Bridget McKenna

Hi Lois,

Thank you for your message. I have passed it on to one of our volunteers in the area who hopefully will be able to assist or advise you.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support

Hello from Newcastle.

My name is Catherine McCormack, originally from Newcastle. I was with Mrs Flanagan’s children at school.  I was talking to Maureen last week, but she couldn't throw any light on a few questions I asked her.

What relation is your Bridget to Catherine Lynch nee McKenna?  I found a baptism cert in Moynalty in 1834 for Catherine to parents John McKenna and Anne Tait on www.rootsireland.ie.  There were no other children to these parents on the database. Catherine's 1834 dates agrees with the 1901 census and her death cert in 1910.  I cannot find a baptism cert for Bridget. Moynalty church records are1830-1899. Catherine's second daughter was called Anne 1864, normally the first daughter is called after her mother. Her eldest daughter was Mary 1862. What did Bridget call her children?

Catherine married Edward Lynch in Moynalty in 1855. Their children on Moynalty baptism register are Philip 1856, Patrick 1858, John 1860, Mary 1862, Anne 1864, Bridget 1866, Catherine 1868, Edward 1870, Michael 1872, Joseph 1878, Elizabeth 1880.  The maiden name for Philip was Tait. I assume priest wrote wrong name down.

Unfortunately, catholic civil records only commence 1864. On Bridget civil cert, does it state if John McKenna is alive or deceased and his occupation?  Where did Bridget live after her marriage? Is she on a census in Ireland or abroad.  Might give county of birth or age?

Looking at the property records, they commence with Griffith Valuations circa 1855 for Moynalty.  There is a Philip McKenna folio12b in Feagh townland with a house and small garden. Do you recall travelling to Moynalty from Skearke via the Newcastle (Bailieboro) -Moynalty Road. Feagh Hill is fairly steep and its the first view you get of Wellmans factory, Mullagh from this road.  McKenna house was half way down this hill on the Mullagh side. From looking at google and comparing it to the Griffith map, I suspect it is now the site of Jennifer Daly nee Reilly’s house built this century. May ask the Reilly's about potential site of the McKenna house.  See www.google.ie/maps - search Feagh. see the house opp side of the road from one labelled Teac Beag. That’s Jennifer house.

The property tranfers record for this folio 12b are Philip 1855, Bryan 1886, house demolished 1913 and I cannot read the rest of the note on my digital copy. Property records are not computerised  yet. You can check  Griffith Valuations at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation. This looks a good bet as Catherine's census has birth in county Meath, and her eldest son is Philip. Normally the 2nd son is called after the maternal father, unless both paternal n maternal father's same names.

The 1901 census for Feagh has Margaret as head of house 19, age 60 single, in this house and Bernard, house 18, age 70, single, as a servant in Foxes house which was across the road. You can see summary information on http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/. The DED for Skearke and Feagh is Newcastle. The PDF attachments are incorrect for 1901. They forgot to include Feagh townland in 1911 census website. From the household list of 1911 I have, I do not see McKennas in Feagh. Actual census records can be viewed in microfilm free in the National Library, Dublin and Local History studies Dept, Navan Library, Co Meath.  There is a civil death cert for Bernard in qtr 4, 1909, which agrees to 1901 census birth year. Also, civil death cert in qtr 1, 1909 for Margaret, but the births years is 1828 ie out by 12 years per 1901 census, so not sure if this Mgt is the Feagh one. Bernard and Bryan are the same first names. Be interesting to see who registered their deaths on the certs. I obtained summary info for civil certs on www.familysearch.org. In my lifetime there were no McKennas in Feagh.

The only other McKenna in Moynalty on Griffith Valuations is Laurence with land in Shancarnan townland.  Shancarnan townland goes from Moynalty cemetary down the Mullagh road to the county boundry with Co Cavan and down theNewcastle road to almost the first square cross on that road. I do not have Shancarnan property records.

Today, there are only 2 McKenna families in Moynalty parish that I know off. The Walterstown clan hail from Mullagh. I do not know the roots of the McKennas in Bellair.  I am not familar with the current families in Shancarnan. Check with Flanagans in Skearke or Killeeter.  McKenna's is a very common name in Mullagh parish. There are McKenna families in the neighbouring  Co Cavan townlands of Lislin and Killeter today, but there was none on the Griffith Valuations. I have Killeeter property records but haven't looked through them. I do not have Lislin . Do you know of any McKenna relations? Might be fit to travel back up there lines to see where collides with yours.

