Message Board Replies
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Hello Jane,
Thank you for your message.
Fitzgerald is a common surname in Co Waterford but Gooley is unusual. Most Waterford Gooleys lived in or near the copper-mining village of Bunmahon. Confusingly, there was also a family there named Gully, but the two families seem to have been separate. The Catholic parish registers for that parish (Rossmire/Newtown and Kill) are available here: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1110. You can also search parish registers (for a fee) on rootsireland.ie, but there are sometimes errors in transcription so it would be well to cross-reference with the NLI registers.
irishgenealogy.ie is a useful website for searching civil records (1864 onwards). This might help you to trace other branches of your family who remained in Ireland. You're probably familiar with the free website familysearch.org - it may have the relevant passenger lists which would help you ascertain when they emigrated.
Best wishes with your research,
Cian
C Flaherty, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Hi C Flaherty,
Yes, you are right Fitzgerald is too common and my great grandmother and great aunt have very common first names as well.
I am sorry I didn't see this before but I have forgotten to check the message boards based on the last name. It does get frustrating doing research for the Irish side when I don't have much to go on. I did find a long lost Fitzgerald cousin through DNA but we haven't been able to figure out where the connection is as of yet. I also have lower back problems so sitting at the computer is limited.
I will use the information you have sent to me. Yes, familysearch was the first site I ever used and that was back in the late 1990's when you could get a lot more documents free. It is unfortunate that the Irish census records were destroyed. My ancestors were in the states (the ones that I know of) by 1870 and 1887.
I apologize for not getting back with you earlier. I hope all is well with you and your family.
Stay safe and healthy-
Jane
Waterford City, Waterford