William O’Reilly

HI Kathy, to quote "Houston We Gotta Problem" the name Reilly is associated with County Cavan but a search of baptism records from 1805 to 1815 returns 58 William Reillys and variants, oddly only a couple in Cavan, I looked in Roots Ireland, without a parents name there is no way  to identify the correct William and then we have to factor in the missing lost or never kept records, was there any information on his marriage or death record of parents.

You mention having a DNA match, there are a number of private Facebook pages in Ireland both national and local (country and county and even area ones) these are matching sites using Gedmatch or even Gedmatch groups on Gedmatch itself, if not on Gedmatch read up before joining about their rules for police access etc not everyone agrees. If you go ahead you may get a location in Ireland if nothing else, my experience is it is interesting but everyone is sort of stuck like you and with the same issues. I have found them polite and well moderated, anyone not complying is removed fairly quickly. 

Good Luck

Pat

Sorry Kathy there are 8 Williams in Westmeath, had missed that bit, 1806 to 1813. 

Pat

Thank you for your reply. Only 8:William O Reilly for that time period is not so daunting. Is there a private Facebook page for Westmeath that incorporates DNA from various sources? 

Thanks again!

Kathy

Hi Kathy, I see only one Westmeath Facebook genealogy group which is record based rather than DNA based, there may be a DNA based one also, there are Ireland based ones that I am in but surprised if there is not a DNA based one somewhere, the one is ICGPs Westmeath Genealogy, remember the baptisms are only available where parishes have records.

Good Luck with it anyway,

Pat

I have to report a major success story!  I joined Westmeath Facebook and Gedmatch group. I posted a query on William O Reilly emigrating to New Orleans and then St. Louis and married to Ann O’Brien. Someone in the group had those people in her tree and was able to trace back to Louth, 1688. Amazing! 

I will post some of this information at a later time! Hopefully, it might help someone else!

William O Reilly, April 1803 in Westmeath , my second great grandfather.  His parents were Michael Reilly Born 1778 in Drogheda, Louth, Ireland. His mother was Rose Brady born around 1779 in Moate, Kilcleagh, Westmeath. Parents are buried there.

William O Reilly had another brother that also emigrated to New Orleans. His name was Patrick Reilly.