Maryanne

Attached Files

Hello Maryanne,

I found the Ballingarry, Tipperary Catholic Parish baptism transcriptions for six children of Michael Keely/Kealy/Kelly and Mary Heffernan, as well as copies of their original Ballingarry baptism records. In addition I found what may be a 7th child of Michael and Mary, though his baptism took place in another county and another parish. I’ll have more information about this child a little later.

The baptism transcriptions for the children were uncovered at the Find My Past (FMP) website. Attached to the transcriptions are links that take you to copies of the original baptism registers where the baptisms were recorded. The baptism registers are held by the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.

The names and years of birth of the children baptized in the Ballingarry Catholic Parish are:

Thomas Keely, 1856
Thomas Kealy, 1857
John Keoly, 1859
Michael Kelly, 1861
William Kealy, 1865
Michael Kealy , 1867
____

You’ll notice there are two baptism for Thomas and two for Michael. This means that the first born Thomas and first born Michael had died and that Michael and Mary gave two children born after them the same first names.

The various spelling of the surname Kealy you see above are how they were transcribed by the people at the
FMP website. To access the transcription you will have to register with FMP. Registration is free, as is accessing the transcriptions and accompanying copies of original baptism records.

THOMAS KEELY BAPTISM 1856

You can access the FMP baptism transcription for Thomas “Keely” at: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0183575

His baptism took place on 7 September 1856. The residence of his family at the time of the baptism was Boulea. I’ll have more on Boulea a bit later. You’ll see in the transcription that his mother’s maiden name is spelled, “Heffernane.”

To access a copy of the original baptism register where Thomas Keely’s baptism record can be found, go to the National Library of Ireland website link at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/66/mode/1up

There are two facing pages to the baptism register. You can enlarge the register by means of round icons in the upper center/ right of the screen. The icons are white with green backgrounds. You can also access the full-screen function by clicking on the last icon on the right with the two arrows pointing northeast and southwest.

The baptism entry for Thomas is the 1st entry below the September subheading on the right-hand page. The writing in the baptism register is blurry, but readable. Thomas’s first name is abbreviated as, “Ths.” The godparent is Thomas Keely. No godmother is recorded. To the right of Thomas Keely’s name you’ll see the word, “Boulea,” which is the residence of Michael, Mary, and their son Thomas at the time of the baptism. The child Thomas is likely named after his godfather Thomas. Thomas was probably Michael’s brother.

THOMAS KEALY BAPTISM 1857

The FMP baptism transcription shows Thomas was baptized on 20 September 1857. The residence of his parents is Boulea. His mother’s maiden name is transcribed as, “Heffernane.” You can view the transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0183736

A copy of Thomas’s original baptism entry can be found on the right-hand register page, 6th entry below the September subheading: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/68/mode/1up

The name of his godfather is Nicholas Talbot. I couldn’t make out the first name of the godmother. Her last name was Heffernan, who may have been Michael’s sister. The residence of the parents is Boulea.

This Thomas was baptized a little over a year after his brother was baptized, which signifies that the first-born Thomas died as an infant. The Ballingarry Catholic Parish does not have death or burial records at this time period. In addition, the Irish government did not record deaths until 1864. Birth were also recorded beginning in 1864. Marriage began to be recorded by the government in 1845, but only civil marriages, and Protestant marriages were recorded at that time. Marriages in Ireland for all religious denominations, like births and deaths, were recorded beginning in 1864.

JOHN KEOLY 1859 BAPTISM

John was baptized on 17 December 1859. His FMP baptism transcription can be accessed at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0184085

You’ll see that the residence of the family at the time of the baptism is Boulea.

A copy of his original baptism entry is on the right-hand register page, 4th entry down from the top at:
https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/73/mode/1up

You can see that John’s last name could really be Kealy, rather than Keoly. His godparents are Martin Heffernan and Mary Kealy. Martin may have been Mary Heffernan Kealy’s brother, and Mary Kealy may have been Michael Kealy’s sister. The residence of the parents at the time of the baptism is Boulea.

MICHAEL KELLY 1861 BAPTISM

Michel was baptized on 25 September 1861, according to his FMP transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0184385

The residence of the family is Boulea.

