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O'CONNOR IN COUNTY MAYO/COUNTY SLIGO

My great grandfather Patrick O'Connor, 1850-1906 and his sister Belinda Bridget O'Connor, 1845-1921 were born in County Mayo and they both died in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, USA. According to Belinda's death certificate her/their parents were Dudley O'Connor and Elizabeth Garrity.

On the Catholic Parish records Achonry, Kilmactique/Tourlestrand, County Sligo, I found Dudley OConnor and Elizabeth Garret as the parents of Mary 1846 and John 1853. It list their residence as Tavniana/Lavniana. I havent been able to find a townland by that name. Is it in County Mayo or County Sligo?

I am wondering if this Dudley OConnor and Elizabeth Garret could be my great great grandparents. Dudley doesnt seem to be a popular name. I didnt find my Patrick or his sister Belinda in this Catholic parish records. Could they have been baptized in another Catholic parish in that area?

Any help or advice will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Betty Anderson

birish644@cox.net

7 replies

Betty:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

The Kilmacteige RC baptismal records start in April 1845 and I'm wondwering if both Belinda Bridget and Patrick were born before that date. Here is a link to the parish register https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0136  You may want to scan the register to see if you find a record for Patrick. By the way, the 1853 child was James not John.

I believe the family was living in Sligo very close to the Mayo border. Tavniana was not an official townland name but likely a local place name.

I assume the family left Ireland sometime after 1853?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I may be able to help with the townland name.  There is a townland in Mayo, the name of which is now anglicized as Tawnyinah, for which the original Irish name is Tamhnaigh an Fheá, meaning something like "arable place with woods".  Actually, there are three adjoining townlands called Tawnyinah Upper, Middle, and Lower.  While the first part of the name in irish would usually be pronounced "tawny" today, it can also be pronounced "tavny", and that may have been the local pronunciation when your ancestors lived there.

Here is a link to a site with more information about Tawnyinah Middle, which contains links to info about the other two:  https://www.townlands.ie/mayo/costello/kilbeagh/kilbeagh/tawnyinah-midd…

At that site, there are other links you can use to get other info from Grriffiths Valuation, the 1901 and 1911 censuses, and other sources.

The three townlands are all in the parish of Kilbeagh in Mayo, which is right on the border with Sligo, and just one parish away from Kilmactigue in Sligo.  Interestingly, to get to Kilmactigue you would go through the parish of Killasser in Mayo, which is where my grandmother grew up.  I looked at some of the census records for Kilbeagh, and there were a lot of Gallagher's, McDonnell's and Durkan's there in 1901, all names which occur in my family, although the name Duffy was by far the most common.  I did not spot any O'Connors or Garrity's, but I only took a brief look.

The online parish records for Kilbeagh go back to 1845 for marriages and 1855 for baptisms, and you can find them at this link:  https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0126

kevin45sf@yahoo.com

Betty:

The 1825 Tithe Applotment listings for Kilmacteige civil parish in Co.Sligo show 33 records for a place called Glanavow Tawiniany. None of the records were for a Connor but possibly Dudley's ancestors were either not subject to the Tithe or they had not yet arrived in the area. When you look at the current townlands for Kilmacteige civil parish, there is a townland called Glennawoo which possibly could be the connection to where your family was from.

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=&firstname=&county=Sligo&parish=kilmacteige&townland=glanavow&search=Search

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Roger and Kevin for your help.  I'll check out the sites that you mentioned.  

Betty

birish644@cox.net

Hi Betty,
I can explain exactly where Dudley lived,
Email me for more info on davidoconnor2004@yahoo.co.uk
Kind regards
David

David OConnor

Hi Betty,
I can explain exactly where Dudley lived,
Email me for more info on davidoconnor2004@yahoo.co.uk
Kind regards
David

David OConnor
Hi Betty, The area where Dudley and his wife Elizabeth lived was Tawnyana, Glenavoo in Co sligo. The area is very close loughtalt. I searched records for Dudley and he died in a workhouse around the year 1880 and if I remember correctly he was approx 80 years old, Recently I came across records for his wife's death and it seemed she died 1872 under the name Betty Connor. Up until recently we have owned the strip of land that Dudley once owned. I have done the Ancestry Dna test and it shows that we were related to Dudleys desendents. I think all links are through his son Patrick I also believe he had a son James who ended up in England. If you want to know anymore please email me on my email in a previous message Kind regards David
Davidoconnor20…

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