Greetings from Australia

Liz:

I looked in the civil marriage index records for the period 1880-1884 in the Kilmallock registration district (which includes Knockainey parish). There were 4 possible marriages of a Michael O'Brien to someone names Mary. I suggest you contact the General Register Office to see if they can get the correct record. The links below contain the four index records. You will see there are multiple spouse names listed. If you provide GRO with the four index records and the names, they should be able to find the person who married Michael O'Brien. Make sure you tell them that you only want a copy of the marriage of Michael O'Brien to Mary ? Below the index records are instructions on printing out the GRO form (which you need to mail to Ireland) and what to do. Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

Quarter Oct.-Dec 1880 Vol 5 page 159 Mary Tibby, Mary Fiby

Quarter Oct.-Dec. 1881 Vol 5 page 163 Mary Murphy, Mary Kennedy

Quarter Jan.-March 1883 Vol 5 page 295 Mary Finn

Quarter July-Sept. 1884 Vol 5 page 189  Mary Moore

Go to this link http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx In the middle of the page there are links for birth, marriage or death certificates. Hit the link for the form you want. You will likely get a screen asking for a User Name and Password. (This is a program bug that the GRO has to correct). Hit cancel and the appropriate form should come up. Print the form and complete the requested information. Also provide the information from the index record--quarter/year of the event. registration district and the volume and page number where the event is recorded. Make sure you ask for a copy which costs around 4 euros. ( A cert costs closer to 20 euros). You can also ask the GRO to e-mail the copy back to you.

Hi Liz

Thanks for contacting us. We will have a look in the church records here and let you know what we find.

Best wishes

Mary

Knockainey Community Council

knockaineycommunityoffice@gmail.com

Thanks Roger for delving into the records for me.  I will definitely follow through with the GRO and the info you have provided here.  Once again many thanks and best wishes for St Patricks Day to you and your kin.   Regards Liz Agnew

Hi LIz, I wonder if this is the Missing Michael O'Brien I am seeking. He was said to have come to Australia but was known only in the family as Michael. However, John was his father's name, and his mother was a Macnamara, so he may well have added those names. In the book "The Farm by Lough Gur", the memoirs of his sister Cissy, he is reported as being back in Ireland (after several years in Cootamundra Australia) around 1880 - 1884 during which time his sister married, and so did he before returning to Australia. Then the trail goes cold. It was said one of his daughters died when her ball dress caught fire. Is there any anecdote like that in your family? He was born in 1847 in Knockainey. Do you have any details from Penrith Cemetery about his age at death? I hope we are able to help each other. Jennifer Broom