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I have attempting to find the location in Ireland where  my 2xgreatgrandparents came from.  Thomas Downey and Bridget Tyrrel Downey came from Ireland to Boston in 1847.   They had 3 young sons, Michael, James and Thomas.   I was always told that they came from Longford County, but have had no luck in finding any records there.  I recently found a baptismal index on Family Search listing a baptismal record for Michael Downey, with his parents listed as Thomas Dawney (spelled incorrectly) and Bridgida Tyrrel.  The christening was on August 18, 1840 and the christening place was Roman Catholic, Ahascragh and Killosolan, Galway.  This is a great find for me and I would like to obtain a copy of this baptismal record.  How do I go about obtaining a copy?  And what is the next step in trying to track down baptismal records for James and Thomas?   James was born in 1843, and Thomas was born on December 22, 1846.   

Thank you!

cadtin

Monday 1st Dec 2014, 02:25PM

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  • Catherine:

    I checked the Roots Ireland indexes and they have the Ahascragh/Killosoaln/Caltra RC chruch records starting in 1840 but there is an annotaion that some of the records are missing. Possibly 1843 and 1846 are affected. You could get a paid subscription to Roots and view  their transcription of the 1840 baptismal record but I'm inclined to think that the family townland would not be listed. You could contact the church in Caltra and see if they can assist. See below.

    AHASCRAGH (AHASCRAGH AND CALTRA)

     Very Rev Kevin Reynolds MHM PP
     Ahascragh, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
     Tel: 090 9688617
     Rev Vincent McDevitt CSSp
     Caltra, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
     Tel: 090 9678125

    One other alternative is to request the microfilm of the church records from the Momon Church and view the film at a local Family History Center to see if the two records are on the film.

    https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/26004?availability=Family%20His…

    Finally, I looked at the 1824 Tithe records for Ahascragh parish www.titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie  There were 3 Downeys listed-- Andrew and Michael in Kilglass townland and Thomas in Boolebane townland. I can't find a record of Boolebane but it may be Ballybaun. Possibly one of these three was the father of Thomas Downey who took his family to Boston.

    Let me know if you have any questions.

    Roger mcDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 1st Dec 2014, 04:50PM

  • Since my post of December 1, 2014, I haven't had much success in my search for my ancestors - I found the index for the baptism record of Michael Downey, son of Thomas Downey and Bridget Tyrell,  dated August 1840 in Ahascragh.  Thomas was the son of James and Winifred (Doherty) Downey - and although I was told that the Downeys came from County Longford, with the exception of a baptismal record for Thomas and Bridget son James from St. Mel's in Longford, dated August 20, 1842, I have been unable to find any information for this family in County Longford.  So I am exploring more of Ahascragh, since Michael was baptized there in 1840, I'm wondering if they might have had roots in this area.   I found a James Downey on the Griffith Valuation for 1855, listing the townland as Bunvan, Civil Parish Ahascragh, and Barony Kilconnell.  I also found a Poverty Relief Loan dated 1848 for a James Downey from townland Lungan, Ahascragh, Galway.  And I also found a civil death record for a Winifred Downey dated July 17 1874 in Ahascragh.  

    I am hoping that you might have some suggestions on how to confirm that these might be my ancestors.

    Thank you.

     

     

    cadtin

    Monday 14th Sep 2015, 02:28PM

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