Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

In search of Finneran Family

RoscommonKilkeevin (Roscommon)

We are attempting to locate anyrelatives of our ancestorsEdward Finneran and Mary Magnon (Mannion), and Edward's parents, Timothy Finneran and Amelia Kennedy. My husband Edward Brian Finneran, is the son of John Joseph Finneran II born in New York. His father, John Joseph Finneran I was born in 1899 inFoughill, near Castelrea. Edward and Mary were married in 1885 at The Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Loughglynn and according to later cencus records lived at House 20, Foughill, Coolougher, Roscommon. Edward and Mary's other children were Edward b.1896, Timothy b.1894, Mary Ellen b.1892, Thomas b.1890, Patrick b.1888, Michael b.1887 and Anne b.1886. Timothy and Anne came to the US in the early 1900's with John, but we assume the other siblings stayed in Roscommon. In July 2018 we visited Ireland, but did not have any of this information and limited time to search. We found a possible headstone for Edward at St. Joseph's Cemetary, but could not find a home where they may have lived. When we returned home we were able to build these records with the assistance of the historians in Strokestown. We would like to return to Ireland within then next 2 years and connect with any relatives that are willing to meet American cousins. We would love to see where the ancestors lived and what their lives would have been like, and definitely would love photos if anyone has them.

Thanks, Edward and Maggie Finneran Best contact; mags35rags@aol.com

mags35rags@aol.com

5 replies

Edward and Maggie:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Did you notice that on both the 1901 and 1911 census records, Edward Finneran was shown as being born in Co. Tipperary. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003190338/   The 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Kilkeevin civil parish shows a Timothy Fineran living in Foughil   https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/roscommon/kilkeevin.htm  This record must be for Edward's father. The 1911 census record also shows ten children born to Edward and Mary but only eight living in 1911. One more thing about the census. The house numbers were assigned by the constable as he walked thru the townland picking up and certifying the census returns. So house 20 has no meaning except to the constable.

Mary Finneran died May 20th, 1913 https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1913/05324/4481751.pdf

I did not find a death record for Edward in Foughil although I did find a 1923 record a few parishes to the east.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Roger!  Yes, this matches the information I have.  I was a little confused as to why Edward was born in Tipperary, yet his father Timothy was from Foughil and Edward returned there years later  as well.   I think Edward may have been a bit of a hooligan in his pre-marriage years, and I was able to find an arrest and conviciton for a fight he got into in a bar, I think I Castlerea!  I do have his death certificate and a picture of his headstone from the cemetary in Castlera (St. John I think?) and I'm pretty sure he died in 1922 in a town about 10 miles south of Fouhil.  We drove through the Foughil area and there's not too many homes.  It was pouring rain the 2 days we were there, otherwise I would have probably started knocking on doors to see if any of the locals may have had information!   Since we returned home I've located marriage information for some of Edward's other children there in Foughil and Castlerea, and assume that they remained in Ireland.  We would love to find and meet some of their decendants when we return hopefully this summer or next.

Thanks for the information!

Maggie Finneran

 

 

 

 

mags35rags@aol.com

Yes!  I have that same document and the information does match up.  Michael was one of his sons.  

mags35rags@aol.com

Maggie:

I don't want to post personal info on the message board so can you send me an e-mail message to castlemore@irelandxo.com

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.