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One of my Great Grandfathers was Patrick Joseph Geoghegan. We believe he was born in Ireland in about 1861 and emigrated as a baby with his mother and at least 2 older sisters.  His parents were Mary Elizabeth Kane (Keane?) and James Leo Geoghegan.  They were born around 1820.  In the 1900 US census, when she was about 80, Mary stated that Patrick was the last surviving child of eight children, having had Patrick when she was about 40 years old.  I don't know how many may have died young.  Family oral history states that Mary's parents were Bridget/Cecelia Burke and Patrick Kane.  James was referred to by the Kane family as "the stranger", meaning that he was born and raised in a different part of Ireland than the Kane family.  During the 1860's time frame, Patrick, his mother and at least 2 older sisters along with Kane family (2 uncles named Charles and Michael) and possibly some Geoghegan family emigrated to upstate New York to settle in towns along the Mohawk River; Fonda, Glen, Amsterdam, Johnstown, Gloversville, where they farmed and worked in leather/glove making factories.  My mother told me that Patrick had said to her that his family had come from what she said was Connemara.  During my research, I came across a place name of Carrow na Madhra/Carnamadra and feel that this might well be what my mother thought was being pronounced by her grandfather Patrick as Connemara, mostly because of marital relationships to a family named Leonard/Linnane who came from Kinvara. I have done a large amount of research and have not found much evidence of James and Mary in any parishes around Connemara, save for one birth in 1854 in Gort of a Mary to a James Geoghegan and Mary Keane.  I know that in New York and possibly before leaving Ireland, some of the Kane family intermarried with a family named Linnane/Leonard.  There were at least 3 Leonard/Linnane brothers who came to New York from in and around Kinvara. I am really just looking to see if I can confirm where exactly my Kane/Geoghegan ancestors originated.  Any information someone might be able to find would be very much appreciated.  I know older records from Kinvara are scarce. Thanks for your time.

Brendan Wilkins 

 

Brendan Wilkins

Tuesday 9th Feb 2021, 02:49PM

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  • Brendan,

    At rootsireland.ie, I located a Celia Geoghegan born 11-Aug-1865 in Cahermore Parish, Kinvara District, Co. Galway. Parents James Geoghegan and Mary Kane. You can see the birth register at irishgenealogy.ie.

    Good luck.

    Patricia

    Wednesday 10th Feb 2021, 12:10AM
  • Hello,

    Not sure if I can help?  Have you done a DNA test?  I have a distant cousin James Kane (my 1st cousin 3x removed) who married a Margaret Gilbert?  His father was Michael Kane (details unk), but he married Bridget Shaughnessy who was born about 1850 in Kinvara.  James' daughter Margaret & my grandmother (Margaret Fitzgerald) are first cousins. 

    (I have a note Bridget is Patrick's only known sister)  I don't know how to send a private reply if you want to exchange emails.

    Mary Shade (Fitzgerald)

    Mary

    Thursday 11th Feb 2021, 09:22PM

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