Mevagh Families in Carrigart, Downings, Rosguill, Glen and surrounding areas

Hi Dom McHugh, my name is Seamus Callaghan and I am a Volunteer with Ireland Reaching Out. I was born and grew up in Kerrykeel and I happen to be a Parish Liasion for the Parish of Clondavaddog (Fanad and Glenvar). I am interested in your helpful Mevagh Parish Family Tree and would like to see how I might help you in any way, perhaps aid you in sharing it, or perhaps I could interest you in helping Ireland Reaching Out as a Volunteer helping the Parish of Mevagh. I am sure they would love a Parish Liasion for Mevagh and while you are utilizing this tree and helping others with it seems a fantastic way to merge both together.

For example, I can across an Ancestor posted on the Mevagh Parish Page and because you have McGroddy in your tree you would be perfect to help research this individual and feedback the results you might have and share information using your tree. As a Liasion too you will get access to certain Subscription search sites to aid research also.

https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-databas…

I am hoping it may be Food for thought

Kindest Regards 
Seamus Callaghan

Hi Seamus,

Apologies for the delay in replying. On the face of it, I would be happy to help out but my concern would be arond how much time would be required to act as a liaison. I'm already at full stretch keeping up with the matches I get on the two family trees listed above and whilst I am happy to make the resuts of my research available to anyone who wants it I wouldn't want to disappoint people by not getting to their requsts in a timely manner or having the requisite time to spend on research. Are you able to give me an idea of typical levels of commitment?

Thanks,

Dom

Hi Don, there is never any need to apologise. I understand you are kept busy alot of the time, I have a young family and work commitments that keep me stretched also but that is the beauty of irelandxo, I promise you, you will be in no ways swampted with messages and such
On the clondavaddog page I might have only 3 or 4  queries a year, where as on the mevagh so far  it is averaging 1 or 2 a year. It is the same for ancestor profiles, only few times a year and it's only a matter of asking would they like abit of help or offer forward some local knowledge.

https://irelandxo.com/ireland/donegal/clondavaddog-donegal

And that is why I think you are very suited as you are living locally and have the all important knowledge of people and places surrounding you.

If you happened to be busy or find a difficult research query then it is only a matter of a quick message to me and I will help reply or whatever might needs doing.

The really nice thing I feel is that you have control over your own parish page where you can add interesting local and historical information that can be shared easily with friends.

I would like if you could contact me anytime on

clondavaddog@irelandxo.com

and I could share some more information with you. It is all very manageable and well worth it.

Seamus

P.s Dont worry about these messages posted here being off topic from sharing your Tree. We will be able to delete these comments and leave the original up for others to see.

Hi Seamus,

Ok, sign me up! However, please be aware that I don't actually live in Donegal but over near Manchester. I'm assuming that that causes no issues?

Dom

That is brilliant Dom, thank you, I don't think living in Manchester would not cause much of an Issue at all, I myself live in County Limerick but I am able to manage very well with the Parish of Clondavaddog in Doneagl

The one thing I feel I should have asked before this however is that because I was born, grew up and lived in Kerrykeel and Fanad (for the best part of my life) I have had the advantages of a good foundation of local knowedge of the surrounding locality such as townlands, local points of interest and of course having family and friends of which I can reach out to for advice if needed. 

Would your circumstances happen to be similar to mine? It would be important to have local knowledge as a base as this is what can help individuals that need that localised knowege  to help connect back to where their ancestors would have come from back in the day.

Thanks again, Seamus

That is brilliant Dom, thank you, I don't think living in Manchester would not cause much of an Issue at all, I myself live in County Limerick but I am able to manage very well with the Parish of Clondavaddog in Doneagl

The one thing I feel I should have asked before this however is that because I was born, grew up and lived in Kerrykeel and Fanad (for the best part of my life) I have had the advantages of a good foundation of local knowedge of the surrounding locality such as townlands, local points of interest and of course having family and friends of which I can reach out to for advice if needed. 

Would your circumstances happen to be similar to mine? It would be important to have local knowledge as a base as this is what can help individuals that need that localised knowege  to help connect back to where their ancestors would have come from back in the day.

Thanks again, Seamus

Sorry I have only just seen this. Hello Dom and thank you for sharing your info. You were very lucky indeed to meet Leslie. I have one of his books. I have an Ancestry and My Heritage account and will go and look up the info you mention. My Ancestry tree is private but I am happy to share key facts and relationships or answer questions to help others.

