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Andrew Kelly

MayoKilconduff (Mayo)

I'm interested in finding out more about my 2nd great grandfather, Andrew Kelly, and his wife, Alice Durkan. They were married in Swinford in 1826. Alice and her four sons emigrated to America, perhaps between 1840 and 1850. Two of the sons settled in Minneapolis, MN; but, Alice and two others lived in New York City.
Anthony and Patrick built a wholesale grocery businessin Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN. Alice, James and Dudley owned shoe stores in New York (Manhattan and Brooklyn).

John mac

4 replies

John Mac:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Below is a transcription of the 1826 marriage record. Unfortunately, baptismal records for Kildonduff parish are not available from June 1826 until 1841. Here is a link to the register  http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0133

Roger McDonnell

Date of Marriage:11-Jun-1826
Parish / District:KILCONDUFF/SWINFORD
County:MAYO 
Husband AndrewKelly Address Swinford
Wife AliceDurcan

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks, Roger. 
I had found the record and the document itself. One of the witnesses, Patrick Kelly, was Andrew's brother. A third brother was named James. A huge Kelly contingent lives in towns from Swinford to Dublin today. (Only my "guys" went on to America). I've corresponded with a new-found cousin, Martin Kelly, whose nephew owns the Gateway Hotel in Swinford.
We are both stumped about anything or anyone further back in the past; I shouldn't complain, we've traveled a long way.
John Mac.

P.S. Andrew's sons prospered in America. Dudley Kelly, my great grandfather, landed in New Orleans, not up north. He joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War and was captured; he was released  from a prisoner-of-war camp in 1865. He headed for New York and became an aggressive store owner who advertised in the New York newspapers from 1866-1890 or so. This ad is my favorite.
 

John mac

Hi John:

Thanks for sharing your family history. Great Ad!

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger,

I think I may have posted a new picture in the wrong place.
Anthony Kelly was Dudley Kelly's brother; however, he "landed" in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota instead of New York.. Fortunately, he prospered as well, building a wholesale grocery business, provisioning the railroads as they were built across the upper Midwest in America, around 1875 or so. He built an apartment building in 1886, which was named to The National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The building seems to have been restored to its former glory.
Anthony named the building the SWINFORD.

John mac

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