McKeon (Pollafree) in the Parish of Denn Co. Cavan

Hi Siobhan,

I will see if I can help you.  

McKeon is not too common unlike Clarke.  My first port of call would be irishgenealogy.ie, I had a quick look at the deaths up to 1901 for a start and there a quite a few there, but not all the images are not available to view yet, but they will come onlien, so keep an eye on them.   Look up to 1901 as that takes you to the 1901 Census in Pollafree.  You would be looking for the death of her parents, hoping that she was present when they died.  

My own great grand mothers marriage cert stated her residence at the time of her marriage, her maiden name was Smith and I could never find her parents and it was a chance discussion with one of my older relatives about this issue when he said that she was living with her grandparents when she got married as her parents were in Scotland, so there can be reasons for the residence not to be where her parents are.  

I could not find a registered death for Ann McKeon, but I did find a note of Grant of Probate for her on the will calenders for 1918 from Drumallaght, which is close to Pollafree.  I looked at the marriage cert for Bernard McKeon and his fathers name is missing also.  

I found the marriage for Ann McKeown to Thomas Skelly on Roots Ireland 27-Nov-1884, again no father mentioned and for some reason not on the civil registrations, but Owen is there as a witness.  I am guessing it is their daughter that is with Bernard McKeown in 1901.

Parish / District:DENN
County:Co. Cavan

Husband
WifeName:ThomasSkelly
AnneMcKeonAddress:Castlerahan
DennDenomination:Roman Catholic
Roman CatholicOccupation:
Age:
Status:
Husband's Father
Wife's FatherName:
Address:
Denomination:
Occupation:
Husband's Mother
Wife's MotherName:
Address:
Denomination:
Occupation:
Witness 1
Witness 2 Name:Owen McKeon
Margaret Monaghan Address:  I did find a baptism for Owen and it states that his father was Bernard Name:  They had another Owen in 1848, so I presume the first one had died by then

Owen McKeon Date of Birth:
Date of Baptism:07-Jan-1844Address:
Parish/District:CROSSERLOUGH Gender: Male County Co. Cavan

Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Bernard McKeon Mother:Ellen Mulligan Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Andrew Maguire Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Bridget Mulligan 
Notes:

DATE BASED ON PREVIOUS ENTRY.

I looked up Griffiths Valuation and I found in 1857 Mary McKeon see this link in Pullafree http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNam…;

See if you can find a death for her.  

I know a little about Lakeland as my mother came from there and there were McKeons living there at one time, I used to visit them, would there be a link?  

I dont know anyone in Pullafree and perhaps if you wrote to the the churches in Denn or Crosserlough and ask that your query be mentioned in the parish bulletin it might raise some local knowledge for you.  

It is difficult geting back before civil registration started and hopefully I have given you some other clues to look at.  Also look online for grave transcriptions, they are good substitutes where civil records are missing.  Not all graves are recorded but volunteers are getting around to putting a few more on line all the time.  

Regards and best wishes in your search.  Carmel O'Callaghan

Thanks a million for your reply Carmel. There's loads of information in it. I'm still digesting it all.
.One of my great-grandmothers was a Catherine Smith/Smyth from Co. Meath married to my greatgrandfather Owen Farrelly in Finternagh Bailieborough (first child Bridget born 1865, my grandfather John Farrelly )born 1867) I have no further info on this greatgran - except for a few Smyths/Smiths named as sponsers on her seven children's baptismal records. Maybe we have a Smith connection!?
I am on the Ancestry DNA site and was linked with a Brendan McKeon who is no longer active on the site.
My grand-aunt Alice Clarke lived with her husband John McCaffrey in Lakeland's. I just found out that she had two sons that lived in Birmingham. One just passed away in 2017. One is still alive and turned 89 this year. When looking up records on the various Irish sites I have found quite McKeons who lived near Pollafree at the time as Alice McKeon- Clarke.
Finding an actual connection is challenging. I rang some of the local parishes in Cavan but they were unable to help with information. I visited Clanaphilip graveyard in the Spring and found a few gravestones of my Clarke and Dowd relatives.
Thanks again for all the help. I'll let you know if I have a breakthrough.

Siobhán Farrelly

Hi Carmel,

I found a death cert for Mary McKeon ( I reckon she may have been my great-gran Alice McKeon's mother)

Mary passed away on November 17th 1873 in Pollafree. Her occupation is recorded as an 'Occupier' (of a house/land I presume)

Her son Owen was present at her death.

Siobhán