Tiernan's Creegs, Galway

I am looking for assistance to confirm the location that my grandmother (Winifred M. Gaffey) migrated from and then connect with relatives if possible.  This is what my cousins and I believe is true:

• Her DOB we believe was: October 18, 1897
• Her parenets were:  Daniel Gaffey & her mother was Winifred O'Dowd Gaffey
• Her siblings were: John,  Kate, & Sarah
• Her address location on the Census of Ireland in 1901 was: Castle Ffrench, Gotacoosaun, in East County Galway.
• Immigrated to America approximately between 1910 - 1914

I look forward to hearing from someone that has an interest in helping me and my family with our genealogy research.

respectfully,

R. Davis

I'm replying to the post by K. Menagh about the Tiernan family. I have information about the Tiernans in America. I would like to hear about the information you have on the Tiernan family. Reply to cherandbill@optonline.net

 

cher and bill,

Please tell me about your Tiernan's in America.  At this point, I would like to share information in this forum.

kmenagh

My wife is a Tiernan, Her g-g-grandfather James was born in Galway aug 12,1828, died iowa sep 14 1903. In america mar. 1849, married ann powers (born waterford apr 1829) in Monmouth county New Jersey jan 15 1854. Children-lawrence(b mar 26 1855 in New Jersey), catherine(apr 14 1857 in New York) and other kids born in Iowa where James had a farm in Parnell, iowa.

Does this sound like your Tiernans? I traced James not by his name but assumed because his first son was named Lawrence perhaps his father was Lawrence( or Laurence). Found Laurence Tiernan in griffith's valuation in parish of Kilbegnet. Am hoping he's the one.

We are connected.  Well actually your wife and my husband are connected.  My husband's gg grandmother was Catherine Tiernan Henry.  She was a brother to James Tiernan.  Catherine was married to Patrick Henry in New Jersey, lived in Iowa county, Iowas and then Crawford county, Iowa.  Catherine's obit said she was from Galway, Ireland and her death record stated her father's name was Lawrence.  I will send you an email so we can connect and share information.

 

 

 

To kemnagh,

In the 1850 census for Raritan Township in Monmouth County, there is a “Tiernay” family listed. [1]   Laurence (56), his wife Mary, (54), and children Martin (25),  John (25),  James (20) and Catherine (18) are listed together along with Margaret Farl (70) and Thomas Farl (40).   

 

[1] Laurence Tiernay household, 1850 census, Monmouth County, New Jersey, population schedule, town of Raritan, page , dwelling 393, family 410; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com: accessed 24 December 2014) citing National Archives micropublication roll M432_456; p 212B, image 434.

My gg grandfather was John Tiernan from Galway, I was trying to establish if he is the John in the above census info. After emigrating John lived for 40 years in Monmouth CO.   My John had a sister Mary who lived in Moat, CO Galway before she emigrated.    I was able to establish  through DNA testing that I am related to Mary's descendants.  I have tested on Family Tree DNA, have you tested, it would be interesting to see if we are related.

Terry S.

 

 

 

 

The data you posted looks like our Tiernan(or Tiernay) family. I haven't done the dna testing through family tree yet. how is the dna connection made after you take the test?

I have not done ancestry DNA.  However, Lawrence Tiernan, his wife, Mary, and sons, John and Martin, are listed in the 1860 census of Fillmore, Iowa county, Iowa along with a Michael Killen, age 10, born in Ireland.  Therefore, I do not think Terry's John is our John but I think there is a likely family connection.  Terry, do you know the parents and siblings of your John?  Terry do you live in the eastern, central or western US?

KMenagh

 

 

 

CherandBill

It is only through your own research that you can figure out the DNA connection.    I have a brief version of my family tree posted on Family Tree DNA as do some others.  One of my autosomal matches showed that I was related to an individual whose family tree showed that his gg grandmother was Mary Tiernan.  The amount of the DNA match was statisically enough that it is not coincidental.   There is a marriage record in Glinsk parish of Mary Tiernan and Owen Croghan marrying.  In the 1860 Fed Census the Croghan family and my gg grandfather John Tiernan's family were living next door to each other in NJ.  The Croghan's eventually left for Iowa.

  

 

KMenagh,

 

I believe the mother of my gg grandfather was named Sarah Tiernan, do not know her maiden name.    Her birth would have been around the 1800's in Ireland and records are non existent for Irish Catholics for that time.  This woman was about 30 years older than my gg grandfather John and she appears in both the 1860 and 1870 US Fed Census, living with John and his family.  The 1860 census says she was from Galway, as were John and his wife.   As mentioned before, John had a sibling named Mary.  So far I do not know of other siblings.

I live in Colorado, moved out here from NJ for college and stayed 40 years......

