Cairns
Hello again,
I posted the message below in July last year and received a reply from Elwyn with some information about wills related to my family. Unfortunately I had already discovered this and a fair bit of other informatio, which had led me to Latnamard in the Parish of Aghabog as the likely home of my ancestors. The rely also noted that "Aghabog is in the RC parish of Killevan. There appear to be a few parish records for the years 1840 1843 and for 1848. Then theres gap to 1871 so it doesnt look very promising in terms of using those records to trace the family back".
I will be visiting Ireland in July 2016 and was hoping to visit the town and maybe photograph some of the tombstones in the graveyard. I have looked at the National Library of Ireland microfiche of local Parish records but unfortunately these confirmed that records are pretty sparse for the Parish and don't include any years relevant to my family. Are any other local records available and if so would it be at all possible to see them through contacting the Parish Church? Or have you any other ideas that could help?
Previous post:
"My Great Grandfather, John Joseph Cairns, was born around 1840 and died in Belfast on 12 Sep 1897. His father (my Great Great Grandfather) was Patrick Cairns. John Joseph Cairns had two older brothers, Thomas (born about 1830, died in Belfast 12th Jan 1866) and Henry (born about 1836, died in Belfast 22nd June 1896), and two sisters, Margaret (born about 1831, died 7th Feb 1901 in Belfast) and Anne (born about 1840, married Captain Christopher A. Beck in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Chapel, Belfast in 1865, died 25th Mar 1866).
By searching Belfast newspaper family notices, I found that Thomas body was removed to the Ulster Railway Terminus, for interment in Latnamard, County Monaghan. I searched burial records online and found the following Gravestone Inscription from the Church of Saint Mary, Latnamard in Aghabog, Co. Monaghan.
By Henry CAIRNES in memory of his brother Thomas died at Belfast Jan 10, 1866 at 36: his sister Ann wife of CAPTAIN C BECK died at Belfast March 25, 1866 at 26
I also found another interesting gravestone inscription in the same Graveyard:
By Michael KEARNS of Drumhilla in memory of his father Thomas died Dec 26 1837 at 63: his mother Ann KEARNS died March 29 1840 at 60; his brother Patrick died Nov 08 1847 at 39
I know that Cairns could have different spellings (Cairnes, Kearns, Kearnes) and wondered if this Patrick in St Marys Graveyard could have been my Great Great Grandfather as the same family names seemed to be repeated? As both Thomas and Anne, who died the earliest, were buried in the graveyard of the Church of St Mary, Latnamard, I believe the family probably came from there originally. My Great Grandfather and his other brother who died later were buried in Belfast. My Grandfather, also John Joseph Cairns, emigrated to Australia in 1911. Any help in tracing my family further back would be much appreciated."