Spotlight on ... The Old Country

Last year I wrote about the journey that led me to discover the deep roots of my Irish heritage - My DNA Story.  I had always felt an attachment to Ireland, ever since I was a child, but could never understand why as I really had no idea, until quite recently, of my family's history beyond my parents.

 

In my post this week I'm looking at all the information I've uncovered along the way, but using a slightly different lens.  I'm hoping I'll be able to pinpoint a little more clearly exactly where in the old country by Irish roots began. 

My ethnicity map has changed ever so slightly over the last year ...

... less of the English and just a tad more of the Irish - from areas within the regions of Central Ireland and Ulster to be precise.

So far, I know that on my paternal side, my direct Irish ancestors have these surnames: Conners/Connors, Hickey, Farley or Farlane, and Cusack.  I've found records back to my 3x great grandparents for most of these ancestors (born in the late 1790s-1800), apart from the Hickeys which I've managed to track back to my 4x great grandparents (born in the early 1770s-1780s).

(The other direct paternal ancestors come from Kent, Lincolnshire, Cornwall and Cumbria, with the records for these lines stretching back into the 1600s and 1700s)

On my maternal side, my direct Irish ancestors have these surnames:  O'Donnell (Daniel), Joy, Burke/Bourke, Crotty, Muckian (McCane), McCann, Farrell, Downey/Muldowney.  Records for these ancestors reach back to 3x great grandparents (born from the late 1780s to early 1800s), apart from the O'Donnells/Daniels which go back to 4x great grandparents (born in the mid 1700s).

Having now researched my direct Irish ancestors as far back as records will allow at this point, I've ticked the counties that I know are the birthplaces for these people, and I wanted to check this against the information gleaned from my DNA results.

Map showing birthplaces of direct ancestors

Map showing the major regions of Ireland - Ulster, Connaught (Connacht), Leinster and Munster

How does all this information match up?

My ethnicity estimate shows that some of my direct Irish ancestors came from ...

• The region of Ulster, Ireland - specifically the South Down and North Louth area.

The area is highlighted on this map in light, bright green (bottom right).

Looking at the previous map, you can see that I definitely have direct ancestors who were born and lived in County Armagh, and part of that county is located within the South Down and North Louth area.

County Armagh:

All these direct ancestors were born in the Catholic Parish of Killeavy, County Armagh.

Sarah McCann, my 2nd great grandmother

Patrick Muckian, my 2nd great grandfather

and their son, Owen McCane (Muckian), my great grandfather, was born in Ballintemple.

Great!  There's a definite match-up there!

Now onto the other part of my ethnicity estimate ...

• Central Ireland - specifically the North Leinster and East Connacht area.

Within the region of Central Ireland, my connections are specifically through direct ancestors linked to the North Leinster and East Connacht area, highlighted in light orange on this map.

The North Leinster and East Connacht area would include the Counties of Leitrim, Cavan, Meath, and parts of other Counties including Fermanagh, Longford, 

Westmeath and Roscommon.  

Having now researched back on both my maternal and paternal Irish sides, as far as records will allow, I find evidence of very few direct ancestors who were actually born in these counties, apart from: 

County Leitrim:

Michael Farrell, my 2x great grandfather, who was born in the Catholic Parish of Kiltoghart; and

County Roscommon:

Susan Downey/Muldowney, my 2x great grandmother, who was born somewhere in County Roscommon (still not definitively identified).

I have one ancestor who was born in King's County as it was known then (County Offaly) and that would be part of the darker orange section of Central Ireland.  The county of Offaly would be part of the Leinster area, so that's another connection that relates to the orange shading.

County Offaly:

William Connors, my 2x great grandfather, was born in the Civil Parish of Gallen in King's County, later known as County Offaly.

Looking at my first map again however, you can see that the majority of my direct Irish ancestors were born in counties further south of the North Leinster and East Connacht area.  They were born and lived in the South Leinster and oarts of the Munster region.

County Limerick:

Patrick Cusack, my 2x great grandfather, was born in Askeaton.

