Trying to find GG Grandparents Mary Rooney and John Moffatt. Someone suggested Galway was the place to start!

Mark,

What was the first and surname of Mary's mother.

The County Leitrim has a number of Rooney's while there are a few in County Galway.

The surname can be found in various parts of Ireland. See Griffith's Valuation - www.askaboutireland.ie - Free

You mentioned a mining village, there was a coal mine on the border of Leitrim/Roscommon which might have influenced them to travel there? - Arigna Mines.

Regards

Thanks for the reply. Her name was Margaret if that John I found in Leicester is correct.

I started looking in Athenry area as I saw a reference to the Rooney family (including a John) in somewhere called Moanbaun.

I have always assumed Mary went to Leicester with all her family where she met John. John was a Coal Miner. They moved up to Yorkshire. That’s as much as I know

Thanks for that pointer to Griffiths Valuation. Lots of Moffatts in Sligo. I’ll widen my search. Never know the accuracy of Ancestry DNA but it does say North Connacht!

I’m parking my search for Mary Rooney for a while and having a look for John Moffatt.

I’m convinced (as much as I can be) that Mary was the daughter of John and Margaret Rooney who ended up in Leicester. Margaret states she was born in County Galway in the 1871 census. John has died.

It has been suggested by someone doing some research in the Athenry area that Margaret might be Margaritta McTigue (sorry if spelt wrong) who married Jaonnis Rooney. There’s a baptism recorded Loughrea RC parish in 1842 which sort of matches the ages I have. I think Loughrea is near Athenry. Off to Sligo now to find John Moffatt.