Hi,
Thank you for getting in touch.It is great to hear from descendents of Kilbeacanty people.Could I ask where you got the information that they were from Kilbeacanty?Would any folk memory or family stories have been passed down to you?In Ireland we have very little folk memory of these traumatic events.
I had a look at the Tasmanian records online.They have the manuscripts on line.I am guessing that you have seen this but just in case here are the links
This is for John he was very young and the note on the page means he did not have too long there.
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON33-1-94,305,76,C,59
Here is Anthony's page.
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON33-1-94,305,77,C,59
There is another Cooney(James) from Galway on this ship but no suggestion that he is related.
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON33-1-94,305,71,C,80
There are some Irish Prison records left.They were held in Richmond prison (Modern Bridewell Police station)before being sent to Tasmania.You might see references to Kingstown, that is now called Dun Laoghaire.A port just outside Dublin.Anthony was born 1818 according to the prison records .John was born in 1830 according to the prison records.
If you want a little more on this email me at ainereachingout@gmail.com
Here is the applotment book for Lauhardan in 1827.You can see that Andrew is recorded.His name is under tenant and occupier .
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=Cooney&firstname=&county=Galway&parish=Kilbeacanty&townland=&search=Search
Only head of the household is recorded.They are not in the Griffith's Valuation but this might reflect the level of property required to be recorded in Griffith's.If their land holding was under a certain amount they were not recorded.It could also reflect the devastation caused by the Famine.Kilbeacanty was among the worst hit areas in the country.
Their landlord was Persse
http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=835
At this point I could not find any other children of Andrew and Mary but this probably reflects the lack of records more than anything.There is a little more work to be done before I could say more on this.
There are Cooneys in another of the surrounding townlands in Griffith's valuation
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=34&Submit.y=10&Submit=Submit&familyname=cooney&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=KILTARTAN&countyname=GALWAY&unionname=GORT&parishname=KILBEACANTY
There are two Cooney families in a different nearby townland in the 1901 census.
Here is a map showing these townlands beside each other
https://maps.google.com/?z=14&ll=53.03700,-8.69179
Here are some of the families.If you click on the name you can see a copy of the original document.You can see that the older people spoke Irish.I am pretty sure Anthony and John would also have spoken Irish.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Ballycahalan/Inchamore/1382939/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Ballycahalan/Inchamore/1382938/
Best Regards
Aine
