Dowd Family of County Cavan

My great-great grandmother was Susan O'Dowd.

An obit I found for her reads: "Sexton, Susan (nee O'Dowd), wife of John Sexton, died at her Michigan Avenue residence on Sunday morning. Mrs. Sexton was the daughter of Philip O'Dowd, a respectable farmer of Cavan Ireland and first saw the light of day on May 15, 1818.  her husband was also a Cavan farmer. Ten children blessed the union, five of whom are living namely, Messers. P.J. and J.M.L. Sexton, Mrs. Charles F. Keeler and Mrs. Reilly of Chicago and Mrs. Arrow (sic) of Cincinnati, Ohio. The family came to America about the year 1850 and settled first in Cincinnati where several of the children were born. Mr. Sexton, Sr. died before the birth of the youngest child.  In 1872, after years of hard but successful struggle, the family moved to Chicago.  Mrs. Sexton sustained a great shock in the death of one of her sons, Mr. Thomas Sexton, a few years ago.  Gifted with a fine constitution, she preserved her faculties to the last, and could sew and embroider without glasses up to the time of her seizure.  The funeral occurred on Tuesday morning from the residence to St. John's Church, then to Calvary Cemetery."    CHICAGO CITIZEN, 19 November 1887, as presented in CHICAGO IRISH FAMILIES, 1875-1925, posted on www.ancestry.com web site."

I found a Susan Dowd, with a father Philip in the 1821 Census,Killikonnin Townland, Lavey Parish, Co. Cavan, Ireland  but her calculated birthdate was 1815 arther than 1818.

Her husband was John Sexton. and 4 of their children were born in Ireland, presumably also in Co. Cavan - Eliza(beth), Susan, Patrick Joseph (P.J.), and Mary. 

The daughter Eliza married a Thomas Reilly, also from Co. Cavan in Cincinnati, OH., in 1859.

There is a Father Smythe mentioned as a cousin of the family. 

I would be most grateful for any hints or information on this family.

Thank you

Judy Schneider