Catherine Mary Mannix - County Clare

Dear Paul:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out.  Unfortunately, the Mountshannon parish registers only begin in 1846, so there is probably not a baptism reference for Catherine Mary, although there might be references for younger siblings if they existed.  You might also note that the surname Mannix was also synonomous with the surname Minogue and this is important to note for any research.  

I did not find a reference to a Dennis Mannix in Mountshannon, but I did find a reference to a Dennis Minogue there from the townland of Middleline South.  This reference is to a holding which is transcribed on the website Clare Library.  Here is the link for your reference:

http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths/griffithm9.htm

There is also a Dennis Minogue in Scariff (civil parish of Moynoe) living in the townland of Meenross.  His reference is on the same link.  

Both men had families.

Denis Minogue of Mountshannon had a daughter, Winifred baptised 3 June 1847.  Her mother's name was Winifred Goonane (Guinane).  There do not appear to be other children listed on the parish register for this family, but that is not conclusive to say that there weren't other children.  

 

Denis Minogue of Scariff had children with Catherine Dwyer.  It is not clear that this Denis resided in Meenross as the townland is not given.

Another Denis Minogue of Scariff had children with Mary (Maria) Nash.  This family resided in Clonusker.  

If you have other sibling's names for Catherine Mary Mannix, they might assist to narrow down which family she was connected with.  

Not to further confuse you, but prior to about 1898, Mountshannon parish was also in part of County Galway, so you may need to look there as well.  

Please get back to me with any questions, as there are several Mountshannon historians who may be able to assist.

Happy  New Year!

 

All the best,

 

Jane

 

Dear Jane

Thank you very much for your searches, information and advice – greatly appreciated!  

At this point I don’t know of any siblings for Catherine.  None were mentioned in her obituary, nor have any been identified by her other current descendants.  The family story is that she came to Australia as a 12 to 13 year old girl but we haven’t been able to find her in the shipping records.  Coming alone at that age seems unusual but I understand that Mountshannon was hit hard by famine in the 1840s and maybe this accounted for her emigration?

I’m intrigued by your find of Winifred Minogue, daughter of Denis Minogue and Winifred Goonane (Guinane).  On Catherine’s death certificate in 1915, her daughter listed Catherine’s mother as Margaret Gwynne, a surname not too far removed in sound from Guinane, although of course the first name is different.  It appears that Catherine had not learned to write, as on her marriage certificate her signature has been written by the minister, with ‘X her mark’ recorded next to it.  Any mention by Catherine of her mother’s name to her daughter would presumably thus have been spoken, with her daughter then having to make sense of how it might be spelt.  

Even more intriguing is that I have recently had an autosomal DNA match with an Irish woman whose maiden name is Mannix and whose mother’s maiden name is Guinane.  She was not aware of any links in her Mannix line to Mountshannon but said she would look further into it.  Maybe these names could be common enough for this to be a coincidence but I’ll certainly pursue this link now.

My thanks again for your very helpful response.  Best wishes for the year ahead.

Regards

Paul