My Grandfather - Michael Higgins, born 1880 at Culkeen, son of Michael Higgins and Bridget Cruise. Michael Sr. was born in 1840 at Cloonfineen, son of Martin and Bridget Higgins. They may have both been Higgins. Martin died in 1880 aged 64 at Cloonfineen.
Bridget Cruise was born about 1838 at likely the townland of Betail or Altore. Her parents John Cruise and Margaret Diskin. Bridget had at least 2 siblings; Thomas born 1841 and William born 1842 at Betail. There were only a few Cruise families in Kiltullagh and a few more in Kilkeevin parishes. The only other place I found them listed were in Dysart parish ( All of these parishes in Roscommon - Kilkeevin being adjacent to Kiltullagh )
I believe John Cruise and Michael Higgins Sr were herdsmen.
Michael Higgins passed sometime after 1911 and Bridget Cruise passed sometime after 1920 at Culkeen for both.
Michael Sr had at least 3 brothers; Patrick who married Margaret Connally and lived at Clooncalgy More; Thomas who married Mary Fox and lived at Cloonfineen; and Bernard who married Mary Fleming and lived at Pollynoon in Williamstown Parish in Galway
Michael Higgins and Bridget Cruise had a daughter Bridget who married John Hunt and lived at Pollanalty; a daughter Margaret who married Pat Owens and lived at Pollanalty; a daughter Mary Jean who married Tom Walsh and lived at Cloonfad; a daughter Catherine Higgins who married Luke Quinn and lived at Culkeen; a daughter Anne b. 1879 who lived in NYC until the 1920's and I assume returned to Ireland; and a son Martin who was born in 1871 and single living at Culkeen in 1911
If anyone can provide any additional information - michaelbx102@hotmail.com Regards michael duffy
michaelbx102
Wednesday 1st Jul 2015, 12:45AMMessage Board Replies
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Michael:
Welcome to ireland Reaching Out! You certainly have a lot of information on your family. My only suggestion is to wait until July 8th when the National Library of Ireland will be placing all RC parish registers online for free searching. All of the churches in your area of interest would be in the Diocese of Elphin. The Castlerea records go back to 1804 and the Loughglynn records start in 1817 but there are gaps. Possibly you will be able to find more church records for family members.
Roger McDonnell
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 1st Jul 2015, 01:28AM -
Thank you for your reply Roger! I have not been on this site for some time. I was fortunate to find a great deal about my ancestors. Now I find it more difficult to find the descendants of these ancestors. I am at a loss to find out what became of the Cruise families who were surely all connected to my GGMA. I have looked at the register for Kitullagh over the years at the LDS library. The parish of Kiltullagh is actually in the Diocese of Tuam as is the parish of Williamstown in Galway, where some of the Higgins cousins had migrated after marriage.
My grandfather was born just after the microfilmed parish registers end, so I will write to the parish and see if they have a baptismal record. The sponsors might point me in a different direction. This should be easier than tracking all of my Duffy and Sheil cousins in Kilmovee.
Michael Duffy
michaelbx102
Thursday 28th Jan 2016, 07:51PM -
It is more likely that your Cruise relatives hailed from Annagh parish. This parish is in Co. Mayo and straddles Kiltulagh parish very close to Pollanalty (commonly caled Kiltobar). A Registered Deed for one Cruise family indicated that they were originally deCruise and were descendants of Austrian Royalty and were very wealthy. That was in the late 1700s.
martin meehan
Tuesday 28th Jun 2016, 07:26PM -
My Great Great grandfather was John Cruise from Mayo
Bridget
Friday 8th Sep 2023, 11:48PM