Ellen Hickey, my 2x great grandmother, was born in Parteen.

County Kilkenny:

John O'Donnell, my 2x great grandfather, was born in Ballyhenebry.

Catherine Joy, my 2x great grandmother, was born in the Catholic Parish of Templeorum.

Edmond O'Donnell, my great grandfather, was born in Killonerry.

County Tipperary:

James Burke, my 2x great grandfather, was born in Clonmel in the Catholic Parish of Powerstown.

County Waterford:

Catherine Crotty, my 2x great grandmother, was born in the Catholic Parish of Tramore.

Bridget Burke, my great grandmother, was born in Three Bridges.

What does this mean?  

I'm assuming it means that my direct ancestors listed above were likely to have been descendants of family that were born elsewhere, perhaps in the North Leinster and East Connacht region, and then at some point those unknown ancestors moved south, into the South Leinster area and Munster region.  It will be difficult to prove this, as Irish records before the 1800s are very few and far between, so this assumption will likely remain unproven.

I've been lucky enough, after several trips to Ireland, to get close to all the birthplaces of my direct Irish ancestors and capture some memorable vistas.  Using landscape photos I personally shot and precious photos of my ancestors (or other photos if I don't have one of an ancestor), I've created collages of these people and the areas they came from.

County Armagh:  Owen McCane (Muckian), my maternal great grandfather,

and his parents, Patrick Muckian and Sarah McCann, my maternal 2x great grandparents.

 

County Leitrim:  Michael Farrell, my maternal 2x great grandfather.

County Roscommon:  Susan Downey/Muldowney, my maternal 2x great grandmother  (Michael Farrell's wife).

County Limerick:  Patrick Cusack, my paternal 2x great grandfather,

Ellen Hickey, my paternal 2x great grandmother.

County Kilkenny:  Edmond O'Donnell, my maternal great grandfather, 

and his parents, John O'Donnell and Catherine Joy, my maternal 2x great grandparents.

County Tipperary:  James Burke, my maternal 2x great grandfather.

County Waterford:  Bridget Burke, my maternal great grandmother (daughter of James Burke).

Catherine Crotty, my maternal 2x great grandmother.

County Offaly (King's County):  William Connors, my paternal 2x great grandfather.

The Story of Catherine Crotty.

It's time for the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother, Catherine Crotty (1814 - 1873).  

It will be a rather brief story, with only a few details, as is the case for many Irish ancestor stories from the 1800s.

Unless you are privileged enough to have a first-hand account from family diaries or letters for example, or perhaps information passed down through the generations in that particular branch of the family, then you have to rely on the information you glean primarily from records such as Church Parish registers for baptisms and marriages, Griffith's Valuation records or Tithe Applotment records.

It's even more difficult to uncover details about my female ancestors of that time.  They lived out lives that left very little documentary evidence behind.  In this case, the details I've amassed are pretty much only from Church Parish records.

The Parish of Tramore in County Waterford

Catherine was baptised in the Parish of Tramore in County Waterford on the 11th of December in 1814.



Her parents were recorded as Thomas Crotty and Brigida Wyse.  Catherine's name was actually recorded as 'Catherina'.



At that time, there were three siblings ...
John had been born in 1806.
Richard came along in 1809.
Margaret was born in 1811.

When Catherine was aged 3, her brother Maurice was born in 1817.

When Catherine was almost 6 years old, a sister named Joanna was born in 1820.

Then, when Catherine was almost 10 years old, another sister name Brigid was born in 1824.

The surname 'Crotty' was recorded in a couple of different ways on the baptism register entries for two of the children of Thomas and Brigida (Bridget)

- Margaret, baptised in 1811, was identified as Margaret Crottey

- Maurice, baptised in 1817, was identified as Maurice Crothy.

County Waterford, Ireland

Crotty was a familiar surname in County Waterford and there were a number of Crotty families scattered across the county in the 1800s.

I have been unable to find out much more information about Catherine's parents so far, other than their marriage date in 1805; and very little information about the lives of her siblings.

