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Hello!

I think I've tracked down lots of my father's family to Leahive/Leaha and BallynahownaTownlands in Kilbegnet.  It seems quite amazing since some of the marriages didn't even happen while they were in Ireland.  I guess when people emigrated they went near people they knew had gone already.  

I've found Gavin/Gavan, Mulligan, Costello and Conniker (Conacher, Conicar and more spellings) connections reported to have been born in these townlands in the 1860s and 1860s. My father's grandfather Michael Gavin was born in Ballynahowna.  His mother's name was Mary Mulligan.  There are Gavins and Mulligans living near each other in the 1850s in these townlands based on Griffith Valuations.  There were also Costellos and Connikers.  My great grandmother who married Michael Gavin in NYC was Nellie Conniker.  She was the daughter of James Conniker (various spellings) and Honora Costello.  I haven't found her birth info, but some of her sisters were also born in Leahive Townland.  

I've found baptism records in the Catholic Church records provided on line by NLI.  The baptisms were recorded in Glinsk Parish.

Families by all these names were still living in the two townships in 1911.  All my closer ancestors ended up in NYC.  I think Honora Costello must have come to the US with one of her daughters after her husband died.  I think she lived for a while with a son in White Haven, PA for a while.  Eventually I find her living for a few years each with two of her daughters in NYC though.  My father remembered these aunts.

I'd love to connect with anyone from any of these families.

Thanks,

Deirdre Gavin Bradway

Deirdre

Tuesday 14th Jan 2020, 12:42AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hello Deirdre, I am searching for the origins of my 2x gr.grandfather, Laurence Mulligan. Have you, or any of your family, done a DNA test?

    Best Regards, Kim

    kbender

    Monday 5th Apr 2021, 01:51AM
  • Hello, Kim

    Yes a few family members have had DNA tests done.  My father is the closest to Ireland.  His GEDmatch numbers are:  A354988 and RA7953681.  HIs name is Vincent Gavin.  His results are also on Ancestry, MyHeritage and FTdna that I can recall.  

    I've found Mulligans married into my extended family in many generations.  

    I belong to a FB group called East Galway Genealogy and DNA on which I've found several other folks connected to Mulligans as well.  My most up to date tree is on the FamilySearch website.

    I'd be happy to share anything you'd like to know.

    Deirdre

    Deirdre

    Monday 5th Apr 2021, 04:27PM
  • Hi Deirdre,

    My ancestors are also Costellos from Killbegnet parish. My 3rd great grandmother is Catherine Costello who married Malachy Brennan on February 19, 1855 in Glinsk, Killbegnet and Dunamon Parish, Co. Galway according to the Catholic Parish Registers, The National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 04620 / 01

    I'm looking for more information on either Brennan or Costello families as well.

    Dan

    DanBrennan

    Monday 5th Apr 2021, 05:29PM
  • Dan,

    My GGGrandparent's marriage is recorded in the same church register.  They were married 6 Feb 1841 though.  Unfortunately, I haven't found any info on Honora Costello's origins.  

    She is listed as living with two of her daughters families in the 1900 US census - one in NYC and the other in White Haven, PA.  (In my original post I was confused somehow thinking she'd been living with a son.)  I'm sure they are her daughters because my father remembered both families and I've been in contact with some cousins.  The PA family eventually moved to NYC.  (Nora seems to have been shared between the two daughters.  She appears with both families different years. in the NY State Census.)  Ages were pretty flexible on those census data.  Nora's date of birth is shown as Jan 1825 on the PA census for Nora and April 1823 on the census info from NY.  She could possibly have been a sibling of your 3rd GGrandmother.

    One of Nora's son's, Patrick Conniker also lived in White Haven at the time.  

    There is a James Costello age 59 living next door to the daughter's house in White Haven, PA in the 1900 Census.  I've speculated that he might have been related since folks did "chain migration".   If the age is accurate, he'd have been born in 1841.  The census shows he'd emmigrated in 1868.  I haven't looked for his death certificate yet but it could be a lead.  There are some other Costellos in that area as well. There are Costellos in the area of White Haven / Dennison PA in the 1850 census. 

    I'm sure this won't help you much.  But you never know when a puzzle piece might fall into place.

    Deirdre

     

    Deirdre

    Tuesday 6th Apr 2021, 05:13PM
  • Deirdre,

    Thank you for your information. I compared with my uncle and myself on Gedmatch and I'm the closest with a match of 6.9 cm.   I'm not very knowledgable with DNA numbers, not sure if that is significant. Here is my Gedmatch WZ1909774. No match with us and your father on Ancestry.

    I will pursue the group on FB. How can I find your tree on Familysearch?

    Thank you! Kim

    kbender

    Tuesday 6th Apr 2021, 05:15PM
  • Kim,  So sorry I never responded to your message.  I never saw it.  2 years late is better than never.  

    You do appear to have a very small connection to my father's DNA on 3 different chromosomes.  We'd be distant cousins - way back in time.  You'd be able to find my Mary Mulligan on Family Search with the ID MZG6-MP9.  You can see the tree from there.  Her son from whom I'm decended was Michael Gavin born in Leaha Townland in 1865.  

    Deirdre

    Deirdre

    Tuesday 18th Jul 2023, 07:41PM
  • oops, sorry Michael Gavin was born in Ballynahowna, not Leaha.  I think the townlands are adjacent.

     

    Deirdre

    Tuesday 18th Jul 2023, 07:42PM
  • Also, Dan Brennan.

    There were several Brennan Families in Leaha in the Griffinth Valuations - along with my Costellos and James Conacur (Conniker).  A John Brandon (could be misspelling of Brennan ?) is listed as a Godparent for my great grandfather's brother, John Gavin.  

     

     

    Deirdre

    Tuesday 18th Jul 2023, 08:11PM

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