Callaghan Family from Balloor/Ballure

Eimer:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I will alert our parish liasion in Clondavaddog about your message.

Roger McDonnell

Thank you Roger for letting me knows, I appreciate it!

Hi Eimer,

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

My apologies in the delay replying but with it being Christmas week I was caught up with my own young family at home, I am sure you understand. Santa Claus is a big celebrity in a lot of homes at the moment.

I am glad you found our family tree to be of interest and decided to get in contact, but I feel I should explain that although I would have some contact with some of the Callaghan Families in Fanad, I wouldn’t have direct contact with all of them at this time, and because I would be limited as regards to present day knowledge of Hugh Callaghan’s Family back home in Balloor,  I would feel that much happier if you were to maybe contact your cousins directly, as I would be sure that if they knew of the travel arrangements of Hugh and Roses grand-daughter, they would be more that glad to welcome her and show her where her ancestors’ came from back in the day.

I have researched and put together a large Family Tree on ancestry.co.uk showing ALL of the Callaghan Families that came from in the Parish of Clondavaddog (Fanad) down through generations. At the moment the Callaghan Family tree shows all the RECORDS available for every Callaghan family that was Born, Married and Died between the years of 1780’s up to 1930s, and in some case up to present day as with my own family of Callaghan’s in Murrin that would have originally come from Balloor back in the early 1800’s.

I haven’t updated the tree to the point where it takes all of the families on the tree from 1930’s up to present day as this is a huge task, but I do intend to make connections from each of these families back in 1930’s to at one or possibly two living Callaghan’s, wherever they might be in the world. It will be a “Bridge” for others to research their own Callaghan branch of the family.

I have in the last few months started the process of contacting a few of present day Callaghan Families by e-mail and sharing the Callaghan/McElwaine & McGrenaghan family tree and information of their ancestors with them also.

I would be happy to share what information I might have on Hugh Callaghan and Rose McGeehan if that would be ok, perhaps it might be information what she could share with others she meets on her trip to see the family in Balloor, Fanad

Kind regards

Seamus Callaghan

Hugh Callahan was born on 30April1902. His parents were James Callaghan and Catherine Callaghan.

Hugh’s father James Callaghan was also born in Balloor, he was a son of Michael Callaghan (Recorded as having land in Balloor in 1857).

Hugh’s Mother was a  Catherine Callaghan was born in Murrin, she was a daughter of a Michael Callaghan (Recorded as having land in Murrin in 1857).

Hugh Callahan born in 1902, shows up in the 1911 Census  for James and Catherine Callaghan’s family living in Balloor, Fanad North, Co. Donegal. I have attached  both the 1901 & 1911 Census Records for their family.

Hi Eimer,

Thank you for getting back to me. I am glad you got to do some research yourself before the trip tomorrow, especially pinpointing to where Hugh Callahan’s family would have lived back in the 1850's. I thought I might send you on few slides to help confirm the location of Michael Callaghan’s Plot#1 in the Townland of Balloor, not far from the Fanad lighthouse. Michael Callaghan would have been James Callaghan’s father (1901 & 1911 Census) and Hugh Callahan’s Grandfather, as I am sure probably know already.

Back in 1857, nearby Michaels plot of land there was also two other Callaghan families in Balloor, a Thomas Callaghan and his son Patrick, and a James "Séamié Antόn" Callaghan. Descendants of James "Séamié Antόn" Callaghan still live in the large two story house near the main road to the lighthouse..

It is looking more and more like Michael, Thomas, and James "Séamié Antόn, as well as my own G.G.Grandfather William Callaghan (moved to Murrin) and a John Callaghan (moved to Fanavolty) would have been 5 x brothers, all born in and around 1800.

I do have a present day DNA match confirmation with a member of my family and a member of James "Séamié Antόn family (in Pennsylvania)...

These are the few photos/slides to help regards directions to Michaels Plot in Balloor... I am sorry as the Plot 1 is not as easily veiwed as marked as other plots on the photos. Plot 1 is directly above Plots 3 and 4. To the left of these are the plots in the Townland of Ballmichael. I would usually have proper slideshow put together but unfortunatly I am limited during the holidays.

Please let us know later how you get on with your trip home, best of luck, enjoy

Seamus