At the age of 19, in 1833, Catherine married James Burke in the Parish of Newcastle, County Waterford.

A map of the Waterford and Lismore Diocese in County Waterford, around the 1830s
Parish of Tramore in blue, Parish of Newcastle in red.

As it was the usual custom then to marry in the parish where the bride's family was living, it seems that the Crotty family had moved sometime between Catherine's birth and her wedding.  They had moved from the Tramore Parish near the coast, to the Newcastle Parish which was further inland.

After her wedding though, Catherine went to live with her husband over near Carrick-on-Suir.  The birth record of her first born listed Three Bridges as the address Catherine was living at by then.


Over the next 19 years they went on to have seven children, and all but the last had Three Bridges listed on their birth record as their address.


I do suspect that Catherine and James might have lost one or more of their children along the way.  

In 1835, David was born.  Catherine was 21 years old.
William was born in 1841.
Tobias was born in 1843.
Maurice in 1846.
John came along in 1848.
Bridget, my great grandmother, was born in 1851.  Catherine was aged 37.
James was born in 1854.

Looking over the list of children born to Catherine and James, their first-born, David, came along, in 1835.  That does seem like a rather long period of time before Catherine became pregnant with her first child.  After David was born, there was a six-year break before it appears that Catherine was giving birth regularly every 2 to 3 years.  That leads me to believe that it's likely she had trouble in the early years of her marriage either carrying a baby long term or giving birth to a child that survived a lengthy period of time.

By the time Catherine was aged 41 though, she had a family of seven children - 6 boys and 1 girl (my great grandmother).  I wonder what it was like for Catherine having such a big brood of boys?  I can imagine too that her only daughter would have been the chief source of help with all the domestic duties in the house.

As previously mentioned, up until the birth of their last son James, my 2x great grandmother Catherine and her husband James, my 2x great grandfather, appear to have been living in the area around Three Bridges, close to Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford - likely from when they were married, in 1833 to just before James was born in 1854.

By 1854 however, when Catherine had turned 40, the family had moved to Killonerry in County Kilkenny.  That's not all that far from Three Bridges really, but it appears they had moved to a substantially larger farm - close to 70 acres in size.

Catherine was to spend the rest of her life living, working and raising her children on that farm.

Catherine died in early 1873 at the age of 59.  She died at home on the farm, and was survived by her husband James and, to the best of my knowledge, all seven of her children.

Now for some extra interesting detail:

There is a well-known corrie lough in the Comeragh Mountains, County Waterford.  It's known as Crotty's Lough, but it's actual name is Lough Coum Gabhartha.  There you will also find Crotty's Rock.  Both are familiar landmarks to locals and tourists alike.

Apparently, Crotty's Rock and Lough (Lake) were the lair of an infamous 18th century highwayman named William Crotty.

The chances that my 2x great grandmother Catherine Crotty was directly related to William is not entirely unlikely!   If William was in Catherine's family tree, then she might have grown up feeling a little proud that she was related to Ireland's version of Robin Hood.  No doubt her family would have passed down stories of the legendary Irish highwayman, and Catherine would have been very familiar with the tale despite being born over half a century after William's demise.

The folklore around William is tinged with sadness and despair.  Unfortunately, William did not escape the long arm of the law and ended up appearing at the 'assizes' in the city of Waterford.  The courts of assize, or assizes as they were commonly called, were periodic courts where the more serious criminal cases were heard.

"William Crotty and his gang of highwaymen operated in the County Waterford area in the 1700s.  The stories about Ireland’s very own Robin Hood have been the source of many a Seanachie tale that have been handed down for over 250 years.

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

William Crotty’s life as a highway robber was not a solitary one. He was married and was the leader of a gang of highwaymen who operated in the County Waterford area and whose exploits took him into the heart of Waterford City, 20 miles away.  

