Kilbehenny Ancestors

Helen, just in case you didn't come across this, the Old Graveyard in Kilbehenny has been surveyed and this link will show you all headstones in the graveyards and the inscriptions http://historicgraves.ie/graveyard/kilbeheny-old-graveyard/li-ogkb

have a look and see if you're family were buried there

I will pass on your query to some people in Kilbehenny tonight as well and see if they have some more information for you,

All the best

Amanda Slattery

Hello Helen,

Amanda passed this message onto me.  I will enquire over the next few weeks.

There are McGraths and O'Donnells in the area that are connected so I will ask one of them first.  I have a far-out connection to them.

There may be others as there are several families with those names.

Conor

Helen,

Could you give some more information on where your grandparents settled and how many were in the family. It is often the small details that trigger peoples memory.

How did you get to hear of Irelandxo and what do you think of it?

Conor

Hi, delighted with all the help from this site.  Well my Grandmother Ellen McGrath (Born 1912) married Patrick Whelan and  he was a chauffeur/handyman in an estate in Kildangan, Co.Kildare - The Moore O'Farrell estate. I know my Grandmother worked in Tullamaine Castle. Just found her Confirmation Cert the other day and she went to school in Skehennarinky. Also a copy of her brother Tom's vaccination card and states place of birth Loughanano?  He was 7 months old in May 1913. Also another brother called Jeremiah. He worked in a locak pub in Kilbehenny for many years before going to the UK. This names runs in the family as she called one of her sons, my uncle, Jeremiah also. My Grandmother was the youngest and had no sisters.  So there was Tom, Jeremiah and Ellen McGrath.  She had a good friend a Mrs Anne Jones who lived in Cork and may have been from Kilbehenny also.

Should I be looking in Cork/Limerick/Tipperary Records? What parish would birth/marriage/death records be kept in for Kilbehenny, Skehennarinky.

Don't know anything about her mothers side.  Her mother was Mary O'Donnell and died when my grandmother was 12.

There is some connection to some TomO'Donnell? man who was a TD? many years ago, black haired man I remember him on the TV, distant cousin of my Great Grandmothers.  Thats all I got.  My mother never rememberd here Grandparents and she is 74 now and I am trying to find out what I can for her on her mothers side of the family.

Many thanks to you and all the Kilbehenny group. 

Helen

Can't remember where I heard of Irelandxo, think it was a programme on TV - Nationwide?

Am always on the internet googling websites to do with Genealogy etc.

Thank goodness for the internet and records available online - but will have to visit to get church records eventually.

Did pass through Kilbehenny 2 years ago on way home from Cork.  Looked around local graveyard but need to do my homework first. 

Hello Helen.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002771614/

On the census for 1911   in Loughananna there is a Thomas  McGrath with a wife Mary and 2 sons Jeremiah and Thomas who was 4 years old in 1911. This appears to clash with the date on the vaccination cert. 

There are several reasons for that. The birth dates might have been mistaken in 1911 or 1913. Or there may be two  Thomas in the family. If  Thomas I died, it was very common to name the next child after him.

Either way, the census points to that being your Grandmothers home. On the census enumerators form it is house no 12.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002771590/

There is an accompanying map with this on some page which identifies house no 12 in Loughananna townland.  I do not have that.

A friend John Walsh from the area says that there was a McGrath at what is called Lynches cross, Its in Loughananna and though in the parish of Kilbeheny, it is closer to Skeheenarinky schoolhouse than the Kilbehenny school. Many of that side would have gone to Skeheenarinky.

52.302496,-8.167098 on Google  maps.

The O'Donnell side I am not sure of but I will continue to ask.

John says Ann Jones he knew died some years ago and has a daughter in Virginia Cavan.

Conor

My mother was Anne Jones we were neighbours of the Mc Graths. Tom lived in the lodge going into Loughananna House.  I knew Tom and his sons Jerry and Tommy didn't know their sister but she lived in Kildare. My brother Jack Jones knew her as he also lived in Co Kildare. I met Tommy in London in the late 50s dont know where he is buried, but I am certain old Tom is buried in the old cemetary in Kilbehenny.

Hi Peg

Thank you for that information.  Tom & Jerry had a sister, Ellen (Nellie) my grandmother.

I think Tom Snr is buried in Welyn-Garden City.

If Tom Snr is buried in the old cemetery in Kilbehenny then I can find out more about

his wife Mary (O'Donnell) who died when my grandmother was only 12.

Appreciate your help.  Every little bit helps.  I can see a trip to Kilbehenny coming up next year.

Kind Regards

Helen O'Neill

My Great Grandfather, Edmond O’Donnell  b.1872 moved to NZ in his teens. From what I can gather from his 1902 marriage certificate(attached), he was born in ‘Kilbahany’ Co. Limerick which I believe should have been Kilbeheny. His parents were Edmond James O’Donnell and Johanna McGrath. I’m not sure if there’s any connection or if anyone can shed any light?

Hamish

Hi

How sure are you about your Great Great Grandparents were Jeremiah & Mary O'Donnell the reason i ask is in the early 1980’s my aunt Molly [mary donegan]

Sent me what she knew about other relatives.

Her mother was cathline o’donnell from killbeheny , cathline had a sister mary who married Thomas mcgrath in Spittle Ballylanders limerick and she had a son Thomas who had died about a month previously in London, on some website I found his entry died apr-jun 1983 and that he was born          I wrote to the local church about about the wedding  he told me they married on 17 march 1906.

