McMahon family of Aughacashel

Hi Kathy

I have attached a photo fron the Old Lurgan Graveyard of a McMahon Grave which I took back in 2015. The inscription is quite difficult to read but my best effort is:-

Here lyeth the Body of James McMahon who departed thi life ---- April 1759? aged ? Also his Son Eugeune McMahon who died ---------? 28 17?9 aged 22 Erected by ------------ 10 ? 1777

I recently visited this graveyard but it was very overgrown and a bit dangerous to venture too far in.

I will probably be there again within the next few weeks so now that I know the location of the grave I will try to get a few more photos and maybe do a rubbing with paper and crayon of this headstone to fill in the blanks.

Best wishes

Dolores ( Virginian)

Thank you all for your responses!  I appreciate all of your efforts.  I know Irish records can be difficult to find for certain periods.  My grandparents were apparently some of the last to be buried in that cemetery.  I do not know if their parents and so forth would have been buried there as well and it is likely that there may not be grave markers. My grandfather (John) was raised in Aughacashel (son of Walter (1863-1944) and Mary Smith McMahon (1864-1929), who was son of James (1814-1824) and Julia Tuite McMahon (~1825 -1905).  I believe this James may have been the son of James and Bridget (1821 census).  It is possible that these older gravestones are some relation to them.  My grandmother Nora (daughter of Philip McMahon (1854- 1925 and Mary Duffy McMahon (~1859 -1939) was raised in Rahardrum and was one of 14 children.  I have been able to locate the burial spot of one sister (Alice McMahon Kellet (1896-1973) who is buried in the Maghera Lisduff cemetery.  I can not find records of her siblings/parents/etc on Find-a- Grave -- I know many of the death dates, but not burial sites.  I am guessing that no one has yet photographed these for inclusion on these types of websites. A couple of newspaper clippings indicate that funeral masses were out of St Mary's and burial was at Maghera Cemetery, but as I said the names do not yet pop up on Find A Grave or similar websites (the deaths occurred between 1964 and 1988).  For the older generation, I do not know what cemeteries would be the likely burial sites.  Anyway, I love doing research and figuring out the puzzle! Any hints are always appreciated!!!

The 1821 census for Curraghmore townland in Lurgan parish includes Mulvaneys. Curraghmore is just down the road and across from the old Abbey & cemetery. My family (Thomas & Rose Farrelly and children) lived here and are on the 1821 census, including a granddaughter named Mary Mulvaney. I believe her mother is the daughter Rose Farrelly. This is the list of the tenants in Curraghmore on the 1821 census, in case it could be helpful; the original census is available online:

Lurgan parish, Curraghmore Townland tenancy

1821 census:

in order of house numbers on this census

1. Nugent, Edward & Catherine and 8 children        15 acres

2. Nugent Thomas (father of Ed?) & Catherine and son    4 1/2 acres

3. Rielly, Frances & Bridget, 7 children            8 acres

4. Brady, Thomas & Ellen, father John            6 acres

5. Mulvany, Dominick & Bridget, 6 children: Rose, Mary (something I cant read), Bartholomew, John, Pat, Thomas

6. Briason, William & Anne, 6 children            10 1/2 acres

7. Farrelly, Michael & Anne, 3 children: Edward, Owen, Ellen         no acreage listed

8. Rock, Mich. & Catherine, nephew, lodger            4 1/2 acres

9. Calderick (sp?) & Judith, son, Cath Rielly, in-law        4 1/2 acres

10. Heary, John & Mary, 5 children, house servant        10 acres

11. Sheridan, Phillip & Mary, 6 children            12 1/2 acres

12. Farrelly, Thomas & Rose,  2 children: Pat, Rose;  2 granddaughters: Rose, Mary Mulvany; also shairng land: Smith, Pat & Catherine, 1 daugher: Mary. 10 acres 

13. Nixon, Francis (wid), 5 children, Mary Ann Nixon (in-law), 4 house servants (includes Elizabeth Farrelly)        23 acres (Lurgan Lodge - the big house)

Meant to say "down the road and across the bridge from the old Abbey & cemetery."

Hi Kathy,

Came across this obituary for your ancestor Fr James McMahon from Aughacashel in the irishnewsarchives, you may already have it. 

Regards Dolores.

Hi Kathy,
It looks like Maghera is the burial place for the McMahon's of Rahardrum I've attached a few clips from the newspaper archives.
Regards Dolores

Thank you all for the information. Reverend James McMahon was my grandfather's brother.  Joe and Michael were my grandmother's brothers. Attached below is a picture (From left to right Michael, Alice McMahon Kellet, Joe, Nora (my granny), and Cella McMahon) that was taken in the summer of 1969.)

