of his own in Brookline, he was terribly homesick. No moment could ever truly be a happy one since he was not in Ireland. So, Michael and Mary began saving all their money to move back home. They purchased a farm, which they would later find out was haunted, in Mayo Country, Ireland.
However moving back to Ireland was not going to be as sweet as Michael remembered. Kevin shared that the second he stepped of the boat, his jaw dropped and he said, "I've made a horrible, horrible mistake.'"
He was reminded why he left in the first place. He got a "reality check" when he realized that all Ireland had to offer his children was a life of farming and poverty.
When I was growing up, my father, Kevin Keane, would tell me bedtime stories about his Grandparents' farm. But these weren't just stories of fluffy sheep and perfect potatoes, the Keane Family Farm was haunted...
The Lady In White: After several years back in Ireland, Michael and Mary were about to move back to America. The surrounding villagers were there to give a farewell party. However, every evening, Michael would go out to the barn to do his last milking of the day. For the special occasion, the older kids were given the honor of holding the lantern while he milked the cow. This time, Mary was holding the lantern. But as Mary was holding the lantern, she saw a beautiful women in a white gown walking the fields just outside of the barn. When they returned back to the party, Mary told everyone what she saw. The villagers said that she saw the "Lady in White". In life, the "Lady in White" owned, and loved the farm, before the British kicked her out. Still, neighbors see her circling the land...
Towser Saves Baby Kay: When Kathleen was an infant, she was outside placed on a blanket while her mother was inside. On the other side of the bushes, a badger started creeping closer to Kay. Their collie dog, Towser, was inside and started furiously barking to be let out. When Towser was let out, the badger was running full speed at Kay. Towser charged the badger at attacked it while the mother ran outside, and grabbed baby Kay. And yes, Towser was okay and was rewarded with a steak dinner that night. To honor Towser, the heroic dog, Kevin named his collie Towser. But Kevin's dog is more interested in bread and cheese than attacking badgers.