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Hi there :)

I am seeking information on my Hynes and Moran ancestors of Ballymarcahaun in the parish of Ardrahan.

My great-great-grandmother Margaret Hynes (born Ballymarcahaun c1873) was the daughter of Michael Hynes and Mary Moran. Margaret migrated to Australia aged 19 in 1891, following her elder sister Mary Hynes who had migrated in 1881. I have searched the online parish records for Ardrahan but can find no births registered for Margaret or Mary, although the records do show two other children (named Martin and Bridget) born to Michael Hynes and Mary Moran.

Michael Hynes was a farmer and died prior to 1894 (he is listed as deceased in Margaret's 1894 marriage certificate). Mary Moran was still alive at the time of Margaret's wedding and I believe she is the Mary Hynes born c1836 listed in the 1901 Irish Census, living at Ballymarcahaun with her son Martin.

The online parish records for Ardrahan don't list a marriage between Michael Hynes and Mary Moran (they may have married during the years 1850-1867 for which there is no surviving register) and I cannot find records of their births either, probably because they were born before the registers began.

The Tithe Applotment and Griffiths Valuation records of the 1820s and 1850s show people named Hynes and Moran living in Ballymarcahaun during those decades, however I am not sure how those people are related to my known family members.

The Hynes family was Catholic (as was the Moran family, presumably) and I have read online that Catholics in the parish of Ardrahan were buried in the churchyard of the Protestant church at Ardrahan prior to the 1950s, so there may be Hynes/Moran graves in Ardrahan.

I would like to know:

- Are there graves for Michael Hynes and Mary Hynes nee Moran? When did they die?

- Who were the parents of Michael Hynes and Mary Moran?

- How are the other Hynes/Moran residents of Ballymarcahaun related to Michael Hynes and Mary Moran? E.g. there is a Thomas Hynes living next door to Mary in the 1901 Irish census.

- What was Ballymarcahaun like during the 1870s/80s when my great-great-grandmother Margaret was growing up there?

I would be very grateful for any assistance!

Thankyou :)

Anna

Anna

Monday 13th Jul 2015, 10:38AM

Message Board Replies

  • Anna:

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

    I don't live in Ireland so I can't help with the grave info. I did look for civil death index records for both Michael and Mary. There were too many Michael Hynes records in the years prior to 1894 in the Gort registration district for me to make an informed choice.. There were a number of Mary Hynes records between 1901-1911 and one of them had an 1836 year of birth so possibly the record below is correct. The best way to confirm would be to check the changes in property owners after the Griffiths. Those records for the Republic of Ireland are not online yet. The Mormon church does have that information on microfilm that is held in Salt lake City.

    Is it possible that Margaret was actually older than an 1873 year of birth and was baptized along with Mary in the gap period?

    The Griffiths does show a John Hynes in Ballymarcahaun so possibly he was Michael's father.

    Let me know if you have questions.

    Roger McDonnell

    First name(s)MaryLast nameHynesBirth year1836Age at death73Registered year1909Registered quarter/yearApr - Jun 1909Registration districtGortVolume4Page185

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 13th Jul 2015, 06:32PM
  • Thankyou very much for your assistance, Roger :)

    The 1909 death record you found for Mary Hynes nee Moran looks like a good match. I'm pretty sure she died between 1901 and 1911 because she only appears in the 1901 census record. I had the same problem as you did with Michael Hynes - too many Michaels in Ireland!

    I'm pretty confident about Margaret being born c1873 as both her immigration records and her marriage certificate suggest that birthdate. I can't think why she would not have a baptism record if her parents made the effort to baptise Martin and Bridget. There is a possibility I suppose that the family was living elsewhere around 1873 and that she was baptised in another parish but it seems unlikely given that Michael Hynes was a farmer and unlikely to change his residence.

    If Mary Hynes nee Moran was born c1836, Michael Hynes was probably born around the same time or a bit earlier, so it's quite possible that his father was born around 1800 and still living in the 1850s when the Griffiths Valuation took place, in which case John Hynes is a strong possibility as Michael's father although I'd love to know for sure.

