Searching for Creenans

Is that your grandfather James at Quay Street, in the town of Skerries on the 1911 census with his parents John and Mary ?

Not sure what sort of documentation you have already...starting with the 1911 census, John Mary and their five children are listed as Catholic, and all born County Dublin, James is age 1 ½, and a check for his birth on the IrishGenealogy website shows that he was registered as James Joseph Creenan born on the 8th of August 1909 in Skerries and that his mother's maiden surname was Owens, his father John is shown as a Sailor. Birth registration s for the other children should also be available on IrishGenealogy..

The 1911 return notes that the couple are married about 13 years, so married c1898, and have had 6 children, five of which are still living as of the 1911 census. The family appear on the same street in Skerries, Quay Street on the 1901 census. Based on the details established from the census returns a further search for a marriage of John and Mary shows that they married on the 4th November 1896, at St. Patrick's RC Skerries, John gave his occupation as sailor and residence as Skerries, Mary gave her residence as Quay Street, Skerries - same street as the 1901 & 1911 census returns.  John's father is recorded as Nicholas noted as deceased, and Mary's father is John Owens a sailor, The witnesses to the marriage are Joseph McGowan and Anne Owens.
 

Many thanks for all that detail - I shall add that to the family tree.  I understand that Nicholas' Father was also James Creenan and I have visited his gravestone. I note that Nicholas has brothers Richard and Mark who did not marry. I am curious as to whether there were other family members who did have children because I notice that there are also Creenans in Lusk and other parts of Skerries in the Griffiths valuation. 

Thankyou for the interest you have shown.

Maura.

Certainly based on the 1901 census most of the individuals named Creenan with that exact spelling are in Skerries, all Co. Dublin born, there's also two in Co. Donegal born in that county, and one each in counties Antrim and Down. The Creenan in Co. Down is shown as Co. Dublin born and is a Sailor - so could be from Skerries.. The other Creenan household is at Great Strand Street, Skerries headed by a Christopher and Celia Creen, he's a retired sailor. Based on the birth of their son Edward, Celia's maiden surname is Sweeney.

The surname notes on John Grenham's website list a number of variations for the surname, including Creenane (mostly Tipperary), Crenan (just one), Crenane, Crinian, Crinion, Crinnon etc

Following up on that second Skerries couple - on the 1911 census Christopher is a widow[er] and notes he has been married about 43 years so c1868. A check of the Civil marriage index shows a possible match around the right time in 1868 in Newport district which is based in Co. Mayo - Celia is shown as born Co. Mayo on the 1901 census. The civil marriage register images for these early records are not yet available on IrishGenealogy, but should be added at some stage... hopefully as part of the next update.

A search for births of Mary Owens found one good match, just a little older that she claimed on the census returns - 7th March 1866 at Red Island in Skerries, to John Owens and Sarah Storey. Another maritime connection with Mary's father John, his occupation is shown as a Pilot. John's reported year of birth works out about 1864/1865 so right around the start of registration of births... a search of civil births shows no promising matches, so possibly a little older that he reported on the census. The only reasonably close match for his baptism in Catholic Parish records is a Joannes Thomas Crenan baptised 12th January 1862 (born 9th) in Skerries/Holmpatrick to parents Nicholas Crenan and Maria Anna Hegan, their residence is the Square, Skerries. See his register entry on the NLI website 5th entry, no. 598

Extending the search to all of County Dublin I see no further potential matches for John's baptism...

Thank you for the information and the link to the register - I will have a good look through! Maura