A copy of Michael’s original baptism record is on the right-hand register page, 10th entry below the September subheading at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/77/mode/1up

The last name of Michael and his family appears more like Kaley or Kally, rather than Kelly. The first name of Michael’s godfather is Andrew. But Andrew’s last name looks like it is spelled as “Keily.” The first name of the godmother is Mary. Her last name is difficult to read, but may be Talbot. To the right of Mary’s name is the name of the town where Michael, Mary, and their son Michael were living. It does look like it could be Boulea, but that’s probably because we know that family lived there from previous Kealy baptism records.

WILLIAM KEALY1865 BAPTISM

There is a four year gap between the Ballingarry baptism of Michael Kealy in 1861 and his brother William in 1865. I’ll have more information about why this gap may exist a little later.

William Kealy was baptized in September of 1865. No day in September is recorded, which means the FMP transcriber could not find or could not read the September day of the baptism in a copy of the original baptism record.

The residence of the Kealy family is Boulea. You can access the FMP transcription at: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0184940

William’s baptism is located on the right-hand register page, 4th entry below the September subheading at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/85/mode/1up

His godparents are Michael Doran and Bridget Heffernan. To the right of Bridget’s name is the name of the town, Boulea.

MICHAEL KEALY 1867 BAPTISM

Michael Kealy was baptized on 21 July 1867 according to the FMP transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0185208

The transcription shows the address of the Kealy family is Boulea.

A copy of Michael’s original baptism record is on the right-hand register page at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632643#page/89/mode/1up

Count down 22 lines from the top of the page to arrive at Michael’s baptism record. The first name of his godfather is Thomas. His lst name may be Maher. The godmother is Catherine Talbot. To the right of Catherine’s name is the town of residence for the Kealy family-Boulea.

Earlier you saw there is a four year gap between the baptism of Michael “Kelly” in 1861, and William Kealy in 1865. I did another search for a child of Michael Kealy and Mary Heffernan in the Ballingarry Catholic Parish registers, but didn’t find it. I then expanded the baptism search to the counties that border Tipperary, such as Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, Queens County (now called County Laois) and Kings County (now called County Offaly.

I found one possibility at the FMP website showing that a Martin “Kelly” was baptized in St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Limerick City, on 23 June 1863. His father is Michael Kelly. His mother is Mary Heffernan. No residence is recorded for the family. You can view the FMP transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F7084360

Martin’s baptism is the 2nd entry down from the top of the left-hand register page at:
https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000635030#page/137/mode/1up

Martin was baptized by the Rev. Thomas Brown.

In the copy of the original baptism, the surname of the family looks more like Killy, than Kelly. What do you think? Michael’s godparents are Florence Donoghue and Eliza Cleghorn. The name Florence in the 19th century could also be a male name.

If this is the child of your Michael Kealy and Mary Heffernan, Martin may have been named after the Martin Heffernan who is the godfather for John Kealy baptized in 1859.

I can’t say with 100% certainty if Martin is the child of your Michael Kealy and Mary Heffernan, or why the family would have moved to Limerick City between the baptism of Michael in 1861 and the baptism of Martin in 1863, but if you look at the chronological order of the baptisms of the children of Michael and Mary, you’ll see that Martin’s baptism fits in perfectly between 1861 and 1865. See below:

Thomas Keely, 1856
Thomas Kealy, 1857
John Keoly, 1859
Michael Kelly, 1861
Martin Kelly, 1863 *
William Kealy, 1865
Michael Kealy , 1867
____

The distance from Boulea, Tipperary to Limerick City is not a short one. According to a Google Map, St. Michael’s Church in Limerick City is 61 miles west of Boulea by the shortest modern day route. See the map at: https://is.gd/zBqN1I

For a Google Street View of St. Michael’s Church in Denmark Street, Limerick City, go to: https://is.gd/WSo2oh

It’s possible that the father, Michael, moved his family to Limerick City to look for work.

There is also the possibility however, that Martin Kelly/Killy was not the child of your particular Kealy and Heffernan ancestors.