Edward Lynch took over the tenancy of folio 15 Skearke in 1879 from Patrick Tate/Tute.  Catherine’s mother was Tait, same surname.  There is a civil death cert for Patrick Tait in qtr 1, 1879 est date of birth 1800.

Taits is a common name on Griffith in Killeter. Do you know Anna Lynches, she lives  approx the opposite side of the road from Edward Lynches ruins . I recall an Elizabeth Tait 1801-1865  Killeter been married in there. Anna is related to me. I didn't find that Elizabeth Tait on the 1821 Mullagh census. No 1821 census survive for Meath parishes.

The other thing of interest I found in Skearke property records was folio 6 Michael Farley. It was 2 seprate parcels of land and a house. Both plots transferred from the Fareley name permanently in 1875. Flanagans and Reilly own it today. Folio 6A was a field, one up behind the house Maureen reared in. Folio 6B is the opposite side of the road from Flanagan’s house and farmyard. I wonder if any relation to your Patrick?  Where you aware of this?

Finally, are you related to Flanagans? I recently found out Bridget Cahill(Senator Lynch's mother) is my gt gt aunt.

Sorry for the delay in relying to your request.  I can be contact by e-mail at cmccormack_cmf@hotmail.com.  I can e-mail you the working files if you give me an e-mail address. It is in excel 2007 format at the moment. It is too large for this message board as an attachment.  I did not purchase any civil or church certs to confirm my research. I would be happy to let you know where, how and cost, if you need help with this.  If you wish, I can meet you next time you are in Skearke. 

Hope this helps you in your search and I have not lead you astray.

King Regards

Catherine McCormack

Hello Catherine - it's so good to meet you. Thank you so much for your research - it's wonderful to have all this information! I can answer some of your questions here, and will also send you an email directly to your email address.

You asked if I was related to the Flanagans - Tommy's great-grandmother was Catherine McKenna (although she was called Sallly). Bridget was living in Skearke when she was married in 1864, and Catherine McKenna seems to be the only McKenna in Skearke at the time; also, Edward Lynch is one of the witnesses on their marriage record. So we had surmised that Bridget may have been a cousin or sister of Catherine and was living with them at the cottage on Skearke road, near the Lislin road at the time of her marriage. 

Several years ago, when I was just beginning to search this out, Maureen Murchan suggested I contact Margaret Flanagan, as she remembered something about a McKenna in Skearke. And now, Margaret has become such a very dear friend that I feel I've come home whenever I visit. 

I have a few records that may be helpful: P & B's marriage records, both church and civil, the death record, in 1878, for Patrick Taite (who must have left the house to Edward Lynch?) and a church record that I found lisiting Bridget as a sponsor to a baptism of a Philip Lynch born to Philip Lynch and Kitty Taite. I don't have the year right in front of me, but can find it. It's at a time when Bridegt was an adult and before she was married. But there's that Taite connection, which I think may strengthen the idea that Catherine and Bridget are related. I'll send you more info on that. 

Bridget and Patrick Farrelly left for America soon after their marriage in Feb. 1864 - maybe a few months later? I can't find the ship record. They settled in New Haven, CT which is where my grandfather and all but one of his sibs was born. Bridget and Patrick's first child waas named Mary. Other children were: Katherine, Ann, George Thomas, Elizabeth (there were two Elizabeths - one who died in infancy and their last child, who survived)

As far as I've been able to learn, there were no McKenna relatives in the US that they were in touch with. Patrick's youger brother, Andrew emigrated around 1866. There may have been Flanagan relatives here. (Patrick's mother was a Flanagan, although I don't think related to my Skearke Flanagans - it certianly gets complicated!)

I have a meeting this morning, but will send you an email tonight with copies of some of the records I have.

I would love to meet with you when I'm in Moynalty for the Gathering. I plan to have a few days in Dublin before I drive out, so will be able to spend a little time at Archives and in the library. 

Thanks again for everything! Ill be in touch.

Lois

Hi Lois,

Thank for your reply. You have alot of work done todate.

I must correct something i said in my reply. ignore the remark about Ed and Catherine's first child philip been named after parental father.  I had Philip McKenna Feagh land records on the brain when i typed that.  Her second son is Patrick, could he be called after Patrick Tait?  I wonder was Catherine reared in Skearke in the Tait house maybe because parents died or unmarried uncles/aunts there. I'd bet Edward Lynch married into Tait house. On Patrick civil death cert, does it give the relationship of the person who register Patrick death to him?

