Seeking information on Joyce/McDonogh family

Seeking information on Stephen Joyce & Honor McDonogh and decendants.

Stephen Joyce born married Honor McDonogh they were probably born in the early 1800s, maybe around 1820.

Their children were baptised in Rosmuc:

Patrick Joyce 23-Mar-1842 Lower Comas Godparents: Stephen McDonogh & Mary Sullivan
Joseph Joyce 11-Aug-1846 L. Comas Godparents: Stephen McDonagh & Mary Sullivan
Penelope Joyce 27-Mar-1844 Lower Comas Godparents: Stephen McDonagh & Mary Sullivan

They then appear in Galway in the Long Walk/Fish Quay/Quay Street area where the following children are baptised in St. Nicholas Parish Combined North & East::

:Joseph Joyce 21-Jun-1849 Galway Godparents: Thomas Griffin & Mary Griffin
Martin Joyce 16-Nov-1851 Galway Godparents: Patt McDonagh & Catherine Green
Colman Joyce 19-Mar-1854 Galway Godparents: Patt McDonagh & Honor Kyne

There is a record of a burial for a Stephen Joyce in the Rosmuc records: Date of death: 24-Jun-1863 Age: not given Address: Lower Comas.

I do not know if he was brought back there for burial or if the parents had moved back from Galway town at this stage.

Family stories say that Patrick was brought up in Galway town and had a number of brothers who "jumped ship" on the way to North America and settled in South America, possibly Argentina and that all contact was lost.

Patrick worked as a Stevedor on Galway Docks and married the daughter of a shopkeeper/publican, Michael Daly, from the Fish Quay in Galway, Mary Ann Daly, in the Pro Cathedral in Galway on 14 Sptember 1871.. This is a transcript of their Civil Marriage Cdertificate:

Patrick Joyce, aged 25, batchelor, Occupation : Stevedore Galway, Address: Long Walk, Galway, son of Stephen Joyce (deceased) - no occupation listand Mary Anne Daly, aged 22, Spinster,No Occupation listed: Address: Fish Quay, Galway, deceased daughter of Michl. Daly (deceased) Occupation: Shopkeeper. (Both signed their own names) At RC Chapel of St. Nicholas. Witnessed by: Patrick Lynch (who signed his name) and Marianne Vaughan (who made her mark) Priest Officiating: Bartholomew Quinn CC.

They were married for fifteen years before they had their first and only child, Stephen Joseph Aloysius Joyce, born on 3 April 1886 at Long Walk Galway.

Unfortunately, Patrick died on 18 June 1886 at Quay Street Galway. His occupation at this time was a grocer and he left an estate valued at 65 to his wife, Mary Ann.

His untimely death has been the core problem I have had in researching the family as with his roots in Conamara so far from town and his father dead, Stephen Joe, his son, lacked the normal information & contact most people would have about their extended families.

We do know that he maintained contact with a cousin, Martin Joyce, (whom we believe to be a son of Walter) from Derryrush, who used to bring poteen into Galway. Some of Stephen Joe's children would also have visited family members in Conamara including a Mrs O'Brien in Maam Cross (who was a daughter of Walter Joyce). The Joyces in Derryrush were supposed to have had a shop. This information ties us in with the Joyce Peadar Walter line of the family, still resident in Derryrush. I suspect that the original Stephen (married to Honor McDonogh) was either a brother of Walter Joyce or of his second wife, Sally aka Sarah Joyce (nee Joyce) of Loughaconeera who were married on 11 January 1857 in the parish of Carna.

Walter Joyce Age not recorded. No address recorded. Parents not recorded.

Sally Joyce Age not recorded. Derryrush. Parents not recorded.
Witnesses:Thomas Joyce & Mary Joyce

A dispensation was granted for the marriage as it was between 2nd to 3rd cousins.:

I know that even though Derryrush was not only in a diffent parish, but a different diocese, the family continued to attend the church in Rosmuc rather than in Kilkieran or Carna. Whether this was due to distance or to to an earlier connection/loyalty I do not know.

The Peadar Walter branch think that Walter Joyce may have come in from Roundstone. They do not know who his first wife was but the following baptisms for children appear in the Rosmuc records with parents Walter Joyce and Mary Sullivan. These pre-date his marriage to Sally so are strong possibilities for his first marriage: There is no record of a marriage anywhere for a marriage between a Walter Joyce and a Mary Sullivan, though this is not surprising given the this period of famine.