Hello to Seamus too. Kathy Scott (mother was a Gallagher/McFadden -  Toome, Fanad and Carrick, Carrigart)

Hi Both,

Apologies for the delay in replying, I was assuming that if I got a mesage posted on here that I'd get an email prompt telling me so but I only received one today (25 Sept) that had both your posts on.

Kathy first if I may! Kathy, thank you for taking the time to look at the family tree. As you will hopefully be able to see, there are now around 2500 records on there and I am in the process of trying to validate and rationalise these. I am sure that I will have occasions where the same person is on there a couple of times because I was short of verifying dates of birth/parents/spouses when I first uploaded the records. If you do find something that is incorrect or you can add anything that would be very much appreciated.

Seamus, yes I agree that a lack of local knowledge would obviously be a disadvanage. My history with the Parish is that my mother was born and brought up in Carrigart and we went there on holiday every year well into my twenties. I have been back every other year for the last eight years and I am pretty familiar with the whole stretch from Downings/Rosguill through to Milford and Leterkenny. The south and west are a little less familar but I have travelled through most of the area over time. I'm quite happy to help out where I can but have no problem standing aside if we get someone more familiar with the parish : - )). 

Dom

Hello Dom,

My appoligies for the short delay due to family and work priorities. I will make contact with you privately so as to share emails addresses. It would be brilliant to have you helping individuals as a Liasion for the Parish, your knowedge and interest will be such a welcome addition to the Parish Page of Mevagh. I realy appreciated your corresponadance on this, thank you dearly.

Hi Kathy Scott, thank you for taking the interest to reply here. I would have had a lot of family born and living in and around the area of Toome, Fanad. One of the most beautiful part of Donegal it must be said, not taking anything away from Carrigart is only across Mulroy Bay from where I grew up as a boy in Kerrykeel. Gret times, fantastic memories.

Kindest Regards

Seamus

Hello Seamus and Dom, apologies from me too, work has been very demanding. My email is kathy@jinglepot.co.uk and you're both welcome to make contact there. I've started to look at Dom's project tree, not find any of my lot yet, but it's a big tree. Fabulous work. I hope to return to live full time in Fanad in the not too distant future. Toome is my preferred location. The home place is still there, just, though it's now a cow byre, but at least it's still loved by the Carr family who  own it and my great aunt's house which is now a workshop. I'd be happy to share my tree with you directly. I keep it private on Ancestry as there are some sensitive situations as I'm sure you'll be aware happens. Do email if you'd like to. Very excited that you two are on the case in "my" area of Donegal. Kind regards Kathy

HI Kathy,

Thanks for the reply. I fully understand your principles around how you operate your tree. I have to say I don't recall seeing Fanad crop up that often on the records I've entered on the North Donegal tree so it's possible we may not have any overlap. That said, if you do find anyone and they're from far enough back in time that you'd feel comfortable adding them to the North Donegal tree, I am happy to manually transcribe any details over. You can get hold of me via this site or directly through the My Heritage site if you want to.

Thanks,

Dom

I'm having trouble finding this tree on Ancestry. Can anyone offer any help?

My Coyle's are from Mevagh and so I'd really like to take a look at what other people are coming up with on this parish. 

Thanks. 

Hi Chris,

The North Donegal Mevagh Parish tree is on My Heritage. You should be able to create a login for free on there in order to be able to access the tree. Hopefully you will be able to find some of your family on there. Any problems just drop me a message.

Dom

I created a log in but it requires me to pay to see it from what I can tell.

Thanks. 

Hi Chris,

Yes, I believe that others have reported that the site seems to indicate that you have to pay but you can definitely get a free subscription that allows you to enter up to 250 records. In the meantime, would you want to post the names and dates of birth of a small number of your ancestors on here and I can takle a look to see if I have them on the tree?

Dom

Hi Chris, saying hello. My GED Match is XP4147877, I'd like to see if we have a connection as your're also interested in Dom's tree. Kathy Scott 

Dom,

It says that I need to pay just to see your records even after I created the free trial.

My Coyle's are of Glenieraugh and I believe Kinnalargy. Hugh born about 1810-1815 and his son Dennis born about 1842-1847 for just a few. 

Thanks.

Chris

Kathy,

It's been a while since I've used GED Match but I looked quick before work and this is the number I came up with, A030921. If that's right, if you could point me where to find it I'll take another look. 

Thanks.

Chris

I'll give that number a go Chris. Thank you Kathy

Hi Chris,

Apologies for the delay in replying. I've had a look through both my trees but I can't find either a Hugh or Dennis Coyle unfortunately. What I did find online was a record of a Hugh Coyle b.1815 in Gleneraugh with son Dennis (1847 - 1909). This record also shows Hugh with wife Margaret (b. McBride 1817 - 1894), four siblings and a total of nine children including Dennis.This record shows Hugh and his family living in Philadephia in 1870 but Hugh as deceased in Ireland, which is probably unlikely but may be down to enry errors.

