Visiting this month; descendent of Andrew Dolan

Hello Mary,

I hope that I can be of some assitance to you. I am afraid that the Eyrecourt parish records do not go back that far. However, Clonfert is in the Parish of Eyrecourt and there are still Dolans living here. In fact if you contact Monica Hynes manager of East Galway Family History Society in Woodford as your first point of call she will introduce you to one of her staff who is of that family. I can take you to see the original Dolan house and also show you the various Dolan family plots in the local graveyard. I truly hope that these are your Dolan connections I am not familiar with any others. When you get to Ireland ring me at 087 9697692. The contact email for the East Galway Family History Society is galwayroots@eircom.net

Regards, 

Christy Cunniffe. 

Christy,

That would be fantastic!  I will be in the Eyrecourt area July 25 & 26 and will most certainly call.  I found a Dolan family in Clonfert listed in the 1901 census.  Maybe they will remember hearing of an Andrew who emigrated in the mid 1800s.  Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to meeting you!

Mary Leonard, USA

Hello Mary,

these are the Dolan inscriptions from Clonfert graveyard. CC

Dolan.

            Pray for the Soul of Patrick Dolan who depd Octbr

            the 17th 177(2/8) aged 22 yrs Erd by his Brother

            James Dolan.

Dolan.

            O Lord have mercy on the Soul of James Dolan                   

            who depd June 23rd 1787 agd 37 yrs also his Son               

            Thomas who dep March 1st 1800 agd 19 yrs also his                       

            Wife Bridget Dolan alias Quirk who dep April 1st               

            1819 aged 68 years. Ered by their Son John Dolan.

Dolan.

            In loving memory of Thomas Dolan, Kilmacshane,              

            Clonfert died 19th. May 1964 aged 77yrs. his wife              

            Katie died 7th. March 1967 aged 80yrs.

            Rest in Peace.

Hi Mary,

In searching for Andrew Dolan I have found a person named Maureen Doyle who is also looking for Dolan roots in Eyrecourt. She lives in Australia and states that her Coughlan granparents are buried in Donanaghta (Doon) graveyard just outside the village of Eyrecourt. The original message was posted in 2004 on www.connorsgeneaology.net. Perhaps you should contact her and see if you are of the same Dolan family.

I have looked up Pigot's Directory of Ireland 1824 for Eyrecourt and it lists a Stephen Dolan as a linen draper. The Slater's Directory for Ireland 1846 shows no Dolan entry for Eyrecourt suggesting that they for whatever reason were no longer trading at that time.

CC

From: Maureen maurbug@ozemail.com.au
Subject: JOHN AND MARGARET DOLAN OF EYRECOURT
Date: Sun, 02 May 2004

Hi all, I am looking for information on Margaret Dolan (nee Coghlan) born circa 1897 and her husband John. They had children Margaret, Mary Anne, James and Celia in the 1820's. Margaret was a widow before 1841, so John must have died between 1820 and 1841. Although there is some conjecture that he actually came to Australia and she just classified herself as a widow, there was some big question marks over her arrival into Australia. If anybody is familiar with Dolans of Eyrecourt I would love to hear from you. Margarets grandparents are buried at Donanaghta Cemetery.
Is there any cemetery records on the net for the Eyrecourt area?

In Western American terms, it's amazing how far back these go.  Thank you so much for looking them up and sending them!  It really puts the human face on this history.  Mary

Wow, that's interesting.  If there is only this one Dolan family, then the implication is that these are possibly related to the Andrew who emigrated in the 1840s?  This is pretty exciting, either way.  I will contact the person in Australia.  How far flung these Dolans have become!  Mary 

I wanted to thank the Ireland XO team, especially Christy Conniffe, who spent the day with me in the Clonfert/Eyrecourt area a few weeks ago.  This is the closest anyone in my family has ever gotten to their Irish roots in Co. Galway.  I am about to share with my mother, all the video, audio, and photos I was able to take while there. 

It's really indescribable to have stood on the land that the Dolans in the area farmed in the 1800s; indeed, in the house they lived in until the 1960s.  And to talk with someone who actually knew the last of the family living on the land, and knew the history of the area and the era.  Although there are not birth records for the time my ancestor was born, the evidence Christy was able to provide was convincing that I had found a branch of the family.  I look forward to hearing anything new you dig up, Christy!

If you ever wonder whether your project is making a difference, I can unequivocally say "it is!"  A million thanks.  Mary

my grand mother is annie dolan from loughisle co galway.

she married thomas mahon on 02 feburary 1904.

the lived in mayower eyrecourt co galway.

look up (COTTAGE AT MOYOWER).

REGARDS JOHN.