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O'Neil - McGovern(McGourin-McGowan)

Kerry

I am trying to find the location of my O'Neil family. My 2x great grandfather was George O'Neil born about 1830 Ireland. I know he married Christine McGovern ( spelled on some records as McGourin , McGowan and just Gourin, but death record in US it is McGovern)...so not sure what the original name is?

I have located baptism records for 3 of their children, including my great grandmother, but I am unsure of what these records tell me and if they can lead me to an origianl parish and family connection.

The baptisms are from County Kerry.....

area Kerry, Parish Killarney Michael ofKillarneybaptised 1856 mother's name listed as Christine Gourin

area Kerry, Parish Killarney Christine ofDublinbaptised 1857 mother's name listed as Christine McGourin

area Kerry, Parish Tralee George Edward ofTraleebaptised 1860 mother's name listed as Christine McGowan

What is the signifiance of all the different towns, were they moving around? Is there any more to these records that would tell me who this family was? and where they were from? where they were married? etc.

Any and all assistance and sugestions as to where to go next would be greatly appreciated.

IrelandXO member

12 replies

Afternoon

I have just answered your previous query. Wheile we do not have a volunter in St. John's, Kerry, I have passed this query to a volunteer who may be able to assist your further.

Best wishes and good luck with your search

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support

IrelandXO member

RC records are patchy prior to the Famine. Remember that the Penal Laws made it an offence to practise the religion so priests were on the run and it was dangerous to keep records. George could have been following work or he may have worked for a landlord who had a house in Dublin or he might have been a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary. As you search please remember also that there is no complete set of records. The spelling of Family names were not standardised until the 1900's so you will find many varieties of the same name. Given however that the mother's name is Christine throughout, there is a fair chance that this is the same woman. Do you know what year the family arrived in the States? have you found them on passenger lists/US census/ naturalisation records/obituaries/gravestones/city directories/land records?

IrelandXO member

Hi, thank you so much for looking at this.  I'm certainly at a loss in Ireland.   My great gram is their daughter, we know her here as Mary Christine O'Neill.....on census here she noted she came in 1864...I have not had any luck finding the family on any passenger list.........I was lucky enough to locate the family of her brother George Edward and this helped us match the family to earlier census. His census also states 1864 as year of arrival.

I first find the family on the 1870 New York City...Geo, Christine(listed as Catherine), Mary and Edward....... by 1880 they have moved to Wallingford, Conn ..George, Christine and George E.....my ggram married my ggrandfther in 1873 in Conn......so family was there by then.

George O'Neil died in 1883 in Conn....I have his death certificate, which tells me nothing....the town can't find his grave.   I have done numerous searches to find Christine, with no luck.  The records of this town are pretty bad...and they have many restrictions on researching.

I have not located a Naturalization record. 

When we found these Kerry baptism records we were so excited, but then had no idea where to go with them.  I've checked over and over on the internet sites for the name George O'Neil and Christine(Christina) thinking these aren't as common as James and Mary....but I have come up with nothing.

There is a family story in his son's family line that said that George the father went to Trinity College, but was somehow involved in some up-riseing and had to leave the country.....I've never heard this in my family but then we really didn't know anything about them.....not been able to prove this one way or the other.......his occupation in both the 1870 and 1880 census is  "gardener"...there was a huge estate in the town in Conn with huge gardens and we have been told he may have worked there...they have no records....Seems odd that a "college graduate" would be a gradener. But life changes when one has to move so far away.

I've tried to think about his name being something beside George, but really don't know what to look for. I was hoping that I could find Christine.....which I thought was less common.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.    My cousin and I are even willing to pay someone but we don't know what to have them do.

Thanks much

 

IrelandXO member

Thanks Tralee-Kerry

Clare 

Genealogy Support

IrelandXO member

Dear Duff, Can you send me your email address so that I can contact you directly?

On the rootsireland.ie website I have found a list of 13 George O'Neills born/baptised 1825-35. My concern is that there may be more than one George married to Christine with matching surnames.

I do hope you make contact and that I can help you more.

Warm wishes

Martine

IrelandXO member

Hi Martine, Thank you so much for all your help.  I will email you directly  my email.

Ruth

Pittsburgh, PA

IrelandXO member

Dear Ruth

Hope you find 'your' O'Neil! Thanks Martine.

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support

IrelandXO member

Thanks for all your help and suggestions....You are all a great group of folks.

Siincerely, Ruth

IrelandXO member

Hi Ruth, just checking ..if you have emailed my irelandxo email address..I don't use that account at all.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Martine

IrelandXO member

Martine, I think I did...but here is the email:

ruthhsmith46@gmail.com

 

Just to clarify...there are two "h's"   that is not a typo.

 

Thanks.
 

IrelandXO member

Thanks, email sent

Martine

IrelandXO member

Great, thanks Martine. Best of luck with your search Ruth

Clare

Genealogy Support

IrelandXO member

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