All of the Tipperary-born Kealy children were baptized in the Ballingarry Catholic Church. At the time of each baptism the family were living in Boulea, Tipperary. A Google Map shows that Boulea is 2.9 miles north of Ballingarry: https://is.gd/KbUMDu

For a Google Street View of the road leading to Boulea, go to: https://is.gd/RJackA

Another Google Map shows the Catholic Church in Ballingarry is called the Church of the Assumption: https://is.gd/hl2TrR

The next Google Map will take you to an enlarged image of Ballingarry and the location of the Church of the Assumption: https://is.gd/J0Q9Ei

For a Google Street View of the Church of the Assumption in Ballingarry, see: https://is.gd/9tQPCI

This church structure may have been renovated over the years, as in a late 19th and early 20th century Ordnance Survey Map, the church is called St. Mary’s R.C. Chapel. See the Ordnance Survey Map from the GeoHive website link at: https://bit.ly/2L04swQ

The R.C. Chapel was in the same location according to another Ordnance Survey Map of Ballingarry from the 1837 to 1842 time period: https://bit.ly/2z4lBCD

I could not locate a place called Boulea on the Ordnance Survey Maps of Tipperary from the 19th century. Indications are however, that Boulea was also called, or was situated in a section of the townland called Bolintlea. The names Boulea and Bolintlea may have been used interchangeably. You can see the Ordnance Survey Map of Bolintlea from the GeoHive link at: https://bit.ly/2z2zHVh

Once the map downloads, make sure to click on “Close menu,” to view the full image of Bolintlea.

This map was compiled between the years 1837 and 1841.

You can also see the location of Boulea and Bolintlea on a Google Map at: https://is.gd/AfjemK

The Google Street View that follows shows the farmland around Bolintlea: https://is.gd/dRqEP3

According to the mindat.org website, the name Bolinlea means, “Hill - a rounded elevation of limited extent rising above the surrounding land with local relief of less than 300m.”

I also uncovered further evidence that Boulea and Bolinlea may refer to the same location, as I found the person I believe to be your Michael Kealy, or perhaps his father, recorded three times in Bolintlea, Civil Parish of Ballingarry, in an Irish property tax record known as Griffiths Valuation. Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland between 1847 and 1864. The valuation for Bolintlea and surrounding townlands was completed by the year 1850.

Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who paid to lease property, such as land, houses, and outbuildings. Each person who paid to lease the property was called an “Occupier.” The other person listed in Griffiths Valuation was the person who owned the property, or who worked as the middleman collecting the rent on Gale Day for the owner. This middleman was called the “Immediate Lessor.”

You can access Griffiths Valuation transcriptions and original copies for free at the askaboutireland website link at: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Below is a transcription of one of the three entries for Michael Kealy in Bolintlea:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 5 B d
Civil Parish: Ballingarry
Townland: Bolintlea
Occupier: Michael Kealy
Immediate Lessor: Edward Dwyer, jun.
Description of Tenement: House and garden
Area of Land: 1 Rood, 18 Perches
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 5 Shillings
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 5 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 10 Shillings
____

The Griffiths Valuation entry above shows that Michael Kealy leased a house and garden from an Immediate Lessor by the name of Edward Dwyer, Junior. One of the other Immediate Lessors in Bolintlea is Edward Dwyer, Senior, who may have been the actual owner of the property.

The garden that Michael leased in Bolintlea was less than an acre and valued at 5 Shillings. The house was also valued at 5 Shillings for a total valuation of 10 Shillings. Michael would not have been required to pay a tax on this lease, as only those leases valued over 5 Shillings, were subject to the tax. In this instance, the owner of the property would have to pay the tax.

The map reference number 5, and letters, B d at the top of the Griffiths Valuation entry for Michael Kealy, are location finders for his lease on an Ordnance Survey Map of Bolintlea. These Ordnance Survey Maps are similar to the Ordnance Maps you saw earlier in this reply, and can be accessed from the askaboutireland website.

Coming up is the Griffiths valuation entry for the second property that Michael Kealy leased in Bolintlea. I am surmising that Michael lived in the property enumerated below. A family member may have lived in the house and tended the garden in the property enumerated above. Only those paying for the lease were recorded in a Griffiths Valuation entry.

In this enumeration, Michael leased a house, offices and land from an Immediate Lessor named Edward Cook, Esquire. The land was over 15 acres in size and valued at 8 Pounds and 5 Shillings. The house and offices were valued at 9 Pounds. The total valuation for Michael’s lease was 9 Pounds and 5 Shillings. He would have paid a percentage of this value toward the tax.

An office in a Griffiths Valuation record could be an outbuilding, such as a factory, mill, shop, farm, a stable, turf shed, cow barn, corn shed, a piggery, and so forth.