That was it until recently I been going on a pay site http://www.rootsireland.ie/ifhf/map.php  and got the following

Marriage of

17-Mar-06 Mitchelstown Co. Cork Thomas McGrath Spittle Ballylanders Civil Record LABOURER Bachelor (Previously unmarried) Mary O'Donnell Kilbehenny Civil Record SERVANT Spinster (Previously unmarried) Thomas McGrath LABOURER Jeremiah O'Donnell LABOURER

Civil Record

Mary  O'Donnell 09-Aug-1872 08-Aug-1872 Curraghkilbrawn,  Galbally,   Limerick Civil Record Jeremiah  O'Donnell Labourer Ellen O'Donnell Jeremiah O'Donnell

Church record

Mary O'Donnell 09-Aug-1872 Curraghkilbran  GALBALLY & AHERLOW  Co. Limerick  Roman Catholic Jeremiah O'Donnell  Ellen O'Donnell sponsors  Ml. Carney  Alice O'Donnell

Marys 8brothers and sisters were born in Killbeheny,

Church record for Mary’s parents

12-Nov-1871 KILBEHENNY Co. Limerick Jeremiah O'Donnell  Roman Catholic  Ellen O'Donnell    Roman Catholic   O'Donnell   O'Donnell  sponsors Daniel O'Donnell Alice O'Donnell

 As you can see the fathers given names are not mentioned

Civil record

  12-Nov-1871 GALBALLY Co. Limerick Jeremiah O'Donnell Currakilbran, Galbally Civil Record LABOURER Bachelor (Previously unmarried) Ellen O'Donnell   Ballyfauskeen, Ballylanders Civil Record SERVANT Spinster (Previously unmarried) Thomas O'Donnell John O'Donnell sponsors Dan O'Donnell Ellen O'Donnell notes ANGLESBORO RC.  BOTH AGES GIVEN AS FULL                             

Bern Donegan

b.m.donegan@talk21.com

Hi Bern

I only know the name of my great great grandparents would have been McGrath & O'Donnell.

My great grandparents were Thomas McGrath  who married Mary O'Donnell (RIP 1924 aged 48)

They had three children Thomas, Jeremiah & Ellen - my grandmother.

My uncle was also named Jeremiah.  This names seems to have been passed down through

the generations.  Maybe Mary and Cathline were sisters?

hi helen

my great grandparents were

Jeremiah O'Donnell who married Ellen O'Donnell, Ellen was born 02-Jun-1851 in killbehenny, Limerick.

Jeremiah and Ellen O'Donnell had 9 children 5 daughters and 4 sons

Mary, Thomas, Alice, John, Margaret, Catherine, Bridget, William, Michael

Mary born 8 Aug 1872 married Thomas McGrath  on  17 Mar 1906

Thomas born 14 Jun 1874 i don't know anything else about him

Alice born 14 Apr 1876 married John Gallahue on  Jan-Mar 1902

John born 13 Jan 1879 i don't know anything else about him

Margaret born 15 Aug i think she married Michael Fogarty 13 Feb 1900 in Galbally, Limerick

Catherine born 16 Dec 1883 married John Donegan  on  they marred 27 Jul 1909  Catherine my grandmother livied in Ballykearney most f her married life i believe one of her grandsons Sean Donegan lives there with his family

Bridget born 14 Nov 1887 i believe married John Hurley in america

William born 11 Mar 1891 i don't know anything else about him

Michael born 25 Aug 1893 i don't know anything else about him

if your intresested i have a tree for each branch at anestry.com the links below shoud take you there

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/54668740/person/13696888542

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/54966580/person/13744676039

So, it seems we are related!!  Caitlin & Mary were sisters?  Mary O'Donnell was my  Great Grandmother.

She married Thomas McGrath Snr in 1906. Three children Jeremiah, Thomas & Ellen (My grandmother RIP 2000)

I spoke to my mother today.  She confirmed that her Uncle Jeremiah McGrath was married and lived in London?

Possibly married to a Catherine O'Sullivan.

Thomas McGrath Jnr did not marry and died in England.  Buried in Welyn Garden City .

His nephew called Thomas Whelan (Ellen McGrath was his mother, my grandmother) died approx 1983/4 and buried with his Uncle Thomas McGrath.  His wife Betty Miller still living there.

My other Uncle James lives in London (his mother Ellen McGrath my grandmother) and he is my mothers eldest brother.  Their youngest brother Jeremiah lives in Co. Wicklow - so Jeremiah name still kept in the family. (Bachelor)

And it is likely then that Jeremiah & Ellen O'Donnell were my Great,Great,Grandparents.

Promised my mother that I would bring her down to Kilbehenny and the area this summer and do the rounds of all the parishes.  Will probably take me a few days!!!!!

Kind Regards

Helen

i hope you don't mind my asking but how many decentants does  mary o'donnell mcgrath have what are their names and dates. at the moment i'm wriittng down what i know about the o'donnells. t have 3 cousins surname donegan who i lost contact with but still live the mitchelstown area who are about 20 years older than myself and grew up in the mitchelstown area and probally new the older relatives and cousins and mite be able to help with the o'donnells

bern

She had three children, Thomas, Jeremiah and my grandmother Ellen.

Ellen Born 1912.  She married Patrick Whelan and had four children, James, Thomas, Mary Colette and Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1907?

Thomas -???? 1905 - Oldest.