Meade's and Galligan's in Kilfinane

Dear Joanne

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and apologies for the long delay in getting back to you.

The only baptism for children of John and Mary I could find was for John (Joannis on the baptismal register) on 8th August 1834. Sponsors were James Galligan and Johanna English. There won't be any birth records for the children as this registration did not begin in Ireland until 1864. Just to be sure, you could manually check through the NLI register linked above, searching a few years either side of John's baptism just to make sure that there are no hidden baptisms that the transcribed database rootsireland.ie has failed to pick up. 

I couldn't locate a marriage record for John and Mary. I think this is probably John listed in the Griffith's Valuation in 1852 in the townland of Bosnetstown, Kilfinnane. There are also some Meade entries in the Tithes in 1833 for that townland, again probably connected to your family. 

I see that there is a Maurice Meade and his wife listed in the 1901 Census HERE. You could also have a look to see who else might be listed there.

Please feel free to add your ancestor's details to our XO Chronicles. You can learn more about it HERE and it might be another avenue to consider so that your ancestor's details can be seen by others. 

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

Hi Clare,

Thank you for you help.  Now I know there is a James in the Galligan family!  I did find the baptismal certificates for Bridget, Joannes, Maria, Maurice, and William in the same parish, so it is good to know I am on the right track.  I've attached the baptismal certificate for Joannes.  Is Joannes a male or female?  In the family there is a Johanna (female) and John (male).  When I first visited Ireland, I started out in Limerick and had no idea that we were from there.  It is so great to know the connection.  I even "visited" the area using Google maps and it is quite lovely.  Thank you again.

Joanne

Hi Joanne

The Latin for John is Joannis and/or Johannes while Latin for Joanna/Johanna is Johanna.

The National Library of Ireland have a hand guide in pdf that you can download by going to their The names are in Latin Help Section 

All the best

Clare

Genealogy Support 

Hi Joanne,

A little bit of information that may be of interest to you. Recently I was browsing through the Lough Gur and District Historical Journal (17th March 1987) and came across an article titled 'Knockainey Church'. An inscription on a gravestone in that churchyard reads

Erected by Maurice Meade, Bosnetstown in memory of his father John Meade who died April 18th 1889, aged 88 years. Also his mother Mary Meade alias Galligan. His brother James Meade who died Feb.13th 1896 aged 68 years. RIP

It is possible that you already have this information. 

Kind regards

Angela

Hello Ange,

This is new information for me!   I did not have the date of deaths for John and James.  And I wasn't aware of Knockainey Church.  This is fantastic!  Thank you for helping me.

Joanne

Hello Ange,  I found St. Mary's and St. John's both in Knockainey.  St. Mary's even has photos of all of the stones online.  So I am on to searching.  Thank you again.   Joanne

Ange,  I found a photo of the stone.  It is St. John's graveyard.  You have been great.  Are you from Limerick County?

Hi Joanne,

Yes I am from county Limerick and I know the area that your ancestors came from. If you keep an eye on this site the Kilfinane Coshlea Historical Society are in the process of matching the families listed in the 1911 census to the houses on the contemporary ordinance survey townland maps. It is hoped that, funding permitting, the project will be online eventually. This will enable our Irish diaspora to have an exact location for their ancestral home. 

Kind regards

Hi Joanne,

I will try to attach a screenshot of a map of the area of Bosnetstown where the Meades lived. Hoping it works. I have outlined the farmstead in blue. 

Angela,

I just saw your screenshot.  Thank you so much!  Another piece of the puzzle.  

I looked more closely at the names from the graveyard in St. John's where Maurice Meade had placed the stone. I found there were other Galligans buried there, so that is more family to pursue.

My husband and I had visited the city of Limerick almost 20 years ago, but I never knew then that I was so close to an ancestral town.  You have been great.  Thank you again!

Joanne

Hi Joanne

You will find the Galligans in the neighbouring townland of Ballinanima massy. They are recorded in the 1901 and 1911 census. There is a Patrick Gilligan listed there in the Griffith Valuation records of 1852 which I'm pretty sure is the same family. You will find this record in www.askaboutireland.ie by searching in Griffiths Places under Ballinanima in the barony of Coshlea.
Regards
Angela

Hi Ange,

Thank you.  I haven't pursued the Galligan line much.  I think I am finding that there is a tendency to follow the paternal lines instead of the maternal ones.  I am trying to bring forth the women in our family.  That's why I started on the Meades with my great grandmother.  I have a picture of her and I took a liking to her.  

Regarding the map you showed me for the Meades, I took the old map you shared with me and compared it to the road map of the area on Google map.  I thought I might be able to "virtually"  walk down the road and perhaps see remnants of the homestead.  Unfortunately, the road is not a main road, so I wasn't able to look at it closely, but more the reason to come back again to the area for a visit.  It is still so rural so it would be fun to explore.

I posted what you have been helping me with on my Facebook page for some of the family to see and they are impressed.  :-)

This is so fascinating and you've been a great help.  Have a good rest of the weekend!
Joanne

Thank you, Tim!  I think I was in the vicinity, but was off by a little.  Right town, wrong field.  

Here are some of the things I am looking for now.  

Records of Thomas Meade, brother of Johanna

Record of Patrick Meade, possibly their brother.

A obituary for Johanna Meade says her elderly brother is Thomas.  Both of their death certificates in Pennsylvania list John Meade as the father, Johanna's uses the surname Galligan and Thomas' uses the surname Gallagher for their mother's maiden name.

I see that a Thomas was a sponsor for Bridget at her baptism and as an older brother he might have done that duty.  His birth is listed on his death certificate as 1837, but I believe that is wrong as he is written as being 95 in 1919.  So I am hunting for his birth record in the church in Kilfinane.   I also have a newspaper article saying Thomas had a brother Patrick in the US working on the rail lines.  I don't have a birth record for him, but I wonder if this Patrick is really his nephew.

Thank you for your help.  With what you and Angela have given me I can really make inroads into this branch of the family.

Joanne