Patrick Durkan - Lismiraun

Kevin,

It would be helpful if you included the name of the particular grandfather you are researching.

Regards

Kevin,

Attached Civil record of the marriage of James Durkan and Margaret Ward in the Chapel of Bohola in 1885 and the birth of Patrick in 1891.

James' father is recorded as William.

Seven births are recorded to this couple up to 1898. 

You can access those records at www.irishgenealogy.ie  - Free site

Regards,

Hi, Kevin!   We're probably at least distantly related, but in any event I can give you some more info about where James and Margaret lived.

According to the marriage record which McCoy located, James's family lived in the townland of Lismiraun, while Margaret's family lived in the townland of Treanfohanaun (which has been anglicized in various ways over time), which is directly to the east of Lismiraun, so they were close neighbors before their marriage.  You can find more info about Lismiraun at this link:

https://www.townlands.ie/mayo/gallen/bohola/meelick/lismiraun/

As you can see at that site, there are further links to info about the adjoining townlands, including Treanfohanaun.  There are also links to the records for Lismiraun in Griffith's Valuation (mid-1800's) and the 1901 and 1911 censuses in Ireland.  William Durkin (James's father) is listed in Griffith's Valuation as a tenant in Lismiraun, and is the only Durkin listed there (there were many Durkin's elsewhere in that and neighboring parishes, however).  There is a Michael Durkin listed with his large family in the 1901 and 1911 censuses.  He may have been the son who inherited William's tenancy (and he may have owned the land by then, after the land reform laws).

The marriage record also shows that Margaret's father was Thady Ward.  Thady is not listed in Griffith's Valuation, but there are several other Ward's shown, including a Timothy Ward.  There is a chance that he is actually Thady.  The Irish name Tadhg was anglicized variously as Thady, Thaddeus, Timothy, and even Thomas (I have a great-great-grandfather who lived a few townlands away from there, and he was recorded under all of those names on various records).  Thady does appear in the 1901 census in Treanfohanaun (as "Theady" Ward), and then in 1911 as Thady, along with his wife Bridget (so she would be Margaret's mother)..

I'm likely related to the Wards, because a baptismal record in the Bohola parish register in1878 shows Thady Ward as a sponsor to the first child of one of my second cousins.  In the census records for Treanfohanaun, you'll notice a good number of Creaby and McNicholas families.  My great-great-grandmother was a Creaby (then spelled as Curraby), born in Treanfohanaun, and all of the Creaby's shown there are my relatives in the third-fourth cousin range.  I'm also undoubtedly related to the numerous McNicholas's shown, because I have a McNicholas great-great-grandmother as well, from very nearby (just across the parish boundary in Killedan parish), who for all I know may have been from one of those Treanfohanaun families originally (the written records don't go that far back).  In fact, I also have Durkin and Ward relatives from that area (at least by marriage, and probably by blood as well, at some distance or other).  I've done DNA testing, in case you want to compare results, and so have a half dozen 2nd-3rd cousins with roots in the area.

-- Kevin (I'm also a Kevin)

Hi McCoy,

Thank you for the information and links, I had these details already but I do appreciate your help. I found that 3 of the brothers emigrated to the USA, Patrick (who I believe was my grandfather) went to England but I do not have any information about him from the 1911 Census in Ireland to his marriage to my grandmother in England in 1928.

I also found out that one brother James remained in Lismiraun to work on the family farm. He married Katie Mulroy in 1936 and had 3 children James, John & Margaret. James also worked the farm , never married and I am told died a few years ago. However, I am not sure if John and Margaret remained in Ireland.

Still a lot of gaps to fill and I would really like to find out more about Grandfather Patrick and when he moved to England and when/where he died.

Thank you

Kevin  

kevin45sfl

Hi Kevin,

Thank you - great information.

I will take a look at the records you suggest for Thady.

I have not done a DNA test yet but I am really considering it.

Best Regards

Kevin 

Anyone know who now lives in the Durkan farm in Lismiraun ?