Confused about location of Kilmeen

Hi:

I'm the parish administrator for Tulla in County Clare, but I may be of some help to you as my great-grandfather came from Kilmeen.  Boherbue and Kilmeen were amalgamated in the 1870s.  Before that, they were separate parishes. 

If you are looking through the Census online, the Kilmeen (Duhallow) is the tab that you would want to link into.  In addition, the parish of Boherbue is located in the Diocese of Kerry, which can be very confusing.  Not to confuse your further, but I believe that Kanturk is the District Electoral Division for Boherbue, and this is useful to know for researching the Censuses. 

Have you tried the website www.irishgenealogy.ie?  They have the baptism records listed for Boherbue (with dates and years missing), but it can be a great place to start. 

My great-grandfather came from Boherbue, but the townland was Ballyhoolahan Middle which is located in Kilmeen. 

Let me know how you get on.  If I can be of further help, please ask!

Jane.

Jane:

Thanks so much for your response. I  appreciate it very much. I know that my grandparents came from County Kerry. Is the Diocesee of Kerry (location of the perish of Boherbue) the same as what they would have referred to as coming from County Kerry?

I have located a map of The Diocesee of Kerry And Parishes (Ardfert c. 1215-1535). The map clearly shows that  Boherbue was located completely within the boundaries of the Diocesee of Kerry at this time. It was on the eastern side next to the border with County Cork. I have another map titled Kerry Catholic Parishes after 1916 and only a very small part of Boherbue remains in Kerry. The border of Kerry and Cork changed and evidently after 1916 the majority of Boherbue was in Cork.

My great-great grandfather and grandmother identified co Kerry  as their place of birth. This is the identification, for example, on the tombstone of my great-great grandmother. They emigrated to the US in 1848-49.

I will anxiously look forward to your response.

Rockne McCarthy

Hi Rockne:

Yes, I understand your confusion.  Boherbue and Kilmeen were amalgamated in the late 1800s.  My great-grandfather came from Ballyhoolahan West in Boherbue, and that was the parish of Kilmeen and in the Diocese of Kerry.  It may not look like it is close by, but Kilmeen cemetery is not very far from Boherbue.  

If you go into the www.irishgenealogy.ie website, go through the Diocese of Kerry records.  They are not complete in the case that the years 1860-1863 are missing, but otherwise they are very good, free and online!  

In addition, check out the website www.historicgraves.ie.  they have scanned the graveyards in the Boherbue area, and Kilmeen is up.  I don't believe that it has been fully transcribed, but you can look at the photos of the headstones and it is possible to read a number of the inscriptions from those photos.  

Let me know how you get on.

Jane

Hi Rockne,  I am researching my great grandmother Catherine McCarthy who was born in knocknamuckallagh and baptised in Boherbue church in 1868.  Her Parents were Timothy McCarthy and    Catherine Beahan.  She had a brother Timothy (born 1864) and a sister Ellen (born 1866)    Are these names or dates familiar to your McCarthy's?   Talk soon!