Mary (Griffin) Faherty Menlo Cemetery

Dear Patrick:  

Many thanks for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board.  

You don't say where Mary was born in County Galway, but I have found the civil marriage record and the graveyard reference for you.  The graveyard reference is here:

https://historicgraves.com/menlo/ga-mnlo-0070/grave

  It appears that they married in Carraroe and that Mary Griffin's family may have been from the townland of Cuillawn.  I have forwarded this post to several volunteers in the area who may be able to assist you with your search.  You should expect to hear from them in the next week or so.  Please email me directly at:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com  if you do not hear from them by the 1st of November.  

 

Thank you for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out and I hope that you have a wonderful visit!

Kind regards,

 

Jane

Hi Patrick

This appears to be the link to 1911 census for Mary Griffin's family. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Crumpaun/Carrowroe__North/469869/

Marys birth based on this record https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1907/01673/1666007.pdf

If you have details of any Faherty family members your father may have been in contact with please email me direct at lackagh@irelandxo.com and I will follow up.

Regards

Thank you Jane and Gerald for sharing your skills at research.

That is indeed the gravesite and the birth & marriage records. I have the death certificate from the Irish government.

One of Mary's children reached out in the 1970s to Marie Griffin Sheldon who adopted my dad. My father either didn't believe it, or resented being "left" at an orphanage. He has mellowed over time and now is a grandfather many times over and expecting to be a great grandfather early next year.

I cannot remember her name, but I remember being shocked that she was not much older than I, born 1950-53? or thereabouts. She was probably Mary's last child and told her daughter about her half brother in Pittsburgh. 

My father is interested in my research, but cannot make the trip to Ireland as my mother doesn't travel. I will be there Nov14 in Dublin and the 15th-21st in Galway. Maybe 21-25 in Dublin before flying back.

Thank you

Patrick Kevin Sheldon

Hi Patrick:

Thank you for your reply.  Ger will be able to help you and he has received your notification too.  I will leave it to him to assist, but if there is anything further needed, please let me know.  You can contact me directly at:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com

Kind regards,

 

Jane

I want to thank the remarkable people at Ireland Reaching Out for help with my search. The story of finding my grandmother is told in this link from Irish Central:

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/grandmothers-grave-galway

Jane,

I did indeed find my grandmother Mary's gravesite in Menlo Cemetery, a beautiful site not far from the Menlo Castle ruins. I want to thank you again for all the help in finding her. I also want to provide an update: after writing about the search for my grandmother, a member of her family had found the article and contacted Irish Central for my information. I got a call during the Covid lockdown, and now the family would like to meet. It was nice to know Mary's family turned out so well. My dad, the one who was adopted, is bedridden now or I'd bring him to Ireland to pay his respects. I could not have done it without your help and encouragement. 

Patrick

PS I think I would like to research my dad's father who was from County Sligo. I know he died around 1979 and from what I could find in Chicago records, there were no decendants. Do you have a research team for Sligo?  Thanks again. P