Patrick Howley/Catherine O'Donnell

In Elizabeth's baptismal record, transcribed on RootsIreland, it notes that Patrick was a "Pensioner 60th Rifles." This means he had been in the military.  There would be British army records for him online.

I hope this helps.

Catherine:

The family lived in Clooncous townland about 2.7 miles west of Carracastle village and 2.2 miles east of Charlestown.

I checked the subscription site Roots Ireland and found eight baptismal records for children of Patrick and Catherine: Bridget 1959 Anne 1863 Eliza 1866 Catherine 1868 Margaret Ellen 1871 Bridget 1874 James 1876 Eliza 1879. There was also a Mary Jane Howley in 1861 with father Patrick but the mother was shown as Ellen O'Donnell. Lived in Clooncous also.

I did not find a marriage record.

The free site www.irishgenealogy.ie which has civil records online is down today so I can't find a death record. However, the subscription site Roots Ireland has an index record which shows that Catherine O'Donnell Howley died January 22 1893 from abdominal cancer. Her daughter Bee (likely Bridget) was the informant. Catherine was 50. She lived in Clooncous. She was married and her husband was a pensioner.

I did not locate a death record for Patrick.

Roger McDonnell

Thank you all for the replies and information. You have confirmed some evidence that I have for this family. Happy searching!

Catherine:

Here is Catherine's death record (eighth record at the link)

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

1901 census Patrick Howley  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Kilbeagh/Charlest…

See fourth record for likely 1903 death record for Patrick Howley

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

Roger McDonnell

Roger, 

Thank you so much for the records! I was spurred on to research Patrick Howley's military record and found that he was wounded in the Battle of Alma that began 20 Sep 1854. It was the first battle of the Crimean War. I hope to find his grave so that I can visit when I am in Ireland.

Catherine:

The 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Kilbeagh civil parish does not list any Howley records. There were a number of O'Donnell records including two in Clooncous-- John O'Donnell and Margaret O'Donnell. My guess is that Patrick and Catherine married right before 1859 and Patrick took over the lease from either John or Margaret. John may have been the father of Catherine or possibly Margaret was her widowed mother. https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/mayo/kilbeagh.htm

There are five cemeteries in and around Charlestown. Very likely there is no headstone for Patrick. It appears that all of his children emigrated and it was expensive around 1900 to put up a marker. My great-grandparents lived and died near Carracastle in 1937 and 1942 but there is no marker in Carracastle cemetery. Thier youngest daughter and husband took over the farm and there is a marker for them in the Carracastle cemetery. I think they were buried with my great-grandparents.

Since Patrick died in Charlestown likely he was buried in one of the nearby cemeteries (not Carracastle). See this link to a FindaGrave site which lists the cemeteries. I would try St. James church in Charlestown.

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/Ireland/County-Mayo/Charlest…

Roger

Hello Roger!

I had checked the St. James Cemetery last week and came up empty handed. I hoped that because he was a pensioner, a military grave might exist for Patrick Howley. It is sad to think that none of his children were with him when he died. Evidence exits that a couple of the children travelled back to Ireland after they immigrated. Perhaps they were not close with their father. 

Catherine's father's name was John and her mother, Mary. I will explore the land record.

Thank you again for all of your assistance.

Best,

Catherine