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McKennas & Sheehans in Killoglin area

Killorglin (Kerry)

Hi all,

My name is Elaine.  I'm new to this place, and am looking for information for my great great grandparents, who came from the Killorglin area.

First is my great great grandfather, Michael McKenna.  Some cousin with a family bible that another cousin saw at one point years ago said it stated that Michael was born around 1830 in Killorglin. i have not been able to see this bible for myself.

His parents were Michael McKenna and Johanna (maiden name unkown.) I have been unable to find any records in irishgenealogy,ie, findmypast and other searches online. There are stories that people who came over to Ireland in the past looking for information were told that the church records were lost.   But in Boston records I did find a Patrick McKenna living in the same building and it looks like he was a sponsor for one of Michael and Mary's children. So i have him down as a potential brother or cousin.  But I have not found any information about Patrick in Irish records.

At some point Michael left Ireland and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts.   The next record I have is Boston Archdiocese baptismal record for his first child, John Joseph Mickenna, born in Boston 24th of June, 1855.  His wife is listed as Mary Sheehan.

I do have an Irish baptismal record for Mary Sheehan, born 27th January 1828 to Michael Sheehan and Johanna (maiden name Sullvian)  The record states that Mary was born in Duglas, which I believe is Douglas/Douglass, Killorglin by searching John Grenham's site and by looking at Griffith's Valuation records.

I can find no records for Michael's marriage to Mary in any of the sources above.

The 1855 Massachusetts Census lists a Michael and Mary Kenny living in Boston with their 1 month old son John and a brother-in-law Michael Shean.  Despite the misspelling of the names McKenna and Sheehan, I am pretty sure this is Michael, Mary with their son John and Mary's brother Michael Sheehan. Michael is about 8 years older than Mary, and so was born around 1820 going by the ages listed on the census. I did find a baptismal reocrd for a Michael born in Duglas in 1818

Mary's siblings by baptismal records were Honora (b 1814), James (b. 1817), Michael (b. 1818), Patrick (b, 1825) and Johanna (b. 1831)

For Michael McKenna, other potential siblings I have found are James (b 1823) and Anna (b 1833)  Patrick was born around 1828.  I also found one potential immigration record in May1846 for a Michael and Ann McKenna.  Michael is listed as 16 and Ann as 13, which would fit with the estimated baptismal ages.  But I have not found any marriage records for Michael to a Mary Sheehan anytime before their son's baptismal record, so question whether that immigration record is the right Michael.

 

Michael and Mary went on to have 9 children in Boston with the following names:

John Joseph (b 27 Jun 1855)

Catherine (b 2 Feb 1857)

Johanna Josephine (b 15 Apr 1859) - my great grandmother

Mary Anne (b 2 Jul 1863)

Michael (b 16 nov 1864)

Timothy (b. 18 Feb 1870 - and who went on to marry a Catherine "Kate" Sheehan born in Killorglin 4 Dec 1867.  Their marriage in the Boston Archdiocese in 1892 gave a dispensation for their marriage.)

Honora (b 28 Dec 1872)

So other than a cousin who had a glimpse of a McKenna family bible years ago, I have no firm records for Michael McKenna, his parents Michael & Catherine, or any baptismal and marriage records for siblings or parents.  Given the misspellings in Boston, its been hard to trace any information of either Michael McKenna or Mary Sheehan arriving in Boston.   I also looked for potential records in England, but haven't found anything there, if they went there before coming to America.

There is a bus load of cousins heading over for a private tour in mid-June.  We plan to drive through the areas were various ancestors lived, It would be great to find any information about McKennas in Killorglin area who might have married into the Sheehan family. 

thanks for any information you might have or direction you can point me!

Elaine

 

snowyowl100@co…

4 replies

Hi Elaine!

There are no Michael Kenna baptismal records in Killorglin with father Michael and mother Johanna. By the way, your third paragraph shows mother Johanna but the third from last paragraph shows mother Catherine. I see an 1827 record for a Michael Kenna with father Timothy and mother Catherine Neenan in Killorglin.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Roger,

Sorry, I mixed up Michael's mother Catherine (no maiden name) with Mary Ellen Sheehan's mother, Johanna Sullivan.  I didn't catch that in the proof read before I posted.

I have not found anything in the online baptismal or marriage records for Michael, his siblings or his parents.  I have also not found a marriage record for Mary Ellen Sheehan's parents Michael Sheehan and JJohanna Sullivan.  So it may be that those records do not exist or are sitting in storage somewhere and haven't been scanned.

But thanks for your reply.

Elaine

snowyowl100@co…

Elaine:

The only Michael Kenna in Killorglin is the 1827 record with father Timothy (I note that Michael had a son Timothy) and mother Catherine Neenan. That couple also had an Ellen (1823) and a Mary (1831). They lived in Ownagarry townland.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Roger,

    According to that family bible, a Michael McKenna was his father.   I spent some time going though irishgenealogy.ie looking at all of the Sheehans and McKennas/Kennas/Kimma/Ginnas in Duglas/Douglas - according to Griffirth's Valutation, there was a John McKenna living in Douglas then. I also found a marriage of a John McKenna to a Johanna Browne.   I also have some records of Brownes marrying into the Sheehan family, so its possible there's a connection there.  I'm hoping by tracking all of the people in teh area who seem to cross over as sponsors or witnesses that I can find a connection somewhere.  It's a long shot, but it might be interesting to see if it helps.

If we go by naming conventions, Michael and Mary's first born was John, which points to the John in Douglas.  I have Irish ancestors who actually went by their middle names rather than their baptismal names, so it's possible that was the case here.  But again, it's only a guess, short of finding some more concrete information.

Thanks for your help in looking to see if there were any connections.  I do appreciate it.

Elaine

snowyowl100@co…

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