Terry

 

 

I am connected to the Tiernans of Monmouth County through my Kilcommons line. See this WeRelate page: http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Tiernan_%282%29. They come from the Creggs area of Galway.

to AugustineOSB:  I suspect there is a connection between all of our Tiernan lines.  AugOSB you may have a closer connection to Terry S.  My Tiernan's were in Monmouth, NJ in the 1850 census.  They moved to Iowa county, Iowa by 1860.  They came to America in 1849 on the ship Elizabeth Hamilton.  The parents were Lawrence Tiernan and wife, Mary Gaffney.  The children were John b 1825, Martin b 1827, James b 1828, Catherine b 1832, and an unknown female.  Martin has a record in the Irish emigrant bank which states he was from Moate, county Galway and Catherine's obit states she was from Creggs, Galway.  I am stumped as to how to make all the connections in Ireland.

 

 

 

 

I have connected through a DNA match to a descendant of John Tiernan and Mary Kilcommons. Mary is probably a sister to my great-grandfather, Daniel Kilcommons, who came to the US in 1849 from County Galway. He settled first in NYC, and then in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. His daughter Bridget (Delia) married my grandfather, Michael Curley. I suspect that Michael's parents were William Curley and Honora Morrissy of Leaha/Leahive, Creggs, Co. Galway. Daniel Kilcommons's grandson was living with the Tiernan's in Monmouth County in 1885. I found a record for a Peter Tiernan, b. in Leahive, Co. Galway in 1878, son of John Tiernan and Mary Curley. So I am following up on the Curley/kilcommons connection to Leaha.

A John Tierney was a witness to the marriage of William Curley and Honor Morrissy in the Athleague Civil District, 9 March 1872.

To AugustineOSB,  I see you mentioned your DNA match, that is me "Terry S".  My nickname is Terry, given name is Teresa and I've gone by both names throughout life.
 

To K Menagh, 

You mentioned that your Tiernans were in the 1850 census in Monmouth County.  Is that the Laurence "Tiernay" family listed in Raritan in 1850?   I was trying to figure out if they were part of my family.

Terry S

Terry S

Yes, the Laurence "Tiernay" in the 1850 census in Raritan, Monmouth, NJ is my connection.  One of his sons. James, married Ann Powers and they lived in NY before moving on to Iowa.  My connection, a daughter, Catherine, married a Patrick Henry.  I pick them up in Iowa with the 1870 census.  Another son, Martin, married a Catherine Cunningham who had connections in NJ.  There is a definite connection to CherandBill through James Tiernan and Ann Powers.  Augustine OSB do you know what ship your ancestor came on in 1849?

Karyn

Daniel Kilcommons arrived in New York on 2 April 1849 aboard the Elizabeth Hamilton out of Liverpool.

Karyn - Thanks for your reply, that really helps me. I was going to claim that Raritan Tiernan family as my own and it appears to be yours.
I'm uploading two naturalization declarations for Martin Tiernan and John Tiernan. Both signed these declarations on 6 Sept 1855 in Monmouth. I do not have the petitions.

Searching all Irish records are free on findmypast.ie through 7 March. FYI
Terry S.

Terry S and AugustineOSB

Thank you for the naturalization files.  I noticed John signed with his mark, an X.  In the 1880 census he is noted to be "special".  It is interesting that Daniel Kilcommon arrived on the same ship with my Tiernan's.  Eventually we may figure out how to connect these families.

Karyn

 

Here is an interesting Information Wanted Ad that connects the Laurence Tierney family with a Gaffney.

New York Irish World, 23 June 1900

Tiernan.--Information wanted of Laurence Tiernan and of his sons John, Martin and James, and of his daughter, Catherine, who left Ireland about forty-eight years ago for the United States. They lived for a some time in Jersey City, N.J., and then went West. Any information of them will be thankfully received by their relative, JAMES GAFFEY, Church street, Roscommon, Ireland.

 

We now know a lot about James Tiernan and his family when they came to New Jersey. I'm now looking for information about James' wife Ann Powers. She was from Waterford and I believe James married her in New Jersey but I haven't been able to find a record of their marriage. Any help would be appreciated. I believe they were married in Monmouth county on January 15th, 1854.

AugustineOSB,

Thank you for the interesting clip from the New York Irish World.  It cracks a door. Sometimes I wish those doors would burst open!

Karyn

R Davis,

I am interested in helping with your Gaffey/Gaffney ancestry, especially since this wouild help with my Curley/Kilcommons search. 

What do you know pretty definitely about her parents' names? Are the names listed on her marriage certificate? On her death certificate? I don't want to go too far with information that may not be accurate.

 

Augustine

For R. Davis,

17-year-old Winnie Gaffey arrived in Boston on the SS Zeeland on April 27th, 1910. She had been born in Ballinlass, where her father Daniel was living. She was going to join her sister Kate Gaffey at 13 Algonquin St., Dorchester.

