The Greene Family

Tracing the Greene lineage from Portarlington to Dublin, the Channel Islands, and New Zealand

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Our Story

The Greene family's roots run deep in the midlands of Ireland, in the market town of Portarlington — a place that straddles two counties, King's County (now Offaly) and Queen's County (now Laois), divided by the River Barrow.

From there, Thomas Greene (born c.1871) made his way to Dublin, where the newly released 1926 Census places him at York Street with his second wife Bridget (née Clarke, from Duleek, County Meath) and three young sons, working as a Shop Porter at Switzers & Co. — the famous Grafton Street department store. He married twice, raised seven children, and served in the British Army. Death certificates reveal Thomas died in 1951 at their Goldenbridge Avenue home, with Bridget following in 1970.

His daughter Elizabeth would live one of the most remarkable stories in the family — interned by the Nazis in a German camp during World War II, where she served as a nurse caring for fellow prisoners. His son Thomas II married a Samoan woman and emigrated to New Zealand, where his descendants live today across New Zealand and Australia — making this a story that spans from rural Ireland to the other side of the world.

This site is a living research project, documenting what we've discovered so far and preserving it for future generations.

Dublin Homes

York Street, Dublin
1920s
In the 1926 Census, Thomas and Bridget Greene lived here with three sons in just two rooms — classic Dublin tenement conditions. Thomas walked to his job at Switzers on Grafton Street each morning. Patrick, his adult stepson, also lived under the same roof.
38 Goldenbridge Avenue, Inchicore
1930s — 2025
The family home for over 90 years. Part of Dublin Corporation's housing programme replacing inner-city tenements. Thomas died here in 1951, Bridget in 1970, and Ita — the youngest — remained until her death in December 2025. A remarkable anchor of family continuity.
62 Limekiln Drive, Terenure
1970s — 2023
Brendan Greene's address in the middle-class south Dublin suburb. His move from Inchicore to Terenure represents the upward social mobility of the next generation.

The Greene Journey

Key Figures

Explore Their Stories

🏥 Elizabeth's War
Interned by the Nazis in Biberach Camp, she served as a nurse caring for fellow prisoners. A story of extraordinary resilience.
🏚️ Dublin Lives
From two rooms on York Street to 90 years at Goldenbridge Avenue — the family's journey through 20th century Dublin.
👩 Catherine's Story
A widow's struggle in rural Meath, and the nine-year-old daughter she sent into the world alone.