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Hello Introducing Myself: A Harrington

CorkBandon (Cork)

Hello. I'm glad to find you here! My name is Maureen Harrington.

My great-grandfather was Edward Harrington (born 1865) who married my great-grandmother Margaret Kennefick (born 1869), alsofrom Bandon as were his parents (my 2nd great-grandparents, Richard Harrington (born about 1840?) and mother, Anne Keohane (born about 1840?). I think I have that straight! As I reread, it looks confusing, even to me. Margaret Kennefick's parents were John Kennefick (born 1849) and Margaret Riley (not sure of her birthdate), but my grandmother (Mary Claire Troy, whose father was James Troy from Dublin (a baker) told me Margaret Riley'sfather was Cornelius Riley and her mother was Ellen/Elaine? de Courcey.

I'm sure I've made mistakes here in spelling and dates, and might have the names altogether wrong, but I'm hoping that someone from this parish can help me untangle it a bit. I would love to know everything about my Irish ancestors and their history, especially where they lived and worked, what they did, in general. My Irish family is my father's side. They talked about Ireland and felt very connected, always. They said they were Irish, never Irish-American. That would have been unthinkable. Even my cousins and their children say they are Irish. If pressed they might say they are Boston Irish.

I look forward to reading about my Irish heritage and hope to hear from other members of this group.

Thank you!

IrelandXO member

15 replies

Maureen:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

We do not have a parish liaison for Ballymodan civil parish which includes Bandon so I will try to assist you. The Bandon RC records go way back to 1794 http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0017   Bandon RC church is part of the Diocese of Cork and Ross and the church records for that parish are on www.irishgenealogy.ie which is a free Irish government site. I did some searching for Harringtons and Kenneficks on that site and for some reason, I'm not finding any records that tie to the information in your message.

I also looked at the 1852 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Ballymodan parish and there are no Kennefick records and only one Harrington--Honoria in the parish. http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/cork/ballymodan.htm

You may want to look at the site and also search the register. Possibly they were from another nearby parish?

Let me know if you have questions.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

possible match for Edward's baptism ?
Edward Harrington bapt. 18 May 1864, parents Richard Harrington and Ann Keohane - see : here (National Library)
The parish is Enniskeane, which is not far from Bandon to the north west.

Extracted civil births appear for several of the children, and some of these mention Murragh, which is likely a reference to registration sub-district f that name, which is part of the district of Bandon. A research birth cert for one of the children should show a more detailed location - i.e. name of the townland.

Edward and Margaret appear to have married in Boston, Massachusetts on the 28th Sep 1890 (FamilySearch)

shanew147IrelandXO Volunteer

Maureen:

I found the Margaret Kennefick baptismal record down in Clonakilty. Also found a brother Michael in 1866. Mother was shown as Margaret Raleigh instead of Reilly. Clonakilty is southwest from Bandon.

Roger 

Area - CORK & ROSS (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - CLONAKILTY

Baptism of MARGT KENNIFICK of BEAN HILL on 4 July 1869

NameMARGT KENNIFICKDate of BirthN/R N/R N/RAddressBEAN HILLFatherJOHN KENNIFICKMotherMARGT REILLY

Further details in the record

Sponsor 1HUMPHREY CROWLYSponsor 2ELLEN DONOVAN

 

Area - CORK & ROSS (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - CLONAKILTY

Baptism of MICHL KENNEFICK of BARRACK HILL on N/R September 1866

NameMICHL KENNEFICKDate of BirthN/R N/R N/RAddressBARRACK HILLFatherJOHN KENNEFICKMotherMARGT RALEIGH

Further details in the record

Sponsor 1CURLY SEXTONSponsor 2JUDE COGHALANRecorded Parochial AreaCLONAKILTY

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger:

Hello and thank you for the introduction and explanation. It looks like I am in the wrong parish! I will make note of all your suggestions here and see about Clonakilty as one of the people in a message below talked about it, and my cousins now are telling me Bandon was another branch of the family... and when they went to visit they went to Clonakilty. 