Augustine

 

 

It looks like a number of you ancestors have crossed paths with mine.  Hopefully we can help each other.   Here is my ancestors' story:

My g-g-grandparents married in Glinsk Roman Catholic Church, County Galway, on Jan 1852. 

Per Griffiths Valuation, 1855, they are living in the townland of Moate.

They have 2 children baptized in Kilbegnet Roman Catholic Church, County Galway - 1853 & 1855

They have 1 child baptized in Athleague, County Rosommon - 1857

May 16, 1859 - They arrive in NYC on the ship, Jacob A Westervelt.  The ship came from Liverpool

Fed Census 1860 - They are living in Monmouth County, Middletown New Jersey

Fed Census 1870 - They are living in Deep Creek Township, Clinton County Iowa (Eastern Iowa)

FedCensus 1880 - They are living in Doughlas Township, Harrison County, Iowa (Wester Iowa)

     ---I can add more detail but thought I'd keep it simple for now. 

Observations:  

--Glinsk Roman Catholic Parish went by other names over the years -- Creggs and Kilbegnet were two of those names.  

      --K Menagh:  I'm guessing we are quite possibly related.  Your Tiernans and my Croghans & Tiernans have connections to Creggs Parish, County Galway.   I believe you said your Tiernans eventually settled in Crawford County Iowa.  As I mentioned above, my ancestors settled near there also.      There is also a Tiernan (spelled Tearman) family living near my Croghans in Clinton County Iowa in 1870.   I've wondered if they & we are related.  You might want to look at that census.  Also, there is a Hugh & Margaret Tiernan family listed next to my Croghans on the ship from Liverpool to America

 

--cheranbill:  I'm wondering if/how we might be related.  What townland was your Laurence Tiernan living in on the Griffishs Valuation?  

--AugustineOSB:  If you're related to Terry S ancestors, you are related to my Mary Tiernan also.

--I hope I haven't missed anyone.   I'd love to exchange information and documents with all.  

 

I just looked at James L Tiernan's gravesite on findagrave.com and see that he lived in Dewitt IA when he enlisted in the militay.  Dewitt is in Clinton county IA where my Owen and Mary Croghan lived in 1870.   Clinton County is also where a Tiernan family lived.   The family members of that Tiernan family in Clinton county in 1870 are:  Margaret age 68,  Luke age 27, Patrick age 30,  Celia age 20.      This Tiernan family is very similar to the Tiernan family who were listed next to Owen & Mary Croghan family in the ship from Ireland.   On the ship were Hugh, Margaret, Mark or Matt, Luke and Celia.    

    -----Just a little more information that makes me think that some of us are related

I continue to put information on WeRelate.org, a wiki-based genealogy site. Here is one of the pages: http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:James_Tiernan_%281%29

Augustine

to all

Thanks AugOSB for posting things to the WeRelate site. 

Croghan-Tiernan

It is possible there is a connection to my Catherine Tiernan Henry and Cherandbills James Tiernan as they are brother and sister.  In James' obit, 1903, it states he has two living sisters but, of course, no names.  I know Catherine is living but the other sister is a mystery.  It is possible it is Mary Tiernan Croghan as she is still living.  Also, the coincidence of New Jersey, Mississippi and Tennesse.  One of the Henry daughters birthplace is listed as both Mississippi and Tennesse. 

Also, I found a newspaper notice about a Lawrence Tiernan visiting his aunt but I cannot account for him and his connection.  More research!

I will attempt to add a few docs.

KMenagh

 

  The descendants of the Tiernan families continue to reside in both creggs area and Athleague

 

Tim Duke,

Are you descended from the Tiernan families?  Do you have anymore information?

kmenagh

  No I am as far as I know not related to the tiernans,I just happen to be obsessed with genealogy. As u are probably aware Creggs sits comfortably on the boarder of two counties Roscommon and Galway.  Most of the Creggs Tiernans relocated to the more fertile lands in co Roscommon. I know of at least 5 Tiernan families in this region of Ireland.  Can you  assemble all records available to u , and with great care , set them out, every little clue helps.  Then I will  take ur case on......it's a difficult one as the church records are scarce , lost or destroyed for this earlier period. Have faith, u may never know what may pop up.....I actually know two Laurence Tiernans whose families originated from Creggs

Things seem quiet on here. I have been putting more and more information on WeRelate.

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Family:Laurence_Tiernan_and_Mary_Gaffney_…

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Family:John_Gaffey_and_Sarah_McLaughlin_%…

 

Augustine Curley

 

 

It's been a while since I last posted. Here is a link to the WeRelate page that connects my Kilcommons family to the Tiernans: https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Tiernan_%283%29. ;