James Donahue was born on April 9, 1882 in Corlea, Ireland, in the Parish of Kilbarron in the Diocese of Raphoe, Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland.
His parents were James Donagher and Mary Quinn. They lived in the "House on the Hill" in Corlea where thirteen children were born. The second oldest was "Papa Jim", the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc. of this Donahue Family Tree.
Mary Ann Branley was born in the District of Belleek, County of Fermanagh, Ireland on September 30, 1882. Her parents were Michael Branley and Mary McIntyre.
She married James on April 14, 1909 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Jamaica Plain when she was 27 years old. Patrick Branley, Mary Ann's brother, and Sara Donahue, James's sister, were listed as the witnesses.
They had seven children, the oldest, Mary Josephine, was born on February 12, 1910. James followed in 1911 and then Charles, Frances, Michael, Thomas and Dorothy.
James died in 1934 at the age of twenty two from pneumonia. They all married and had children except for Michael who became a Franciscan Brother.
Mary Ann died on November 1, 1943 at the age of sixty one.
Papa Jim worked early on as a stone mason and then worked at the Charlestown Naval Yard building ships during World War ll. He then worked as a security guard during the construction of Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain.
Shortly after Mary Ann died in 1943 he went to live with his daughter Frances (Harrington) in West Roxbury. He died after a long battle with colon cancer on May 10, 1953 at the age of 71.
He is remembered by his grandchildren as a very loving, happy man. He enjoyed singing Irish songs to everyone and often talked about going back to Ireland some day.