Crotty's Lough and Crotty's Rock

His hideout was said to be near the foot of a cliff overlooking a corrie lake; and access to it was gained only by a rope which was thrown over the cliff face.  The legend of William Crotty is so enduring that the corrie lake and the craggy pinnacle nearby, reputed to have been his lookout, were named after him. From the top of the pinnacle he was able to see far over the county and to Lemybrien and Waterford city. 

He often frequented a local tavern at Dá Rue's Cross, and descended from his mountain home to steal from rich passers-by. After he had kept some for himself, he would distribute the money to the impoverished people of the area. 

Crotty's demise is a famous one. After evading capture for many years with a sizeable bounty on his head, through shoeing his horse backwards and throwing the Redcoats off his routes, he was betrayed by one of his friends. His home, the cave in the cliff above the lake, was hidden away from the view of the soldiers who searched for him and so frustrated were the patrols charged with his capture that they gave up chasing him and employed the services of Crotty's long time companion, a man by the name of David Norris.  

After having a meeting with Crotty at the cave, Norris waited till Crotty was asleep and after wetting the highway man's gunpowder, betrayed Crotty to the Army who made their arrest on February 16th, 1742. When the Waterford Assizes opened on the 17th of March the most important case before them was that of William Crotty. The sentence of Crotty swiftly followed … he was hanged and quartered … his head was cut off and fixed to the County Goal as a warning to other highway robbers.
Crotty's wife is said to have composed a 'Caoine', a mournful song, and sang it at his wake. After Crotty's death, the authorities hunted his wife and she is reputed to have thrown herself off the top of this cliff that bore his name, to her death 

The legend goes that Crotty hid the loot he kept for himself under a rock on the mountain with a special mark but was unable to collect it because of his capture. The actual destiny of this bounty is still a mystery.  Reputedly, William Crotty's ghost is often seen in the Comeragh Mountains, on a white horse, guarding his hidden treasure ... or perhaps looking for his wife!"

One day I would love to find out whether or not there was a direct connection between William and my Great Great Grandmother!

Special Note to any family members:  If you have memories to add, photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.

The Story of James Burke

This post tells the story of my maternal Great Great Grandfather, James Burke (1811 - 1878).  

James was born in 1811 in southern County Tipperary to father David Burke and mother Mary Whelan.

Catholic Parish Register 1811

The area shaded in red depicts the Parish of Powerstown

He was baptised on March 10th 1811 in the Parish of Powerstown (also known as Powerstown & Lisronagh) of the Waterford and Lismore Diocese.

This parish is very close to Clonmel and Kilsheelin, both of these places have been mentioned in oral family history as homes for members of the extended Burke family.

My great great grandfather's name was recorded as 'Jacobum' and his sponsers were Michael Power and Ann Rieley.

I have found scant details about his childhood unfortunately, other than the fact I have found evidence that a brother William was born two years previously.  I can find no other records of children born to David Burke and Mary Whelan.


In early 1833, at the age of 22, James married Catherine Crotty in the Newcastle Parish in County Waterford.

Catholic Parish Register 1833

Usually weddings occurred in the parish of the bride and her family, so I'm assuming the Crottys were living in the Newcastle Parish at that time.  Witnesses were Thomas Condon and John Nugent.

James and Catherine went on to have seven children over a period of nineteen years.  I have found records for:

David born in 1835.  James was aged 24 at this time.
William born in 1841.
Tobias born in 1843.
Maurice born in 1846.
John born in 1848.
Bridget, my Great Grandmother, born in 1851.  James was now aged 40.
James born in 1854.

All children, except their last born, were registered as having been born in the area known as Three Bridges, close to Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford; so it appears that James and Catherine moved there not long after they were married.

Then sometime between the birth of my great grandmother Bridget in 1851 and the birth of their last born son in 1854, it appears that my 2x great grandfather James, then aged 43, his wife Catherine and their six children had moved to farmland in Killonerry, County Kilkenny.  The birth record for their last born son had Killonerry recorded as his place of birth.

My research led me to the 1850 Griffith's Valuation records for Killonerry, County Kilkenny, where I found there was a Thomas Whelan, along with tow other gentlemen, listed as persons holding land in Killonerry in the exact position where the Burke family farm was (and still is) located.

