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McGrath

DonegalTemplecarn (Donegal)

Hello! looking for a John McGrath married to a Catherine Monaghan. My ggm Mary McGrath came to Philadelphia sometime in 1880 (?) with a brother (unknown name( who died on the boat. She couldn't read or write so could not correspond back home again. I am assuming she grew up in the Templecarn Parish since there are so many McGrath's there. She was born October 1860. Again may not be totally accurate but that is what she always said. She married in Philadelphia in 1883 and the rest is history. :-) I have not been able to trace back to her family at all nor find the ship she came on or the brother's name who was lost at sea. All of my life I have grown up with tales about her and have wanted to find out where she came from in Co Donegal. I am hoping someone could send me in the right directions. She was Catholic so I guess is problematic. Thank you so much.

Patty GIroult

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Patty:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I searched on Roots Ireland from 1850-1864 for a Mary McGrath with a father John and three records came up but none had a mother named Catherine Monaghan. The Catholic church for Templecarn civil parish is Pettigo and the online register shows that baptismal records start in 1851  http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0290  I looked further and it appears that the Pettigo/Carn records are not on Roots Ireland. 

I could not tell from your message if you know your mcGraths came from Templecarn or if it was an assumption because the name was common there. In any event, you may want to review the register to see if you can locate the record for Mary.

I also looked at the 1857 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Templecarn and there were four John McGraths listed http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/donegal/templecarn.htm  Possibly one of the four is the father of your Mary.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you, Mr.McDonnell, for doing that for me. I really appreciate your time and your explanation. I have nothing in this world that leads me to this parish EXCEPT that maybe 30 years ago, a genalogist told me that he had found a possible match in that area, not to Mary since she was born later for the records but for a Michael  and that there were so many McGrath's in the area, that could be the parish but nothing at all tells me that.. I have only found in her American marriage record and death cert that she came from Co Donegal but nothing more. Would there be a Michael McGrath and a Catherine Monaghan? I have just searched for this woman for so many years and desperately would love to find her, at least something of her in Ireland. If anyone wanted to find their ggm, it is me. :-) I have grown up with stories about her and just find that I truly want to know something more. Thank you once again. I so much appreciate your response.

Regards,

Patty Giroult

IrelandXO member

Patty:

Just seeing your followup note. You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing. Possibly you will match someone who has more info on your McGraths and Monaghans.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello, Patty, I am researching McGraths in Burt parish Donegal and have family who emigrated to Philadelphia whom I connected with through my dna matches. They are all now in Ohio but I did in looking into the connection find a lot of McGraths in Philadelphia. There are two main branches of McGraths in Donegal centred on Burt Parish just west of Derry over the border and a bit further south at Grousehall and some of those went to Australia. I only know of one of my family who went to Philadelphia Alexander in 1870 but do suspect a John might have done with his wife Mary Sweeney. Mary was a very common name and many McGrath men married Marys also I'm afraid and men tended to be Mark, JOhn and James, Patrick and Alexander in my family. If I can be of any further help please let me know. Rena

RenaNew17

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