CHAPTER TWO: 
     
    
   
   
    
     757%flwa 
     
    
   
   
    
     inkora (Kincora) was named after an historic locale in Ireland. 
     
    

    
     G.K. Farmer, in his book Around Kinkora Area, recounts that, 
     
    

    
     “The name Kinkora is known to those interested in the history 
     
     of Ireland as the name of a spot on which the famous Brian Boroimhe 
     
     held his court and supported a royal magnificence as early as the year of 
     
     our Lord, 980...” Located in Lot 27, the land was fertile and productive. 
     
     In addition to the family of John O’Keefe, the first settlers were John 
     
     Brenan, Michael Cahill, Andrew Clear, Maurice Sommers, Edward Ryan 
     
     and James Walsh. With hard work and perseverance, Kinkora and the 
     
     surrounding communities of Maple Plains, Middleton, Newton and 
     
     Shamrock became some of the more prosperous and progressive in Prince 
     
     Edward Island. Says O’Grady, “The resourcefulness and achievements 
     
     of people in new Kinkora, PEI, engendered a pride of place and sense of 
     
     community matched by few other localities in Prince Edward Island.” 
     
    
   
   
    
     There were just 65 families in Lot 27 with a total population of 376 
     
     people in 1833; by 1841 there were 118 families and 760 people. That 
     
     would rise to some 152 families in 1848 with a reported 1031 people. 
     
     The arrival of the immigrants from Cork accounted for a large part of the 
     
     increase in population. 
     
    
   
   
    
     John O’Keefe, Kathleen’s great—grandfather, was just 29 years old when 
     
     he settled in Kinkora. He was married to Margaret Dawson, who was 
     
    
   
   
    
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