Looking for information about Bridget Kerin (Kearins, Kearns) - 1833-1900. Emigrated to Australia 1854; sponsored sister Mary and cousin Michael McNamara who arrived in Australia in 1856. They all settled at Tia, NSW, near Walcha on the New England Tableland, Australia. Bridget married Thomas Dunn in 1861 and is my great-great grandmother. Looking for village families that might have info/photos about all three of the above.
Sandra:
Kilfenora RC baptismal records start in June 1836 https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0628 ; so likely a baptismal record for Bridget would not be available. Do you know how much younger Mary was compared to Bridget? The subscription site FindMyPast.ie has a January 29 1837 baptismal record in Kilfenora for a Mary Kerin with father Michael Kerin and mother Biddy Pierse.
The 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Kilfenora civil parish shows a Michael Kearn in Ballybreen townland. Not sure if the Griffiths record is for the father of Mary Kerin.
https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/clare/kilfenora.htm
The Co. Clare library has a very good genealogy site https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm
Roger McDonnell
Roger
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for your tips about research.
Parents of Bridget and Mary were Patrick Kierans/Kerin and Margaret McNamara (???-1856) - Mary's death certificate. Birth date of Mary is circa 1834. By the time Mary came to Australia in 1856, both parents were dead. Bridget was depositor for four people from Kilfenora who emigrated to Australia between 1858-1864 (1864 - Belinda Kerin and Mary Donlan of Ennis Tirmon who came on the Hornet; Andrew Kerrin and wife Mary who came on Golden Era in 1855). I imagine there must still be Kerin or McNamara family members in Kilfenora who might know something about them all and would love to hear from them.
Best wishes
Sandra