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Good morning. Hope you are well. My wife and I are traveling to Ireland in October. We will be traveling to Glencolmcille in County Donegal.
My wife has researched my Mom's ancestry. She determined that my great grandfather...Eugene Owen Gillespie...was born in Meenaneary on October 17, 1866. His father was James Gillespie and his mother was Bridget Gillespie nee Cannon.
My wife...Jill Jacoby Brugger...who manages my family tree...Brugger-Staton...on Ancestry...has a theory that my great grandmother...Mary Gillespie nee McGinley...was born in Meenacross, Donegal in 1870.
Her parents were Charles McGinley from Meenacross and her mother was Anne (aka Nancy) Carr(e) from Meenadreen. They had six children. Patrick (born 1865), Mary (born 1870), Charles (born 1874), Charles (born 1875), James (born 1878) and Anne (born 1883). All their children were born in Meenacross.
We think Patrick settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for our trip? Thanks. Hope you have a great day.
PS. My gedmatch number is A374874 and my mother's gedmatch number is LK7308308.
PPS. My great grandmother...Mary Gillespie nee McGinley married my great grandfather Eugene Owen Gillespie on August 15, 1894 in Philadelphia. Officiating in the presence of their wedding was Michael Gillespie and Annie McGinley.
They had four children. James (born 1895), Eugene (born 1897), Anna (born 1899) and my grandmother Mary (born 1902).
When my grandmother was born, they lived at 313 West Penn Street in Philadelphia.
The sponsors for their baptism at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Philadelphia were: James Gillespi and Mary McGill (James), Daniel Moriarity and Mary Burns (Eugene), John McCue and Annie McCue (Anna) and Dennis McGlynn and Mary McGonagle (Mary).
She died in Winter Park, Florida on February 17, 1960 and is buried in Philadelphia.
Marriage of Charles and Anne 1865 https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1865/11561/8252784.pdf
Charles 1874
Charles 1875
James 1878
Anne 1883
Patrick 1865
Anne 1870
Death of baby Charles
In the 1901 census there were 11 McGinley households in Meenacross, out of 13 properties.
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Kilgoly/Meenacross/
Charles McGinley and wife Anne both died before 1901 and I am not sure who got their farm. Sorting out the 11 households looks to be quite challenging.
Good morning. Thank you Eileen and Elwyn for your research. Is there a church or graveyard we should visit while we are in Glencolmcille? Is there a pub we should visit where we may meet some Gillespie's and McGinleys? :-)
Contact the local church - St Patrick’s, Meenacross and see if the parochial office can put you in touch with any likely family.
https://www.raphoediocese.ie/church/meenacross-dungloe/st-patricks-meenacross/
