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Scahill

GalwayDunmore (Galway)

I was wondering if anyone knows the area in Dunmore called Gortnagoyne (as listed on civil and birth records).  I was wondering if it is near to Ballydonlon also in Dunmore.  I found  Scahill's from there who emigrated to Massachusetts in the US.  Their descendants are DNA matches to me and so I was hoping they would be direct line.

My g-grandmother, Catherine Scahill was born in Ballydonlon and lived there all her life.  She married Augustine Huane from Kilvine, Mayo and I suspect that is not too far from where she lived. He stayed on his wife's family's farm. Would that be unusual in the 1880's?   I could not find any brothers for Catherine in the church or civil records and her only sister appears to have emigrated to Australia around the 1870's. So I assume they remained to help her parents.

Thanks for any insight.

Mary

marysunnyside@…

3 replies

Mary,

It is about a 3 min drive from Gortnagoyne to Ballydonlon, Dunmore. Both destinations are on Google maps.

Best wishes, Kieran

Kieran Jordan, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Mary:

I can't tell what records you have on Catherine and Augustine.

The link below has the 1879 civil marriage record which also shows the names of the fathers of the bride and groom. Note spelling was Hevane. 

See third record    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…

The 1901 census has the family as living in Knockatee West townland and I assume Ballydonlon is part of that townland? The census record transcribed the surname as Hawane but when you look at the actual form it appears to be Huwane or Huwrane.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Dunmore/Knockat…

1911 census in Knockatee West shows the surname as Huvane  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Dunmore__North/…

Augustine died in 1913  fifth record  https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

I did not find a death record for Catherine.

You asked if it was unusual that a man came to live on his wife's family farm. I think it was fairly common. My McDonnell grandfather and five of his siblings all emigrated to Philadelphia from 1907-1912. The youngest sibling Anne stayed with her parents. She married a local farmer Michael Towey and they lived with her parents who lived a number of years until 1942. At that time the farm passed to Michael Towey.

Roger McDonnell

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for your help.  I have all the records for Catherine and Augustine.  There were alot of misspellings of Hu(v)ane.  Catherine died in 1938 in Longhrea County Home and I have that record as well.  I have been trying to find connect ions to the Scahill family from Dunmore.  I found Thomas (Catherine's father) Ballydonlon and  a William and Michael Scahill in Gortnagoyne on Griffith's Valuation.  I have DNA matches to the William and Michael families and was hoping to connect them as brothers or 1st cousins.  William was born in 1799 and his record shows father as John and mother as M??   No records of birth for Thomas, Michael or another assumed son John.  I found Thomas's death in 1897 which gave his age as 80 so I assume he was born around 1817.  Michael appears to have been born around 1829 and John around 1827. (these dates are based death records as well)

Thanks again for your help and explanations of the area, which is really helpful. 

marysunnyside@…

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