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Patrick Higgins was born in November 1844, the fourth child and eldest son of Peter Higgins and Anne Donohoe of Aghamore Lower.   He was baptised on the 17th November and his godparents were James Flood and Mary Donohoe.  His older sisters were Mary (b.1838) Anne (b.1839) and Eliza (b.1842). Younger brothers and sisters were Catherine (b.1847) Thomas (b.1848) Mary (b.1849) Bridget (b.1853) Eleanor (b.1856) and Peter (b.1857). It is likely that the eldest, Mary, died in childhood, as another daughter was named Mary, a common enough practice in those days.

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On 2nd February 1882 he married Mary Sheridan, a National School teacher and daughter of James Sheridan and Mary Duignan of Legga. The marriage was solemnized by Rev J. Duffy CC.  This was probably the Fr. James Duffy who was the first formally appointed superior of the Latin School, Moyne, a post he combined with parochial duties. Witnesses at the marriage were Ellen Higgins and Patrick Higgins (possibly son of John, also of Aghamore).

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A few months later, on 31st July his father Peter aged 74, died of cancer from which he had been suffering for 18 months, and the farm passed to Patrick.  The Land Registry records show that over the succeeding years he expanded the farm.  About 28 acres in his father's time, in 1896 he leased a further 40 acres jointly with Rev. Edward Mahon (Plots 5 a, b & c on map), formerly occupied by Thomas Donohoe. (It is not clear whether this plot was retained). This joint tenancy may not have been entirely voluntary. 

There are hints that Patrick may have had little choice in the matter and it was in some way linked to Mary's employment. Mary was a teacher in the local National School; Though National Schools were nominally under state control in effect the church was in charge, since the school manager was usually the local parish priest - Fr. Mahon was her boss. Some years later ownership of this plot was under dispute.  In 1905 he purchased another 17 acres (Plot 5 de).  By 1912 the land had been bought under the land purchase scheme, and he acquired another 3 acres from his cousin Patrick. The Land Registry records state "Pat Higgins has sold Lot 4A to Pat Higgins (Peter)".

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Mary Sheridan had been teaching at Legga school since 1872 when it officially became part of the National School system. This system had been in existence since the 1830s and provided state funding and set standards. However there were still many schools outside the system, often run on an informal basis by the local priest, or in earlier times by itinerant teachers who were paid directly by parents. When Mary was appointed, the school located in a single-storey thatched building that had been used as a chapel before the building of Legga church in 1865.

There is a description of the school from that time. There were two rooms in the building, which measured 73ft x 22ft x 12ft (22m x 7m x 4m) but only about half of it was used for the school. It had an earthen floor and no ceiling. School furniture consisted of 6 desks and 10 forms each 9ft (3m) long. The enrolment was 130 males and 103 females. It’s difficult to imagine how this many children would fit in the space available, but it's unlikely that all of them would be present simultaneously – attendance was sporadic and not enforced. There were only four teachers to manage over 200 pupils! The Principal was a John Sheridan, and he was later succeeded by a James Sheridan, but it is not known if either were related to Mary. Though formal teacher training was becoming the norm, given Mary’s age on appointment as assistant (she was 18) it’s likely that she followed and ‘apprenticeship’ model, learning her skills ‘on-the-job’.

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It wasn’t all plain sailing for Mary. In March 1880 she was reprimanded for late attendance and fined 7/6 (37.5p – not a lot, but close to a week’s wages for her then). But so was the Principal John Sheridan and his assistant, Mat O’Rorke. It seems timekeeping may not have been a priority at the school when the inspector visited! Later in 1880, Mary was admonished to raise proficiency in Arithmetic, Grammar and Geography. But the following year, so were here colleagues. (Apparently, disciplinary actions against teachers were very common in this period).

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Nevertheless, when much-needed new buildings were constructed and the school was divided into male and female schools in 1894, these infractions did not prevent her being made Principal of the Female School, and she continued in that role until her retirement in 1914.  

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