I believe my branch of the McLorinan family were in this area prior to moving to Belfast. My great grandfather was Charles McLorinan born around 1829, his father was Henry McLorinan born around 1790. So far I have been unable to trace their births/ baptisms. They would have been baptised into the Catholic Church. Please, hasanyone come across any evidence of the family?
John,
The 1766 census of Ahoghill lists a David McLorinan and a Fraser McLoriman (almost certainly the same name), both RC.
http://www.ulsterancestry.com/ShowFreePage.php?id=328
No gravestones with that surname in St Mary’s RC graveyard, in Ahoghill.
Thanks again and best wishes
john McLThank you,Elwiyn. The search continues. Indeed, one of my problems is the variations of the name- often with spellings according to what the writer thought he had heard. My grandfather's birth certificate has him ' Francis McLarnon' son of Charles McLorinan!
The idea of a single or correct spelling for a surname or a place name is very much a recent phenomenon and before that, especially in Ireland, there was no consistency. Names were spelled phonetically and each variation was down to the whim of the particular person recording the information. You will often see the spelling change as the records go back. This rarely indicates a particular deliberate decision to alter the name nor even a mistake. Not everyone was literate, but even when they were, exact spelling simply wasn’t something they bothered about. In addition to varying the actual spelling, O’ or Mac prefixes were optional and were often omitted.
Hi John, my ancestor Charles Dubh O'Neill's daughter Mary (1729-1829) married David McLorinan, Esq., who was from near Ballymena. Her mother, Mary O'Neill, was the daughter of Captain Hugh Dubh O'Neill of the Earl of Antrim's regiment at the Battle of the Boyne. Hugh Dubh was the son of Colonel Brian O'Neill, who routed Monroe's cavalry on their way to Benburb before our great victory there, who was the son of Eoghan Ruadh O'Neill and Rosa O'Docherty. Her father was lineally descended from Con mac Brian O'Neill, tanist of Clanaboy.
The McLorinans are native to the Cranfield Point area and were buried at the ancient graveyard there for many generations. I haven't discovered the rest of this book but there is some good information here for you which describes what is known of the move from Cranfield near Toome to Ballylummin in Agohill :
http://cregganlhg.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/McLarnon-Family-Cranfi…
Here is the obituary of Mary McLorinan, my ancestor's sister, and our family pedigree from Burke. So if you descend from David McLorinan of Ballylummin, you also descend from the Great Hugh O'Neill, Shane the Proud O'Neill, Owen Roe O'Neill, and pretty much every Clanaboy O'Neill that ever left children.
Cheers,
Rian O'Maolchonaire
And PS Mary McLorinan is in the Shankill Graveyard though the grave is not marked
This may be your ancestor Henry McLorinan here, and it is entirely possible he came into possession of the Ballylummin estate, as it does not sound by Mary McLorinan's obituary like she had any immediate family left.
This is from the Tithe Applotments at Cranfield in 1833.
McLorinan, Henry Townland : Cranfield Year: 1833
McLorinan, John Townland : Cranfield Year: 1833
McLorinan, Susan Townland : Cranfield Year: 1833
PS I noticed on another thread that you have tested your DNA and are aware of Cranfield.
My DNA has been tested, as well as my mother's and father's. My father's side are Catholics from Newfoundland, my mother's side Presbyterians from Quebec, but the majority of my ancestry on both sides is from right around the Bann River where Tyrone, Derry, and Antrim meet. My kit number is T392867 with gedmatch.com, my father's is M760973, my mother's is A855057. Have you uploaded your results there, I would be interested to compare ?
Listing of Hugh McLorinan of Cranfield, d. 1727, younger brother of David McLorinan at St. Olcan's graveyard, quite likely you descend from one of two his sons Patrick and Matthew if David had no issue :
Found the rest of that excerpt on the McLorinans from that book :
I think the author (who was American) is mistaken in stating that these McLorinans were Protestant.
There were very few Protestants in that area of southwestern Antrim, which remains the case today.
Mac GIOLLA EARNÁIN—IV—M'Ellerinane, MacAlernon, MacClearnon, MacClernon, MacClarnon, MacClernand, MacLernon, MacLarnon, MacLorinan, MacLarenon, MacLarinon; 'son of Giolla Earnáin' (servant of St. Ernan); the name of an old Co. Down family who, in the 12th century, were chiefs of Clann Ailebra. At the end of the 16th century, it was still common in that county, but was then also found in parts of Connacht; also a Scottish surname.
Clann Ailebra seem to have descended from Conall Cearnach. My DNA has proven that the O'Maolchonaires were really descended from Fergus Mac Roich. If this is the case, you should be DF-21 in the male line, and be within the Seven Septs of Laois group.
In the book, Mary O'Neill is described as the cousin of David McLorinan, although she was his widow. The author may have assumed he did not marry as there was no issue.
Just came across some other info in O'Laverty's History of the Diocese of Down and Connor :
In " Hugh M'Clarnan's Fort, in Derrygowan, there was a cave, now demolished; it extended from the parapet towards the centre."
"In 1704, the civil Parish of Cranfield was united to the Parish of Duneane, but, at what period that arrangement commenced, we have no means of knowing. The detached townlands of the civil Parish of Drummaul, which are situated along the shores of the lake, and are entirely surrounded on the land side by portions of the Parish of Duneane, were until comparatively recent times, attended by the Priests of Drummaul. In order to remove the inconvenience of that arrangement, those townlands were assigned to Duneane, and compensation was given to Drummaul, by giving to it the four townlands of Cranfield, Creggan, and part of Derryhollagh. There was registered in 1704, a priest named M'Lerinon, who resided at Cranfield, and was " without a parish ;" he was aged 32 years, and was ordainedin 1697, by the Archbishop of Tuam, his bailsmen were Daniel O'Harra, Creggan, gentleman, and David M'Lerinon Cranfield, yeoman, each of whom bailed him in £50."
There are numerous other McLorinans (under various spellings) mentioned as parish priests in Duneane/Drummaul and thereabouts and also as churchmen in the English church.
https://ia801407.us.archive.org/18/items/historicalaccoun03olav/histori…
Dear Rian, I am mortified and so sorry- completely forgot about this post, which my daughter has just found and shown me. I've been tracing the family for years, and cooperating with a cousin in Ireland. The DNA suggests we were not far from Toome a thousand years ago, and as far as I know, my side of the family has always been Catholic. I can offer to cooperate and share what I've got. I shall be home from London tomorrow. My email address is john.mclorinan@googlemail.com . Thank you so much- all a really interesting read, and I'm looking forward to looking into it properly and to linking up when I'm home. Warmest greetings and sincere apologies! John
