O'Donnell's Ballindoon
I realise posting for information on an O'Donnell family in Galway may be pushing it, but you never know your luck!
I'm looking for anyone who may be connected to or who may know of my O'Donnell family of Ballindoon parish, Galway. My GGG grandmother Anne Marie O'Donnell was born in Ballindoon parish circa 1839. She sailed to Perth, Western Australia in 1859 and in 1860, married William Fortune, an ex-convict. On her marriage certificate, she said her father was Valentine O'Donnell, a farmer and Protestant.
Anne, her husband and children ended up in and near Mackay, Queensland, Australia by 1868. Her brother, John Valentine O'Donnell, was by this time a publican of the Criterion Hotel in Wood Street, Mackay. John was previously a police officer in both Springsure and Mackay, Queensland before buying the hotel. Prior to that, he was serving in the Royal Irish Constabulary in the mid to late 1850's in Kildare, Ireland before supposedly transferring to join the English Constabulary in 1857. By 1863, John was a Senior Constable in Springsure, Queensland, Australia.
DNA matches have indicated I have matches to the O'Donnell's through O'Flaherty and Conneelly families (which are also common).
Anne O'Donnell died in Mackay, Queensland in 1875 and her youngest 4 children were placed in a Catholic orphanage.
I would love to hear from anyone who may know of our family, particularly people based in Ireland.
Cheers
Mel
For the team in Ballindoon:
I have checked the following:
- Tithe Applotment Books
- Griffith Valuation
- 1901 and 1911 Irish Census
- Civil Registration BDM
- The British Newspaper Archives
- RIC Archives
- Burials
