Hi Andy Just came accross your message today and apologies for delay in responding. Everything was very disrupted during covid. Anyway I have a few bits of information now, if of any use to you, or you haven't already.
To start with Loughkeen is just accross the border in Co Tipperary from Co Offaly. Birr is the nearest town to Loughkeen and is in Carrig which is in the Catholic Parish of Birr. That is why the marriage of James and Mary took place on 17/1/1853. Unfortunately as their father's names are not recorded on the Marriage register it is difficult to prove for certain who their parents were. Their witnesses were John Palmer and John Mahon.
Perhaps you have already, Birth records for their children, Eliza, baptised 1/5/1861, Catherine and Michael born 5/7/1865, Michael J born 12/9/1867 and Joseph born 13/5/1869. All were recorded as living at Lacca which is another townsland in the Carrig area. Carrig has it's own Catholic Church, though in the Parish of Birr. Ivy Hall is the name of a house which is in Clohaskin, Loughkeen, Carrig, Co Tipp. In 1840 it was recorded that a Richard Palmer was living there and in 1845 a Mary Anne Palmer was leasing it at £8 per annum. Perhaps related to your Mary, unless it is the same Mary who married James. Note that the address given at their marriage was Clahaskeen which I am pretty sure is now spelt as Clohaskin. (pronuncation would be more or less the same)
I have found the death record for your James - he died aged 85 on 16/4/1899 at Ivy Hall (that is were your story comes in) He was recorded as married on the Death Certificate and present at death was Kate (daughter in law) Which leads to a record where Michael his son married Kate Hynes on 30/4/1898 in St. Brendan's Church Birr. Michael's address was given at marriage as Ivy Hall. In the 1901 Census there is a James Palmer aged 58 living at Clohaskin. Possibly a relative of Mary. Also the above Michael aged 30 and his wife Kate aged 26 are living at Clohaskin. Michael is an Agricultural Labourer. in the 1911 Census Michael of same address is married for 3 years to Mary and have 1 child born and living, Joseph aged 2. Their are 2 other children on census as daughters, Mary aged 10 and Norah aged 8 - I would say they are children of Michael and Kate and that Kate has died in the meantime and Michael remarried.
Wishing you all the best in your research.
Kind regards
Margaret