See the transcription of the second That Michael Kealy leased in Bolintlea:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 10 A B a
Civil Parish: Ballingarry
Townland: Bolintlea
Occupier: Michael Kealy
Immediate Lessor: Edward Cook, Esq.
Description of Tenement: House, offices, and land
Area of Land: 15 Acres, 3 Roods, 28 Perches
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 8 Pounds, 5 Shillings
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 1 Pound
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 9 Pounds, 5 Shillings
____

The Griffiths Valuation entry below shows that Michael Kealy is the Immediate Lessor for a property leased by Thomas Quinn. This property consisted of a house, office and garden valued at 1 Pound. Michael Kealy was likely the middleman for the owner of the property who may have been Edward Cook Esquire:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 10 A a
Civil Parish: Ballingarry
Townland: Bolintlea
Occupier: Thomas Quinn
Immediate Lessor: Michael Kealy
Description of Tenement: House, office and garden
Area of Land: 1 Rood, 26 Perches
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 7 Shillings
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 13 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 1 Pound
____

Also leasing property in Bolintlea were Thomas Kealy and John Kealy who were likely related to Michael.

I didn’t find any Occupiers named Heffernan leasing property in Bolintlea.

MICHAEL KEALY AND MARY HEFFERNAN

I next wanted to see if Michael and Mary were married in the Ballingarry Catholic Church. The National Library of Ireland website shows that baptisms and marriages in the Ballingarry Catholic Parish begin in the year 1814. Baptisms are available until 1881 and marriages until 1883, but there are gaps in the registers.

Go to the following link to read about the availability of the Ballingarry Catholic registers and to see a map of the parish and surrounding Catholic parishes: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0241

I didn’t uncover a marriage record for Michael and Mary in the Ballingarry Catholic Parish, or any of the surrounding Catholic parishes, or anywhere in Ireland.

The next search involved looking for the individual baptism transcriptions for Michael kealy and Mary Heffernan in the Ballingarry Catholic Parish, beginning with Michael.

I uncovered three possible baptism transcriptions for Michael Kealy at the FMP website. One baptism shows that a Michael Kealy was baptized on 6 July 1817. His parents were Thomas Kealy and Mary Talbot. The residence at the time of the marriage for this Kealy family was none other than Boulea. See the transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0173990

A Michael Kealy, son of Edmund Kealy and Mary Meany was baptized on 5 September 1817. The residence for the family is Ballingarry. You can view the transcription at the following FMP link: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0174030

There was also a child named Michael Kealy baptized on 2 September 1821. His parents are Michael Kealy and Joanna Kennedy. The residence of the parents is “Boula,” which of course would be Boulea. See: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0174926

Of the three baptisms the Michael Kealy that comes closest to being your ancestor, I believe, would be the child of Thomas kealy and Mary Talbot. Michael was baptized on 6 July 1817.

There are two reasons why this Michael Kealy may be your direct ancestor. One is that he and his family were living in Boulea. The other is that his mother’s maiden name was Talbot. Earlier, you saw that Michael “Kelly” and Mary Heffernan’s son Thomas was baptized in 1857. His godfather is Nicholas Talbot.

A second son named Michael was baptized in 1861. Though difficult to read, it looks like Michael’s godmother is Mary Talbot.

Then too, the godmother for the Michael Kealy baptized in 1867 was Catherine Talbot.

This information provides circumstantial evidence that the 1817 baptism of Michael Kealy, son of Michael Kealy and Mary Talbot, is your ancestor.

There are also the Ballingarry baptisms for two children named Mary Heffernan who may be your direct ancestor. One child is Mary Heffernan, baptized on 16 July 1828. Her parents are Paul Heffernan and Margaret Murphy. No residence is recorded for the family in the FMP baptism transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0176282

The second baptism is for Maria Heffernan, baptized on 3 September 1833. Her parents are Paul Heffernan and Judy Welsh: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F0177516

I don’t know which, if any of these two children, would be the Mary Heffernan in your direct line.

THE 1901 CENSUS

I now wanted to see if Michael and Mary Kealy were enumerated in the 1901 census in either Boulea or Bolintlea, County Tipperary. I found a 70 year old Mary “Kiely,” a “Retired Farmer,”living in the household of her son, 36 year old Michael Kiely, his 30 year old wife Mary, and their four children. All in the household were Roman Catholic and born in County Tipperary. Mary’s son Michael is shown to be a farmer who could read and write, as could his wife Mary. The children are 7 year old Michael, 6 year old Thomas, 4 year old William and 3 year old Catherine. The 1901 census shows the family were the "Residents of a house 5 in Bolintlea (Farranrory, Tipperary)."

