I'm looking to connect with relatives of my greatgrandmother Catherine McAndrews

Don:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I will alert our parish liaison for Lackan parish that you have posted a message.

Roger McDonnell

HI Don,

Do you know which Townland your ancestors came from?  In Lacken, I see the follwing men on Griffiths Valuation, which was taken in about 1855. Mc Candra would be a possible other spelling of McAndrew.  I took these from http://www.failteromhat.com/mayo.php - you can also look in www.irishgenealogy.ie for Civil Registrations, which took place from 1864 and onward (births, marriages, deaths).

Mc Andrew John Ballymurphy Lackan Mayo
Mc Andrew John Barnhill, Lower Lackan Mayo
Mc Candra Dominick Aghaleague Lackan Mayo
Mc Candra Martin Carrowcuilleen Lackan Mayo
Mc Candra Owen Carrowcuilleen Lackan Mayo
Mc Candra Thomas Carrowcuilleen Lackan Mayo

and in Kilcummin

Mc Andrew Peter Rathlackan Kilcummin Mayo
Mc Andrew Peter Rathlackan, Village of Rathlackan Kilcummin Mayo

I am happy to give you some suggestions on places to visit that are fun, interesting, of historical relevance and for you to connect to your heritage.

cheers!
John

I have a gg-grandmother, Bridget McAndrew, who was born in Mayo circa 1800, but several parishes to the southeast of Lacken, in the parish of Killasser.  We're probably distant relatives, though presumably too far back for a paper trail connection, but I can tell you about the surname.  I've never seen McCandra as a variant, but it's not unlikely, given the pronunciation of the name in Irish, and the fact that the priests were often inconsistent in what they wrote down.  In Irish, the surname McAndrew is Mac Aindriu.  According to MacLysaght’s Surnames of Ireland, the McAndrew surname was adopted by a branch of the Barrett family in Mayo.  The Barrett’s were an Anglo-Norman family which became completely Hibernicized, and their surname became Bairéid in Mayo and Baróid further south in Munster.

There were other McAndrew families where my gg-grandmother lived, in Killasser and surrouinding parishes.  People sometimes married spouses from several parishes away, so there's an off chance that we have a dna match.  If you want to check it out, I have my results uploaded at GEDMatch, and my kit number there is T780556, in case you want to compare our kits.

John, Catherine McAndrews was my paternal greatgrandmother. I'm happy to learn that It is a Mayo name and Kilcummin as well. We plan a viait to Mayo in May 2018. I'd very much appriciate you offer of suggertions of places to see, things to do, and any family historical sites. By the way, I'm also looking for information about my Maternal greatgrandfather Patrick Mulhern, also from Co. Mayo. I understand that it is a much more common name in Mayo from several areas. Unfortunately, I do not know his parish. I don't believe that they knew each other in Ireland but both ended up moving to Fillmore Township, Wycoff, MInnesota and their children Mary Mulhern and Patrick E Gillespie met and married in Minnesota. Their son was my father, Donald L Gillespie MD and I am his son Donald N Gillespie MD.    Don

Hi Don,

sorry for the delay in getting back, life has gotten in the way. Here are some suggestions

Jacke Clarke Museum in Ballina: http://www.clarkecollection.ie/

Ceide Fields 5500 settlement and farms: http://www.museumsofmayo.com/ceide.htm

Museum of Country life is excellent way to see how your ancestors lived: http://www.museumsofmayo.com/country-life-museum.htm

More ideas here: http://www.museumsofmayo.com/

If you can drive around, there are a lot of megaliths that are really worth seeing: http://www.irishmegaliths.org.uk/mayo.htm

John