Looking for Donovans and Arundels Durris & Kilcrohane

Hi,

I looked up their records and found these. 

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/faf2df0037…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/1144550097…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/5fbe540094…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/2abe410097…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/70ec440094…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/81cf3f0095…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/37c1dd0096…

http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/49b9d00098…

As they were married in 1835 we can imagine that they were born around 1815 and sadly these records do not go back that far. At least the birth records tell us that they lived mostly in the townland of Moulnaskeha which is just north of Akakista and Rushnachara. Donovan is a very popular name in all of West Cork and Arundel in fairly common around Akakista, there is even Arundel's pub by the pier which is very well known. It might be a good place to start with some further research !

Danny 

I had located most of those church records. But I'd love some help in understanding what family members were typically sponsors of births and witnesses at marriages. I imagine there is some tradition to it. For example, at the marriage of Daniel and Catherine, the witnesses were Denis Croneen and William Arundel. Would William be Catherine's father? Or brother? At the birth of Timothy, the sponsors were Daniel Murphy and Margaret Arundel. What relation might they be? Do you have any idea?

Hi,

I have asked around and most people feel that sponsors for births were mostly selected for if they were well trusted or resonably well off. I guess that if anything happened to either of the parents which was very common in those days that they wanted the child by be well looked after so they often chose a well known neighbour or a close member of the family who be able to look after the child in the event of anything happening to the parents.

It is understandable considering how tough life was in those days that there would be some local politics involved in chosing a sponsor or a withness, trying to keep favour with some one who would be able to pass on some land or help keep a family together. I know this is not of much use with your research but I hope it helps anyway.

Regards Danny Tobin

Hi,

I'm Harry Arundel Ward, ex Casper WY, Chicago, and now Florida. My mother, Margaret Arundel, was born in the Arundel Pub. My photo, 7 years old, in full cowboy regalia, and atop Uncle Tim Arundel's horse  Dolly, now graces the wall of Arundel's By the Pier in Ahakista (Ah Kish ta). Arundel's exist in Ireland almost only in west Cork. Additionally they're in England, America, and Australia. There are Arundel's in other west Cork areas as well. Shane Arundel who runs Arundel's by the Pier (ABTP if I need to type it again -- visit the website) is my 2nd cousin once removed.

On Sheepshead there are many. There are two families, each claiming no connection with the other. I don't believe that, but the records aren't there to prove it, one way or the other.

The names you mention occur again and again: Mary, Julia, Timothy, William, Margaret, Catherine. Harry/Henry is another.

My tree includes Tim married to Mary Ward, his son Tim married to Mary Mahoney, his son Henry my grandfather and Henry's son Timothy, my uncle.

There's Thomas Arundel (b 4 Apr 1843) married to M Donovan -- a link w/o connections.
There's Catherine Donovan (b 1842 Mulnashy, Bantry) married to John Arundel (b 12 Aug 1837). Both died in Australia. John is my grandfather's brother.

Contact ABTP; perhaps they can put you in touch with those 'non-relations'.

Visit CasperIrish.com where you'll find Donovans and Arundel's galore.

Harry/Henry

Hi Danny,

I was excited to find this website and your great input into the Arundels and Donovans.

My great great grandfather was Timothy Arundel (abt 1810) from the Kilcrohane Parish. He married Mary Ward 15th Feb 1831 in Muintervara Parish. Witnesses were William Ward and William Arundel.

Their son John Arundel (1837) - my G g/father  migrated to Australia in 1861 with 3 friends, including Morty Donovan, who was also a neighbour & schoolmate. Morty's sister, Catherine Donovan (my G g/mother) followed some time later, marrying John there in 1864.

