Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

FARRELLY OF KILMAGUN,

I have put this information elsewhere on this site but think, hope this is the right spot.

My name is Lynne Farrelly and I am desperate for information about the first of my ancestors from Ireland to Australia.

My GGGgrandfather was Martin Farrelly, He was baptised on 22/8/1831 as Martinez and town was Kilmagun in Parish of Lurgan, Diocese of Kilmore. His father was Michael and mother Anne Garrigan. I think he must have been baptised when he was about 6 years old as his death certificate from 1908 says he was 84 years old. I have found a Michael Farrelly on the Griffiths valuation living in Kilnagun in 1847 (?) I also found a Michael Farrelly with wife Anne and children living in Togher on remnant of the census for Barony of Castlerahan house no 10. ThatMichael Farrelly is not on the tithe lists for Togher so I wonder if the family moved.

Martin arrived in Port Phillip, Australia about 1848 ( from death certificate says he was in Victoria 60years before death) I have been unable to find any record of him leaving Ireland or arriving in Victoria. I would suspect that Martin came to Australia because of the famine and think he might have come out through one of the Emigration Schemes. There is a news article reporting a meeting of theCavan Emigration Society at which a Mr. Farrelly tried to speak.

I also read that there were jobs offered to the poor to work on roads rather than go to workhouse.

I believe he had some schooling and he worked in Victoria as a road builder as well as a farmer. He owned land, was a drinker, had a generous heart. He had 4 children with Ellen Foley (from Limerick) who had come out to Australia with her husband Michael Gissane and their three children. They all seemed to have lived with him in Merideth, Victoria.

He seems to have played a role in the free Irish political movement here and was not backward in taking on the authorities through the courts.

I would love to know how, why and when he came to Australia and I would like to find out what of his life in the 1830s&40s affected his 60 years here in Australia.

Thanks for this great site

lynne.farrelly…

3 replies

Thankyou so much Miriam,

I did come across the other Michael Farrelly and Anne Garry as there marriage is in the same registry as Martins baptism. 

The census I referred to was the remnant of the 1821 Census Townland of Togher, House number 15.

The information you shared suggests that the dates I have re Martin's arrival in Australia could be wrong.

I have a Martin Farrelly aged 24 and Thomas Farrelly arriving in South Australia in 1856 which I thought was too late.

Many of the Irish who came over on sponsored immigration to South Australia left their allocated work to chase after gold in Victoria perhaps my Martin did that

If so, there is a reference I found in the record collection of the Petty Sessions Court to a Martin Farrelly from Kilnagun being tried for assault 12/1/1854. 

I have found the record but can't open it without paying many dollars to FindMyPast . Maybe there is some connection with this event and his need to emigrate.

Thankyou again

lynne.farrelly…

Thanks again Miriam,

I am leaning again to My Martin leaving with his brother Thomas for South Australia in 1856. The passenger list for the Nimroud has them coming from Cavan, Martin aged 24 and Thomas aged 21.

Quite a number of Irish came to South Australia as labourers but left and walked to the Gold Fields in Victoria. Martin ended up in 1860 in a place called Merideth, in Victoria, which is on the road between Ballarat (Gold fields) and Geelong Port. There was also gold found near Merideth at a place called Steiglitz named after the Irish settlers who opened the area to settlement in 1842.

Martin stayed in Merideth for the rest of his life. He owned land and ran a contracting business.

I will keep trying to put together the story for him from 1831 until 1860 

Thanks again

 

lynne.farrelly…

Hi Lynne

I am working on my family tree at present and I also think that Michael Farrelly and Ann Garrigan are my ancestors (my GGG Grandfather).  Martin's brother, Philip was my GG Grandfather and we are currently building up the family on this line.  My father was born in Kilnagun and the Farrelly's had been there for many years.  My Granny (Elizabeth Geraghty daughter of Bessie Farrelly and John Geraghty) passed away in 1983 and as far as I am aware, she would have been the last one in that line to live there. I would be keen to hear from you to see what information we can share about the family line. 

Kate

KateNZ

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.