Patrick Shahan married Mary Conner

Hi Beth,

What family records do you already have? Are they birth or marriage records? If not, there are church records (Roman Catholic) available for the parish of Killeentierna from 1801. These are available from the Church of Latter Day Saints reference no: 0883740 item 4, 0883818. Baptism records date from 1801 and marriage from 1803.

You could also check the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) and the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available on www.askaboutireland.com

Do you have any information about when they emigrated or which port they arrived at?

Let me know if you need any other assistance. Hopefully someone in the local community will be able to guide you further.

Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

Genealogist (Ireland XO)

Hello Sinead,

I found the marriage record for Patrick and Mary on http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/   I'm just not sure who the two witnesses are - it's Cain Connor and John Barry.   Brother, father, or brother in law?

Also found the baptismal records there for 3 of the 5 children born in Ireland.

I found Cain Connor in the Griffiths valuation living  next door to John Barry, so there's some kind of connection.

Thank you for the suggestion to check the LDS records - I will follow up on that

thanks!

Beth

Hi Beth,

Yes you are more than likely correct in thinking that Cain and John were neighbours. Very often the witnesses were either related or were neighbours. You might be able to check the Griffith's maps and see exactly what land they were living on.

Best of luck with your research! I'm sure you will have more leads you can follow up on. As you suggested, perhaps Cain Connor is a relative...

Kind regards,

Sinead

Hello Joan -

Thank you so much for the followup.    I've been doing my research on this side...  My g-g-grandmother Mary was born approximately 1817-1819 - I don't have a birth proof yet but I found their marriage record in 1837.    I found a baptismal record for her brother Cain (with same parents) in 1828.   It's reasonable that they could be separated by several siblings

I found a Kane Connor with wife Kate in the 1901 census and his age given makes his birthdate closer to 1841..... and a corresponding Cain Connor baptised in 1841 with parents Thomas Connor and Eleanor Sullivan (Denis Connor and Jane Divane are sponsors).  I don't think this Kane/Cain is my Mary's brother.... I'm suspecting he's a cousin or nephew - but a connection nonetheless!! 

In the Griffith's Valuation in Kilsarkan East I find Cain, Thomas and Denis Connor all living near each other....  Reasonable to assume they are brothers?

The Fernaugh name is literally something I copied from my aunt's handwritten notes some 30 years ago...I've got no proof or supporting info and I've never been able to find anything.    Fair to say it's wrong.

What I need to do is find the older birth records, but that's a huge challenge.

many thanks!

Beth