    After my last message I did some more research online and discovered that Martin Hynes (whom I believe is Margaret's brother) is buried with his wife Nora and son Michael at Labane Cemetery. There's no indication of a Michael Hynes or a Mary Hynes nee Moran buried in the same cemetery however. Do you know of any other cemeteries around Ballymarcahaun?

    Anna

    Tuesday 14th Jul 2015, 03:42PM
  • Anna:

    Let me check with someone from Co. Galway.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Tuesday 14th Jul 2015, 05:54PM
  • Anna:

    Here is a site from the Galway County Council site. Still waiting to hear back from a contact in the local area.

    Roger

    http://gccapps.galwaycoco.ie/graveyards/#

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Tuesday 14th Jul 2015, 08:00PM
  • Hello Anna

    I am also searching for Hynes/Moran ancestors. My father was Thomas Hynes  born on 11 Feb 1910, whose father was Martin Hynes, married to Nora Moran. Martin hailed from Ballymarkahan, but judging from your work, this was not in Co Clare but in Galway (which was where my father said he came from). I never questioned why I only knew one set of grandparents (my mother's). I had the impression that my father was from a big family and that he was brought up by his grandparents. I also remember him saying that when he came to England (at about 17, I think) several other groups of his relatives left for countries such as Australia and America.

    I wonder if you've found out any more about your family. 

    Anne

    Anne

    Wednesday 3rd Oct 2018, 04:18PM
  • Hi Anna
    After quite a lot of help in my family research, I can safely say am the granddaughter of Martin and Nora Hynes. It looks like my great grandfather was Michael and his father was the John you have found. I would dearly like you to contact me about our shared ancestry.
    Anne

    Anne

    Saturday 6th Oct 2018, 01:53PM
  • Hi Anna, i live in Australia. I'm currently doing my ancestry and my mother is Annie Hynes, her father is Terence Patrick Emmett Hynes. He was born in Australia. His mother was Ellen Mcguiness who married John Hynes born in Galway aft 1846. His sister Mary Hynes married Michael Walsh. There was also their siblings Thomas hynes born 1844 and Edward hynes born 1845. All were born in Ardrahan co Galway. 

    My plan is to do a heritage visit to Ireland and also Witley in Surrey for the Mitchell side.

    I also have the family name Hanley who lived in Meath, Tuam and Nenagh Ireland in late 1700-1800's before coming to Australia also.

    If any of these names are part of your history, leave a message and I answered will update further.

    Andrea Hynes Mitchell.

    ixouser282004

    Saturday 5th Oct 2019, 12:17PM
  • Hi Anne,

    Happy to contact you but I don't have your email address. Can you please post a reply to this message with your email?

    Since my last post I have visited the grave of your grandparents Martin and Nora Hynes in Labane Cemetery. And I have some images of the Hynes cottage in Ballymarchahaun where I believe they lived.

    Also, hi to Andrea - there is probably some connection between your Hynes ancestors and mine since they are both from the Ardrahan area but the specific names you've mentioned are not ancestors that I've identified in my tree.

    All the best :)

    Anna

     

    Anna

    Thursday 30th Jan 2020, 04:31PM
  • Hi Anna
    My email is spk2anne@gmail.com and I would love to hear from you. I'm busy for the next week but I have a friend who is great at ancestry and has done some research for me which I am keen to share with you.
    All the very best
    Anne

    Anne

    Friday 31st Jan 2020, 09:04AM
  • Hi Anna, love to chat further to you, they must be related somehow? The person I can't get past is Patrick Hynes who married Mary Brennan and the left Ireland in1863 with their children via Liverpool on the Royal Dane. They settled in melbourne Australia. Patrick was my 2nd Great Grandfather. He is buried in the Melbourne cemetary with Mary. My email is Septemberamam@gmail.com  

    Andrea

    Friday 31st Jan 2020, 01:11PM

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