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Shea and Courtney families

KerryKillarney (Kerry)

My great great grandfather James D Shea's death record states he was from Killarney and his parents were Denis and Catherine (unknown surname). He was born ca 1828 and had a possible brother Denis (b ca 1834 - daughter buried in same plot with James's chlld), and may have had other brothers Daniel (b ca 1832 - godfather to firstborn of James) & possibly  Michael (lived with James in 1854 New York City), but the the 3 possible brothers seem to have disappeared from the US record. It is unconfirmed they were brothers - might have been cousins?

Looking for James D Shea's parents.

He married Elizabeth Courtney, born ca 1821 (daughter of Eugene and Margaret) whose death record says she was from Tralee. Married New York City January, 1852 (courtesy of info supplied by an Ireland Reaching Out member - thank you).

Recently found her brother Eugene K Cournane married Elizabeth O'Sullivan in Blennerville, Tralee area, Kerry in 1840. They immediately emigrated to New York where their first child was born.

Trying to locate parents of Elizabeth Courtney and her known siblings Eugene K (b ca 1820 - married as above), Thomas (b ca 1810), & Margaret Courtney (b ca1829 - married Maurice Stack [another Kerry boy] New York City 1848).

Thought perhaps they were of Eugene & Margaret Kiely (married 1806 Tralee), however the names of their known children do not coincide with names we have on record. Margaret's date is close, but cannot find any of the other births at all.

As an aside, James  & his bother Daniel Shea, Eugene & Thomas Courtney were all blacksmiths- it is unknown if they learned that craft in US or Ireland.

Any information gratefully received.

CB Weisbrot

2 replies

CB Weisbrot:

I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland which has the Killarney baptismal records back to the late 1700s. However, I can't find any Shea baptismal records with father Denis and mother Catherine. When immigrants came over to their new country, they usually said they were from the nearest big town in the home country. Sometimes the RC parish was different and I'm wondering if that is the case here. There is at least one parish near Killarney that has records starting in the 1850s.

I had similar problems trying to find any Elizabeth Courtney baptismal records in Tralee with the parents names provided. I used www.irishgenealogy.ie for searching Tralee records since Roots Ireland does not have Tralee baptismal records.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger,

Although I am still searching for my Sheas, I did find the marriage of my great great grandmother Elizabeth Courtney's brother Eugene to  Elizabeth O'Sullivan in Blennerville, Kerry in 1840. I read that Blennerville at that time was a small town near Tralee, but is now part of Tralee. But I have not been able to get any further that that.

Perhaps Blennerville was the hometown of Elizabeth O'Sullivan and Eugene was not from there?  His sister's death record says they were from Tralee, but no joy in either Blennerville or Tralee searches at this point.

Again, Thank you

Carol

 

CB Weisbrot

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