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Mary Clarke, 1849 to 1911. Greaghnadarragh, Bailieborough, Co Cavan.

CavanBailieborough (Cavan)

Hello. My great grandmother Mary Clarke, 1849 to 1911, married my great grandfather Patrick Donnelly on the 28th of October 1865 in Kingscourt Catholic Church a couple of years after he returned from America and settled in the townland of Greaghnadarragh, a mile or so east of Bailieborough, County Cavan, their marriage record is attached. They had eleven children born to them, all on the same farm that Patrick secured the tenancy for from when they married, settled and then both spent the rest of their lives in, that being house Number 7, farm lot 7, Greaghnadarragh. Their nickname in the Donnelly families was the Porras with Patrick being Porra More. I have birth records of all but one of their children namely Bernard Donnelly who I know for certain emigrated toand remained in Brooklyn, New York passing away in 1941. His year of death is only through handed down family knowledge not by a record.

My great grandmother Mary Clarke is very difficult to trace. My only knowledge is from her marriage certificate which reads that she was from the next townland of Coppanagh and that her father was John Clarke and mother Margaret McMahon. John Clarke I believe was the same John Clarke that my great grandfather Patrick Donnelly in 1864 took over the occupancy from of the 4 acre farm lot 8 Greaghnadarragh that lay on both sides of the Bailieborough to Loughanleagh road with a house come general store on the north side of the road. The building still stands today and can easily be seen from the roadside. This house remained in the Porra Donnelly hands until the death of Ellen, the last of the eleven children in the 1960's.

Any information on Mary Clarke, her parents,siblingsand her ancestors would help a lot and any information on her son Porra Bernard Donnelly would be amazing.Mary had a brotherThomas Clarke who is named as son, present at death on Mary's mother Margaret Clarke's, nee McMahon, death certificate of 1903 while still living with her at Greaghnadarragh.

candjcooper@ya…

3 replies

Hi Chris....we may have mutual relatives. My Grandfather John G. Clarke was from County Cavan Ireland. Either Larah or Bailieborough, Cavan. I do not know for sure who his parents were yet. He had at least 4 sisters, Kate, Bessie, Mary and Margaret. 2 brothers of which 1 may be named Owen. John G. Clarke immigrated to the USA in 1888, & was born in March 1870. He married Caroline Alice Lewis January 7, 1896. They had 11 children, my father Frederick Delos Clark, Sr. Was his 10th child. He dropped the ending "e" in Clarke when he came to the states. I believe it's possible he immigrated to NY through Canada.

Karen Clark Jacobs

Hello again. In Cross checking the family on the link I sent on my first reply there are a few differences with your family. There were so many Clarke's living near each other in the Bailieborough area that were not related. I can only find John Clarke born 13th Dec 1870 in Mullagh to Owen Clarke and Ellen Cullen with a brother Owen Clarke born 1st September 1875 in Ardion to Owen Clarke and Ellen Cullen. I have searched for a Catherine and Elizabeth without success. I will search for Mary and Margaret.     Chris

candjcooper@ya…

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