House 5 does not refer to a street number but the number of the census form (Form B) in which the family is recorded. To view a transcription of the Kiely family in the 1901 census, go to the National Archives of Ireland link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Farranrory/B…

Once at the census, make sure to click on, “Show all information” to view the full enumeration of the Kiely family.

You can also view a copy of the original 1901 census for the Kiely family at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003888065/

Maryanne, your records show that Michael Kealy married Marry McDonald. Michael and Mary’s oldest child in the household in the 1901 census is 7 year old Michael. Michael would have been born circa 1894 if his age in the census is accurate. Ages of individuals in the 1901 census are often not accurate at all, but I looked for the marriage of Michael Kealy/Kiely and Mary McDonald between the years of 1890 and 1894.

Ballingarry church marriage records are not available online for the 1890s, and so I looked for their civil registration marriage at the free irishgenealogy.ie website.

The initial searches for their marriage were not successful, as I didn’t know exactly when they were married or where they married. Irish marriages traditionally took place in the bride’s parish.

I didn’t find their marriage in County Tipperary, and so I expanded the search to include marriages in the bordering county Kilkenny. Bolintlea/Boula are not far from the County Kilkenny border.

This time the search was successful. Michael Kealy and Mary “McDonnell” were married in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Grane, County Kilkenny, on September 15, 1892. At the time of marriage both Michael and Mary were of “full age,” meaning over the age of 21. Michael was a bachelor and Mary a spinster when they married. Both were farmers. Michael’s residence at the time of marriage was “Boulia.” His father is recorded as Michael Kealy, a farmer.

Mary’s residence at the time of marriage was Newtown. Her father was Thomas McDonnell, a farmer. The priest who married Michael and Mary was Father William Connolly. The witnesses to the marriage were Michael Kealy and Eliza Boyan. The marriage record is attached to this reply.

The marriage record shows Michael and Mary were married in Grane, Kilkenny. I could not find a location in Kilkenny by this spelling, but I did locate a town called Graine. I believe this is where they married. A Google Map shows that Graine, Kilkenny, by the shortest modern day route, is 8.3 miles north of Bolintlea, Tipperary: https://is.gd/z2VCwS

The more exact location for the church is Garranconnell, Graine, County Kilkenny.

St. Patrick’s Church in Graine, Kilkenny was rebuilt in 1973. See the photo at the fromireland.net link at: http://www.from-ireland.net/church-graine-kilkenny-ireland/attachment/s…

The new structure was built on the same site, or close to the same site where the old St. Patrick’s Church stood. You can view the location of “St. Patrick’s R.C. Chapel” on an Ordnance Survey Map from the 1888 to 1913 time period at the GeoHive link: https://bit.ly/2L1MqKr

The R.C. Chapel was in the same location on an Ordnance Survey Map of Graine from the 1837 tom 1842 time period. This map is also from GeoHive: https://bit.ly/3fpWsmq

On another note, you had written that John Heffernan had married Ellen Catherine Power. Did you mean that John Kealy married Ellen Catherine Power?

I didn’t find John Kealy in the 1901 census living in Bolintlea, nor did I locate a marriage record for him and Ellen Catherine Power in Ireland.

1911 Census

I now wanted to see if Mary Kealy, who was 70 in the 1901 census, was still living with her son and his family in the 1911 census in Bolintlea.

I didn’t find Mary Kealy/Kiely in the 1901 census but did locate her son, 43 year old Michael Kealy, a widower with 5 children in the household. They were “Residents of a house 26 in Bolintlea (Farranrory, Tipperary).”

The census shows that Michael was a farmer who could read. His oldest child is 19 year old Michael, followed by 14 year old Thomas, 3 year old Patrick, 9 year old Kate, and 1 year old Mary.

Michael’s wife Mary must have died a little before the census in 1901 was taken, as their daughter Mary is only 1 year old. See the census transcription from the National Archives of Ireland website link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Farranrory/B…

To view a copy of the original 1911 census for the Kealy family, go to: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003366807/

I found the death record for person I believe to be Michael’s mother, Mary. Mary Kealy died in Boulea on 8 August 1903 at the age of 87. At the time of death she was “a farmers widow.” The cause of death was, “Probably old age. No. Med. Att,” which means no medical attendant.” Her son Michael Kealy of Boulea was present at the death and reported his mother’s death to the local registrar, M. Fitzgerald, who recorded the death in the Callan Registration District on 27 August 1903. Mary’s death is Number 433 in the attached death register.

