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Looking for Family Kearney/Mathews/Kiernan

LongfordGranard (Longford)

My grandfather, Patrick Kearney (1889-1965) was born in Clooneen, Mullinalaghta, Co. Longford.  He emigrated to America in 1906 as did 2 of his sisters, Rose and Mary Kearney.  Two other sisters, Marcella and Margaret Kearney, and one brother Michael Kearney remained in Longford.  I have Baptism records for all these siblings from rootsireland,ie.  The family name is spelled "Carney" on most church records.  Their parents were Thomas Kearney (Carney) and Rose Ann Mathews (rootsireland.ie has their Marriage Record 17 May 1885; at Mullinalaghta, without the bride and groom's parents names however).  The family shows up in the 1901 and 1911 censuses (as "Kearney") living in Clooneen, Creevy, Co. Longford.  I'm not sure who the parents are of Thomas. There are various Thomas Kearneys (Carney) born in Co. Longford (none in Clooneen), but I have no proof that any one of them is the one in our family.  In Griffith's Valuation (1848-1862) there is a Patrick Kearney who is leasing a house from a Michael Mathews in Clooneen.  Patrick could be Thomas's father, but I have no confirmation of this -- other than making note of the custom of naming first son after the father's father.  It then would make it Patrick > Thomas > Patrick > Thomas (my dad) > and finally me - Thomas Patrick Kearney.  Rose Ann Mathews appears to be the daughter of John Mathews and Maria Reilly (according to her Baptism Record at rootsireland.ie for 23 Feb 1844). And Maria (Reilly) Mathews's Burial Record at rootsireland.ie indicates she died 29 Nov 1848.  I have nothing further on John Mathews, Rose's father.  One additional fact I do know is that my grandfather's sister Marcella and brother Michael remained unmarried and died in Ireland in 1965 and 1958 respectively.  His sister, Margaret Kearney (Carney) married John Kiernan, son of James Kiernan at Mullinalaghta on 30 Jan 1927. (rootsireland.ie).  I believe they are the parents of 3 children:  Rose B. Kiernan (b. 1929), James P. Kiernan (b. 1930) and John F. Kiernan (b. 1931) all born in Cavan according to the Civil Registration Birth Index.  They would be my father's first cousins.  Having just discovered them, I do not know if they are still living and have not had contact with them so far.

So, in a nutshell, I'm looking for the parents (and grandparents) of my great-grandfather, Thomas Kearney (Carney) who was born c. 1845 in Co. Longford.   And also looking for the grandparents of my great-grandmother, Rose Ann Mathews (the parents of John Mathews and the parents of Maria Reilly).  How do I find the possibly living Kiernan cousins in Co. Cavan?  Does anyone have any suggestions of where I should go from here?  Thank you so much.

TomK

5 replies

The transcript on rootsireland for the 1885 marriage is probably taken from the church record of the marriage which does not record parents names. However if you order a copy of the civil certificate, you should get both fathers names and their occupations. This marriage was registered in Granard, Apr ? Jun 1885 Vol 3, page 159.

You can order a photocopy from GRO Roscommon for ?4 per certificate. Put the place, year, quarter (where there is one), volume & page number on the application form (anywhere). Don?t worry about leaving some boxes blank. You don?t need to fill them all in if you have the reference details. http://www.groireland.ie/ You have to post or fax the form to them but they will e-mail the copy certificate to you if you wish. Tick the relevant box on the form.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Ahoghill Antrim -- Thank you for explaining to me that the Civil Certficate would have the fathers' names and occupations.  I had assumed (incorrectly) that since the church record did not have the names, that the civil record would not either.  I will make that request right away.  Thank you.

While we are on the subject of marriage certificates - I am having a problem locating a church or a civil record for another set of great grandparents -- Anthony Brady and Catherine Heery of Relaghmore, Co. Cavan (Bailieboro, Moybolgue area).  I find church records for the Baptisms/Births of all their children, but no church record of their marriage.  My question now is -- Can I write to the GRO in Roscommon and ask them to SEARCH their records for a marriage that I can only assume took place before the birth of their first child in 1869?  Will they look for something that I'm not sure even exists?  I'd love to find that record because it could verify who their fathers are as well.  Thanks for taking the time with my questions.  Tom Kearney

TomK

Tom,

The civil certificates contain much more information than the church ones, and are always a better option where there is one. (Civil certs started on 1.1.1864 for RC marriages and 1st April 1845 for all other denominations).

