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Patrick Donovan and Killgohane

CorkBandon (Cork)Kinsale (Cork)

 

 

After many years of trying to find my great grandfather's birthplace I still struggle. He came from the Kinsale/Bandon area of Cork, the only link is a UK census in 1881 where Patrick gave Kilgannie as his birthnplace.

An old map of Cork County shows a Killgohane just south of Ballymodan. I cannot locate this on modern maps and would like to find out if Patrick Donovan, from Patrick Donovan, born in the area around 1818 is tracable to this area.

Patrick moved from Cork to Bristol and married Mary Fitzgerald in Bristol in 1857. this is when I pick up their history but would love to find where he came from before I get any older. Jim Donovan - Norway

 

 

toveandjim@lyse.net

6 replies

 

Hi Rockhampton,

 

I have tried to locate both the above townlands to no avail - here is a link to an old Cork map of the area.
Donovan/O'Donovan's are a very popular surname here. Good luck with your research. 

 

http://map.geohive.ie/mapviewer.html

Clonpriest, IrelandXO VolunteerIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Patrick,

would you please send a clip or copy of the Census entry or a link to the page of the Census. Given the era in Ireland, it was quite common that many thousands of the irish population were illiterate because of the just passed Famine and may not have been able to spell the name of the Townland for the enumerator or contradict him if he made an incorrect or misspelled entry. The pronouncitation of the name could also be misinterpreted by the enumerator and consequently spelled incorrectly. Try to find the original handwritten entry and the signature or mark on it to see who filled the household form.

There ar a couple of Townlands in that area that could easily be misheard and spelled incorrectly. Could you also send me a clip of the "old map" you spoke of as I have many maps available to me to compare to, I will be happy to help if I can.

Abbeystrowry CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

Apologies Jim, was thinking Patrick when I began above.

Abbeystrowry CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Thanks for the response. I have a mass of details of Patrick from his marriage to mary Fitzgerald in 1857 Bristol, but nothing prior. The census of 1881 was the first time his birthplace is mentioned as previously he gaved the county only, Cork. I have since found that he had at least two sisters,  Julia and Margaret born in Cork in the 1831 and 1836 respectively. I have been informed, by my deceased uncle that Patrick was fronm the Bandon, Kinsale area.

His father is given as Patrick, on the marriage certificate of Patrick Donovan and Mary Fitzgerald. Unfortunately he changed his age on each and every document and census until the day he died in 1906, his daughter gave his age as 89 years in 1906 and the doctor chganged this to 90 on the certificate. This means that he had a birth range of 1818 until 1829 if the documents are used as a guide. 

 

 

 

 

toveandjim@lyse.net

I must thank you for your time on this. Patrick and Mary went on from 1857 with 10 children, all surviving up until 1912, with names Margaret, Michael, Catherine, Mary, Julia, Johanna, Ellen, John, Peter and Bridget. If this naming pattern is of interest, I have attached the old Cork Map.

 

toveandjim@lyse.net

Rockhampton,

As I suspected , the Marriage Ceretificate shows the "mark" for the signatures of Patrick and Mary which means they were both illiterate. I would be very much inclined to think that because of this, they would only be able to tell the Clergyman at their wedding or the Census taker of where they came from and It is my opinion that Patrick was from Killowney which name spoken by an Irishman in England would sound very much like Kilgannie and the spelling of which would be based on sound only and which could not be contradicted. Link to this address and Civil Parish of Kilroan info, https://www.townlands.ie/cork/kilroan/ ;  There is a listing of of Townlands on this page which includes Kilowney which is in the Bandon/Kinsale area.Attached below is the Baptism Register entry for Patrick of Patrick Donovan and Honor Leary in April of 1829 from this area detail of which exactly matches Patrick's age information at his marriage. Here is a link to the transcribed info of the Baptismal.                                                                                                                                                                                                      https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/2477cc002…

If you have any further queries on this, you can contact me through this message page or through my personal email address, frankfahy054@gmail.com  Hope this is of help to you. I have found no evidence of any other Patrick Donovan, a son of a Patrick Donovan anywhere in the Kinsale/Bandon area in a wide timeframe that would in any way match match the detail you provided.

Stay Safe & Well in these uncertain times.

Abbeystrowry CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

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