A Maltese 30-year-old woman has told the Irish press she is looking for information regarding her Irish ancestors, who emigrated to Malta towards the end of the 1800s.

Rebecca Sultana’s great-great-grandparents were from Cork – Patrick Joseph O’Shea and Gusmana Concetta North. Patrick was Irish, Gusmana North was English.

Due to the socio-political situation of the day, their union was unacceptable, even though it seems they were both Catholic.

Since both their families disapproved of their relationship, Patrick and Gusmana decided to elope.

The determined and committed couple settled in Malta in the latter part of the 1800s, which was an English colony at the time.

They got married and had four children – Una, Gerald, Maud and Patricia.

Una O’Shea married a Maltese man, Joseph Pace. Their six children inherited both parents’ names, which evolved into the double surname, Pace O’Shea.

Rebecca’s maternal grandfather, Vincent Pace O’Shea, was one of those children.