James McDonnell of Gorteenclough b. ~1798, d. 1880

Carey Ann:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

The spelling of the townland is Gorteennaglogh.

Unfortunately, church records for that area do not begin until around 1869. On July 8th, the National Library of Ireland plans to place all RC parish registers online. You may want to search for McDonnell descendants.

The 1901 census shows three McDonnell families in Gorteennaglogh including this record for a Michael MacDonnell family.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Rinvyle/Gurteen…

I also found the 1880 civil death index record for James McDonnell. You can get a copy of the record for around 4 euros from the General register Office.If you need instructions let me know. I can also look for other civil index records for your family from 1864 on.

My McDonnells came from East Mayo and I also have tested my DNA.

Roger McDonnell

First name(s) James
Last name M'Donnell
Birth year 1798
Age at death 82
Registered year 1880
Registered quarter/year Apr - Jun 1880
Registration district Clifden
Volume 4
Page 139

Hi Roger!

Thanks so much for all this great information! Yes, I would love instructions on how to get the 1880 civil death index record for James McDonnell from the General Register Office, thanks!

I have a question regarding the church records for the Gorteennaglogh area. You mentioned they don't start until 1869. Is that perhaps when the current church was built? I think I read online it might be called Christ's Church, but I could be wrong.

If the current church was built in 1869, do you have any idea what was done church-wise for the Ballynakill parish before 1869? Did the inhabitants not have a church or did the go elsewhere such that a different parish might have their records?

My thanks again for all your help! :-)

Carey

PS Do you have a family tree on Ancestry.com or Family Search or anywhere else? Also, what service did you test your DNA on? I'm on 23andMe.com but I just got the kit from Ancestry.com so I should be up on that site in a little while as well.

Hi Roger!

Thanks so much for all this great information! Yes, I would love instructions on how to get the 1880 civil death index record for James McDonnell from the General Register Office, thanks!

I have a question regarding the church records for the Gorteennaglogh area. You mentioned they don't start until 1869. Is that perhaps when the current church was built? I think I read online it might be called Christ's Church, but I could be wrong.

If the current church was built in 1869, do you have any idea what was done church-wise for the Ballynakill parish before 1869? Did the inhabitants not have a church or did the go elsewhere such that a different parish might have their records?

My thanks again for all your help! :-)

Carey

PS Do you have a family tree on Ancestry.com or Family Search or anywhere else? Also, what service did you test your DNA on? I'm on 23andMe.com but I just got the kit from Ancestry.com so I should be up on that site in a little while as well.

Carey:

Go to this link https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx

Print out the death form and fill it out to the best of your ability. Include the info from the index record: quarter/year of death, registration district and volume and page number. Make sure you only ask for a copy of the record. You have to mail the request to GRO in Co. Roscommon (address provide when you print the form). You can ask the GRO to e-mail the copy back. I provide a credit card number and never had any problems.

I have tested with Family Tree and Ancestry. I do have a tree on Ancestry. Send me your e-mail and I can send you an invite.

I will have to do more research on the church. Likely there was a church in the area but records prior to 1869 were lost.

Roger

 I believe what the gentleman said was that records didn't START untl 1869 (not the church!) I've heard 1864 but it varies.

   The issue is prior to that especailly around the time of the Famine, Catholics wefe forbidden to keep and maintain records at all by the British. MOst churches were closed and priests were forbidden to say mass. My grandfather (who was raised by his grandfather Tadgh Coyne from Ballynakill) that people used to hide in the bushes along a stretch of road and the priest used to pretend to sroll along the road and hear their confessions from the bushes. They often "borrowed" a farmjer's field at night to hold seecret masses with look outs posted in case somoen came along that would report them to authroties. There was a price on he head of any pries caught saying a mass in a church or anywhere.

   MAny did keep secret records but also many of these were lost if the palce burned or the piest died and no one knew about them. THIs is why so many records in the area do not exist. IN 1864 or 1869 the country finally REQUIRED record keeping.

   I know wihtin my family from there, I have a copy of he marriage record for my 2nd great grandfather's siser in law who marrried in 1869 (so that's after the date) but they married at Balllinakill Chapel (correct spelling sligfhtly different from the parish) which was/is in the Renvyle area of Ballynakill ( not a townland but an area in the north of Ballynakill Harbour between he townlands of Tullybeg and Tullymore.) I beleive that older church is still there.

   BUt then in a book I found on BAllynakill Parish it says that "no part of the parish is more than 10KM from the ocean so it's not a large parish.

   Also this book has a list of the common names in the parish in 1855 who were known to {occupy" land (usually rented) and it lists 7 McDonnells which wod be 7 different families as others in the household were not ennumerated in the Valutaions which is loikely where this info came from.

Dear Wiccantank,

Thanks so much for this information! I didn't know the extent of how restricted things were for our ancestors. That's fascinating (and sad).

I found these pages from on Google Books, from "The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland: Adapted to the New Poor" 1844-45, discussing the chapel in Ballynakill. According to the paragraph, the Ballynakill Chapel was built in 1821 in the village of Woodford and had an average attendance of 40. The Ballynakill parish was 8 miles long, was 5 3/4 miles west-south-west of Portumna. The site of the church is 4 miles nearer Gorteenaclough, Lough Derg expands along the east and the Slieve Baughta mountains occupy a large area of the west and south. Other Roman Catholic Chapels in the area include: Cloncoe, Lockatory, Knockadrien, Doneira, Marble Hill.

Here are links to the two pages that describe other Ballynakill Parishes as well:

https://books.google.com/books?id=9rblf03SdkYC&pg=PA132&img=1&zoom=3&hl…

https://books.google.com/books?id=9rblf03SdkYC&pg=PA133&img=1&zoom=3&hl…

Carey