Shields Family Research / Donegal

kellyrose:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Do you know the religious denomination for the Shields and McConnells?

If they were RC, I don't think records are available. Very difficult to find RC records in Co. Donegal prior to 1860. I did search Roots Ireland and did not see any Shields or McConnell baptismal records with the parents listed. 

I checked the 1857 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing and there were 14 John McConnell records but the parishes were spread out. No James Shields records. All of the 14 records were James Sheil/Shiel/Sheils/Shiels which may have been the spelling in Ireland. Again the parishes were spread out but there were four in Mevagh parish and three in Clondavaddog parish.

Let me know if you have any additional information.

You may want to add the story of James and Martha to our XO Chronicles site. https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-dat…

You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing.

As an aside two of my Donegal families also emigrated and lived in South Philadelphia.

Roger McDonnell

Thank You, Roger.  My Shields are Roman Catholic.  I suspected that perhaps the spelling may have been Shiels, not Shields, but I searched both.

May I ask your Emigrants names?. My mother's Maternal grandparents also settled in South Philadelphia. They were Patrick Kelly from Dunfanaghy.  His parents were Bernard Kelly and Rose McFadden from Murroe.

Patrick married Annie Kelly from County Derry. 

Kellyrose:

I have a Catherine McFadden from Derryreel townland Raymunterdoney civil parish not far from Dunfanaghy. Of course, that area has many, many McFadden families. My Brennan family was from Glenfad townland Clonleigh civil parish on the east side of Donegal. Robert Brennan married Catherine McFadden in November 1873 at St. Patrick's church at 20th and Locust.

Roger

Interesting!  I just attended Mass at St Patrick's Church,  on the 11th, Prior to the Parade, in Philadelphia. ( We live about an hour North of Philadelphia.)

Thanks again, for your help