Searching for great-grandmother Sarah Brady, born 1834-35 in County Fermanagh

Virginia,

Patrick & Julia’s marriage and Sarah’s birth are long before the start of statutory birth & marriage registration in Ireland (1864). Prior to that you need to rely on church records, where they exist. I have searched the on-line RC parish records but cannot find the parents marriage, Sarah’s baptism nor any siblings. The likely explanation is that they come from a parish in Fermanagh which doesn’t have any records for the 1830s. That’s not uncommon.

I searched for Julia Brady’s death. Death registration only started in 1864 so if she died before that you may not find any record. However searching 1864 to 1901 for the whole of Fermanagh produced just one match. A Julia Brady aged 78 died 31.12.1892 on Innishmooske Island (also known as Inishroosk). She was a farmer’s widow.  The informant was Patrick D’Arcy, son-in-law. Her age would allow her to be the mother of someone born c 1834/5. However looking at the Valuation records, I think her husband was Bernard Brady who died on 8.2.1879. So not the family you are looking for.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1893/06009/4710290.pdf

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with Family Tree DNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website). You don’t need to be a member of the NIFHS to participate in the DNA project.

Oh my. Thank you so very much for all that information. We may follow up with the Ulster DNA project.