Re not finding the marriage, but finding the childrens baptisms, bear in mind that if bride and groom came from different parishes, tradition was to marry in her church, and thereafter she?d attend her husband?s. So the church where the children were baptised may not always be the same church that they married in. And of course if that church?s records are lost or are not on-line that could account for not finding them on rootsireland.

Yes you can write to Roscommon and ask them to search. They may charge a couple of Euros for that. Relaghmore is in Bailieborough civil registration district and so if they married in the bride?s church you would expect to find the marriage registered there. I have searched the indexes and cannot see the marriage either.

In the early years of RC marriage registration, not every marriage was reported to the civil registrar as it should have been, and so one explanation could be that this marriage was one of those. Another was that it took place pre 1.1.1864 and so didn?t need to be reported to the civil registrar. By way of background, when the Government introduced compulsory civil registration of marriages in Ireland in April 1845, the RC church declined to participate. They felt that the state was interfering in what was essentially a religious matter, and had no business gathering this information. The Government therefore allowed them an exemption. By 1864, the Government had introduced compulsory registration of marriages everywhere else in the UK and so decided to compel the RC church in Ireland to participate too. RC priests in England & Scotland were going along with it without objection. But not all Irish priests were happy with this and for a few years in some parishes, some ?overlooked? sending the details to the Civil Registrar. The unfortunate consequence of this is that some of the marriages cannot now be traced.  Particularly frustrating if it also happens to be a parish where the church records are also now lost (as happened quite a bit).

 

 

Elwyn

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you, Elwyn.  This past week has been fruitful in tracing parents of great grandparents.  It all came together with the photocopy of the Civil Registration of Marriage for Thomas Carney and Rose Mathews (m. 17 May 1885) that I received from GRO in Roscommon.

The father of Thomas Carney (Kearney) is Pat Carney, farmer.  The father of Rose Mathews is Michael Mathews, farmer.  So, the 1856 Griffith's Valuation for Clooneen, Co. Longford showing Michael Mathews leasing a house to Patrick Kearney makes sense.

Michael Mathews along with a John Mathews and a Lawrence Mathews (all brothers?) seem to have a lot of property in the Griffith's Valuation lists for Clooneen -- some they lease, some they seem to be landlords of, and some they occupy.  Does anyone out there have any of these Mathews in their families?

Also found this week is the gravestone at Mullinalaghta Graveyard for Margaret Kearney Kiernan (1893-1973), daughter of Thomas Carney (Kearney) and Rose Mathews.  She is buried with her husband, John Kiernan (1893-1969) and their son John (1931-1960).  They had lived in Kilmore, Co. Longford at the time of their deaths.  There are still two Kiernan children unaccounted for -- Rose B. Kiernan (b. 1929) and James B. Kiernan (b. 1930).  I look for them because if they are alive they would have info about the Clooneen Kearney/Mathews.

And I'm still looking for information about 2 other daughters of Thomas and Rose - namely Mary Kearney and Rose Kearney who both went to America between 1901 and 1911.  I do not know if they married or remained single.  Rose Kearney arrived at New York in May of 1905 and went to the home of her aunt, Mrs. Casey in Bristol, Connecticut.  (Mrs. Casey turns out to be a sister of Thomas Carney (Kearney).  After that I know nothing.  As for Mary Kearney, I haven't been able to find her emigration record.  America seems to have received dozens of Rose and Mary Kearneys in the early 1900's., so I've not been able to tie them into any census records.

Thank you again for your help.

Tom

 

TomK

I fully recognize I am writing into a forum a decade after its apparent coma, but I am hoping to form a family connection in any way possible. My first name is Kiernan created only as an heirloom when the paternal lineage of Kiernan died with my grandfather, Joseph Kiernan, son of Bernard Kiernan, son of Jasper Kiernan (b.1861) and so on. I am hoping to make connections with the McKiernan/McTiernan clan despite losing the paternal line as this ancestry still means a great deal to me.  Thank you in advance. xoxo

kiernanhaney

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