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Kerry

Hello, 

My 2x great grandmother was Mary (Kenny) Riley.   According to her obit she was a member of the Collinsbees family of County Kerry, Ireland, her death certificate states her father's name was James Kenny.  One of her daughters death certificate says her mothers maiden name was Comingsly and another states Collinsbee. I have been unable to prove anything - I don't know where or exactly when she married and I don't know any family beyond what the USA census records and obits state. 

This is what I do know: 

She came to the USA at age 17 with an uncle, she lived with him for about 2 years and then married John Riley.  Her eldest children are shown as born in Ireland and the rest are born in Upper Canada - death certificates on a couple say Smiths Falls, Canada.  The Riley family first shows on a USA census in 1870 in Manistee, Michigan.  She died in Ludington, Michigan in 1901 at age 77.  She had 11 or 12 children and I do not have the names and dob of the eldest ones who may have been born in Ireland. They were Catholic and John Riley states laborer as occupation on the census.  

Any help is greatly appreciated! 

Betty Colligan

IrelandXO member

3 replies

Hi Betty,

There are a couple of public member trees on ancestry.com which have John Riley born 1816 in Ireland & spouse Mary Kenny

I searched www.rootsireland.ie/ 1845 + - 20 years for their marriage but got no matches.

The Myers family tree has John born 1816 according to US census data and Mary born 1828-34

There are 157 baptism/birth records of Mary Kenny born 1828 + - 3 years but none with mother with surname Collingsbee or Collingsly!  With father James there are 11

There are 68 John Rileys born 1815 + - 1 year.

Unfortunately the records from counties Carlow, Clare and Kerry are not on this site.

Family search (IGI) has a birth of Mary Kenny 1833 in Tipperary father James and mother Bridget Kennedy.

James & Bridget married in Tipperary in 1832.

I searched the Tithe Applotments, Griffiths Valuation, Census 1901 & 1911 and the current phone book for Collinsbee & Comingsly but found none!

Sorry Betty, hopefully one of the Kerry experts 

Col

 

ColCaffIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello, I wrote yesterday but I was on my mobile phone and I didn't have all the information on hand. I am looking for the history of my great grandmother Mary O'Grady. She was born in 1879 and died in 1987. Her mother's maiden name was O'Conner. Unfortunatly I do not have at my disposal the name of her father. I do realize O'Grady is a poplular name. She left County Kerry when she was 19 and resided in Holyoke Mass. USA, and moved to West Haven CT. I am unable to figure out what parish the family is from. I'm hoping someone may have some information to help me find that. I believe once I know the parish it will narrow things down a bit for me. While she was in America she married William Flagherty also from county Kerry. If anyone has any way of helping me I would ever be so appreciative.

 

Thank you, Shannon

IrelandXO member

Hello, I wrote yesterday but I was on my mobile phone and I didn't have all the information on hand. I am looking for the history of my great grandmother Mary O'Grady. She was born in 1879 and died in 1987. Her mother's maiden name was O'Conner. Unfortunatly I do not have at my disposal the name of her father. I do realize O'Grady is a poplular name. She left County Kerry when she was 19 and resided in Holyoke Mass. USA, and moved to West Haven CT. I am unable to figure out what parish the family is from. I'm hoping someone may have some information to help me find that. I believe once I know the parish it will narrow things down a bit for me. While she was in America she married William Flagherty also from county Kerry. If anyone has any way of helping me I would ever be so appreciative.

 

Thank you, Shannon

IrelandXO member

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