Does this match anything you have in addition to the names and D.o.Bs you provided?

Dom

Dom,

That Hugh and Dennis you found are mine. Hugh died in like 1873 in Philadelphia from what I can tell. Where did you find that he died in Ireland?

I have the basics on them but was looking for connections to work it another generation back or even to some of the other people related or living next to them in the Glenieraugh/Kinnalargy area. LIke Hugh I believe moves to Kinnalargy probably when he married Margaret McBride and they show up in Griffith's sharing land with McElwee's and I was wondering if they were related. Also, just read that email this site that sent out that a McElwee I believe was involved in an assassination a land lord in the later 19th century but that sounded like he was from the next penninsula over.

Thanks.

Chris

Hi Chris,

My assumption on the 'died in Ireland' entry is that it's incorrect. I've seen it dozens of times on records for Irish emigrants to the USA where their place of death is the same as the place of birth back in Ireland when I think the chances of them making that journey back again is very very unlikely. With respect to the Coyle family details, I've listed below what I've found but I'm not convinced that the relationships listed are all correct and have made some comments:-

Hugh Coyle (1815 - ) m. Margaret McBride (1817 - 1894)

Hugh's listed siblings - Charles Coyle (1799 - 1887. My suspicion is that this could be Hugh's father or an uncle based upon the dob)  /  Anthony Coyle (1810 - )  /  John Coyle (1815 - )  /  Patrick Coyle (1818 - 1877)  /  Peter Coyle (1838 - 1900. Could this be a son and not a sibling?)

Hugh and Margaret's listed children - Dennis J Coyle (1847 - 1909)  /  Annie Coyle (1852 - )  /  Bella Glenn (b. Coyle 1852 - . Married Peter Glenn. Could be Isabella but most of my ancesters that are listed as Bella have tended to be Annabella)  /  Eliza Coyle (1856 - )  /  Hugh Coyle (1858 - 1910)  /  Ellen Coyle (1861 - 1896)  /  Nellie Coyle (1863 - 1896. My guess is Nellie and Ellen are the same person as the names Ellen/Eleanor/Nellie seem to have been initerchangeable. It's also a bit coincidental (but not impossible) that they both died in the same year)  /  Richard Coyle (1864 - )  /  Michael Coyle (1865 - 1943)

All the above is in a My Heritage family tree run by Eamonn Gallagher and there's a lot more besides. Don't know if the following contact link will work for you but it's worth trying - https://www.myheritage.com/inbox/compose/recipient/796400731/type/1

The assassination I suspect you are refering to is that of William Clements, Third Earl of Leitrim in April 1878. Attached below is the Wikipedia entry and link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Clements,_3rd_Earl_of_Leitrim

In April 1878, after surviving various attempts on his life, Lord Leitrim was assassinated, along with his clerk and driver, near Cratlagh Wood while on his way to Milford (a village he owned in its entirety) from his home, Manor Vaughan (usually known as Mulroy House), on Mulroy Bay.[1] Michael Heraghty and brothers Thomas and Bernard McGranahan were arrested. "The gun butt had been traced to Heraghty, and paper for the wadding used to load the rifle was traced to a school copybook owned by the McGranahans. The McGranahans were released from Lifford Jail due to a lack of evidence. Heraghty died in Lifford Jail of typhus... The assassins, Nial Shiels of Doughmore, an itinerant tailor, Michael Hergarty of Tullyconnell, and Michael McElwee of Ballyworiskey, were from the remote Fanad Peninsula. In 1877, "McElwee's father was involved in litigation with Leitrim with the result that McElwee was rendered bankrupt, and his house and farm were sold at auction."

Leitrim was buried in Dublin at St Michan's church, amid scenes of great agitation.[2] "The mob wanted to wreak their drunken rage on the dead body of the old Earl, as it was not enough that he had been murdered; and when they were disappointed in their charitable desire to throw the corpse into the street, they howled and yelled an accompaniment of brutal hate to the funeral service. It was a disgraceful affair, scarcely possible in any other latitude of the civilized world."[6]

A monument with a cross was set up at Kindrum in 1960 honoring McElwee, Shiels, and Michael Heraghty as the men whose actions "Ended the tyranny of landlordism

My grandad Dominic McGroddy worked in the gardens of Mulroy House for a later Earl.

