Brigida Mary McBARRON

I think that Hugh’s townland on the marriage certificate is Cornahowl (more commonly Cornahawla). That’s immediately adjacent to Cornagee (to the south). He was a servant so if he came from Cornagee he had presumably got work on a nearby farm.

Note that the date of marriage, as shown on the certificate, was 19th November 1878.

The bride’s townland is Mulladeen (more commonly Mullaghdun). That’s immediately to the north of Cornagree. So Hugh married the girl next door.

Mullaghdun parish church is easily found on a modern map. It’s on the Gardrum Rd, near Creenahoe.

Cleenish RC parish baptism records cover 1835-39 and then 1859 onwards. Marriages don’t start till 1866. So if Bridget was born before 1859 (as seems likely) there’s probably no baptism record to find.

Marriage here between James McBarron of Cornagee (son of Pat) to Mary Nolan. So she’s probably the Mary McBarron who was the informant for Pat’s death.

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1879/11066/8048669.pdf

Their 3 children were:

Philip 1.2.1882

Catherine 3.11.1883

Mary 26.8.1885

There was a widowed Mary McBarron in Cornagee in 1911:

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Gortahurk/Cornagee/517841/

Here’s the birth of her son Phillip:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1882/02794/2025379.pdf

Possible death for Mary McBarron regd Enniskillen 18th Sept 1923. Aged 73.

There was still at least 1 McBarron living in Cornagee in 1964:

Probate abstract: McBarron, Margaret of Cornagee Letterbreen county Fermanagh widow died 6 March 1964 Administration Londonderry 2 October to Laurence McBarron farmer. Effects £302 1s.

Margaret was 74 when she died so born c 1890. She looks to have been Philip’s widow. They married in 1916. 

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1916/09778/5549137.pdf

They had at least 5 children:

James 9th April 1917

Mary 10th Dec 1918

Laurence 27th Sept 1920

Thomas 2nd July 1922

Bridget 3rd Sept 1924.

There may have been later children but the records for those within the past 100 years are not on-line.

Hugh & Bridget married in Holywell RC chapel in Belcoo. That’s about 20 miles from Enniskillen (Ennniskillen was the civil registration town). 

https://www.churchservices.tv/belcoo

There’s no Reilly farm in Cornahawla nor Cornagee. Indeed none in the parish of Cleenish. My guess is that Hugh was from another nearby parish. But which? There are about 20 Patrick Reillys in Fermanagh, but without a clue as to which one (If any) is Hugh’s father it’s not easy to tell. Cornahawla is quite close to the border with Co Cavan. It’s possible he came from there too. (If you look at the 1911 census for Mary McBarron, you may have noticed she was born in Cavan).

I spotted this marriage in 1873 for an Edward Reilly, farmer, whose father was Pat Reilly, also a farmer. The townland was Legnagrow in Co Cavan. 

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1873/11286/8140257.pdf

A Pat Reilly is listed in Griffiths Valuation (1857) as farming there. He farmed 830 acres in common with about 20 other farmers. (The property looks to be a ruin today, and without easy road access). Legangrow is about 10 miles south of Belcoo, and was then in the same civil registration area as Cornagee (Enniskillen & Holywell sub-district). 

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project and can offer FTDNA testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).