James "Bluffer" Murray of Portanure

Hi there,

There are Roman Catholic church records for the diocese of Scrabby (Ardagh and Clonmacnois). These start from 1833 for baptismal and marriage records and 1835 for burial records. You can access these at the National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4237, or the Church of Latter Day Saints, ref. no. 1279228 item 10-13, or Cavan Heritage and Genealogy Centre. If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for more assistance.

Civil registration records are available from the General Register Office (GRO). These start from 1864 however. You can access the website here: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm

Have you tried checking the Ellis Island records (www.ellisisland.org) or the Castle Garden records (www.castlegarden.org)? Generally, more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. If you knew which city they arrived at, this could be a good place to find more information.

You could also try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) or the later Griffth's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available here: www.askaboutireland.com or here: www.failteromhat.com Failte Romhat has lots of other useful links you could try looking at.

Try also checking the 1908 pensions forms. These are a census substitute for the 1841 and 1851 census records which were destroyed by fire in 1922.  There are some 1851 certified copies of census returns for use in the old age pensions. You can find these at the National Archives of Ireland.

If you find out more information, please feel free to contact us again.

Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

Genealogist (Ireland XO)

James

I am from Scrabby Parish and I know your cousins, the Murrays and Daltons. There are several Murrays now but only one Dalton family.  Have you contacted them?

Patk Sheil

Sorry Aileen,

I meant to address the previous reply to you not yr great-grandfather. Do you want me to make an enquiry in Scrabby?

P

Hello Pat,

I remember you from visit in 1988.  I was in school in Dublin for a semester and the family was over to visit at Easter time.  My father Bernard and mother Bernadette all my siblings and grandparents Mary and Mike Murray.  We came out to your sheep farm.  If I remember correctly your wife was a "yank" from Long Island- Port Washington?  and I had gone to school with a cousin of hers?? I'm not sure if I have that right.

I was in Ireland this Easter time with my husband Brian and our 3 children.  We had a very brief visit in Cavan with the Murray's and the Daltons.  I even met several of your sisters!  Everyone was lovely and so welcoming.  I only wish we had more time to chat and get to know each other.

I have to run know to take my little guy to swim practice but I will contact you soon.  Please send my your email address if you use one.  Mine is bgamg14@gmail.com.

Great to hear from you. Thank you.

Aileen Murray Gallagher