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Thomas McGah Family Location

Hello. I am looking for information that may help me locate the origin of Thomas McGah's (my GG Grandfather) home most likely in the townland of Cuilmore (Kilmore), civil parish of Kilcolman, County Mayo. He was born in 1835, and most likely migrated to California in the 1850"s. I have located two potential relatives in Ranaghard, Mary and Margaret McGah, who where tenants from in 1856. Is Ranaghard an old town or is it another designation? It appears to be an old townsite. 

Thanks.

Kirk Vail

kirkvail@yahoo.com

13 replies

Hello Kirk,

Did you research Thomas's U.S. records? Census, marriage, death, burial, headstone, probate, obituary, naturalization, etc.? Do you know his parents' names? siblings? children?  Sometimes these records confirm the place of birth in Ireland.  

Good luck.

glanvil3@aol.com

Kirk:

The RC baptismal records for Claremorris RC parish start in March 1835. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not find a record for Thomas so likely he was baptized in that parish before March 1835.  https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1056

There are four McGah baptismal records in Claremorris in the 1840s so maybe a sibling to Thomas is included.

The 1855 Griffiths Valuation for Kilcolman civil parish shows Mary McGah and Margaret McGah in Cuilmore townland not Ranaghard. Not sure where you located Ranaghard but maybe it is a local placename.

https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/mayo/kilcolman.htm

I also wonder if I some point the surname was McGrath.

As Patricia indicated, what family info can you obtain from US records. What was the name of the oldest son of Thomas?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I wish you were soon helped to find

OwenHemmings5u…

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Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you all for your input. Sorry for my slow reply.

My GG grandfather Thomas Sr. had two sisters, Ellen Agnes McGah and Sarah McGah. Ellen was born 9/29/1836 in Kilmore, County Mayo. She arrived in Boston, MA on 11/12/1853 on the ship Meridian from Liverpool. She travelled with Maria McGah, who is unknown to me. Ellen married Martin Farrell of Galway in San Francisco 1/1/1860 and is buried in the Calvary Cemetery, Bodega, California. Sarah is also buried there. 

Thomas Sr. married Sabina (?) McGah and became a U.S. citizen 8/13/1867. They lost their first child Bridget in 1865 in Sacramento, CA. By 1880 they moved to Bodega, Sonoma County, CA and had 4 children: John, James, Thomas P. and Mary McGah.

James McGah is my G grandfather. He married Wilhelmina Goodair. They had 3 children: Edward, Errol and Hildreth (Mary), my grandmother. She was born in Richmond, CA in 1902 and married my grandfather Ralph R. Vail in 1922. They had my father, Ralph J. Vail in 1923 in Oakland, CA. 

Kirk.

kirkvail@yahoo.com

Kirk:

No worries about when you reply. I've had some people get back to me after five years. 

My closer examination of the Kilcolman register shows that there are very few baptismal records until 1840. The four McGah baptismal records in Kilcolman parish in the 1840s had Michael (twice) Walater and John as the fathers.

Since John was the oldest son of John here are the details of the record where John McGah was the father: David McGah baptized October 27 1844 father John McGah mother Mary McDonagh  The place name was not Cuilmore.

Have you considered DNA testing?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Patricia

I presume you mean by Griffith "original pages" the hand-written pages? I've only used askaboutireland to research the Griffith valuations and I don't see a way of seeing the original pages. Is there another site that would show the original pages? Thanks. 

Roger

I don't have any other names in Ireland to connect to my GG grandfather's name Thomas. Only his sister's names, Ellen and Sarah. So, making connections with the names of baptismal records without Thomas's name associated with it are difficult.

You mentioned DNA testing. I have had DNA testing twice. Once through Ancestry.com and once with 23andme. Is there something specific I can examine in my testing that would narrow my research in Ireland? 

kirkvail@yahoo.com

Kirk:

For Ancestry and presumably 23 and Me you should have DNA matches ranked by closest to most distant. I'm more familiar with Ancestry. The matches could have connections to you on either a paternal or maternal line. Possibly you may know some of your very close matches. ( I have matches with four of my first cousins).  What I would do is contact your closest matches (other than known relatives) and try to ascertain where the connection is in your line. Keep in mind that you many get responses for more than half of your matches. (There are many people who take a DNA test just to get ethnicity data and they are not interested in their family tree). Hopefully you will make contact with someone who has McGah connections and may know more about the origins of the family in Ireland. Most of your matches are living in countries other than Ireland. 

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger I will give that a shot.

Kirk.

kirkvail@yahoo.com

Kirk, Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant the printed Griffith's page (or the handwritten if available).  You can see it on Ask About Ireland.  Good luck.

glanvil3@aol.com

Kirk:

I noticed I was not clear on one point on DNA matches. I've sent Ancestry messages to a lot of matches and hear back less than half the time. It is frustrating but the people who do respond sometimes have worthwhile information. If you have not already, it helps to upload your tree data to Ancestry and make the tree "public"

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks for the replys. On we go.

kirkvail@yahoo.com

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