Back: Gary and Helen Foran (Gungahlin), Kevin Roffe (Wollongong), Helen Arthur (Harden), Barbara Mills (Yenda), Gerard Murphy (Campbelltown), Beverly Solah (Harden), Ann Arthur (Goulburn). Front- Margaret Irving (Murrumburrah), John Foran (Albion Park), Margaret Murphy (Mt Annan) and Linda Campbell (Queanbeyan).
A small group of people have been regularly getting together since the late 1990’s. The group has grown over the year sand participants vary from one get together to another. The common thread being they are all descendents from one couple—James Magann (1829-1913) and Rose Ann nee McKenna (1834-1885). The couple were married at St.Mary’s Cathedral in 1852. James had immigrated from Fohr/Fore, County Westmeath Ireland on 19.2.1848 on the “Hyderabed”. At the time he was listed as a labourer. Rose had arrived from Southern Ireland in 1841 on the “Ayrahire” with her parents Patrick and Bridget McKenna.
The Maganns came to the Harden Murrumburrah district in search of gold. James was said to have found it but didn’t make his fortune from it. He owned a property at Currawong. Like many others at the time, the couple raised a family consisting of Mary, James, Patrick, John, Edward, Rose, Alice, Teresa, Margaret (known as Agnes), Euphemia, Cicely (known as Clare) and Annetta. This family originally spread from the twin towns towards Leeton in the west, Sydney in the north and Gerringong/ Gerroa in the east. Today the small group endeavour to travel annually back to its twin towns roots. The 2016 visit occurred on the weekend of 29/30 October-. They have been welcomed many times at the Terracotta Restaurant by the Burns family. This visit they enjoyed the upgraded Harden Motel.