This is where my great great grandfather James Burke and his family moved to just before the birth of their last son.  It appears likely that Thomas Whelan was a relative of James's mother Mary whose maiden name was Whelan.  This may explain the move from Three Bridges to Killonerry, if indeed Thomas Whelan took over the entire holding and then passed it on to a descendant of one of the Whelan clan.

My great great grandfather James Burke and his wife Catherine were to spend the rest of their lives, working and living on that farm in Killonerry.

Their eldest son David, moved away around 1863 to begin his own life.  Second born son William migrated to Australia sometime in the early 1860s.  I can't find any information about what happened to Tobias.

Maurice, the fourth born, appears to have moved away briefly in 1875 when he became a father, but then moved back onto the farm in 1876 when he married.  He went on to have a family and raised them all on the family farm.  Fourth born John married in 1873 and moved away.

In 1873, James's wife Catherine passed away.  They had been married for 40 years.  James was 62 years of age by then.

James himself died just five years later, in 1878, aged 67.

At the time of James's death, it appears that son Maurice, Maurice's wife Anne Prendergast and their two children, as well as my Great Grandmother were still living on the family farm.

My Great Grandmother Bridget Burke remained on the farm with her brother and his family for a period of five more years, and then she migrated to Australia.  Maurice then became the owner of the family farm, worked the farm, raised his family for another 14 years until his death.

The Story of Catherine Joy

This week's post tells the story of my maternal Great Great Grandmother, Catherine (known as Kate) Joy  (1828 - 1882).

When I discovered the surname of my 2x great grandmother, I was fascinated.   'Joy' seemed a little unusual and whimsical, even for Ireland.  According to the research I've done so far, the origin of the surname 'Joy' is English, but was derived from the old French word "joie".  It is apparently one of the oldest of all surnames, found in English records dated 1166.  There have been a few variations in spelling over time ... Joie, Joye, Joy.  Given that my ancestor was Irish, I've wondered about the first instance of this surname in Irish records.

Now back to my 2x great grandmother ... the baptism register for the Parish of Owning and Templeorum shows that Catherine was baptised on March the 10th in 1828, in the townland of Fodeen (Fiddown), County Kilkenny in Ireland.  I've made the assumption that she was born the same year, and baptised not long afterwards. The surname of her father was recorded as 'Joye' on this record.

Her parents were Richard Joye and Eleanor (Ellen) Knox, and her sponsors were Michael Walsh and Catherine Murray.






My research on Catherine has produced rather sketchy details of her childhood unfortunately, so that's a chunk of her story that will be forever shrouded in mystery.






I know that when Catherine was born, she already had one sibling John, who had been born in 1826.

Sometime around 1830 Catherine's father and mother, along with the two children who had been born by that time, older brother John and Catherine herself; moved to a farm in Tybroughney (spelt Tibberaghny on the Tithe Applotment record at that time), in County Kilkenny.



Unfortunately, there is a large gap in my family research between the birth of my 2x great grandmother Catherine and the next sibling I found in the Register of Births for the Owning and Templeorum Parish.  There are many missing records during this period in the birth registers, so that makes the research difficult.  Anyway ... other siblings that I could find a baptism record for include:

Mary was born in 1835, when Catherine was 7 years old.

William was born in 1839, when Catherine was 11 years old.
Richard was born in 1841, when Catherine was 14.
Ellen was born in 1844, when Catherine was 16.

Alice (known as Ally) was born in 1847, when Catherine was 

I'm sure there must have been more children born between 1828, when my 2x great grandmother was born, and 1835 when her sister Mary was born!  I wonder if I'll ever find out?

The next important event in Catherine's life that I found evidence of was her marriage.  On the 23rd of May 1853, Catherine married John O'Donnell.  His family surname had been anglicized to 'Daniel' many years before.  On her wedding day Catherine was aged 25, while John was 40.  The transcript of the original church record has Catherine's maiden name spelt incorrectly as 'Jay'.