Dom

Dom,

Ha! Too funny that it ended up being from Eamonn. I know Eamonn. We connected through DNA and were able to not only expand our trees but also finally found me my townland. Better yet though he insisted that we stay with him when we took our daughter to Ireland after she graduated. I've shared that story and I believe a few pictures two years ago on this forum.

Eamonn probably got a lot of that information from my tree at some point. He has another version of it over on Ancestry but not exactly and so I'm thinking that his Ancestry one is more updated than his MyHeritage one. 

Thanks.

Chris

 Hi All

  Hello to Kathy Scot, I am very interested in your famly from Toam.  My great gran was Margaret Gallagher from Toam , and her parents were Hugh and Eleanor Mc Ghee, Toam. ( Lots of info on the Ancestry site.)  Mary married Patrick Kelly and moved to Scotland.  A Kelly family  were in Toam but I cannot prove where  Patrick was born. 

 I have great gran  Mary Mc Fadden from Glen married to  John/ Owen Duffy Toam. Mary died in 1919, her dad was Neil Mc Fadden Gleneriagh, died 1907, and I think his wife was Sarah. Mary had 2 siblings Neil and sister Hannah. 

 Both my mothers family and my fathers family were in this area, Glen, Creaslough, Cashel, Toam and Gortnlughoge (Downings)

Regards

 ROS

Hello Ros, apologies, I only got an email today, 11 December,  saying there was a new message.....and I see you posted back in October. At first glance I don't think we are the same Gallagher family in Toam. There is still an unmarried lady called Kathleen Gallagher living there, who I never managed to meet in 2018 as her brother in law had died and the wake was in progress, but I was told she was the "other" Gallaghers. On the McFadden from Glen side. I am related somehow to living relatives there, but we can't work out how. When I've some more time over xmas, I'll look more closely and get back to you. My email is kathy@jinglepot.co.uk in case you need. Thank you, speak soon Kathy

My Coyle great great grandparents were Peter Coyle and Rose Lynagh. Three of their children immigrated to New York in the 1880s from Rosguill. James Joseph Coyle, Julia Coyle, and Sarah Coyle. Julia Coyle never married and resided in New York. Sarah Coyle married David Guiry who was also from Ireland. James Coyle married Marry Ann Strain who was also his third cousin and she was from Dunfanagy and the moved to Philadelphia where James was a foreman on the Pennsylvania Railroad. James Coyle and Mary Ann Strain were my great grandparents. Mary Ann Strain came to New York in 1866 with her widow mother Hannah Strain and some of her siblings. James and Mary Ann had nine children, Mary Ann, Rose Ann, Grace, Kathryn, Julia, Peter, Hugh, James, and John all born between 1888 and 1903. 

Many of the older children of Peter Coyle and Rose Lynagh stayed on their farm in Ireland and never immigrated to America. Same with Hannah Strain's older children remained in Ireland, like Winney Strain. 
 

Regards Bill Morell

Hello. I am interested in the Connor family or families that were living in this parish in the early 19th Century. I am unable to view the aforementioned trees on My Heritage (had the free trial period, I can log in but not search or view). I am struggling to locate this family line and would like to try to suss out of these are kin of mine. Any thoughts? Thanks. SCW

Bill, 

Rose Lynagh and Peter Coyle are my g g grandparents also.  Their son Michael was born around 1860ish and moved to Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

Dom- I'd like to review your Mevagh project tree that you mentioned, but I cannot find it.  Could you provide me a link or some instructions for how to find it?   Sorry, I searched on myheritage, but couldn't find it. Admittedly, I've only used myheritage a little bit.  I use ancestry every day; do you have it there too? 

Thank you,

Dave Kane

Hello Dom

It appears I am unable to access Krasnayadom. And North Donegal Mevagh Parish Project via MyHeritage free login.

Could you please let me know if there is another way to access information? I am happy to submit information to the project.

Thanks

Kim

My connections came to Australia via the Donegal Relief Fund MCCLAFFERTY - O'DONNELL - GORMAN - MCGRANAGHAN

1 Charles MCCLAFFERTY b: Abt. 1820 in Derryhassan, Mevagh, Donegal, Ireland, d: Bef. 1859

+ Margaret O'DONNELL d: Bef. 1859

...2 Susan MCCLAFFERTY b: 18 Sep 1842 in Carrickart, Donegal, Ireland, d: 13 Dec 1867 in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia; Diamond Fields Road, Lower Mittagong

+ John GORMAN b: Abt. 1839 in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, m: 01 Jun 1862 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, d: 10 Dec 1912 in Boolburra, Queensland, Australia

...2 Mary MCCLAFFERTY b: Abt. 1843 in Mara, Donegal, Ireland, d: 17 May 1915 in Queensland, Australia

