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Looking for Connor Relatives

LaoisAghaboe (Laois)

I am looking for my (O) Connor relatives who I believe came from Aghaboe Parish. My Great Grandfather was John O'Connor who was baptisedin Aghaboe Parish in 1830 on 09 May. Michael Connors and Mary Delaney were sponsors. His father was Frank Connor and his mother was Catherine Bergin. He left Aghaboe for the United States in 1851. He met his wife Sarah Bergin (from Kilkenny) on the ship over. They were married in Philadelphia, in 1855 at St. Malachy Catholic Church. They traveled to California in 1857 and lived in Grass Valley California for the remainder of their lives. If any one has any information of John O'Connor and possibleliving relatives in the parish I would much appreciate hearing from you.

dchampagne

5 replies

David:

We don't know if Frank Connor was still living in 1850 when the Griffiths Valuation was conducted in Queens Co. If he was alive then possibly he was not from Aghaboe parish but rather Killermogh civil parish which is the parish to the southeast from Agahaboe. People who lived in Killermogh would have attened Aghaboe RC parish. There were no Francis Connors in Aghaboe in the Griffiths but there were two Francis Connors in Killermogh. Don't know if this was two different individuals or one Francis with two holdings. See link below.

Roger McDonnell

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/laois/killermogh.htm

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Roger,

Thank you very much for the information. I know that John had a sister named Anne who married a Campion and lived in Tintore. She appears in the 1901 and 1911 census there .  I see on the Griffiths Valulation that  a John Campion has land in Tintore, Killermogh, Laois. She is mentioned in her brother John O'Connor's obituary in Grass Valley, California in 1907.   How far is Killermogh from Agahaboe RC parish?   I am  currently doing a DNA test with an Aine O'Connor Whelan from Shanavaughey, Clough, Ballacolla Co. Laois .  Is this Ballacolla the same as the Ballycolla Heath in the Griffiths Valuations where Francis Connor had/leased  some land? Please excuse my ignorance.  It all appears very complex to me who has  little real understanding of the overlaping civil and religious areas in Laois in the 19th century.

 

David Champagne

Cary, NC, USA 

 

 

 

  

dchampagne

David:

Tintore is the townland immediately to the southwest of Ballacolla and Ballycolla. I assume this is the same as Ballycolla heath. Aine can probably clarify for you. I think you are in the right area. Do you have Google Maps? Use that app to see where Tintore is located.

Roger

Phoenix MD

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

David

I made a trip to Ballacolla and did not find any relatives still there. I did find through DNA testing that I am related to some of  the Nolans, Kiernans and Horans who lived there  or were buried at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery as late as 1975.  If there are any Nolan, Kiernans are Horans who might be related to Ann Connor married to  William Horan in 1816, I would like to hear from you as we are somehow related.

David

Cary, NC

 

dchampagne

I am also looking for (O) Connor that came from Queen’s County.
His name was Michael Connor born 1783 in Queens County. He died Jan 12, 1868 in North Brant, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.

Michael’s first child that was born in Canada was named Frank ( possibly named after his grandfather) and it is believed that Michael and his brother John ended up in Canada together. I have information that has a Michael born near Colonburren in 1783 and his brother John in 1785.

His wife was Mary Murphy born July 1799 also in Queens County and died Feb16, 1880 in North Brant, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. I have a picture of their gravestone in Canada with this information. I have no record of when either emigrated to Canada or if they were married in Canada or Ireland. I also do not have any proof of their parents names but I did find a baptism record for a Mary Murphy from Ballinakill, Laois, Ireland on July 11, 1799 from “Ireland, Select Catholic Birth and Baptism Registers, 1763-1917”. The parents of this Mary Murphy are listed as Michl Murphy and Mary Glennan. I also have info from the Catholic Parish register, 1655-1915 for the same Mary Murphy, July 11, 1799 with the same parents but the baptism place is now listed as Ballynakill, Laois not Ballinakill and,
The Parish Variants are Ballenakill, Ballyroan, Abyleix and Knocgordegur, Ballinakill, Dusart Galen, and the
Diocese is Kildare and Leighlin. 

Due to the fact that both of my ancestors have very common Irish names I am hoping for a DNA match to confirm which Parish is actually theirs. I am 70 years old in the new year and do not have any knowledge on how to match DNA with Irish DNA so help in this would be awesome.

My DNA is from ancestry.ca and I have uploaded it to GENmatch also.

Please help in any that you can.Thanks 

Kevin Knibbs
Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

 
 

Richard Knibbs

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