Patrick Tait is listed on the tithe Applotments circa 1824 in Skearke. tithe Applotments only show people who had more than 3 acres. Some of these files are computeried on www.familysearch.org.

Kitty is a pet name for Catherine. Did you mean Bridget sponsored Edward  & Catherine first son Philip in 1856. You have the father down as philip.

I found Bridget and Patrick and family on the US census. Interesting they did not call a son John after her father. George an unusaul name for a catholic child. Any ideas why - George Washington founding father of the States? Did you find Bridget's death cert. A US cert normally gave more information than an Irish cert if the information knew it. Does Bridget's marriage cert stated if John McK alive or desceased and/or his occupation.

I found www.ancestory.co.uk good for looking for people on shipping manifest. Because of our location on the east coast, They might have went via Liverpool to the States. I have found some of my ancestors coming back home in through Queenstown(now Cobh). But I was never able to trace any of them on ships emigrating the first time from Ireland or via England to the states either.

I found a Margaret McKenna baptised in Moynalty 1833, but I cannot guess the parents names after keying most obvious choices or common names. This might be Margaret of the 1901 Census. I got  a Bryan baptism 1845. I dont think this is Bernard of 1901 census. There is a John McKenna married in 1856. He might be from outside the parish and married a Moynalty lady.

Emigration from Newcastle was rampant after the famine. When one went and got set up abroad, they sent back for more of there siblings or neighbours to join them, building up a community of local abroad. Patrick and Bridget may not have had family in States, but neighbours. Youn mentioned Patrick's brother Andrew who emigrate too. Farleys land in skerke transferred to Carrolls. There was an Andrew there. They may be related. I can e-mail you property records later. Carrolls have died out in Skearke, but Mrs Flanagan may know something of them.

Do you have skype in the states. Might be easier to talk to you, as well as e-mailing. you have a good bit of research done todate.  I used to go Dublin on research trips more often, I'm long overdue another day trip there to blitz the records again, but the weather isn't nice for day trips at the moment. We actually had snow a few days ago and are in the grip of artic air this week, although we didn't get what England, France and Belgium.

Regards

Catherine

Catherine,

I just sent you a long email at your hotmail email address, but I'm not sure it went through - can you let me know? I hope it did, but if not, I'll try to recreate it here.

Thanks!

Hi Lois,

Nothing in my e-mail.  There is an underscore in my e-mail address just before cmf. This is what usually causes the problem with e-mails from new people. I hope if the e-mail rebound to your inbox, just press forward and copy and paste my address from the original reply. The same thing happen to me when I was sending the fist reply throw to you and I lost all. A good tip is copy the text of the e-mail into a word processing document incase cyber space get non delivery ideas.

I was in contact with the Mulvany family of Diralagh, Moynalty  family historian Anne Weber in the States by e-mail.  The lane where Mulvany house is located, comes onto the Newcastle-Moynalty road just at the top of Feagh hill. Anyway in the late 1840s, 1850 four Mulvany brothers emigrated to the states over a period of time, probably New York first where eventualy there step sister Ally (Alice) Muldon nee O'Brien settled in the 1880s. Thomas settle in Eldon, Iowa and Peter eventually went from Eldon to to Salida, Colorado. These 2 men did well in America.  They subsequently sponspered alot of others to emigrate from Newcastle and Mullagh.  Anne's family papers include correspondance home which mentions McKenna amoung other local names.  She is away from her papers for the next few weeks, but will review and e-mail me more details on her return.  She thinks Eldon, Iowa might be the best bet to see if any McKenna there. There two other brothers were James, Eldon, see the request against this parish that came in yesterday. The fourth  brother was famous Irish americain painter John Mulvany. I think Peter was his business manager. John died in New York in 1906.  I think Peter may have died circa 1899 in Salida. 

Regards

Catherine

Hello All 

I am looking to anyone who might have some information on some ancestor's of mine that were living in Covan County Ireland. My 4th Great Grandmother Jane McKenna who was born on AUGUST 13,1768 • Co.Cavan Ireland was married to an Alexander McKeague who was my 4th Great Grandfather. He was born around 1765? Thats all I have on him. What is kinda coincidental is my youngest daughters first name is McKenna and we named her this without knowing that I had an ancestor with that name as their last name! I was pretty amazed when I found this out through my research. 

If anyone has any information on the McKenna's or McKeague's please provide and anything would help, thanks.