Soon after their marriage, Catherine and John moved into a farmhouse that sat on farmland of around 30 acres in Killonerry, County Kilkenny.  Many, many years later, in the 1901 census, the house was listed as 'first class', as it had substantial stone walls, a slate tile roof, 6 rooms, and seven windows at the front of the house.  It would have been a rather impressive home at the time Catherine moved in with her husband.

Catherine and John went on to have 13 children over the next 18 years.
Patrick was born in 1854, when Catherine was 26.
Richard was born in 1855.
Margaret came along in 1856.
Michael was born in 1857.
William in 1859.  Catherine was now aged 31.
John in 1861.
Edmond (my great grandfather) was born in 1862.
Peter was born in 1864.
Ellen came along in 1865.
James was born in 1867.
Thomas was born in 1870, but sadly died that same year.
Catherine came along in 1871.
Mary came along in 1872, when Catherine was 44 years old.

I would imagine that Catherine's life would have been a very, very busy life.  She was giving birth every year or two, raising more and more children, keeping house and working as a farmer's wife as well, with all that entailed.   I have visions of her rising before the sun came up, working non-stop all day long and putting her exhausted body to bed late at night.

By the time Catherine was in her mid-40s, there were 15 people in the farmhouse.  Her children ranged in age from 19 to 1 year old.  I wonder where she found the energy for her day-to-day life, and where was the joy in her life ... no pun intended!

Catherine's husband was aged 60 when Catherine turned 45.  You would think that it would be likely for John to pass away before Catherine, given the age difference.  But that was not to be!

Sadly, Catherine died in 1882 aged just 54.  She had been suffering from tuberculosis, as had her daughter Ellen who had died just two years earlier at the age of 14.

For much of the late 19th century in Ireland, tuberculosis (TB, or consumption as it was commonly known) was a scourge that ravaged the country.  For many of Ireland's population, including Catherine and her daughter Ellen, it was left untreated and the victims often died a terrible death with their bodies literally being "consumed" by weight loss and breathlessness.

Catherine's husband John was the informant for the civil death record and if Catherine had been born the same year that she was baptised, then the detail of her age would be slightly incorrect.

I will make mention now of Week 27's prompt for the '52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge' at this point.  The prompt is:  Independence.  I immediately thought of Catherine's and John's children when reading this prompt.

At the time of  Catherine's death (February) her son Richard was 26, her daughter Margaret was 25, her son Michael was 24, William was 23, John was aged 20, Edmond (my great grandfather) was 19 years old, Peter was 17, James was 14, Catherine was10 and Mary was 9 years old.

My great great grandmother's death seems to have acted as a catalyst for most of her children to make the decision to leave Ireland and emigrate.  By that time in Irish history, over 3 million Irish had emigrated in the 40-year period between 1841 and 1881.




Most of Catherine's offspring became part of the Irish diaspora, in the ten-year period after her death.  The family farm was unable to support all of Catherine's children in their adult years, so the majority of them were destined to leave home and build independent lives for themselves in far-away countries


Richard left the year his mother died, 1882. Edmond (my great grandfather) left the following year, 1883. Michael left 3 years later in 1885.  William left around the same time.

I'm not entirely sure when Peter left Ireland, but it seems James, Kathleen and Mary all emigrated in the late 1890s.  So, eight years after Catherine's death, eight of her ten surviving children had left the family farm.

Only Margaret and John Jnr. stayed at home with their father.  William, who had emigrated around 1885, came back to the farm around the early 1890s.

Some of Catherine and John's children who emigrated:

Top row:  William was the one who emigrated to the U.S.A. for a while, but returned to the ancestral family farm in Ireland.  Edmond, my great grandfather, emigrated to Australia, but died ten years later.  Mary and Michael both emigrated to the U.S.A., married and had families of their own.


Special Note to any family members:  If you have photos or information to share, can I graciously ask that you do so.  Please use the comments box below or email me.  It may prove to be invaluable to the story and provide future generations with something to truly treasure.