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Researching the QUIRK/QUIRKE Family in County Tipperary: Bansha and Kilmoyler Parish

The ggg grandfather of my spouse is John QUIRKE (1793-1886) who married Catherine CONNORS (1794-1877). I think they married in 1823 (but I have no source to evidence that). The Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI record 2 baptisms of their children in the Bansha & Kilmoyler parish in the Catholic archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. for (1) James QUIRKE on 1 May 1828 and (2) Bridget QUIRKE on 19 June 1833: Microfilm 02497/01.  Another baptism record for a 3rd child, Mary QUIRKE, on 24 April 1834 mentions Cloughleagh - presumably another townland in County Tipperary.  

John and Catherine migrated to Australia and settled in the Western District of Victoria.  I don't have any shipping/passenger list to establish when they arrived.

I think John QUIRK's parents were James QUIRK(E) and Margaret CLEARY but I have not been able to find any birth, marriage or death details for them.

Griffith's Valuation printed 1850 reveals a John QUIRK in the townland of Garranlea, parish of Knockgraffon, the union of Cashel, County Tipperary.  There is also a John QUIRK in the Tithe Applotment Books 1805-1837 for 1826. 

My first question is whether it is reasonable for me to assume that the John QUIRK in Griffith's Valuation and TA Book is the same person as the John QUIRK in the Catholic parish of Bansha and Kilmoyler in County Tipperary? On the maps, they seem to be in the same vicinity.

My other question is whether anyone else is researching this QUIRK family from County Tipperary and can shed more light on them all please?

Daryl Murphy

Brisbane Qld Australia

 

dasmurphy

6 replies

Daryl:

I searched on the subscription site FindMyPast and located another possible baptismal record but did not find the marriage record. Looks like John and Catherine moved around in south Tipperary. The record I located was for a Patrick who was baptized in Cashel.

Patrick Quirk baptized January 16 1837 at Cashel father John Quirk mother Catherine Connors Killeenasteena townland Killeenasteena civil parish.

The Griffiths Valuation was published for Co. Tipperary in 1850. I don't know when John and Catherine went to Australia but it appears that John may have been a labourer and was moving from farm to farm so I doubt he was in the Griffiths and for the same reason I don't believe he was in the Tithe listings.

We have had other Quirk/Quirke messages. If you go to the main message board and enter Quirk, you will get some messages. Try Quirke also.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger for your prompt reply.

I have scanned the QUIRK(E)s on the main message board without any productive result. I have also applied to join the Quirke Ancestry and DNA Facebook Group.

Since my earlier post, I have found a shipping record that lists Cath Quirk (50), Alice Quirk (26) and John Quirk (6) arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, on 27 March 1863 on the 'Great Tasmania'. Cath is listed as a 'widow' but that might have been a self-serving entry and not accurate.  Apart from that aspect, there is some promise in this passenger list being applicable because Alice (Dwyer) Quirk was Catherine Quirk's daughter in law (Patrick Quirk's wife) and  John was their son.  The ages also seem to gel.  I wonder whether these travellers followed their husbands (John and Patrick respectively) out to Australia on a later vessel?

I do have some questions for you though if I may please.

You said that it 'looks like John and Catherine moved around in south Tipperary'. May I ask how you ascertained that?  

You also said that John Quirk(e) appears to have been a labourer, that he was moving from farm to farm, prompting you to doubt that he was in the Griffiths or Tithes listings.  Again, I'm not sure what prompts you to say that (1) he may have been a labourer and (2) that he may have moved from farm to farm.

Do I take it then that, overall, you don't believe the John Quirk in those listings in the Garranlea townland (Knockgraffon parish) would have been the same John Quirke who was husband of Catherine Connors? 

I look forward to hearing from you again please Roger.

Cheers and best wishes

Daryl Murphu

 

dasmurphy

Daryl:

The first two children were baptized in Bansha/Kilmoyler. The next child Mary was baptized in 1834 in Golden RC parish and then by 1837, Patrick was baptized in Cashel RC parish. So from the baptismal records, the family was in three different locations between 1828-1837 and from that movement, I believe this john Quirke was not leasing his own piece of land. Just my opinion.

The RC parish for Knockgraffon civil parish was New Inn. I know there is a John Quirk in Garranlea townland in Knockgraffon parish in the Tithes and the Griffiths but if this is your John Quirk why did the children not get baptized in New Inn RC parish?

As an aside, there were at least twenty John Quirk(e) records in the Tithes and fifty-two John Quirk(e) records in the Griffiths.  So a fairly common name.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger for that jolt of reality.

Why do I love genealogy so much?

Cheers

Daryl

dasmurphy

Hello, I have contacted you previously. I too am descended from John Quirk and Catherine Connors and I may have information not mentioned here. Comtact was back when we were usimg snail mail. Message me at joyjenblue@gmail.com

Jenny

joyjenblue@gmail.com

Hi, I am also researching the Quirks from Tipperary. More specifically I am looking for the family of origin of Ellen (b 1822) , Michael (b 1818 or thereabouts) and Patrick Quirk (b 1829). Michael was married to Margaret and had a daughter, Bridget.

Ellen was my husband's great-great-grandmother.

All five of them moved to the East End of London and lived together in Marylebone. Ellen gave birth to twins, John & Louisa Quirk, there in 1847, a single mother with father not named on the birth certificates. (However I have worked out who he is through DNA matches!) Louisa emigrated to NZ and was eventually my husband's great-grandmother.

All of them only give their birth country as Ireland, not naming a county, in the census records. a cluster of DNA matches however leads me to believe they may be related to the Quirks in Tipperary.

I found one family with "more or less" the right family members at the right time: John Quirk of Garranlea who married Bridget Looby of Garrandee (both of RC parish of New Inn and Knockgraffon) in 1818. They had children baptised Michael (1816?), James (1822), Ellen (?), Mary (1825), Bridget (1828), Margaret  and Patrick (1829) and Michael again (1831). The right names are there in about the right order, but perhaps the eldest Michael had died and a second son was named Michael in 1831- which would make it impossible for him to have been married and have a 15 year old daughter by 1851!

My husband has a small DNA match to someone with another Tipperary Quirk family, Patrick Quirk and Bridget Ryan who had son Matthew in 1832- however they married later and had children later than Ellen, Michael and Patrick from our family line, though. Has anyone else come across an Ellen, Michael and Patrick Quirk with those birthdates or thereabouts in their research?

Thank you, Rosie Alley

rosie.alley28@…

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