Molloys in Birr

     I am looking to verify and further the information I have available on my family history.  My Great Grand Father (John A. Molloy) and Great Great-uncle (Msg. Thomas Cronin Molloy) traveled back to Ireland regularly to visit family and to do research from the 1920s on until the mid-1980s and much of the information I have on the Molloy family comes from the genealogy that they compiled. I have been able to verify some of the information but need help.  The following is the genealogy that was transcribed by my Great Grand Father in the 1950s.

Thomas Molloy (1758- December 1794)

[According to the notes I have from Msg. Thomas, he died and was buried in England. He married a Ms. Margaret or Mary Walsh.]

|

Thomas Molloy (20 April 1795 – cir. 1852)

[Notes reflect that he was a stone mason and land owner in or around Birr and is buried in Birr.  At one point, My Great Grand Father had a photograph of his headstone confirming dates and location. He married a Ms. Mary O’Connell.]

|

John Molloy (September-November 1830-1909)

[Notes reflect that he was born in or around Birr, was a master stone mason, helped construct the stone support for the Observatory at Birr Castle, and immigrated to the US in the late 1850s to work as a project manager on several bridges in the US, including the St. Louis “Eads Bridge” and later the Brooklyn Bridge]

|

James F. Molloy (1870-1966)

|

John A. Molloy (1901-1989)

     My grandfather told me that later research showed that Thomas’ (b. 1758) father’s name was either James or Terrance, but I have no evidence to support this.  I was further told that Thomas (b. 1794) was born in England and that his father Thomas (b. 1758) was a land owner in or around Birr prior to his leaving for England and there are references to Landed Estate Court proceedings after Thomas (b. 1794) died, but I don’t have much more than that.

     The family was Catholic their entire time in the US and John (b.1830) was listed in the family Bible as being baptized in St. Brendan’s in Birr; Msg. Thomas had stated that the family’s public persona wasn’t always as clear and they would attend CoE or CoI services to avoid trouble or discrimination, but practice Catholicism in secret.  As the story goes, both Thomas (b. 1758) and his son Thomas (b.1794) were allegedly baptized in Church of England Churches and then later baptized again by Catholic Priests in secret. 

     Any help would be wonderful.