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Donnelly and Irwin ancestors

Clonfeacle (Tyrone)

Hello!

My name is Jayne and I am researching my great great grandfather, Patrick Donnelly, born 1839 and baptized in Clonfeacle parish.on Sept. 22, 1839.  He later emigrated to New York City with his family, where, after an enlistment with the Union army in the American Civil War, became a  career policeman in the city's police force and lived in Brooklyn.  He married Johanna Harrington (county Cork) in Boston in 1863,

The following is the only Irish info I had have...have to make assumptions, but I'm throwing it out, hoping someone recognizes some links.  I'm visiting Annagry, Donegal, in June and will go to the parish anyway but if I can narrow down more info (like even which church they were baptized in), that would be great.

This is a main summary of the Ireland end.  The attached short report has more details...the part on Ireland starts on page 4 I just left in the NY part.

His parents were James Donnelly and Margaret Irwin (sometimes spelled Irving or Erwin, depending on the document).

Marriage: Aug. 4, 1836.  Witnesses Thomas Donly and Hugh Irwin    (fathers of James and Margaret?)  There is unfortunately no townland address. (found in parish record)

Children were all baptized in Clonfeacle parish:  (from parish records registers.nli.ie/parishes/0199)

Francis, 14 Oct 1837, sponsors Francis Donnelly and Elizabeth McElheron (no address)

Patrick, 22 Sept 1839, sponsors Patrick Irwin and Mary Irwin (no address , mother's name is written as Sarah, a mistake)

Thomas, 20 Nov 1841, sponsors Thomas and May Donnelly (no address)

May: 21 Jul 1844, sponsors ? Irwin and May Lennon (no address)

Sara, 26 Nov 1847, sponsors John Donnelly and May Lennon (no address)

Thomas, 26 Sept 1850, sponsors James Donnelly and Rose Donnelly (no address)

Two more sons, James and Hugh, born in New York.

Francis Donnelly also became a NYC policeman.  May (Mary) married John Canty, a brushmaker, 5 June 1867 at St. Mary's Church in Manhattan.

FROM here, just going on names, approximate dates, general area.

TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS (from Armagh and Tyrone, dated 1833)

     --James Donnelly married in 1836, probably still lived at home).  If his father's name was Thomas Donnelly, there were a few Thomas Donnellys in the townlands of Mullinary in Armagh and Gowerstown (Gorestown)in Tyrone. (info not online)

           ---No Irwin in Mullinary but there was a David Irwin in Gowerstown.  No Hugh Irwin (assuming Margaret's father)

GRIFFTH's VALUATION  (taken in 1865 so James and Margaret were already in America)

        1865:  no Donnellys or Irwins in Gowerstown

                    Mulinary:  Donnellys--John, Michael, Thomas, Arthur, Joseph, Peter, James (no way of knowing if related)

                    Moygashel:  one Hugh Irwin

Well, that's a lot of assumptions.  Perhaps someone can see a link?  It would certainly have helped to have some addresses of some sort.

Thank you.

Jayne

 

 

 

 

munchski@hotmail.com

3 replies

Jayne,

You appear to have a choice of 2 RC churches in the parish. St Jarlath’s dates back to 1780 and St John the Baptist to 1833.

Do you know if the Donnelly family were farmers in Ireland? If they were then you would expect them to be listed in the tithes but if they were labourers or engaged in other occupations without land eg a mason or carpenter, then they wouldn’t be listed there. The tithes were a tax on land, so mostly they just list farmers. The average labourer might have had a few perches to grow vegetables but that would not be enough to get into the tithes. 

Without a specific townland it will be difficult to trace the family. But if they were labourers they may well have moved around a bit. Many did, to follow the available work. They can be very hard to trace, especially in the period you are interested in, due to the general lack of records.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi, Elwyn,

Thanks for the quick reply and narrowing the churches down.  I will take a look at both of them when I am down there.

On an 1880 New York census, James Donnelly's occupation is listed as "rigger," so if it's true, he falls under the category of laborer.  I imagine he didn't stay in Tyrone for that job. 

Thanks also for the DNA suggestions.  So far, I have no living paternal lines with the Donnellys but perhaps I will find some connections with others in family.

Thank you again.

Best regards,

Jayne

munchski@hotmail.com

I am also looking for My Great Great Grandfather Richard William Donnelly. Born 1799 Bannow, County Wexford. Died 1858 Ardinagh Little, Wexford, Leinster, Ireland, and was reported to be burried in Ballymitty Cemetary.

I searched on Find A Grave but no Donnelly listed. The family moved to north america after loosing their father and his wife: Margaret (Murphy) Donnelly is Memorial ID 255127663 on Find a Grave. was hoping to link them.

Richard is also G4CH-MF5 on Family Search. There was a Donnelly History book printed about 15 years ago, that might contain information of close family connections to Richard in 1700's I will try to find if there were any Irwin connections.

DNA on ancestry links me to Alice Magork, Patrick Dignan, Bridget Martin, Andrew Dougan, Elizabeth Simington William Murphy in addition to the Donnelly Family all born 1722 to mid 1700's.

 

melvinhess

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