Sheridan/McGaharan (and spelling variants)

Hi Astea,  

I have a subscription to Roots Ireland, I searched it but did not find Ellen's baptismal certificate.  The records may not be transcribed or may be missing, so keep an eye out on their site for such records.  As you have it I did find Denis & Rose's marriage cert in Mullinaghta.  That part of Co,. Cavan is close to the Longford border so you have to keep an open mind as to which county they may be from as this parish was formerly known as Scrabby and Colmcille East. It was formed about 1832 from part of Killashandra Parish, Cavan, and eleven townlands in eastern Columbkille Parish, County Longford. (Colmcille is a variant spelling). There are two chapels: Church of the Holy Family in Scrabby, and St. Columba's in the townland of Cloonagh, Columbkille Parish, County Longford. The eastern portion of Columbkille Parish is called Mullinalaghta by the residents. Lough Gowna is a village on the shores of Lough Gowna in County Cavan.

As you went through the baptismal records of the children, did any of the McGahern family appear as sponsors?  Chase them up you never know where they lead to.

According to Family Search the records that they have available are 

Baptisms 1833-1920

Marriages1833-1871, 1877-1906

Burials 1833-1860  

Go through all the records on https://genealogy.nationalarchives.ie  see if you can find any reference to either of them in the records  

Also contact: Genealogy Centre Contact Details
Cavan Genealogy
1st Floor, Johnston Central Library, Farnham St., Cavan 
Tel: +353 (0) 49 4361094
Email: cavangenealogy@eircom.net
They charge a fee but hey may have something that is not available elsewhere.  

You could write to the parish in Scrabby and ask the secretery or priest to publish your request in their parish bulletin, you never know what turns up.  I wish you the best of luck.  Regards Carmel

Hi Carmel, Thank you so much for your reply and for clarifying things for me - especially with regard to details on the Parishes in relation to Counties over time. Thanks also for the encouragement to keep going with my research - looking out for records that may become available, and for the links and sources of potential information to follow up on. I have recorded the names of the baptismal sponsors of the Sheridan children and have been wondering where to start with following up with them (where to start). I'm not sure if sponsors were typically adults or children and also the relatedness? I also subscribe to Roots Ireland. Many thanks for your assistance and best wishes from New Zealand, Astrea

Hi Astrea,  

The sponsors could be anyone, catholics were often baptised the day they were born, so they could have been close neighbours, older siblings and relatives.  I doubt they would have had time to send for people from distant areas unless they were women who had already come to help with the confinement.  It is difficult to find women, partiularly as they are not very often noted on marriage certs as mothers.  

Regards Carmel