Hi Kathy,
Thank you for posting that fantastic photo of the McMahon siblings, I was showing it to my sister and she said she remembers McMahon family living in the cottages at Rahardrum.
I was in Old Lurgan Cemetery this morning and took the attached photos.
There are 3 grave markers side by side so the plot seems to be quite large. The central headstone is as I said, James McMahon & son Eugene and it is erected by his wife Sarah.
The White slab on the right just has McMahon Lurgan on it.
The stone on the left has the following inscription:-
Here lyeth the body of Owen McMahon died Feb 11? 1728 age 84 and his wife Anney.
The graves are very overgrown and difficult to get a good reading.

I was also in Maghera and have attached photos of the headstones there. It is quite a large plot too so there are probably more people buried there not mentioned on headstone.

My sister just mentioned to me that a McMahon was a witness at my father's baptism in 1909, I will have to look for his baptismal cert and check that out.

Hope this helps,
Dolores.

HI Kathy,
Not sure if this will of a John McMahon is any connection but he is requesting to be buried in Lurgan Graveyard. He has one son Arthur McMahon and his daughter Bridget is married to Michael O'Reilly.
Dolores

Hello Dolores!  

Thank you again for your information! When trying to research my McMahon roots, it sometimes presents a challenge because McMahon was my grandfather's surname and my grandmother's maiden name.  My grandfather (John McMahon) was from Aughacashel.  He had two brothers (James, the priest,  and Walter, who died at about two years old.).  His parents were Walter McMahon (1863- 1944) and Mary Smith (1864-1929).  Walter McMahon was the son of James McMahon (1814- 1894)and Julia Tuite (1825ish- 1905).  I suspect that this James McMahon is the 7 year old McMahon listed at Aughacashel in the 1821 census (son of James and Bridget)..  I would guess that the names on the headstones at Lurgan are ancestors of this James.

My grandmother (Nora McMahon) was originally from Rahardrum.  She was the 13th of 14 children born to Philip McMahon (1854-1925)  and Mary Duffy (1860ish-1939)  Philip's parents were Philip McMahon  and Mary McNamee.  I have not yet been able to go back further then this Philip and Mary in my quest. There are several McMahon families in the Virginia area on the 1821 census, but I have not been able to connect the dots to the line that leads to Philip.  I have yet not come across the names Arthur McMahon or John McMahon from that branch of the family as a concrete connection to my ancestors.  Nora passed in 1991 and was buried in Lurgan. She was the last of the 14 siblings to pass .  Her siblings were Philip ((1879-1945), Bridget (1881 - ??  likely came to USA), Catherine M Desch (1882-1964), Mary (1883-1923 in US), Anne M Brown (1885-1966 in US), Susan M Linehan (1887-1973 in US), Ellen M Hanrahan (1888-1982 in US), Margaret M McGowan (1890 - ??), Marcella (1892-1988) Michael (1894-1984), Alice M Kellet (1896-1973) , Patrick (1898- 1964) and Joseph (1902-1970).  (From your clippings and other information, it appears that Joseph. Michael, Cella, and Alice are buried in Maghera.  It is likely that Margaret is in Leitrim, and several are in New York).

Noel McMahon was the son of John and Nora (He was my mother's brother/my uncle).

I so apprecate your time in taking the photos, etc.  

Kathy

Not sure if this will be seen. I have recently returned to researching my Irish roots and was looking over these responses. I am curious when Dolores mentioned her family knowing McMahons that lived in the cottages at Rahardrum.. My aunt had mentioned to me that her grandfather Philip McMahon (wife Mary Duffy) was some type of caretaker for a big estate (circa 1900's). Would these cottages have been part of that estate and is the estate related to the Virginia Park Lodge back in the day (or was there some other estate at the time)? Where might those cottages have stood back in 19001/1911. Also curious if anyone know anything about a residence called Hillside. Apparently my granny's sisters resided there and then a niece (Kellett) had something to do with the property. (And an extra aside -- I saw that there were Fitzsimons individuals who served as sponsors/witnesses to some McMahon baptisms/weddings. My mom's good friends back in the day were Connie and Rosalie FItzsimons who lived on the main road between Virginia and BJD.)

Thank you in advance for any insight anyone may have!

Hi there have just seen this post. There is a possibility that Alice mcmahon kellett could be my g. g grandfather francis mcmahon's sister as one of his 14 siblings was named Alice. Not sure of her birthdate. But there parents are michael and Margaret ( kellet) mcmahon . Married in st killians mullagh,  in 1864. Also know that Michael's father was called Simon. Living in cornakill. But further back than that I cant get. Can't find death records for either simon,  Margaret, or Michael. A few people have searched for them for me but they seem to have disappeared into the wind. Also on very early census or tithe record. ( cant remember which) there is a pat and james mcmahon in cornakill. Had no conformation that they are related im just assuming in that tiny little village that they probably are the same family. So I hope you see this and it is the same family. And helps both of us out with our search