Monaghan family: Shannon Rd, Portumna

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

See the sixth record on this page for Margaret's civil birth record  https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1899/02036/1780359.pdf

and this 1901 census record   http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Portumna/Gross_Street/1396707/

Could these records be for your family?

Roger McDonnell

Dear Roger  

Thank you very much for your message.    You also kindly responded to my cross referenced post regarding my grandfather, Thomas Conner.  Again, thank you very much.

The 1901 census that you sent to me shows that Margaret Mongahan had a brother called Christopher and I recall as a child, my father talking about "Christy - the old man of the Shannon".  So again, this is another clue that the Monaghan family on the census are my family.

Sadly, my father and his siblings are all deceased so there is only a vague recolation of the oral history of my family.   

With kindest regards

Linda DeCaarlo (nee O'Connor)

My grandfather was the Christy Monaghan that you are referring to. He died aged 91yrs in 1979. My grandmother was Alice Conner from Eyrecourt. Christy was one of 22 children born in Portumna. My great grandmother is from the Burke family. You have a lot of relatives. Christy and Alice had many children but only 8 survived till adulthood. My mother Rosaleen Murray ne Monahan died 6 years ago. My mother moved to England with several of her brothers and sisters and raised the families there.

if you would like any further info please get in touch. Maria Murray

Dear Maria

Thank you for your message.

I just responded to you on my other message post.

Please accept my condolences for the loss of your mother.   Both my father (Joseph O'Connor) and mother passed away in their fifties.    Sadly, most of the family history went to the grave with them so I only have recollections of snippets of information about my family history.   

So your grandfather was my great uncle? Is that correct?

I am looking forward to finding out more and as per my other message, not sure if the best way is to communicate via this site or for privacy, best to communicate via personal email?  If so, my personal email address is:   lindadecarlo@hotmail.com

With kindest regards

Linda

Dear Maria

I was just rereading  your message and had a thought    My grandfather was Thomas Connor who married maragaret monaghan (your grandfather Christy's sister)

You said that you grandfather married a lady called Alice Conner      Thomas Connor had a sister called Alice Connor who was from Eyrecourt       Is there a possibility that your grandmother Alice Connor is actually my great aunt on my grandfather's side?

Lots of talk about :) 

Hi Linda,
My great grandfather was Christys brother Michael. I believe he married a Conlon from Terryglass/Ballinderry area in North Tipp. They had 2 boys, Michael and Joseph ( my grandfather). Michael and Joseph have both passed away as has my own father Michael. I live in Portumna as does Michaels (Josephs brother) son Eamonn so there is still a few of us knocking about home!

Tony Monaghan

Dear Tony

Thank you very much for your message.  

It's great news to find some relatives!    Margaret (Maggie) was your great grandfather Michael's sister.

I started a family tree on findmypast but it's difficult verifying information because there are several families with the same surname.   I don't have any family photographs or other information so my search began with the name of my grandparents and other family names I could remember my father talking about.

I found out from my research that your great grandfather had a brother called Joseph who enlisted with the British Army during World War 1 but sadly died in France whilst on active service.   A couple of months ago I was searching online for "Monaghan's from Portumna" and I found two of Joseph Monaghan's WWI medals for sale online in an Irish militaria shop.  I couldn't beleive that after all these years, the medals had turned up for sale.  They have Joseph's name and soldier number engraved on them so I'd be happy to send you photographs if that is something that interests you.

I grew up in England so had little contact with my Irish family back "home".    My sister just did the heritage DNA test with 'Ancestry' and her result says that she is 100% Irish which has made our family very proud indeed.

My father's mother was a Monaghan and his father was an O'Connor but he went by the name 'Connor' when he was a child.  We also had ties with the Burke family.  That's all I know so far but if you have any other information that you'd like to share then I'd love to know more.

Thanks again for reaching out, Tony.  I appreciate it very much.

Kindest regards

Linda