+ Frank Joseph CHARDON b: Abt. 1836 in Neckarsulm, Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany,

m: 21 Feb 1865 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, d: 19 Nov 1912 in Queensland, Australia

...2 Michael & or Mark MCCLAFFERTY b: 14 Jan 1843 in Cloughaneely, Donegal, Ireland, d: 30 Apr 1914 in Queensland, Australia

+ Catherine FOX b: Abt. 1847 in County Armagh,Ulster,Ireland, m: 07 Oct 1865 in Queensland,

Australia; St Joseph's Catholic Church, d: 20 Feb 1878 in Queensland, Australia; Allenstown

...2 Edward MCCLAFFERTY b: Abt. 1847 in Donegal, Ireland

+ Mary Ann MCGRANAHAN b: Abt. 1839 in Doobellogh, Donegal, Ireland, m: 29 Sep 1868 in Queensland, Australia

Chris and Cathy

I am Alan Coyle and I just found this site.  I am researching my ancestor Patrick Coyle who emigrated to America about 1738 and died in North Carolina in 1768. I checked GEDMATCH and I am a match to both of you. I also saw Eamonn Gallagher's name, I am a DNA match to him in Ancestry. I am also a match to Mary Coyle who lived in Mavagh.  Her oldest ancestors are John Coyle b. abt 1835 in Gleneraugh ,Glen ,Carrigart, in the parish of Mevagh. Her Grandmother Margaret was from Fanad.  I have been working with a Y DNA expert with FamilytreeDNA.  Apparently my Y DNA direct match Patrick Coyle and I match some time around 1650 in Fanad.  Do both of you keep all you tree data in Myheritage? I keep mine in Ancestry.  No matter where I look, there always seems to be a gap from 1700 to 1800.  Kind of running out of ideas where to look.

alan

Alan,

I do have my tree on Ancestry and what you're saying not only fits in but the DNA helps lock it and so to say the least I am very interested in this. How can I find your tree on Ancestry?

I just can not seem to link the next generation back to put us into the 1700s. 

Thanks.

Chris

To Chris Coyle and Alan, I think you are messaging me but I’m Kathy (Scott) not Cathy with a C. Hope its me! 

Unlikely I can help here as I can only get back to 1800 on one GGG grand father, Patrick Gallagher who I think, but unconfirmed, would have been living in Inishowen and so far haven’t found any of my lot married to a Coyle. But from all the DNA connections I have it’s a surname that comes up, just can’t connect it. I have my tree on Ancestry which is private but happy to give you a viewing access link. Please let me have your email or Ancestry tree full name so i can send you the link. 

To Dom, I have a paid subscription to My Heritage and cannot find anyway to access either your tree or the Mevagh project. Can you give us instructions how to connect with it? Thank you. Kathy Scott

 Chris,  I looked for your tree in Ancestry, found 3 pages of Chris Coyle but didn't see any with a Hugh Coyle. To find my tree, search for Alan Coyle in member search. I should be on page two with a address in Mississippi.  My oldest ancestor is Patrick Coyle d. 1768 in Rowan NC now Surry Co NC.  He may have come over in 1738.  There is a second Patrick Coyle in Rowan Co NC b. 1729 d. 1797.  He came to the US in 1746 from possible the port in Derry.  I have a few DNA matched to the second Patrick also. I am thinking they might be cousins.

alan

Try searching for Coyle Family Tree maybe connected to Lynn Horn Coyle. I tried to find you by dna on ancestry, but didn't find you.

Eamonn is a great resource on this. I know him and have spoken with a few others who are also searching the same line and while we all seem to share the dna and match up with the same Great Grandparents in about 1800 I haven't seen anyone connect it back into the 1700s really. 

I also would like to see the Mevagh project but have not been able to. 

Hi, there my great great grand parents were John Kelly and Margery (McCarron) Kelly from Toam Drumlackagh, also my great grandfather Patrick Boyce who married their daughter Mary Kelly was from the adjoining townland of Drumdutton Droim, does anyone have any connection to these people.  

Chris

I believe I found your tree.  Are you listed as user name cmcoyle?  I am listed as user name alan coyle all lower case, from gulf port Mississippi. Do you think your Hugh Coyle b. 1809 may have lived in Generaugh.  The reason, is I have another DNA match to coyleroartyansectors, she is from Mevagh, a number of her ancestors are from Generaugh. One possibility is an Anthony Coyle circa b. 1810.  I was wondering if this could be a brother to your Hugh. If you want to communicate more use email coylea@bellsouth.net

alan