McCoole (McColl) (McCool) from Lifford, Clonleigh Parish, Donegal

Ed:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

The RC records for Lifford/Clonleigh start in 1853 although there are some 1836-1837 records. I checked Roots Ireland and there were no McCool/McColl baptismal records in the 1836 period in Lifford. http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0352

I did check the 1863 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Clonleigh civil parish and there was one McCool record-William McCool in Cloghfin townland. Not sure if he is related to Thomas McCool.

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/donegal/clonleigh.htm

I've been to this area because my Brennans came from Clonleigh. They lived in Glenfad townland although most of them emigrated to Philadelphia by 1865.

Have you considered autosomal DNA testing?

Roger McDonnell

Thanks for your reply, Roger.   I have tested through Ancestry.com and 23andMe.   The results related to Northeast Donegal  (vic. Lifford), although my paternal line (Shevlin/Shovlin) centers on Inishkeel and Killybegs Lower parishes around Ardara.   I've been to Lifford many years ago and to Ardara and vicinity several times.    I will probably have to concentrate on finding McCool/McColl famiy descendents and work back from there.   Although my GGrandmother's records only indicate Lifford, I suspect the family resided in one of the townlands outside Lifford Town.   Another possibility is name varients such as McCuill, McCahil, Cole, etc.  Some variants include anglicised versions such as Wood of Woods.   My GGrndmother, Sarah McCzoll married Patrick Shovlin/Shovelin in Glasgow in 1857 where all records pertaining to her list her maiden name as McColl.  However, Irish immigrants in Scotland in the 19th century with the surname McCool were illiterate, so record keepers and census enumerators were likely to spell the name as McColl.  Further, those who were literate sometimes preferred the usual Scottish spelling and pronunciation of McColl to avoid discrimination.   I also discovered that the birth records of two of her children where she was the informant listed the family name as "Shivlen" a phonetic variant of Shevlin/Shovlin in parts of Donegal, further indicating that she was illiterate.   Isn't genealogy fascinating?    Ed Shevlin

Ed:

Genealogy is fascinating! I'm currently transcribing 1901 census records in Co. Donegal and you are correct that there are a lot of Shovlin/Shovelin families in the Killybegs/Inishkeel area.

Roger

Roger:   I've scrounged every source I can find for Shovlin/Shevlin in that area and the rest Donegal.   The listings in GV are anglicised and appear as Shevlin.   You may hear local variations in pronounciation (e.g. Shivlen) not far from Ardara Town and older records pre-GV often show Shovelin (Orig. O'Seibhleain or Ui Sheibhlin).  Finally located the right townland, Barkillew (Barr Coilleadh) for my Great Grandfather and his parents, but in the process have rearched Shovlins and Breslins and other interrelated families in Southwest Donegal tracing family ties to localities in USA, Scotland and England.   I was fortunate to find a local historian who provided a well researched volume on the history of the  Leaconnell National School that was a godsend.  .   My next project is back to Roscommon (McLoughlin) vic Aughrim (Belragh) because I misplaced my old on-site notes from several years back which were my only back-up for a computer crash.

Ed

Roger:   I've scrounged every source I can find for Shovlin/Shevlin in that area and the rest Donegal.   The listings in GV are anglicised and appear as Shevlin.   You may hear local variations in pronounciation (e.g. Shivlen) not far from Ardara Town and older records pre-GV often show Shovelin (Orig. O'Seibhleain or Ui Sheibhlin).  Finally located the right townland, Barkillew (Barr Coilleadh) for my Great Grandfather and his parents, but in the process have rearched Shovlins and Breslins and other interrelated families in Southwest Donegal tracing family ties to localities in USA, Scotland and England.   I was fortunate to find a local historian who provided a well researched volume on the history of the  Leaconnell National School that was a godsend.  .   My next project is back to Roscommon (McLoughlin) vic Aughrim (Belragh) because I misplaced my old on-site notes from several years back which were my only back-up for a computer crash.

Ed

Ed:

Thanks for the feedback. All the best with your research.

Roger