Fahy Cemetery & Flynn

Morning

I think your best bet here is to contact the local Parish Priest and ask for the name of the graveyard caretaker who will have a much better idea (in theory) who is buried in that graveyard. It may well be the case that he has no written record but may know the plots from his own knowledge of the space. I spoke to a caretaker from a local graveyard near me about locating a particular grave and from memory he could tell me  "inside the gate and 4 graves up" so perhaps the caretaker in Fahy can do the same for you.

I have never seen written records recording unmarked graves (but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist for some places). Many names will have fallen from memory but yours are quite recent.

Fr. Gerald may know the caretaker's name:

pp@inishmagrath.com (071) 964 8025

Best wishes

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support

Kevin,

I am descended from the McGreal's of Cornagella - the last of my ancestors, Patrick and Anne McGreal, died there in the early 1900s. My great-grandmother was sent to the United States in the 1880s when she was a child. I am curious if you are connected to this branch of the family (I am under the belief that all of the McGreals in neighboring townlands are related, if only distantly). In reviewing Griffith's Valuation records it seems my ancestors' land in Cornagella (17a on the maps) bordered on land occupied by some Flynns in Derrinwillan, so they could have been very close neighbors at one point.

In researching this family I've also come to believe that my ancestors are likely in Fahy Cemetery, but I have nothing at all to back that up. Unfortunately, my family was likely very poor and might have unmarked graves.

I would appreciate hearing about any information you might have regarding the cemetery, the McGreals or anything about life in general in this area of Leitrim in the 1800s. I have very little to go by myself, other than the records that are currently available online which I've thoroughly searched, so anything else would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Jon Boody

Hello Jon,

It is so good to here from you! Yes Cornagella and Derinwillan are neighbors just south of Dowra by 3/10ths and 5/10ths of a mile. I would think that any of your family who lived in Cornagella would be in Fahy Cemetery. I will tell you only what I know for fact relating to my McGreals. It is still a work in progress and I began this adventure on genealogy in 1988. My maternal Grandmother was Kate MaGuire (1880-1958) from Altnasheen in Cavan just on the other side of Dowra. She married my Grandfather Patrick Stephen Flynn (1878-1948) from Tullyveacan Leitrim which is just south of Ballinaglera. Kate MaGuire's mother was Anne McGreal who with her twin Mary was born in October 1851. Their birth record indicates they were born in Ballinaglera. Their mother (my 2nd Great Grandmother) was Anne McGreal and their father was Charles Kelly. It appears that Charles dies in 1852 and he never marries Anne McGreal so the girls are raised as McGreals. I cannot find any information on what happened to the older Anne McGreal or her daughter Mary McGreal. I know that the younger Anne McGreal (my Great Grandmother) married Thomas MaGuire and they had many children in Altnasheen Cavan. I did  my DNA a few years ago and had several matches with people who have McGreals as ancestors in the Ballinaglera area but we have not been able to connect which McGreal family my 2nd Great Grandmother attaches to. There are a bunch of McGreals!. 

As far as Derrinwillan goes. I know that my Great Grandfather Daniel Flynn was the school master in Tullyveacan for over 20 years (1860-1880 roughly) and had his home there and his 14 children. Last year I found his Will index which indicated when he died in 1899 he resided in Tullyveacan but was from Derrinwillan. So I am just recently tuned into Derrinwillan. Another clue was that Daniel named his 1st son John which is normally after the father's father. There is a John Flynn in Derrinwillan among others in Griffith's valuation..  I also have DNA matches with two people who have Flynn ancestors in Derrinwillan but have yet to prove how we relate. It is my hope on some future trip to get the cemetery indexed. I have visited several times before but my family is not happy when I choose to wander old cemeteries when I take them to Ireland! I know their are lots of McGreals in Fahy. I have been told that there was a stone slab unmarked over my Flynn family in Fahy but I did not know that when I last visited in 2014. I try not to bother the Priests as they are busy and many times records end up in other Parishes over years. I don't even know if Fahy records would be in the local Church in Ballinaglera. I was hoping a fine local of this Parish would be involved in this XO Reaching Out program. 

Kindest Regards,

Kevin Flynn

My greatgrandmother was Bridget Flynn born around 1840 from Tullyveacan. She married a Michael Keaney and they lived in Drumristin. My grandmother and one sister came to Worcester MA, two brothers went to Portland OR. One of those brothers married a Annie McGrail in Worcester. Her McGrail family in Worcester was from somewhere nearby in Leitrim, possibly Corralubber or Durnawillian? I think McGrail came from McGreal?

Ed Owens, Farmington CT

Kevin,

It's hard to say how your MacGreal's are related to mine, but they undoubtedly are. Coincidentally (or not as these are very common names), my great-grandmother's name was Mary MacGreal and she was sent to the United States with her sister Anne MacGreal. These families are likely all within first or second cousins of each other. I'm not familiar with the school systems in the area, but it's interesting to note that if my great-grandmother had attended school it would have been in the 1870s, possibly at Tullyveacan. I have no idea though if she did go to school and if that's the one she would have gone to. 

Have you tried RootsChat.com? If not, give it a try. I've posted numerous inquiries regarding both English and Irish families and have received quite a few helpful replies. It's organized by county so you can post inquiries locally. There are numerous people who volunteer to help and it's possible one might have access to the cemetery and/or the cemetery records. If you do ever track down a list of burials I'd like to hear about it.

Ed - You are correct. Many of the people in rural Ireland, including my family, were illiterate and were not the greatest with spelling. MacGreal, MacGrail, McGrale, Magreal, etc. are all iterations of the same name. The same with place names - I lost track of the number of different spellings for Cornagella.

Jon

Probably totally coincidentally ....my grandfather Charles Flynn who lived in Kiltybardan ( outside Ballinamore near Aughnasheelin Church ) was married to a Rose Mc Loughlin ..... both are buried in Aughnasheelin graveyard in an unmarked grave with their daughter Kate who died of TB as a young woman. My mother ( Margaret Rose) spoke of some of her relations being school teachers in Derrinkeher National School. She also spoke of cousins in Drumshambo but Inhave not so far been able to trace any of them. I currently live in Enniskillen. Any leads appreciated. ...Jim Quinn