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Ellen Devaney, Thomas Devaney, Catherine Devaney

I am trying to learn more about my GGGrandmother who was born Ellen Devaney in 1828.  Notes made next to her name in a great-grandson’s baby book says “great great name Rooney County Donegal. One sister stayed at Letter Kenny and married a Murray. Her son headed Redemption Order in Rome for 38 years.”   I think this means her mother's maiden name was Rooney.  The sister MAY be Catherine Devenny who married Patrick Murray 16 Feb 1857.  Their son Patrick Joseph Murray was a priest in Rome.

I do not know when Ellen came to the US, but she was married in Pennsylvania in 1850. She and her husband John Conley settled in western Wisconsin.   I would love to find her baptismal records and who her parents and siblings are but have had no success thus far.

Another possible clue (or maybe not):  There was a Thomas Devaney who farmed less than a mile from the Conley’s in Wisconsin.  I speculate that he is related but have found nothing to connect them.  Records in the US say he was born in 1829 or 1830 in Ireland.

Thank you for any information or guidance as to how to move forward.

 

pat.jensen@sol…

4 replies

Pat:

Finding RC records in Co. Donegal pre-1850 is very difficult. If the Catherine Devaney who married Patrick Murray in 1857 was Ellen's sister then their parish was Letterkenny and records for that parish start in 1853.

I looked on the Tithe listings for Conwal civil parish but did not locate any Devaney/Devany/Devenny records.

Have you considered DNA testing? Possibly you will have matches with people who have more info on the origins of your family.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi,
There's a Donegal historical society, here's the link:
http://www.donegalhistory.com/
Good luck with your search!
Regards
Liberty.

Liberty59@outl…

Thank you so much for the quick responses!

I have done DNA testing with Ancestry and uploaded to GEDmatch but so far all the matches & people I have connected with are in the U.S. and stuck at the same place I am.  The baby book information I listed was from a very recent connection through DNA.  Before that all I had was that my DNA ties to an Irish community called Inishowen, County Donegal.  Since I have traced 2 of my 4 Irish ancestors to Counties Westmeath & Laois (Kings), and a third is said to be from Roscommon - obit only, no parish record yet, that left the Devaney line.

Thank you for the information on the civil & RC parishes and the links for further research.  I have taken a couple of research and visiting trips to Ireland and hope to make another post-pandemic.  The next will surely include a trip north to County Donegal!

Thanks again,

Pat

pat.jensen@sol…

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