Hello all,
I am looking for the birth record for my g-grandfather, James Reidy (born Nov. 1838, per his obit and tombstone), and the marriage of his parents, James Reidy and Mary Egan. I am posting to this board because several of my DNA cousins seem to come from this parish, as well as Ballylooby, Clogheen and Cahir. Kansas church records state the parents given above, as well as his birthplace of Clonmel. However, none of the DNA cousins I have found came from Clonmel and I think he gave it as his birthplace because it was the largest town in the area. Family stories say his mother Mary Egan died young, and James Sr. remarried--perhaps to a Catherine Heffernan? He may have half-siblings from his father's second marriage. At any rate, he did not get along with his step-mother, ran away and lived on the streets until he came to the US in the 1860's. Although he usually went by "Reidy" I have twice seen it as "Raidy"--once on a US census and also on his marriage license. The Reidys in the above listed parishes seemed to be farmers and blacksmiths. I have searched parish and civil records. I have even started creating family trees for all the Reidys in the area and expanding on the family trees of those DNA cousins I have identified. I have sinking feeling the parish records I seek are among the missing.
Sheryl Reidy McClure
Thursday 17th Mar 2022, 03:49AMMessage Board Replies
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Sheryl:
I made a number of searches on the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not find a James Reidy baptismal record with a mother with the surname Egan.
The only lead I located was an April 21 1845 baptismal record for a John Reidy with father James Reidy and mother Catherine Heffernan. Witnesses were Thomas Keating and Brigid Reidy (possibly a sister to James Sr.)
The RC parish listed was Ardfinnan but the record showed Co. Waterford. Ardfinnan parish in Co. Tipperary borders Co. Waterford so I don't know if the family lived on the Waterford side of the parish or not. Here is a link to the parish register and you may want to scroll the register for other family records https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1089
Roger McDonnell
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Thanks, Roger. Yes, I think the marriage to Catherine Heffernan may be James Sr.'s second marriage. My Dad's only brother was named John Patrick Reidy. Perhaps named after James' half-brother? I also agree that I should explore Waterford more. New DNA cousins just popped up and they were Dee's and Wallace's who spent some time in bordering Waterford parishes.
Thanks again, SherylSheryl Reidy McClure