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John O'Hara is my great grandfather. I'm trying to find relatives who stayed in Ireland  He and his family emigrated in 1881 to Wilmington, Delaware, USA. I'm especially trying to find who his father was and any brothers, sisters or cousins. I know of several O'Haras living in the area near Corsallagh Townland and the village of Cloonacool in 1857, but don't know how any of them are related. In 1857 (Griffith's Valuation), there's a: James O'Hara living in Newtown/Ragoora, a Patrick O'Hara living in Tullycusheen Townland, an Anthony O'Hara living in Cloonacool village, a John O'Hara living in Carrowreagh Know Twl, and a Patrick O'Hara living in Mullaun. These are all townlands surrounding Corsallagh where John O'Hara and family were living from 1859-1881. John O'Hara(1838-1902) married Mary Sweeney(1842-1917) on October 9, 1859 at St Michael's Church in Cloonacool. Their children were all baptized there and the family is reported as living in Corsallagh Townland: Margaret(1860), Catherine(1862), James (1864, my grandfather), Patrick J(1867), Mary(1869), Anne(1872), Bridget Agnes(1877). Since his eldest son is James, if he used the typical naming pattern, his father would be James. His wife's (Mary Sweeney) parents were Myles Sweeney and Catherine? Mullarkey. Her siblings were; Margaret, Anne(m: John Brown), John, Thomas, and James. The sponsors(also neighbors) of John & Mary's children were: Finans, Mullarkeys, Sweeneys, Gintys. Were they brothers, sisters, cousins? The witnesses at their wedding were: Michael O'Hara(John's brother?) and Mary Finan.

Don Shaffer

Thursday 20th Apr 2023, 02:25PM

Message Board Replies

  • Don:

    The Griffiths Valuation also has a Patrick O'Hara living in Corsallagh and possibly he is the father of John.

    As you likely know, Cloonacool RC records start in 1859 which makes it very difficult to separate the O'Hara's.

    Have you considered a DNA test? Your close matches may help to research your O'Hara line.

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 20th Apr 2023, 02:50PM
  • Yes, that Patrick O’Hara was leasing land in Corsallagh which was adjacent to the land he leased and had a house in Tullycusheen More. He died in 1878, age 50. Assuming that’s him, would be a bit young to be John’s father. Same with the James in Newtown/Ragoora (judging from the baptisms of his children and the death of a James in Cloonacool in 1907 age 76.

    I have taken a dna test (Ancestry) and have uploaded it to GedMatch, Sligo dna matchfinder and My Heritage, but no luck with O’Haras or Sweeneys. I did find a match with one person(29.3 cM, approximately 4C once removed)a Mullarkey whose father was born in Cloonacool. My gr grandmother Mary Sweeney’s mother was Catherine Mullarkey, but our trees don’t extend far back enough to know how we’re related.

    Don Shaffer

    Saturday 22nd Apr 2023, 04:11PM
  • Hi Don

    I too am interested in the people you mention as my great grandmother was from Corsallagh and possibly related to you.

    My records show John O Hara of Corsallagh death record as 1821 to 4th October 1881 in Cursella with his widow Mary in attendance.

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1881/06419/4843927.pdf  

    John was in America when Anne was born in 1872.

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03231/2184412.pdf

    It seems he had returned to Ireland again when Bridget Agnes was born in 1877. His occupation is described as a Labourer, which suggests that he was not a landholder/farmer.

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1877/02985/2093533.pdf

    Labourers were not as anchored to the area as Farmer/Landholders were.

    To keep this short I’ll give the short version of what I have.

    Patrick Doherty married Margaret Finan. Patrick died and his widow Margaret married John O Hara 1841-???? in 1871. John’s father was Michael.

    James Sweeney 1843-26-06-1899 married Margaret Ginty.

    John Brown married Anne Sweeney pre 1859 Cloonacool church records and had two children in Corsallagh that I could find. Son Patrick in 1860 & Mary in 1865.

    John Brown’s father was Nabby Brown 1790-1874.

    The Brown’s are the couple that really interests me as I found a Mrs Brown living at 219 North Broome Street, Wilmington, Deleware in 1917.

    Her name was given as his next of kin on a USA WW1 Army Registration Form by the son of my grand aunt which stated that she was his cousin.

    The very same house address was given as the destination for a number of Mullarkey’s from Corsallagh who travelled to USA in 1920 & 1922.

    If it can be confirmed that as I suspect she is Anne Brown nee Anne Sweeney then we are related through the Sweeneys & Mullarkeys & Wynne’s & lots of other families all from Corsallagh.

    Have you info on the aforementioned Brown family in Deleware.

    The Brown family shared some land in Corsallagh with the Mullarkeys in Griffith. My email address is:  quinnelectrical2@hotmail.com if you wish to take this further.

