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Hello from Canada!

I am planning a very special pilgrimage to Callan in June 2027 to bring my late husband’s ashes back home to his ancestral family lands, and I would love to connect with any living relatives or local historians who might recognize his family tree.

My husband was a direct descendant of Michael Rice, who was born at the Westcourt homestead in Callan to Robert Rice and Margaret Tierney. Michael was a brother to Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice (born 1762).

Our branch of the Rice family immigrated from Callan to Red Head Cove, Newfoundland, Canada in the 19th century. My husband's grandfather was Patrick Rice, who tragically passed away in a snowstorm on the Baccalieu Peninsula, leaving behind his widow, Margaret "Maggie" Hogan, and two daughters. One of those daughters was Catherine Rice, who married a Thomas, passing this incredible Irish heritage down to my husband.

If anyone in the Callan area is connected to this branch of the Rice family tree, or if you have any tips on local parish records, I would be absolutely honored to chat with you online or meet up for a cup of tea when I visit next summer. s#

darlene

2 replies

Darlene:

The records for the RC parish of Callan start in 1821. However, the earliest Rice baptismal record for Callan parish was an 1832 record for a John Rice. Do you know the year of birth for the Rice ancestor who left Ireland for Canada?

I tried to track Rice records in Callan through the years. The 1849 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Callan civil parish listed five Rice records. There was a Catherine Rice on Mill Street in Callan and there were four John Rice records in the following townlands: Cornyeal Pawlerth Westcourt Commons Westcourt North. What we don't know is how many unique John Rice individuals there were since someone could have leased/owned one or more holdings.

The 1901 census only showed one Rice household-a John Rice on Mill Street with two sons (John and Robert) (possibly he was a son of the aforementioned Catherine Rice on Mill Street).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Kilkenny/Callan_Urban/Mill_Street/1445043/

The 1911 census had the same John Rice with just one son (Robert) on Mill Street.  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Kilkenny/Callan_Urban/Mill_Street/562499/

By the 1926 census, the elder John was deceased. The younger John was a teacher and living on Mill St. with wife Hannie and children Shawn and Catherine.

Hannie died in 1970 and John must have died after 1975 which is the last year we have online death information.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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