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Cassidy Family in Dunkineely (Killaghtee Parish), Donegal

DonegalKillaghtee (Donegal)

Hello,

I am conducting some genealogical research for my family and I am looking for some help. My family is the Cassidy family from Dunkineely, Killaghtee Parish, Donegal. My 4th great grandfather was Andrew Cassidy. Andrew was born in Dunkineely in 1788 and married Mary Clarke around 1804 in Dunkineely (I think). They had the following children: Edward Cassidy (b. circa 1805), Thomas Cassidy (b. circa 1806), Mary Cassidy (b. circa 1808), Elizabeth Cassidy (b. circa 1810), and Anne Cassidy (b. circa 1815). I am trying to locate parish records (baptism and marriage records), but the NLI.ie website only has records for Killaghtee from around 1845 and onward. I know the family left Ireland around 1815-1825 and emigrated to Quebec, Canada and resided in southern Quebec. I would like to know if anyone can tell me if there are additional family members for Andrew Cassidy (parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters) etc...basically any additional information would be wonderful.

Would also love to know if family records still exist in the Killaghtee church parishrecords andif there are family graves in the area.

Thank you so much,

Tom Poirier (Tucson, Arizona, USA)

IrelandXO member

6 replies

Tom:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

You won't find any earlier records for Killaghtee RC parish. The RC parishes in Donegal did not retain the baptismal and marriage records prior to 1840 and in some parishes much later. 

Here is a link to the 1834 Tithe records for the parish and there were 19 Cassidy records although some could be duplicates.

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?…

There were also a like number of Cassidy records in the 1857 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for the parish. http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/donegal/killaghtee.htm

Also, there were 14 Cassidy families in the parish in the 1901 census so the surname continued on.

There is an excellent Donegal genealogy site and I have the link for Killaghtee parish resources http://donegalgenealogy.com/killaghteeproj.htm

There is a sublink which has quite a few Cassidy headstones and one of the contributors is a Terrence Cassidy and maybe you want to contact him. 

http://donegalgenealogy.com/oldkillaghteeGY.htm

You may want to add your ancestors story to our XO Chronicles site https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-dat…

Also, you may want to consider autosomal DNA testing.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Thank you Roger. I spent this past week looking over the links you suggested, very helpful. I have a trip planned to Donegal in June, will be researching family history while I am there.

Thanks again,

Tom

 

 

IrelandXO member

According to 1911 census Moses Given and his sister Margaret Foster and Margaret’s daughter Eliza were resident at house 15 in Calhame (Dunkineely)

jimar128

Hi Tom,

This is Hugh Cassidy from Cleveland. Found this thread online. Hope to see you soon!

Hugh

hcassidy1

Hello Tom,  Like yourself my Cassidy Family comes from the Dunkineely area. I am descended from Two Branches of Cassidys in the neighborhood of Dunkineely.  My GG Grandfather MICHAEL (possibly Andrew Michael) CASSIDY was born about 1796 and died in May 1882. That Family lived in RAHAN near Dunkineely on St John's Point.  My other GG Grandfather was PATRICK CASSIDY born @ 1809 and died in 1895. That Family was from Rahanlacky/Tievedooly which is north of Dunkineely town. I have a Family Tree on Ancestry.

So I suspect they would have Known your Cassidy ancestors. Roger McDonnell has posted Excellent information and Links to explore. I have found my GG Grandparents in the Baptism Records from Killaghtee RC Parish of their children and as Sponsors.

But just to add a mention that the Church Records from both Church of Ireland and Methodist date back earlier than 1840's. And several Cassidys belonged to those Communions.

As mentioned in an earlier post, you may find DNA testing helpful in your research. I hope to hear from you, Tom, and wish you All the Best -- Dan 

casdonal

I am also searching for Cassidy ancestors in Killaghtee. Here is what I know.  

My great grandfather Mike Cassidy was born according to his tombstone December 28, 1828.  But military and census documents confuse his birth - leaving me with his being born in Ireland between 1828 and 1840.  The two places in Ireland that are in family documents are Tullentaine Killaghtee Donegal,and Dumferlin, (the latter I have not been able to identify.)

DNA evidence has linked me to several Cassidy families from Tullentaine and Killaghtee, but not to his parents.  

He was a protestant, and DNA families in Ireland were Methodists.  

He emigrated from Ireland in about 1854. He came to Texas with his brother (of close relative) Sam.  They settled first in Fayette County, Texas.  Sam owned property there. In 1860 Sam disappeared - no death records, no more property records.  That same year Michael showed up in Gonzales County and bought property there. He rode the Chisholm Trail (a famous cattle drive between Texas and Kansas for several years, and eventually bought his own ranch in Gonzales County.  He fought in the War between the States, came home, married, had three children, and died in 1888 in a ranching accident.  He is buried in Gonzales County.  There are Michaels, Samuels, and Edwards in the DNA evidence and among his descendants in Texas.  

He had a stellar reputation in Gonzales County.  I would love to know more about his Irish life and the names of his parents.  

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