Julia Healy and family from Gortavallig

I am not sure if I am the Mary you previously were in contact with. It would be helpful if you post your previous message.

I found these siblings on Irishgenealogy Welcome to Irish Genealogy - Irish Genealogy Church Tab

John 1869, Jeremiah 1871, Johanna 1872, Margaret 1874, Daniel 1878, Catherine 1882, Sarah 1882, Honora 1885

Julia's civil record shows January 29, 1881, also found on Irishgenealogy Civil Records 2039232.pdf

Mary

Link for Gortavallig. Note Healy's are on the Griffith Valuation

.

Gortavallig Townland, Co. Kerry

Mary

This Julia Healy was baptized in September 1881, the month and year your father had recorded for her birth.

Name: Julia Healy

Date of Baptism: 07-Sep-1881

Address: Crostera

Parish/District: Kilgarvan

Gender: Female

County Co. Kerry

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Father: Daniel Healy

Mother: Helen Sullivan

Sponsor 1 /Daniel Lynch

Sponsor 2 /Helen Healy

This Julia had siblings whose baptisms are listed on RootsIreland:

View  Church Baptism      Healy Timothy        1862   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Helen 1864   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Anna 1866   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Helen 1867   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Ann   1871   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Jeremiah       1871   Co. Kerry      

View  Church Baptism      Healy Honora         1877   Co. Kerry

There is a Jeremiah and a Nora (Honora), but I did not see a Margaret.

Hi Patricia and Mary TV - Thank you for the above responses....much appreciated. I am still not sure I am navigating on this site the way it should be used....please bear with me. I had a question ......how did the people of the Beara peninsula fare during the Great Famine? Was this area devastated as was the rest of the island? Is there any information about this in the area's history I wonder? If not, where can I find such history? And, lastly, what is the Griffith Valuation? Thank you . Nancy

Nancy,

Kerry was significantly impacted during the famine.

Kerry Great Famine Population Impact - www.mykerryancestors.com

Famine and Emigration in Co. Kerry

Great Famine in Kerry 1847 - www.mykerryancestors.com

Old Kenmare Cemetery

The old KenmareCemetery can be found just outside the town of Kenmare. Take the road to Glengarriff and just over the bridge turn left. You will find the graveyard just before you come to the Sheen Falls Hotel. There's a sign that says no access but this means no access to the land beside the Burial Ground.

The graveyard was the site of an early monastic settlement founded by Saint Finian of Innisfallen who died at the end of the 7th Century. The Church of St Finian is in now ruins.

Nearby you will see the Famine Plot (Irish potato famine) where over 5,000 local people are said to have been buried during the great famine. Such was the level of poverty in the area during the great Irish famine that the medical officer in the Kenmare workhouse (a workhouse was the name given to feeding stations set up by the English to feed the starving during the Irish potato famine) described the workhouse as “an engine for producing disease and death”.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

"Griffith's Valuation was a significant property valuation survey conducted in Ireland during the 19th century, primarily between 1847 and 1864. It aimed to assess land values for taxation purposes and is a valuable resource for historical research into property and occupancy. You can access Griffith's Valuation records online through the National Archives of Ireland, which provides tools to aid your research into property, occupiers, and historical changes. Additionally, Ask About Ireland offers a searchable database for recorded occupants and place names related to Griffith's Valuation. Sir Richard Griffith, who conducted the survey, played a crucial role in reforming local taxation in Ireland'

What is Griffith's Valuation?

Griffith's Valuation, 1847-1864 - Irish Geneaography

Nancy, this is not necessarily your relative, but a John Healy was leasing land from Ellen Lyons, and I believe he had to pay taxes on the land based on the Griffith Valuation.

Mary

Mary TV - Thank you for sending the hyperlinks ...I will definitely be reading them. As for the Griffith valuations: I found a link on the web about it. It seems that the Brits were hell bent on squeezing out every last penny from the Irish people........I read how the Valuations looked at the geology of the land, all kinds of really granular metrics.........It was quite disturbing to see the length and breadth of their outright grift from people dying of a famine. Really quite shocking..... What was the main source of income at that time in Kerry I wonder....was it all potatoes or was there a living to be made in fishing I wonder? I just have to think life must have been quite challenging. Please feel free to share any and all history you know of. As an aside: I am so glad I contributed to this site. It makes me feel connected to a group of people-extended family - that I never knew ....who just happened to emigrate......allowing me to commune in a way with them now in 2025. Does this make sense? Thanks again for your time in answering!

Nancy,

My grandmother came from Kerry. She lived in Portmagee. Her parents' grandparents would have been impacted by the famine directly. Years later it continued to impact the families. My grandmother's family were farmers and fishermen. Her grandfather was a cooper, barrel maker. Barrels were used to transport fish and other goods. Life was very difficult. My great aunt, who was born in the late 1800s, once told my father the scenery was beautiful, but you can't eat scenery. It's no wonder so many left and many sent home money to help the family survive or pay passage. What helped many move forward was in spite of everything, education was important.

Mary

Hi Mary TV - I appreciate your reply ........ "The scenery is beautiful but you can't eat the scenery" - WOW........that really drives it home, doesn't it? Since I have been researching this I saw that the Brits have apologized (was it Tony Blair?) to the Irish people. Too little too late IMHO! (in my honest opinion)...... I could really go down this rabbit hole but this is not the appropriate place. From what you shared, your family suffered as well. "Life was very difficult"...... I can only imagine. When my GM - Julia - came to the US, she and her sisters worked as servants. And that feeling of "not quite good enough" got imparted to my father. He felt badly about himself and really struggled with his sense of self and identity. Not good enough........~ It took me a bit of time and insight to see what was going on for him.....most likely, secondary to this famine and emigration.......Feeling crappy about yourself because that is how you have been treated by those in power for centuries. As an aside: I have read widely on epigenetic trauma. Check it out......the trauma that continues in future generations. Changes that happen at a real cellular, granular level that gets transmitted to future generations. I was a science major so this type of thing really piques my interest.

So nice corresponding with you! Like I said: I applied for Irish citizenship...sent the paperwork in 2 months ago and it was received and , so far, no problem. They said I should hear back by August ....so I am quite happy about this. You must have read by now how the US is becoming totalitarian......Trump and Musk - I never voted for them. No one I know voted for them! How they got elected is beyond me........So I look forward to my Irish citizenship.....Hope we can be in touch again. Kind regards ! Nancy