    Regards

    Joe

    Joe Q

    Monday 25th Sep 2023, 11:21PM
  • The John O’Hara (1821-1881)you mention in paragraph 2(yours) is different, my great grandfathers(John O’Hara 1838-1902) parents generation. I don’t know how or if they’re related. In Griffiths Valuation, there was a John O’Hara living in Carrowreagh Knox, an adjacent townland. He might have moved to Corsallagh(I’ve seen the death record of him).As you mention, the John O’Hara (my great grandfather) went to the US before they emigrated to Wilmington Delaware in 1881.(info from Civil Birth records for Anne, my great grandfather’s daughters). Although he was listed as a laborer in Bridget’s civil birth record, previously, in all other records he was a tenant farmer. All of his 7 children when born (1860-1877)are recorded as them living in Corsallagh. And Griffiths Revisions has him leasing several plots in Corsallagh over that time. They all emigrated in 1881 to Wilmington Delaware. 
     

    I have a John/Jack O’Hara(1821-1881) who married Margaret Finan, 2 sons Michael &Patrick born Corsallagh, but don’t know how they’re related.

    I know about James Sweeney and Anne Sweeney, my great grandmothers brother and sister, and their families. I also know about Anne marriage to John Brown, who was leasing a plot in Corsallagh in 1857(Griffiths Val) and there 4 children and know their children emigrated to US, but didn’t know about the parents, except I have Anne’s death as Philadelphia, same as where her son John died. 
    And Mary, James & Anne’s mother was Catherine Mullarkey(married Myles Sweeney). I don’t know how the other Mullarkeys are related. 
    Further info about my Corsallagh relatives below:

    John O'Hara is my great grandfather. I'm trying to find relatives who stayed in Ireland  He and his family emigrated in 1881 to Wilmington, Delaware, USA. I'm especially trying to find who his father was and any brothers, sisters or cousins. I know of several O'Haras living in the area near Corsallagh Townland and the village of Cloonacool in 1857, but don't know how any of them are related. In 1857 (Griffith's Valuation), there's a: James O'Hara living in Newtown/Ragoora, a Patrick O'Hara living in Tullycusheen Townland, an Anthony O'Hara living in Cloonacool village, a John O'Hara living in Carrowreagh Knox Twl, and a Patrick O'Hara living in Mullaun. These are all townlands surrounding Corsallagh where John O'Hara and family were living from 1859-1881. John O'Hara(1838-1902) married Mary Sweeney(1842-1917) on October 9, 1859 at St Michael's Church in Cloonacool. Their children were all baptized there and the family is reported as living in Corsallagh Townland: Margaret(1860), Catherine(1862), James (1864, my grandfather), Patrick J(1867), Mary(1869), Anne(1872), Bridget Agnes(1877). Since his eldest son is James, if he used the typical naming pattern, his father would be James. His wife's (Mary Sweeney) parents were Myles Sweeney and Catherine? Mullarkey. Her siblings were; Margaret, Anne(m: John Brown), John, Thomas, and James. The sponsors(also neighbors) of John & Mary's children were: Finans, Mullarkeys, Sweeneys, Gintys. Were they brothers, sisters, cousins? The witnesses at their wedding were: Michael O'Hara(John's brother?) and Mary Finan.John O'Hara is my great grandfather. I'm trying to find relatives who stayed in Ireland  He and his family emigrated in 1881 to Wilmington, Delaware, USA. I'm especially trying to find who his father was and any brothers, sisters or cousins. I know of several O'Haras living in the area near Corsallagh Townland and the village of Cloonacool in 1857, but don't know how any of them are related. In 1857 (Griffith's Valuation), there's a: James O'Hara living in Newtown/Ragoora, a Patrick O'Hara living in Tullycusheen Townland, an Anthony O'Hara living in Cloonacool village, a John O'Hara living in Carrowreagh Know Twl, and a Patrick O'Hara living in Mullaun. These are all townlands surrounding Corsallagh where John O'Hara and family were living from 1859-1881. John O'Hara(1838-1902) married Mary Sweeney(1842-1917) on October 9, 1859 at St Michael's Church in Cloonacool. Their children were all baptized there and the family is reported as living in Corsallagh Townland: Margaret(1860), Catherine(1862), James (1864, my grandfather), Patrick J(1867), Mary(1869), Anne(1872), Bridget Agnes(1877). Since his eldest son is James, if he used the typical naming pattern, his father would be James. His wife's (Mary Sweeney) parents were Myles Sweeney and Catherine? Mullarkey. Her siblings were; Margaret, Anne(m: John Brown), John, Thomas, and James. The sponsors(also neighbors) of John & Mary's children were: Finans, Mullarkeys, Sweeneys, Gintys. Were they brothers, sisters, cousins? The witnesses at their wedding were: Michael O'Hara(John's brother?) and Mary Finan.

    Don Shaffer

    Thursday 28th Sep 2023, 07:46PM

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