Catherine and Morty's parents were Jeremiah Donovan & Mary O'Brien. Although I've located quite a lot of records from Griffiths Valuations and Church/Parish records, some of these are hard to confirm. There appears to have been another Jeremiah Donovan married to a Mary O'Brien around the same time in this area and Griffiths Vs shows property in the Kilcrohane Parish in the names of Jeremiah Donovan, Jeremiah (Morty) Donovan, Jeremiah (Thade) Donovan and Jerry Donovan. Birth records also appear under Jerry Donovan & Mary O'Brien as well as Jeremiah and Mary O'Brien. Not sure if it is the same couple.

Any light you can shed on these ancestral links to the Arundels and Donovans would be fantastic.

Cheers,

Kerry Evans

Hi Harry,

Thanks for the family info, just like the Arundels there are several family names on the Sheepshead with different branches who claim they are not connected to each other. Including my own Tobins, I believe there are six different branches of us from the Kilcrohane area alone. I had a lovely dinner recently in Arundels as part of a Daly gathering and you will be glad to know it is in good hands, the food there is excelent. It is well worth avisit for anyone passing and hopefully you can pick up some family information also.

Danny

Hi Kerry,

I am glad you found the information here helpful. As you can see from mine and Harry's reply this can be very difficult to narrow down especially with a common name like Donovan. What townland do you think g g grandfather came from ? Sometimes when we have couples with similar names having children around the same time, we can really only go by the townland to narrow it down.

About the Jerry Donovan and Mary O'Brien couple in the church records it is possible that they are the same as if the births are spread out over some time they could have been written in by different Priests, many of whom came from outside the area and had there own way of spelling names and places. Especially the townlands, they had huge workloads in comparison to our modern day Priests and I am sure they never knew that their writing would be studied so hard by all if us in the future !

It looks like you have done a lot of research already and there is more records coming on irishgenealogy.ie all the time so this will help.

Danny

Hi Kerry,

While we keep seeing lots of the same names among the Donovans and Arundels, your note caught my eye. Do you have any way to know if your gg grandfather Timothy Arundel had a sister named Catherine? I belive my ggg grandmother, Catherine Arundel Donovan, born about 1810-15, had a brother named Timothy. Catherine married Daniel Donovan in 1835 and named their first son Timothy (a Margaret Arundel was a witness), and named their second son William (Timothy Arundel and Hanorah Arundel were witnesses). I'm trying to find Catherine's parentage and it's difficult, because I can't find any records that go back that far. A William Arundel was a witness to the marriage. And I am guessing her father was a William, only because Irish tradition seems to be the second son is typically named after the mother's father.  Correct me if I am wrong.

Danny,

Off Topic, and beyond Durrus: Are there lists of IRA, IRB members from the 1910 thru 1925 era? Ladies' auxiliary?

Harry Ward

Hi Kerry,

So, I have just located a Griffith's Valuation from 1853 that list your ancestors and mine on the same land. This is pretty exciting. My GGG Grandfather Daniel Donovan is living in Maulnaskehy on the same land owned by Rev. William Evanson along with neighbors Jeremiah Donovan (whose father was Morty) and Jeremiah Donovan (whose father was Thaddeus), along with Timothy and Mary Arundel (siblings?) and assorted Murphys, Tobins and McCarthys, names which turn up as baptismal sponsors and marriage witnesses in my Donovans births and marriages. I just need to link them all together. Of particular interest to me are the two Jeremiah Donovans.  Several of my Daniel Donovan's children -- William, Michael and Catherine Donovan -- all emigrated to the U.S., settling in the erie, PA, then Olean, NY area. I have also found a Jeremiah Donovan there, and am presuming he is one of the two Jeremiahs from Maulnaskehy, and, if so, how he is related to Daniel. Any clue?

I am traveling to County Cork this month, and plan to spend several days in the Sheepshead Peninsula area, and am hoping to uncover a few more clues about our Donovan family tree. 

Hi Danny, your timing is perfect. My husband, Allan, and I are also going to Ireland this month. We will be in the Sheepshead Peninsula/Durrus area from Monday 23rd May to Wed 25th May inclusive.

