Bridget Hennessey

Hello,

there seems to be quite a few places named Ballybane - http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/town_new2.php?MODE=search&TOWNLAND=ball…

On that site are entries for Shanagarry in Cork - Shanagarry - Shanagarry
27Cork, E.R.ImokillyBohillaneMiddletonMunsterShanagarry North
439Cork, E.R.ImokillyKilmahonMiddletonMunsterShanagarry South
179Cork, E.R.ImokillyKilmahonMiddletonMunster

Ballybane and Shanagarry in Cork are very near - see attached.

https://www.theaa.ie/routes/#/r/Ballybane,Cork,Ireland/Shanagarry,Irela…

Probably not the same place but there is also a Ballybane East and Ballybane West near Ballydehob in West Cork

Just checked irishgenealogy.ie and there is a John Hennessy of Ballydehob married an Ellen Sullivan on 27 May 1880. Fathers were George Hennessy and Michael Sullivan. There are ten Hennessy's listed in Ballybane, Ballycotton in the 1901 Census and ten also in 1911 Census  but none in Ballybane Ballydehob in either Census.

Search irishgenealogy.ie for Ballybane, Ballycotton in both the Church and Civil Records for the surname for whatever period you feel is most relevant to your people. If you wish, send me the detail of years and I will do a search for you.

Frank Fahy.

Hello, Bridget Hennessey arrived in Australia in 1880. The ship ("Windsor Castle") record shows her age as 20 but she got married in 1880 & the marriage certificate says she was 26, a spinster & her parents were John Hennessey & Eliza Flynn. Her birthplace is Ballybane, Cork, Ireland.

I also have her death certificate - all the details are the same but this certificate says she was born in Shannagarry, Cork. I have her birthdate as 02/02/1855 but other people on Ancestry.com.au have it as 02/03/1854. I know nothing about Bridget's life in Ireland & can't find anything. I think Bridget was an only child & she was a Catholic. Can you help me find anything - Bridget's birth records or the parent's marriage?

There is a family story that Bridget came to Australia to "pick up gold from the streets" but she got a job as a housekeeper with a widower with 4 children, married him & went on to have 8 children. She is my great, great grandmother.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Kerrie Tuni.

Hello, re Bridget Hennessey. I have a John Hennessey & Eliza Flynn married on 08/11/1839 in Ballymacoda, Ladysbridge, Cork. Any chance this church is still standing? Is this close to Ballybane or Shannagarry? This would make Bridget a "change of life" baby but it's possible. Kerrie Tuni

Hi Kerrie,

Have bee looking at several things today but no great news so far. However, in the course of looking for any mention of the surname Hennessy, I looked at the 1901 Census and found that there was a Hennesy family in Ballybane in 1901. Among the children was one named Mary Bridget! This type of naming pattern was and in some families still is still very prevelant in Irish families where the same names are passed down from generation to generation. Here is a link to the relevant page in the Census. 

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cork/Ballycotton/Ballybane/1132790/

​Coincidently, there was eight children in this family just the same as your Bridget Hennessy.

By 1911, there were 9 children with the mother shown as being 49 and the youngest child as aged 9. There is no record of the father, Thomas who would have been 55 in 1911 if the correct age was given in 1901 Census.  I checked the Civil records for his death but did not find it. It is possible he was somewhere else on Census night.If you are interested in this family, I will cxontinue to look for Marriage and Baptism of the Children which may show up further family links to Thomas' father in particular to establish if there was a link to Bridget's parents.

For now that is all but I will continue to look.

Frank Fahy