O'Shea of Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow

My Great Grandma was Mary O'Shea (as often without the O as with) daughter of Dick O'Shea.

In 1986 I visited the town in search of records and the Parish Priest was kind enough to give me access to all he had - with his white gloves on.

Back at the caravan, I had a heap of names and couldn't find the Richard O'Shea Mary said was her father. My daughter, 12 year old at the time said 'But Dick is Richard, Dad!'

He was actually christened 'Dick'.

All fell into place: EVERY SINGLE O'SHEA for the whole of the nineteenth century was one family.

PROBLEM - HELP PLEASE:

One register was missing - the Death Register from about 1856. All the O'Shea's seem to have disappeared except some of the Margaret married Edward Lalor of Graney, and Anne m. James Fogarty of Raheen. At least one of the two John Fogartys in the the 1998 phone book is descended from Dick O'Shea's sister.

LOCALLY: Has a late 19th Century Death Register turned up?

The Missing Shea/O'Shea family are : Patrick b 1851, James b 1855 and Richard b 1861. They can't all have died young. Like Sister Margaret called Mary b 1853 (My Gt Grandma) they surely emigrated. She was Illiterate. Were they, and never wrote home. Had they emigrated and couldn't write to tell her?

My Mary loved her family - all her children were named after siblings except Annie - ?after her Aunt Mary Fogarty maybe?

Mine married James Murphy from King's County (Offaly) and there are many Murphy descendents across England mostly.

Any Cousins our there?

Kevin