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Searching for Kilroy

Kilmacshalgan (Sligo)

Hi - I am searching for my great grandfather/grandmother’s farmhouse. His name was Owen Kilroy born 1868, baptized on July 23, 1868. His father’s name was William Kilroy and his mother’s name was Mary Kelly. He married Margaret Feeney and they had four daughters, Bridget, Marie Ellen, Catherine and Margaret Anne. According to family history, there were two Owen Kilroys who were farmers in the same parish and for ease of identification, he changed the spelling of his last name to “Gilroy”. I am currently in Ireland and will be in Sligo this Wednesday-Friday. I’d love to find the location of the farmhouse (now just standing walls with no roof). Any help is greatly appreciated.

nancy_renwick

4 replies

Nancy:

The Owen Kilroy family lived in the townland of Belville in 1901 https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Dromore/Belville/1677274/

There were no other Kilroy families but there was a Patrick Gilroy family in Belville https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Dromore/Belville/1677269/

1911 Owen Kilroy family https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Sligo/Dromore/Belville/1677269/

1911 Patrick Gilroy had died but his widow Mary is here and now shown as Mary Kilroy https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Sligo/Dromore/Belville/768721/

Here is where it is interesting. A third Kilroy family headed by another Owen Kilroy is now in Belville. https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Sligo/Dromore/Belville/768715/

Belville is 439 acres. Belville is located in northern Co. Sligo off the N59 main road. We would not be able to have a volunteer in the area next week. Your best bet is to travel to Belville and ask the locals if they could assist with the location of the farmhouse. Where are you staying in Sligo?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger - This is fantastic! Yes, Belville is in the records. I’ve attached more records of what I have from my tree in Ancestry. We are in Westport until Wednesday and then will be in Sligo (I’ve attached the map location) Wednesday departing Friday. I wish I had found you before this but just stumbled upon this site today. We’ll be back for sure.

Thsnks again for your help. I will spend some time in Belville and ask around.

Nancy

nancy_renwick

It doesn’t help that there were two Owen Kilroys in the area. I am positive the one who had sons is not my great grandfather.

nancy_renwick

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