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Michael & Anne Brennan

RoscommonKilteevan (Roscommon)

While everything I have seen has Michael (b. 1835), Anne (b. 1841) and their brood of children living in Clooncraff, the 1901 and 1911 census states that the parish is Kilteevan. I will wholly admit to ignorance in how that is broken down :)

Given the number of Michael Brennan's in the area, I'll list their children as I think that narrows it down a bit:

Patrick Joseph (b. 1861 - my great-great grandfather), William, John, Luke, Hugh (there were apparently two Hugh's - one died shortly after birth), James, Joseph, Michael, and Mary Anne.

Patrick, William, and Luke immigrated to the U.S., with Patrick having arrived first, William second, and Luke third. I believe Hugh was over for a short time, but then returned to Ireland. The 1901 and 1911 censuses show John, James and Mary Anne as single and living with their parents.

I'm trying to figure out which church records I should check and which graveyard(s) those who stayed in Ireland would have been buried at.

Any help is appreciated as I've tapped out at Michael and Anne as I have no idea what family Anne comes from.

IrelandXO member

6 replies

tsmithers:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Clooncraff is the townland and Kilteevan is the civil parish. The corresponding RC parish is Roscommon and Kilteevan and here is a link to the parish web site. http://www.elphindiocese.ie/parishes-ministries/parish-details/?parishI…   Here is a link to the parish register  http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0564 ;

I searched on Roots Ireland from 1850-1860 for a marriage record for a Michael Brennan marriage record with a spouse Ann. There were none in Roscommon/Kilteevan. I looked at the baptismal record for four of the children including Patrick and they all showed Ann Brennan as the mother's name. In almost all cases the maiden name was shown on baptismal records so I think Ann's maiden name was also Brennan. I would look for the marriage record on the parish register. By the way, the record I located for Patrick has him born in 1863.

Let me know if you have questions.

Roger McDonnell

Name:Patrick BrennanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:15-Nov-1863Address:Not RecordedParish/District:ROSCOMMONGender:MaleCountyCo. Roscommon
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Michael BrennanMother:Ann BrennanOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Andrew TreacySponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Margaret Brennan

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I forgot that you asked about cemeteries. There is a Kilteevan cemetery and here is a link to a Find a Grave site. We have an expert on Roscommon cemeteries and possibly he can add more information. He worked on the Kilteevan records.

Roger

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2245168

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello tsmithers,

 

Thank you Roger but I wouldn’t use the word expert.

As far as I can see the Kilteevan graveyard is indeed the site you should be looking at. From the link http://www.kilteevancommunity.ie/heritage/ecclesiastical-site a Donal Brennan from Clooncraff is interred there so there is clearly an association with the graveyard and people from the townland. It also notes that there are two sections to the graveyard with the addition of a section in 1950. A plot in the old section could very well still be in use upto the 1980’s despite the new section until such time as it was deemed unfit for continued use.

I have attached a map showing the proximity of a number of burial grounds to the townland Clooncraff which may be of use.

 

Trust this helps.

P McG

You are both incredible!  I've always felt a bit adrift when trying to figure out how to search parish records (especially as I was not raised in the church) and the like in Ireland, especially given the commonality of their names - so, thank you!  

I'm hoping to get to Roscommon later this year as I may be studying in Scotland or England for the next few years, and am looking forward to actually putting my feet where my great-great grandfather once roamed.  

The birthdate doesn't really surprise me in regards to Patrick as, according to family lore, he was associated with an uprising or did something else that led to his having to leave Ireland as opposed to doing it as an adventure.  There's been a debate over his bithdate as long as I can remember, some thinking it was St. Pat's because he wasn't named Michael (I shrug my shoulders at this one), some thinking it was 1861 and others 1863.  We use the 1861 date as it is what is on his headstone in Minnesota (photo attached).  We do know he worked his way over on a vessel as opposed to coming in through regular immigration, and he moved around a bit before marrying and having a slew of kids - owning a farm in White Bear Lake, Minnesota (just outside of St. Paul).  

Again, thank you both so very much!  I'd hug you if I could :)

IrelandXO member

Re Clooncraff

Dear T, I have been doing some research on the Clooncraff Brennans and will get back to you later when I have some time. Some of the children of Owen Brennan & Ann Hayden of Clooncraff settled in Attleboro, Massachusetts martinebrennan.com/brennanblog if you put Clooncraff in the searcbox you will find the links.

Will be in touch soon

Martine Brennan

mbrennankerry@…IrelandXO Volunteer

Re Michael Brennan and his wife Ann

I hate to throw the cat among the pidgeons here but in a closer study of the records available, I have come across a number of discrepancies between records which lead me to think that there is a possibility that Anne Brennan might actually have been Mary Ann Hanly. There is a marriage record for a Michael Brennan, Kilteevan and Mary Hanly, Portrun in Knockcroghery Feb 27 1865. Michael is described as son of John and Mary as daughter of Luke Hanly. I have found records for 4 children born in Clooncraff to Michael Brennan and Ann Hanly so far

Patrick 1866

Michael Joseph 1869

Mary Catherine 1871

Margaret 1877

Michael Brennan & Ann Hanly are recorded as the parents of a Michael Brennan who married on Mar 4 1897.

This may indeed be an entirely different family and I haven't completed my search but it is a puzzle to me. If someone can help me figure it out I would be more than thrilled.

If you have done an autosomal DNA test, T, we could compare our results on gedmatch.com as I suspect at this time that Michael was a brother of my great great grandfather Patrick Brennan but I cannot prove this with paper records. I have compared DNA with a descendant of the Attleboro Brennans (Owen Brennan & Ann Hayden) and we are not a match but this is not conclusive since it was only a comparision with one person.

It is my hope to clarify these Clooncraff Brennan relationships. 

http://www.martinebrennan.com/the-brennan-blog/the-clooncraff-families-kilteevan-roscommon-1901

http://www.martinebrennan.com/the-brennan-blog/oweneugene-brennan-ann-hayden-clooncraff-kilteevan-roscommon

I look forward to hearing from you.

Martine Brennan

mbrennankerry@…IrelandXO Volunteer

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