Thank you so very much I am pleased to see more information and suggestions below. I hope it's alright to stay a member here for a bit until I learn where I should be.

Thank you,

Maureen Harrington

IrelandXO member

shanew147:

Hello and thank you for all that information about Margaret and Edward, my great-grand parents. Wonderful. I will have to take a look at the FamilySearch site. How very kind of you to look all that up. I will check the other docummentation, too. There are many resources here that you and others have mentioned. I'm very excited to be off to a good start.

Maureen

IrelandXO member

Roger:

That is great news about the baptismal record for Margaret Kennefick in Clonakilty. And Margaret Raleigh rather than Reilly! That sounds English. I wonder if it is an error or something in our family history unknow to us over here in Massachusetts. Whatever it is, it is fascinating and eye opening!

A writer friend of mine from Scotland tells me there was a "Harrington's pudding shop in Clon that he visited for their black pudding." How interesting. I suppose there are lots of Harringtons, though. 

I will research all of this information which looks excellent.

Thank you, 

Maureen

IrelandXO member

I plan to join the Clonakilty board with all this great information leading more to that direction. It makes great sense, too, that meshes with some of our old family stories.

I will stay here until it looks like it isn't where my family is from, as it is now beginning to look. I also have to learn where Bean Hill is. Sorry to be such a novice, but the commenters who posted here with information have got me off to a good start.

Thank you,

Maureen

IrelandXO member

Roger,

With a possible connection to Murragh, Bandon seems like a good spot for me to stay connected to. Thank you for that detail. 

 

IrelandXO member

There are townlands named Beanhill North and Beanhill South close to each other and located about 5 km (3 miles) north of the town of Clonakilty. see : Beanhill South and Beanhill North (c1840 OSI Maps). See also Google map showing route from Clonakilty
 

shanew147IrelandXO Volunteer

Maureen:

Likely the priest or whoever recorded the baptism, heard Raleigh rather than Reilly.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I believe this is the marriage of Richard and Ann, 10th February 1863 also in the parish of Enniskeane (sometime listed as Enniskeane & Desertserges or Inishkeen). Anne's surname is a little unclear but looks like Ceahane. See the 3rd entry for February (NLI register image) on the left page. The witnesses are Patrick Powel and Patrick Ceahane.
 

shanew147IrelandXO Volunteer

shanew147:

Thank you for such detailed information and references. I will look at maps and other information in the morning during my weekend days off. Very exciting and lots to get to learn about! The spelling of Ceahane is excellent to know. I'll see if I can find a pronunciation guide.

IrelandXO member

Roger:

Thank you, that sounds like a good explanation for the spelling difference. I checked a database yesterday and saw several entries with families named Raliegh. It might have been a common error. I'm also interested in non-accidental Anglicised name changes . I'm finding that Harrington has more than one different possibility for the original Irish version. It would be interesting to find a history of Anglicised name changes.

IrelandXO member

shanew147:

I have a photo of Richard Harrington from maybe the 1870s. A cousin sent it to me. Unfortunately it has been cut out of a larger family portrait. He definitely looks like my father and grandfather. Richard would be my 2nd great-grandfather. I don't thing it could be his son Edward. Taken in the US it would have been a very old suit for Edward. I don't really know the clothing one might have worn in Ireland in the mid-19th century.

IrelandXO member

Hi Maureen,

I just learned learned of my great grandparent's names today. I googled and your thread came up. I have the spelling of Margaret's last name as Kenefick, Margaret A. She was from Clonakilty, born in 1869. Her husband, Edward P. Harrington was from Bandon and was born in 1865. My (father's) cousin is sending me more information regarding Edward's siblings this afternoon. You might know her. She and my grandmother have the same last name as you!

 

hgaughran2@aol.com

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