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Hello!  My great great grandfather was born in Bruff in 1837 and lived in the townland of Ballinrea.  He came to America in 1861 and joined the US Navy in 1862 and served for the duration of the Civil War.  He was in Chicago during the Great Fire and was employed in the building of railroads through Iowa.  He settled in Weller, Iowa and raised a family and lived to the ripe old age of 96.  His parents were William and Mary (Browne) Kearney.  William was born in Co. Limerick likely in 1792 and died in Ballinrea on 28 Mar 1865.  Mary was born abt 1799 likely in Co. Limerick and died 22 Feb 1869 in Ballinrea.  

In the elder William Kearney's death record, he had a brother named Michael Kearney.  If anyone has any information on Michael, or William and Michael's parents, Id be overjoyed.  In addition, where would it be likely that the elder William Kearney be buried?  In Bruff?  Or in another Parish?  It appears from the baptism records Ive found of William and Mary Kearney's children that they used the Bruff church.  In addition, William and Mary's death records state their parish as Bruff.  The location of their graves would be such a treat as would a photo.  Thanks for any help or information on this family or Mary Browne's family!!

If anyone needs any information on the descendants of William and Mary Browne Kearney, I might be able to help.  One of their children, Edmond, stayed in Ballinrea and raised a family on their farm.  Three came to America between 1847 and 1861 and settled in Monroe County, Iowa.  They were William (my gg grandfather), Patrick and Nora (Kearney) Cronin.  I believe at least one or two went to Australia.  

Jason Murphy

Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Murphy324

Monday 30th Apr 2012, 05:21PM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi my name is Doreen and I am working on the Ireland Reaching Out project,  I will forward your message to someone who may be able to help you with your query on the above family.  

    Regards

    Doreen McE

    Doreen McElligott, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 30th Apr 2012, 07:33PM
  • Thank you!  I should have said that my great great grandfather was William Kearney - the one born in 1837 and came to the US and died in 1933 at age 96.  I neglected to give his name.  

    Thanks!

    Jason

    Murphy324

    Monday 30th Apr 2012, 08:51PM
  • Hi Jason,

    Good to make your acquaintance.  I represent the Bruff group who will attempt to get some answers to your queries.  You have a lot of information put together yourself which is very interesting.  Could you please let me know the source of this info. ie 1901, 1911 Census etc so that we can avoid duplicating your work and so speed up the process.  I will try to keep you updated monthly but hopefully we may be lucky and it might not take that long.

    Kind regards,

    Maurice Lyons 

    Maurice,

    Monday 7th May 2012, 07:42AM
  • Jason,

    A local historian in Lough Gur County Limerick came back with the following information that you may find useful- also we are conducting a graveyards survey around this region and over the coming weeks you will see more of the graveyards, headstones and transcriptions available online on www.historicgraves.ie St John's Graveyard is in Knockainey and Patrickswell is near Lough Gur, both are in close proximity to Bruff- hope it helps! Amanda

    By lucky chance I remembered coming across a Kearney in St. John?s as follows:

    No.178. Erected by Michael Kearney of Ballinree in memory of his father  Edmund Kearney who died February 1837 aged 80 yrs. Also his mother Hanora Kearney alias Creahan who died Feb. 12th 1825 aged 60 yrs. His brother Patrick died June 1st 1829 aged 36 yrs. All who lived beloved and died lamented.

     

    No. 179. Here lyeth the body of Michael Kearney who departed life June 24th 1802 aged 36 yrs. May he rest in peace. Amen. Erected by Mary Kearney alias Creagan.

     

    No.180. Erected by Patrick Kearney of Patrickswell in memory of his mother Elizabeth Kearney alias Walsh who departed life 1st March 1835 aged 82 yrs. Also his daughter Elizabeth who departed life Oct. 11th 1832 aged 17 yrs.

     

    Tullybrackey Graveyard:

     

    No.60 commemorates Patrick Brown, Ballinlee  died 1849 aged 82 yrs.

     

    NO.61. Margaret Brown alias Clancy  died 1857 aged 70 yrs.

     

    No. 71. Patrick Browne died 1873 aged 73 yrs.

               Ellen Browne died 1877 aged 76 yrs.

             

    No. 72. John Browne, Bruff died 1912 aged 71 yrs.

                Wif

     

     

    Amanda Slattery

    Thursday 10th May 2012, 03:18PM
  • Hello Maurice!  Thanks for getting back to me.  The source for the names, locations and dates came from my gg grandfathers obituary, the funeral book of my great grandmother (William's daughter).  They gave me William's parents names and his birth location as being Bruff and his parents as William Kearney and Mary Browne.  Through the elder William's death record, I found his brother was likely  Michael Kearney.  Using the Griffith's Valuation, I was able to find the elder William Kearney as living in Ballinrea.  Something Ive been able to verify via a descendant of Michael Kearney who has been working on the Kearney's of Bruff.  

    If there is anything else I can help you with, I will do my best to get you the info you need!  Thanks so much for your work!!!

    Jason Murphy

    Murphy324

    Monday 21st May 2012, 05:09AM
  • WOW!  I believe you may have given me another generation or so of my Kearney family in the Bruff area!!  Thanks so much!  Not to mention another sibling of my ggg grandfather!  Please express to the local historian my thanks for his work  - and your work!!

     

    Jason Murphy

    Murphy324

    Monday 21st May 2012, 05:12AM
  • Hi Jason, delighted that it was of use to you! I will relay your message to Michael who is the historian in Lough Gur, as i mentioned in the earlier message we're doing a huge amount of work on the old graveyards regarding recording the inscriptions so you can keep an eye on our progress through historicgraves.ie as well,

    Let us know how you get on piecing it all together!

     

    All the best

    Amanda :)

    Amanda Slattery

    Tuesday 22nd May 2012, 12:39PM
  • Hi Jason, delighted that it was of use to you! I will relay your message to Michael who is the historian in Lough Gur, as i mentioned in the earlier message we're doing a huge amount of work on the old graveyards regarding recording the inscriptions so you can keep an eye on our progress through historicgraves.ie as well,

    Let us know how you get on piecing it all together!

     

    All the best

    Amanda :)

    Amanda Slattery

    Tuesday 22nd May 2012, 12:39PM

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