JOHN GALLAGHER 1843 md. MARY McGARVEY 1854

Hi Bernard,

Thank you for your message and for sharing this information on our message board.

I hope that someone who knows the family makes a connection with you.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support

Bernard,

John Gallagher and Mary were my wife's greatgrandparents.  We have a good understanding the family here in the states.  We, however, are trying to confirm trace John Gallagher in Ireland.  Our records through my deceased brother-in-law was that he was born in Ballyshannon on Aug 10, 1843.  Do you have any other information on this?  We have also been able to trace part of Mary's family on the English side but not in Ireland so any help there would also be appreciated.

Hello Curtis, I just read this reply after all this time.  I am sorry I did not see it before I visited Ireland in July 2015.  I actually connected with my great grandmother's sister's descendants in Galway (and Dublin).  It is an amazing story I would tell you if you have the time and interest.  The final "smoking gun clue" was the discovery of an address book in Ireland that belonged to their great uncle who traveled to the US in 1926 and visited all of his cousins in varius parts of the US including New Mexico. In the address book, he wrote the names and relationships of his cousins: Jackson, Dugan and Mahon.  Amazing.  Anyway, I traveled there and spent three weeks in Ireland and visited the original farm houses. The family still lives in them and farms the fields nearby.  Ok, well, I am focusing on finding a Gallagher 'trail' in Ballyshannon, County Donegal now so when I return to ireland, I might have something to work with. 

If you would care to chat via email, you can write me directly at: jackson_b@comcast.net or telephone 916-243-8701.  Who is your wife by the way?  How is she related to John Gallagher and Mary McGarvey?  I'd love to meet you both and see what information we could share.

Great to hear from you.  I am convinced that this website worked its magic on my Jackson-Mahon connection. In case, you want to know our connection, John Gallagher's daughter was my grandmother. She was Hannah Jackson (nee Gallagher). Maggie was my grand aunt.  Oh, Hannah's husband was my grand father. He was Thomas Jackson. His mother was Bridget Mahon who owned the ranch at Ute Park (Later the Atmore place). Her sister was Sabina Dugan (nee Mahon). They owned the Eagle nest place, now at the bottom of the Eagle Nest Lake. The Mahon connection in Ireland descended from a Catherine Mahon, Bridget and Sabina's sister.  There were actually more Mahons that came to the USA but two stayed in Galway. Ok, enough for now.

Take care my friend.

Bernard Scott Jackson

Sacramento, CA, USA  

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A little more about the Gallaghers. Building on the information Joe Jackson sent me in 1983 and my own research, I found some really interesting stuff on John's brother Maurice and his family too around Little Hocking Precinct and Bopre, Wasington County, Ohio. I have them in Beaver Meadows as well. Sent off to the church in Beaver Meadows and talked with the priest there too. If we can find their marriage cert or record, we might learn John's parent's names. Lots to learn, lots to relate. It looks like John and Maurice had a sister too. Working on ID-ing her. Do you know how a James Gallagher and wife Susan fit into the family? Son named Hughie? Maurice mentions them in his letter to John in 1869. They lived next door to Maurice. Must say so long for tonight. Regards, Bernard Scott Jackson.

Looking for: JOHN GALLAGHER OF BALLYSHANNON, CO. DONEGAL, IRELAND.

One of my great grand fathers was John Gallagher from Eagle Nest, New Mexico, USA.  His daughter Hannah M Gallagher married my grandfather J. Thomas Jackson of Cimarron, NM, USA. 

John Gallagher (1842-1905) and his parents and siblings were from Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. John had three brothers; 1. Maurice Gallagher (1828-1904) of Beaver Meadows, PA and Little Hawking, OH. 2. Charley Gallagher (?-?) who died in CA, USA. 3. Manus Gallagher (?-?) who remained in Ireland when his brothers immigrated to America from 1850-1864. There was a sister as well hwo remained in Ireland.  We think she was named Catherine Gallagher.  Manus Gallagher married three times. He had a daughter named Catherine.  Manus' third marriage was to the daughter of John Sweeney of 'Moyra', Donegal, Ireland. In a letter from Maurice to John in 1879, Maurice implies that Charley was deceased.  Maurice also states that Manus married the daughter of "John Sweeney who was from "Myraye".  (I interpeted 'Myraye' to be 'Moyra' since I found a John Sweeney listed on Family Search.com to be from Moyra at that time and who married a Ellen McGee or McGinley).  We do not actually know Manus' wife's first name for certain.  He married Ms. Sweeney (possibly a Mary McGee or Mary McGinley) before 1879.  We do not know the John Gallagher's parents names. They must have lived in or near Ballyshannon with their family prior to 1864 when John left. They were Roman Catholic.  Griffith Valuation shows both a John Sweeney and a Manus Gallagher farming in the 'Moyra Glebe' vacinity during that time. I have no idea if they are the same men.  It would be helpful to find the Gallagher family in or near Ballyshannon during the 1840-1870 time frame.  There must be baptismal records in the church in Ballyshannon. It would be helpful to find the Gallagher Sweeney marriage record.  Keep inmind that it could be Gallagher-Sweeney or Gallagher-McGee or Gallagher-McGinley.  And, it could be in Balyshannon or Moyra.  Can someone shed some light on this mystery?  Thank you. Bernard Scott Jackson, Sacramento, CA, USA. 

Bernard:

I noticed your message going through all the message traffic. You are insterested in Kilbarron parish in Donegal but this thread is posted in Kilbarron Tipperary. In any event, last month the National Library of Ireland placed all the RC parish registers online. Here is the link to the Ballyshannon records. Possibly you can find one or more of the John Gallagher marriages. The marriage records go from 1858 to early 1881. The civil marriage index records are another possibility but John Gallagher is very common in Donegal and so are Sweeney, McGee and McGinley. It makes it very difficult to search.

Roger McDonnell

http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1006

Thank you Roger.  I wrote and posted a similar notice yesterday in the correct place (Kilbarron-Donegal).    You are so correct about the difficulty due to common use of the name Gallagher, Sweeney and McGinley. I searched for 7 years in the US Civil War of 1862-1865 for my other great grandfather "John Jackson".  Talk about common usage names!!  That was difficult but, I found him and all my distant cousins. It was truely amazing.  Take care and thanks once more for your advice. Bernard 

Mr. Curtis Huff.  My phone number has changed to 916-664-2344. I believe Lori and I are cousins.  Bernard Scott Jackson, sacramento, CA, USA.