Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

Questions regarding John Dougherty/Mary Monaghan

Donegal

Hello,

I am planning on visiting Donegal in the late summer/early fall of this year. I am visiting my father's roots in Belmullet, County Mayo, but I would like to also learn as much as possible about my mother's family before I come. This would include where in Donegal they are from (family farm or town), possible distant relations in the area, and any other information I can find out about my family's history.

My family does not know much about our family the Dougherty's other than that John Dougherty and Mary Dougherty (nee Monaghan) came over from Donegal somewhere we believe between the time period of 1870-1890 and settled at 18th and Jackson Street in South Philadelphia.

I am not exactly sure how to even approach this process and any insight from professionals or fellow seekers would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

shanecarey9013…

8 replies

Shane:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I did some searching on Ancestry.com  and found the October 18, 1931 death record for Mary Monaghan Dougherty. She was 60 when she died and was a widow. Her birth date was shown as May 1, 1871.   Her father was shown as Patrick and her mother was Mary (no maiden name shown). I then searched the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie and found her civil birth record in Co. Tyrone. The family was from Glengeen townland in Dromore civil parish. https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1871/03297/2208302.pdf

I went back to Ancestry and located Mary and six children ( one married five unmarried).in the 1930 census. The census indicated that she arrived in America in 1879 so likely she came with her parents and later met and married John Dougherty.

The 1910 census showed that John and Mary had seven children living with them. John year of immigration was 1884 and Mary 1881 so they married in Philadelphia.

John Dougherty died June 16, 1929. His death record showed a date of birth of April 10, 1867 with parents James and Hanah.  I looked for his civil birth record and the best fit was a record for March 19, 1866 for a John Doherty. (Doherty is the usual spelling in Donegal as opposed to Dougherty). Not sure if this is the correct record but it has the correct parents. Ardmalin townland is in Clonca civil parish in the Inishowen Peninsula.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03542/2303757.pdf

Let me know if you have questions.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger seriously you have literally in a 3 paragraph reply illuminated more into my mothers family then at least the past few generations have know combined. I really cant express my gratitude enough and if it was possible to buy you a few pints either in Philadelphia or Ireland I will go out of my way to do so. Thanks again! Last question and I know its probably pretty difficult. How do individuals in your experience go about tracking down distant relations in Ireland? Is there a service that does so or a way I can do so myself? No worries if you dont have an answer your help in this matter has been something I wont soon forget. 

 

Shane

shanecarey9013…

Shane:

You can hire a professional genealogist. Also, every county has a Heritage Center where for a fee that will research records in that county but most of those records are available on the subscription site Roots Ireland. The Irish government has a free site which has images of civil records. For example, births are available from 1864-1916 (with 1917-1918 to be added very shortly). They also have marriages and deaths for certain years.

The big key for your family is the fact that Ancestry.com (another subscription site) has Pennsylvania death records from 1906-1964 so I was able to find the census records and then go back and find the Irish birth records. I'm somewhat sure about John Dougherty/Doherty but there are so many Dohertys in Donegal that you never know if you have the correct one but at least I found one with parents Patrick and Hanna.

I grew up in North Philadelphia and my mother was raised in South Philadelphia so I'm very familiar with the city. I now live in Maryland.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks again Roger I have already told much of my family and they are as excited as I am. Do you get up to Philadelphia often? Please reach out to my email shanecarey9013@gmail.com if you I definitely would like to meet up for a few pints. 

shanecarey9013…

Roger,

Sorry to trouble you one more time! What part of South Philly are you from? My Dougherty family is originally from St. Monica's Parish and moved to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 2nd Street.The others moved to the Northeast (Mayfair).

Thanks,

 

Shane

shanecarey9013…

Shane:

My mother (now deceased) lived at 1938 S. 21st and was a member of St. Edmonds. I grew up in North Philadelphia near Roosevelt Blvd. (St. Ambrose parish).

Did you see my response to the Daly/McCarthy message?

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Hey Roger!

I did thank you very much. That was very helpful as well and gave my friend a very good foundation to build off of as he starts his own search. As an aside I looked into a few genealogists in Ireland that do forward family trees to find family still over there, but is there anyone you would recommend in particular?

That’s such a small world. My grandmother who has since passed grew up on 18th and Jackson just a few blocks away from your mother originally raised by her immigrant grandparents who are listed above. Although I live closer to center city now for work I was born and lived for a time in the Northeast and have passed St. Ambrose with their big Celtic Cross our front many times. 

 

Shane

 

shanecarey9013…

Shane:

You can try to contact one of the genealogists who belong to AGI. (As a policy that we have at IRO, I can't make recommendations regarding a particular genealogist. )

http://accreditedgenealogists.ie/members/

 

Roger

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.