John Joyce Date of Baptism: 26-Oct-1847 Address: Lettermackoo Godparents: John Conneely & Anne Joyce

Martin Joyce Date of Baptism: 27-Oct-1845 Address: Lettermackoo Godparents: Martin Mealy & Mary Gilmartin

Mary Joyce Date of Baptism: 08-Mar-1849 Address: Lettermackoo Godparents: Martin Maley & Mary Gilmartin

Colman Joyce Date of Baptism: 30-Nov-1850 Address: Lettermackoo Godparents: Patrick Cannivan & Mary Gilmartin

Mary Joyce Date of Baptism: 09-Jul-1858 Address: Lower Comas Godparents: Anthony Martin Catherine Sullivan

Thomas Joyce Date of Baptism: 07-Jan-1864 Address: L. Comas Godparents: Colman Malley & Mary Joyce

There are clearly 2 distict families here; The first in Letermackoo could well be Walter who married Sally in 1857 as there are no more children listed in Letermakoo after 1850.

There is also the link with the Sullivan name to be kept in mind, as the Godparents of Stephen & Honor's children baptised in Rosmuc included a Mary Sullivan as one of the Godparents. Walter and Mary Sullivan from Lettermackoo do not start having children listed in the register till 1847 so it may be that they were not married at the time Stephen and Honor are having children baptised in Rosmuc, and that she is the same Mary Sullivan who later marries Walter Joyce. This would support a link between Walter & Stephen Joyce. I would love to find proof that they were, as I suspect, brothers. I would also like to work out the relationship between Walter and Sall, described as "2nd and 3rd cousins".on their marriage documentation. Does this indicate Walter's grandparents were Sally's Great grandparents? Would this be the same as 1st cousins once removed? If this is so, it indicates another unknown sibling of Walter and Stephen or a connection through the female line through the grandmothers. People are so right when they say there are more Joyces than you could put shoes on! Sorry I don't have the Irish for this...

The second family, in Lr. Comas may also be linked in some way,however, as the share the place of origin of the Stephen who married Horor McDonogh.

We also know that Walter had an unmarried sister, Ann, living in Derryrush in the 1900s.

Derryrush, Lr Camus & Lettermuckoo were all part of the Martin Estate at Ballinahinch, so movement of tenants from one part of the estate to another would be normal, especially following the widely reported evictions of 1851:

"WHOLESALE EVICTIONS--On the 17th September Mr. John ROBERTSON, agent to the mortgagees of the MARTIN estates, accompanied by sixty bailiffs, proceeded to the townland of Derryrush [Galway], and evicted seven families comprising forty-two individuals. The houses were levelled on the instant without the slightest opposition being offered by the evicted. On Nov. 11th, the same party went upon the islands of Dooletter, and evicted two families consisting of ten persons. Nov. 16th, the same party visited the Townlands of Mace and Dooreher, and evicted seventeen families, comprising one hundred persons, and levelled the houses. Nov. 21 same party, proceeded to the town land of Atry and evicted seventeen families, comprising sixty five persons, and unroofed the houses. On the 22nd of November the same party went to the townlands of Cashel, Doonreageran, Rossroe and Glynsk, and evicted sixteen families, comprising eighty-seven human beings, and levelled their houses.--Galway Vindicator."

Stephen and Honor are in Galway by the time of the evictions, - they seem to make the move at the height of the famine.

I woulld like to know what happened to the children from Walter's marriage to Mary Sullivan. They do not appear to be living with him after his marriage to Sally.

I really need some clarification from someone local on this please.

Back in Galway, Stephen Joe Joyce originally trained as a cooper and then worked for his wife's sister's husband's family, the Ruanes at Spanish Parade. The eldest of this family, Andrew J. Ruane worked for the Congested Districts Board and later for the Fisheries. The younger brothers in that family salted and iced fish for export, dealing with fishing stations round the coast. The also had boats. In1909, one of their boats, the RIVAL, a GALWAY KETCH - 29 tons, carrying SALT & FISH was, WRECKED ON FLOOR ROCK; ROUNDSTONE heading FOR GALWAY.. Stephen Joe saved the lives of the Ruane brothers who were on board, and they rewarded him for this by passing their business at Spanish Parade on the him at their deaths. They also made rope and had a chandlery business there.

He married Mary Kate Kavanagh from Fairhill, Claddagh and had 5 children: Patrick, Michael, Pearse, Mary, Eileen & Thomas.

I would be extremely pleased to conncect with onyone who might have links with this family in order to share information.