I have also located the Griffith Valuation Records you mention. Jeremiah Donovan(1806 to 1871)and his wife, Mary O'Brien (1813 to 1890) are my great great grandparents. I think, but cannot yet prove, that Daniel is Jeremiah's brother. Jeremiah's daughter, Catherine is my great grandmother, having married former neighbour and schoolfriend, John Arundel, in Australia in 1864. Catherine's brothers, Morty (born 1840) and Jeremiah (born 1853) also migrated to Australia. Their other known brother Timothy (born 1834) remained in Ireland and is buried in the Kilcrohane Cemetery with their  parents. Almost certainly, Daniel (born 1837) is another brother. Possibly, but less certain, Jane (b 1850), John (b 1851), Denis (b 1852) & Mary (b 1856) could be other siblings.

I have made contact with distant cousins, Mary and Julia Arundel in Ahakista, Sheepshead Peninsula and will be catching up with them during our visit. Also hope to make contact with the Arundels, who run Arundels on the Pier pub.

What dates will you be in the area? My email address is keral@netspace.net.au, if you would like to make further contact this way.

Cheers,

Kerry

Hi mturnerajc and Kerry,

just reading both of your messages and it appears that both of you are visiting the beautiful Sheepshead this month. I live near Cork city and you can contact me if you need any assistance but your fisrt call should be to Arundel's at the pier in Ahakista where you will get good food and local information. I too have Arundel relations from Ahakista, if you ask about the twins John and Paddy they were my Dad's first cousins. Maybe we can all meet up but if not have a great trip.

Danny Tobin 

Hi Danny, sorry I got you mixed up with mturnerajc. It would be lovely to catch up if we can. Do you have an email address that I could also contact you on?

Sure, you can always get me at danielgtobin@gmail.com .Safe journey.

Hi mturnerajc et alia,

I suspect that Mary and Timothy Arundel are man and wife rather than siblings. Tim Arundel married Mary Ward in 1831. Their son Tim married Mary Mahoney in 1873. Tim and Mary Ward fit the 1853 date in Griffith. The younger Timothy was a brother of the John Arundel in Kerry Evan's tree and of my grandfather Henry of the Arundel Pub.

Harry Arundel Ward.

Hi All, so sorry to not have been able to catch up with any of you during our visit to the Sheepshead Peninsula last year. We had a great 4 days there and caught up with Paddy and Mary Arundel (of Arundels on the Pier), Mary and Julia in the original home next to the church and Frank Arundel. Visited the pub on 2 very enjoyable occasions, where 5 of the 6 patrons were either Donovans or Arundels. Shared a drink with them, sure of the fact that we were related somewhere along the line. Still trying to sort these families out, I have come back recently to the post of 2nd May last year, when questions were raised about the 2 Jeremiahs from Maulnaskehy. How do we  know from the records that Thady/Thaddeus and Morty were the fathers of the 2 Jeremiahs? Is that what the names in brackets signify? Following the naming conventions of the time, I would assume that my gggrandfather Jeremiah O'Donovan, who married Mary O'Brien, would have named his 1st son either Thaddeus or Mortimer, depending on which of these was his father's name. There are no Thadys or Thaddeuses in our direct family line at all. If my records are correct (open to question!), Jeremiah and Mary's first son was Timothy, b 1834 Ardonenig, their second son Daniel, b1837, Ardonenig, their 3rd Morty, b 1840 Ardonenig, 4th, John, b1851 Timoleague, 5th Denis, b 1852 Maulnaskehy and 6th, Jeremiah, b 1853, Maulnaskehy. Again, according to my records they also had 3 daughters, Catherine (myggrandmother, b 1842), Jane, b 1850 and Mary, b 1856. Catherine, Morty and Jeremish all emigrated to Australia. Do I assume that Jeremiah (b abt 1806)'s father is the Morty written in brackets? If that is so, why wasn't the first son named Morty or does it mean that the baptismal records I have located for the earlier male offspring of Jeremiah (Jerry) Donovan and Mary O'Donovan belong the another couple? I think I'm getting a headache........