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Michael Keenan born in County Leitrim around 1798

Hello.I hope you can help me with my quest to locate the area in County Leitrim that my ancestors came from. Michael Keenan was born around 1798. He married Anne Carr who was born in Ireland in 1811. They found their way to Ontario Canada around the early 1830s. We have a record of them from there to their final settlement in New Brunswick, Canada. But we have no record of how they arrived in Canada or where they came from exactly in Ireland.  All we have is Michael's tombstone (1882-Johnville New Brunswick) which says, " County Liatrim Ireland". I will be in Galway for the month of July, possibly longer and would so appreciate any help you could give. We are very proud of our Irish heritage and the last 2 generations have tried desperately to put the pieces together.
Blessings,

Mary 

 

mfawley@shaw.ca

9 replies

Hi Mary,

A search of subscription sites www.findmypast.ie and www.rootsireland did not show any "Michael Keenan" in County Leitrim in 1795 - 1800.

Tithe records for 1823 - 1837 record "Keenan'" in West County Leitrim 1834. Barony of Drumahaire and Poor Law Union of Manorhamilton and

Barony of Carrigallen/Drumahaire - Poor Law Union of Carrick-on-shannon.

Parishes of Innismagrath and Drumreilly.

You can access those records at www.nationalarchives.ie ; Free site.

Best Wishes,

Attachments

McCoy

Hi Mary,

A further check of the record "Philip Keenan" , although transcribed as "Keenan", would appear to be the surname "Kiernan"?

Regards,

McCoy

Mary,

The attached may be of interest. Mohill is South East of Carrick-on-Shannon.

Regards,

McCoy

Thank you so much, McCoy! It's a start. I'm pretty sure that Michael was not in the military so I will pursue the first entry. I cannot seem to find them on ships records out of Cork. Would people in Leitrim typically have left from Dublin? 
How do you suggest I proceed ?  
Blessings,

Mary 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mfawley@shaw.ca

Hi McCoy. I tried to post a photo of the tombstone of Michael Keenan in New Brunswick but it will not paste. The spelling is county Laterum which we have interpreted as Leitrim. Might it be something else?  
Mary

 

 

 

mfawley@shaw.ca

Hello Mary & McCoy, I am a volunteer in Louth but my ancestors are from Leitrim, my grandmother is a Carr from Mullaghbrack, Gortlettragh, Cloone area around Mohill, there are a few Carr families there is the Tithes (just learned recently from a Leitrim FB group that the Tithe transpcrips for the parish are mistakenly found in County Clare and I see some Keenan names in Clooney (there name).

I have transcripted all Carr births and marriages from earliest church records, plus later school rolls for the area, have also done DNA and appear to have Keenan cousins around the 4th to 6th cousin range on what appears to be my Carr line, we are unlikely to find a paper record to that time, my site email is stpeters@irelandxo.com if you want to mail me and I will respond and send any records I can.

There are still Carr decendents in the Mohill area but the name is gone I think, lots of daughters. I live in Louth and it is my maternal line. 

My earliest positive Carr is an Edward married in 1857 in Gortlettragh, no parents names so cannot identify further back currently.

Regards

Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Mary,

The town of Sligo would be the most likely place to emigrate from. Records will be difficult to find.

I attach photo of gravestone. It is unclear, but it is a record.

Credit: Brian Keenan and Geni

Regards,

McCoy

Mary,

You ask whether Liatrim/Laterum might be something other than Leitrim. I doubt it. There are only 32 counties in Ireland, so a limited choice. Only 5 begin with the letter L: Leitrim, Limerick, Londonderry, Longford and Louth. Leitrim is clearly the closest to Liatrim/Laterum.

Your ancestors left in the 1830s. There was no regular requirement for passenger lists for emigrants to Canada until the 1850s, so finding out which vessel your family left on will be hard going, if not impossible.

I have attached an advert from the Belfast Commercial Chronicle of 1st November 1828 advertising plots of land in Upper Canada. Also a transcript of a letter from the Emigration Office in Quebec in 1847 which, though 10 years or more after your family left, mentions emigration from the ports of Limerick, Sligo & Londonderry and so may give a sense or flavour of those times. It also tells you the fares they paid. The original document is in PRONI, Belfast.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello again. My goodness, I am so grateful for all of the help you have given me. I shall continue my quest and I'm sure to have more questions as I follow up on this information. 
blessings, Mary

 

 

mfawley@shaw.ca

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