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O’Brien and Tyrrell lines in Offaly

Offaly

I finally was able to visit the old family farm in Ballykilleen, Edenderry, Offaly in August 2025. The 330 acre farm was sold at auction in 1957 after my gg uncle James Patrick Tyrrell (junior) died. His father died about 1877 at another farm at the age of 30, and the wife, Mary Elizabeth (O’Brien) Tyrrell moved back to her family farm at Ballykilleen To raise her two boys. The back of an old photo from the 1950’s indicates that the O’Brien’s owned/leased the farm for 300 years. My g grandfather, Edward Gerald Tyrrell, was born in Rhode in February, 1875. Any additional information or hints on the Tyrrell’s or O’Brien’s would be appreciated. I know that James and ?Christine O’Brien were running Ballykilleen in the 1830’s.

Thank you.

Marty Tyrrell

Massachusetts, USA

Mtyrrell

11 replies

Marty,

I know you mentioned Edward was born in Rhode in 1875. Could this be a record of his baptism?

From RootsIreland (paid subsription)

Castlejordan, Meath - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI

Name:Edward Gerald TyrellDate of Birth:20-Feb-1875
Date of Baptism:24-Feb-1875
Address:ClonmoreParish/District:BALLINABRACKEY
Gender:MaleCountyCo. Westmeath
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:James TyrellMother:Maria O'Brien
Occupation:Not Recorded
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1:John MulvinSponsor 2 /Informant 2:Catherine O'Brien
Notes:
FATHER LAURENCE KINSELLA
mtvrdk@gmail.com

Marty

Record found on Irishgenealogy. James Patrick Tyrell death in 1877. Click on record image.

Irish Genealogy - Explore your Family History free site

Name:James Tyrrell
Date of Death:1877
Group Registration ID:7816958
SR District/Reg Area:Edenderry
Deceased Age at Death:30
View record image

Regards- Mary

mtvrdk@gmail.com

James Tyrell death record

Name:James Tyrrell
Date of Death:1957
Group Registration ID:2229685
SR District/Reg Area:Edenderry
Deceased Age at Death:82
View record image

mtvrdk@gmail.com
Name:Edward Tyrrell
Year of Birth:1875
Group Registration ID:9120965
SR District/Reg Area:Edenderry
Mother's Birth Surname:Null
View record image

@@@@@@@

Party 1 Name:James Tyrrell
Party 2 Name:Mary Obrien
Date of Event:09/02/1874
Group Registration ID:2843190
SR District/Reg Area:Edenderry
Image path:marriage_returns\marriages_1874\11230\8117170.tif
View record image

Regards- Mary

mtvrdk@gmail.com

Marty

I just checked out Ancestry and it looks like a Martin Tyrrell has a tree dating back to the late 1700s. Is that you? Not sure what additional info I can offer.

mtvrdk@gmail.com

Marty,

 I noticed the tree was missing Mary's mother. Info from RootsIreland.

Edenderry, Kildare and Leighlin - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI

Name:Mary E. O'BrienDate of Birth:
  Date of Baptism:01-Feb-1851
Address:Parish/District:EDENDERRY
Gender:FemaleCountyCo. Offaly
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Edward O'BrienMother:Anne Bennett
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1:Sponsor 2 /Informant 2:

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Other siblings- James 1849, George 1853, Catherine 1856, Thomas 1858

@@

mtvrdk@gmail.com

mtvrdk@gmail.com

I’m absolutely amazed! I have bits and pieces that I found over the years, and I’ve had to correct several errors that I made, but these are all my ancestors, some of whom I had seen mentioned, but had no idea how they connected. Thank you so much!! I never knew which townlands or parishes I should have checked.  My family tree is viewable on Ancestry.com 

Mtyrrell

Hi Marty,

              Cathal Tyrrell here , i live about a mile from Ballykillen , I got some information from a local historian and farmer who is a relation of the O Brien's whilst i was trying to do some research on my late grandfather Patrick Tyrrell who died aged 84 in 1988.

According to the farmer/historian (Shea Loughlin) who's mother was an O Brien the 2 sons name were James and Patrick ? . Shea still farms in the area. Her 2 sons both went to the States in the early 1900's and supposedly fought in WW1. My grandfather is a cousin ? or nephew ?

There was an Edward Tyrrell who moved to Montana and Wyoming (USA)  I have his passport he moved back to Ireland in the early 1940's ? and lived with my grandfather in Drumcooley Edenderry . The townland bordering Ballykillen . . He died in 1948 or 49  . I have attached a photo and details of his passport..

My Grandfathers name was Patrick Tyrrell and my late father Eamonn (Edward) and i also had an uncle named Gerald  

Pity i didn't see your message earlier as im trying to do research on my family myself and i have a lot of photos and information and im trying (slowly) to piece together a family tree and would have been delighted to meet you.

I will contact the local historian and see if he can shed any further light and if you want i have old photos of me grandfather i can send on to you and see if there's any resemblance

Note; Its a British passport because at the time Ireland was part of the British Commonwealth .

Kind Regards

Cathal Tyrrell

Cathal Tyrrell

Hi Cathal,

It would have been amazing to have met you when I was in Ireland. I have a thousand questions. I would love to learn more about what you have on the O'Brien's and Tyrrell's. I believe that my gg grandfather James Patrick Tyrrell, Sr had siblings, but I haven't seen anything concrete. I have seen a Thomas Tyrrell in some records in the 1860s and 1870s. My father, Kenneth Joseph Tyrrell, Sr had talked about how a relative had been killed in a farming accident, presumeably James, but I saw a death record as pneumonia. His wife Mary Elizabeth O'Brien ended up raising her two boys at her family's farm at Ballykilleen. I have scans of rental receipts from the 1830s to different O'Brien's and the back of an old photo indicated they farmed that land for 300 years. Please feel free to reach out to my email at kmtyrr@comcast.net.

*I'm not sure if your attached photo went through or not, but I am not able to see it.

Mtyrrell

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