I am researching my great grandparents who emigrated to the US in 1882. My grandfathers name was Thomas D O'Reilly. In his civil marriage documents filed in Cork City, he lists his father's name as Daniel O'Reilly, a labourer. Thomas was born circa 1860, and died in Hamilton, New Jersey, USA, on 17 Jan 1899. He married Bridget Walsh, born 15 August 1861, in the North Cathedral in Cork on 18 February 1882. Her marriage documents list her parents as John Walsh (then deceased) and Mary Mahoney. She had at least one sibling, a sister, Ellen, who married one John Lawton. They had at least two children who immigrated to America. Their names were John and Mollie Lawton. John 's was killed in an accident in 1911, his sister worked for many years as a domestic servant for a New York family.
Bridget, who died on 8 August 1936 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA was born in County Cork, but Thomas documents only list Ireland as place of birth. In doing my research, I typed in my grandfather's father's name (Daniel O'Reilly) into Griffith's Valuation, County Cork. I was very interested in the fact that all three family surnames (O'Reilly, Walsh, & Mahoney) were listed in the Parishes of Kilmoney and Kinsale.
Yesterday, I met with a genealogist at the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. She introduced me to your web site, IrelandXO.com.. I have been researching my family for many years and finding lots of brick walls. I am hoping someone with further information will see my post.
Regards: Pat Stephenson, Strawberry, Arizona, USA
Friday 30th Jan 2015, 05:47PM
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Pat:
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!
Civil registration started in Ireland in 1864. There are two main sources for Co. Cork baptismal records--Roots Ireland for parishes outside of the Diocese of Cork and Ross and www.irishgenealogy.ie for the parishes within the Diocese of Cork and Ross.
I first checked Roots Ireland indexes for 1850-1870 and did not find any baptismal records for a Thomas O'Reilly/Reilly with a father Daniel in Co. Cork.
I then checked www.irishgenealogy.ie which is a free Irish government site and found four possible records in 1850, 1851, 1855 and 1858. The one in 1855 was in Cork city. Since the marriage was in Cork city likely that is where Bridget was from and possibly Thomas was also from Cork city. Here is a snapshot of the record. Check it out and see what you think.
Also, later this summer the National Library plans to put the RC parish registers online for free searching.
Roger McDonnell
Name THOMAS REELY Date of Birth N/R N/R N/R Address N/R Father DANIEL REELY Mother ELLEN COLLINS Further details in the record
Sponsor 1 MICHAEL COLEMAN Sponsor 2 MARY SULLIVAN Recorded Parochial Area SOUTH PARISH, CORK Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Please forgive me for jumping in on this post, but I stumbled upon it when doing a Google search on the O'Reilly family from Cork. I couldn't help but find the names and places in Pat Stephenson's family similar to those in my own. My 2nd great-grandfather was Michael W. O'Reilly, possibly born in either Cashel, Tipperary or Cashel, Cork (if there is such a place. I've seen clues suggesting there is, but I could be wrong). It appears that he was born in March of 1844 to another Michael O'Reilly and a Mary Welsch (or possibly Welsh or Walsh). Michael W. O'Reilly died in Minnesota some time before 1905. I'm wondering if Pat Stephenson and I might even be related!
I know my information is pretty vague, but unfortunately, that's all I have. Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
Sincerely,
--Brijit S.