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Philip O'Reilly From Cavan - Immigrated to U.S. in 1863

Cavan

Hello - 

Newly joined and am looking to find the town/parish of origin for my 2x great-grandfather in Ireland:

Philip O'Reilly (also seen as Reilly and Rielly) was born in Cavan, most likely between 1817 - 1828. His wife was Mary Florinda Graham, born most likely between 1834 - 1837 in Ireland (location uncertain).

I have located a marriage registration dated 5 November 1853 for Philip Reilly (gives birth as 1825, father as Eugene) and Florinda Graham (gives father as Thomas). Location Oldcastle, Meath. I Have not paid to receive the original record, so this is all of the infiormation I have and am only assuming this is the correct couple. I understand that since this is before Catholic marriages would have been registered, this means that they are likely Protestant, but am unsure of this. 

Philip & Mary Graham had 4 children in Ireland before immigrating, all available records indicate birth in County Cavan:

Eugene, born about 1854

Thomas, born about 1856

John, born about 1859

James, born about 1861

 

The family immigrated to the United Satates, arriving in New York in March 1863.

 

There were several more children born in the U.S. after the family settled near Joliet, Will County, Illinois. One of whom was my great grandmother Mary Ann O'Reilly, born in 1872.

 

I have yet to find the town of origin for Philip, so am posting here with the hope someone can help or point me in the right direction.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mike Butland - Chicago, Illinois, US

 

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Mike:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Oldcastle was the registration district and although Oldcastle is in Co. Meath, the registration district does cover four full civil parishes and part of two other parishes in southeast Co. Cavan where Cavan borders with Co. Meath. The four civil parishes were: Munterconnaught, Lurgan, Castlerahan and Loughan or Castlekeeran. The partial parishes were Killinkere and Mullagh. I looked on the 1856 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing and did not see a Eugene Reilly or Thomas Graham in any of those parishes.

I would focus on that area for your family. As you know Reilly is a very common surname in Co. Cavan which will hamper your research.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for the speedy reply. I have just looked at the death index for Thomas O'Reilly again. I don't know how I missed it, but it gives his and his father's (Philip) birthplace as Kilvalley. I just looked it up, and place it in Denn in Castlerahan.

I also looked up O'Reilly in the 1856 Griffith's Valuation and see a Eugene O'Reilly (Philip's father, Thomas's grandfather) in Killyvally, in Denn.

There is also a Philip Reilly in Griffith's, in Lackanmore, in Denn.

However, I still have no idea if these are the right people.

Question: Does the 1853 Civil registration indicate conclusively that they were Protestant - or at least one of them was?

Would the next step be to check both Catholic and Protestant church records in Denn for the children of Philip & Mary Graham?

Any further advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike Butland

IrelandXO member

Mike:

Civil registration of RC marriages did not start until 1864 so likely one or both were Protestant. I would guess Florinda was either C of I or Presbyterian and the marriage occurred in Castlerahan.

Yesterday, the National Library of Ireland placed all RC parish registers online for free searching. Here is the link to the Denn RC records which start in 1856, http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0827  and the link to Castlerahan records http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0821

Roger

 

http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0827

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Mike:

I meant to tell you in my last comment that the National Archives census site has 1821 and maybe other censuses for your area of Cavan. I would check it out.  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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