The 1901 census gave Mary’s age as 70, placing her year of birth circa 1831. In the 1903 death record Mary is recorded as 87 years old, which places her year of birth circa 1816. I don’t know which of these ages, if either, is the correct one for Mary.

I also found the civil registration death record for Michael’s wife Mary at the irishgenealogy.ie website. Mary died in Boulea on 11 May 1910 at the age of 40 years. The death record shows she was married and was a “farmers wife,” at the time of death. The cause of death was “Pneumonia 10 days. Exhaustion. Certified.” The person who was present at her death and who reported her death to the local registrar was her husband Michael, of Boulea. The registrar, M. Fitzgerald, recorded the death in the Callan Registration District on 13 November 1910, six months after Mary died. Mary’s death can be found at Number 224 in the attached death register.

In the 1901 census Michael’s mother Mary is shown to be a widow. I now wanted to see if I could find the death record for her husband Michael. I found two possibilities at the irishgenealogy.ie website.

One of the death records shows that a Michael Kealy died in Boulea. The date of death appears to be August 15, 1879. The handwriting of the registrar who recorded the death is terrible. At the time Michael died he was married and a 68 year old farmer. The cause of death looks like, “Disease of Heart. Certified 27/8/79.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the registrar was Michael’s brother, Thomas Kealy of Boulea. I could not decipher the name of the registrar who recorded Michael’s death in the Callan Registration District on August 27, 1879. Michael’s death record is attached and is Number 49 in the death register.

The second Michael Kealy died in Boulea on December 3, 1886 at the age of 70. He was a farmer and was married when he died of, “probably old age. No med. Att.” His son Michael Kealy of Boulea reported the death to the local assistant registrar, Richard Finn, who recorded the death in the Callan registration District on December 13, 1886. Michael’s death is attached to this reply and is Number 36 in the death register.

Of the two death records I would say the Michael Kealy who died in 1886 at age 70, was your ancestor, though I can’t prove that just from the death record alone. He would have been born circa 1816 if he had been 70 years old when he died in 1886. Given that ages in death records, as in census records, are not always accurate, the Michael Kealy who died in 1886 may be the same Michael Kealy who was baptized in the Ballingarry Catholic Church on 6 July 1817, and whose parents were Thomas Kealy and Mary Talbot.

I also looked for the death record of Michael Kealy, husband of Mary McDonnell. I located what may be the death record for him. He died in Boulea on 20 July 1940 at the age of 73. He was a widower and a farmer at the time of death. The cause of death was “Myocarditis two days. Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was Michael’s son Thomas, of Boulea. The registrar, Richard Dunn, recorded the birth in the Cashel Registration District on 12 December 1940. Michael’s death is Number 13 in the attached death register.

Michael’s death at age 73 in 1940 places his year of birth circa 1867. Earlier in this reply you saw that the second-born Michael, son of Michael Kealy and Mary Heffernan, was baptized in 1867.

This reply contains 6 attachments. They are:

Kealy and McDonnell 1892 marriage
Michael Kealy 1879 death
Michael Kealy 1886 death’
Mary Kealy 1903 death
Maria Kealy 1910 death
Michael Kealy 1940 death
____

Best Wishes Maryanne,

Dave Boylan

To Dave Boylan  -  

U R a CHAMPION - I can't Thank u & Ireland reaching out enough for above information, It's over whelming the data that u have put together.

I am truly greatful - now I will get busy adding to my family tree.                 Regards     Maryanne Mitchell

You're welcome Maryanne and thank you for your kind words and for replying so quickly. It's very much apprciated.

All the Best,

Dave

 

Between the baptism of Michael Kealy in Ballingarry in the year 1861 and the baptism of his brother William in the year 1865, there is a gap of four years. A little bit later, I will have additional information regarding the possible reasons why this gap exists. In September of 1865, William Kealy was given the Christian baptism. Since there is no mention of a day in September, we may deduce that the FMP transcriber was unable to locate or read the day of the month in which the baptism took place in the copy of the original baptism record that was used.