Gallagher sisters from Cork

Dear Cathy:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and many thanks for your post.  

I am forwarding this post to a volunteer in the greater Mitchelstown area and she may be able to assist you with your research.

Kind regards,

Jane

Hello Cathy,

Based on your information on the Ireland XO Message Board, I found the baptism transcriptions, as well as copies of the original baptism records for Mary Gallagher and her sister Catherine. After further research I also uncovered the baptism transcriptions and copies of original baptism records for six of their siblings, all children of Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy.

I don’t know if you have copies of the original baptism records for Mary and Catherine or if you have transcriptions or indexes of their baptisms, but later in this reply you’ll be able to access copies of their original baptism records from the Fermoy and Mitchelstown Catholic Church registers.

I located the baptism transcriptions for all the Gallagher children at the Find My Past (FMP) website. The FMP website is mainly a subscription-based or Pay-As-You-Go website, but FMP does not charge a fee for Catholic Church baptisms, marriages, and available burial transcriptions for all of Ireland for much of the 19th century.

The search engine for the FMP baptism transcriptions can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/jnmqmuv

The search engine for Catholic marriages can be accessed at: http://tinyurl.com/jzylkjy

For Catholic Parish burial transcriptions go to the search engine at: http://tinyurl.com/j9qe5p9

Not all Catholic Church Parishes in Ireland, kept burial records.

To complete the search for transcriptions you’ll have to register with FMP. Registration is free as is access to the transcriptions.

Most importantly, attached to the baptism, marriage, and burial transcriptions at FMP are copies of the original records held by the National Library of Ireland (NLI), with headquarters on Kildare Street in Dublin.

I haven’t included the FMP baptism transcriptions in this reply as they takes up a lot of room and are under copyright anyway, but have gone straight to the NLI links that will take you to the 8 Gallagher baptism records themselves. These are all handwritten baptisms, which means some of them can be a challenge to read.

The first names and years of baptism for the eight children of Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy are below. Only Mary was baptized in Fermoy:

Mary, 1840
Johanna, 1843
William, 1847
Catharine, 1849
Patrick, 1852
John, 1854
Timothy, 1857
Maurice, 1859
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I accessed copies of the original baptism records for Fermoy and Mitchelstown at the National Library of Ireland website.

As you know Mary Gallagher was baptized in September 1840. Her baptism entry in the Fermoy Catholic Parish register is the 2nd entry down from the top of the register page at the following National Library of Ireland Link. You’ll see she was baptized on September 6, 1840. You can access her baptism record at the National Library of Ireland link at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000633722#page/180/mode/1up

You can enlarge the page by means of round icons in the upper center/ right of the screen. The icons are white with green backgrounds. You can also access the full-screen function by clicking on the last icon on the right with the two arrows pointing northeast and southwest.

The baptism register spans the two facing pages. On the left-hand page is the residence of the parents at the time of the baptism. Their residence is Barrack Hill (Fermoy). To the right of the residence is Mary’s name, followed by the names of her parents, Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy. On the right-hand page you’ll see the names of the sponsors, who are also the godparents. They are Wm (William) Daly and Cathe (Catherine) Morrisey, as you noted in your Ireland XO post. To the right of the names of the sponsors is the name of the parish where the baptism took place. You’ll see the word, “Ditto,” which refers to a duplication of the previous entry, Fermoy. In other words Mary was baptized in the Fermoy Catholic Parish.

The baptism entry doesn’t mean that Mary was born in the Union Workhouse. More likely she would have been born in a dwelling on a street called Barrack Hill, just to the east of the Fermoy Workhouse and Ordnance Ground West Barracks, and just to the west of the Ordnance Ground East Barracks. You can actually see the location of Barrack Hill, the Union Workhouse, the West Barracks and East Barracks on an Ordnance Survey Map of Fermoy compiled between 1837 and 1841. The map comes from the GeoHive website and can be viewed at the following link: http://bit.ly/2CRQKYY

Barrack Hill blends into New Factory Walk at a cross street to the left called New Barrack Lane.

On the left side of the map you’ll see the label for the “Union Workhouse.” Barrack Hill is just to the lower right of center on the map. The name Barrack Hill has been changed over the years. Now this street is called Oliver Plunkett Hill, after the Irish Saint. You can see Oliver Plunkett Hill on a Google Map of Fermoy at: https://is.gd/Z7T7I5

The Christ Church you see on the Google Map is an Anglican Church, that is, Church of Ireland, and would not have been where Mary was baptized.

For a Google Street View of Oliver Plunkett Street, formerly Barrack Hill, go to: https://is.gd/0tXaFc

On the Google Street View you may actually be looking at the house where Mary Gallagher was born.

If there was a Catholic Chapel in the Union Workhouse, it’s possible Mary was baptized there. But she may have actually been baptized in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, which is and was located south across the Blackwater River in Fermoy. On the Ordnance Survey Map from the 1837 to 1841 time period, the church is labeled, “R.C. Chapel.” You can see the R.C. Chapel on the map at: http://bit.ly/2UBDoad

A Google Map shows that St. Patrick’s Church is located off Chapel Hill and Chapel Square in Fermoy: https://is.gd/0a2TNl

For a Google Street View of St. Patrick’s Church off Chapel Square, go to: https://is.gd/Z1Zzcb

For a Google Street View of the Church off Chapel Hill, see: https://is.gd/wAfINu

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website shows that St. Patrick’s Catholic Church was built circa 1810-1811, and then expanded over the years. To read about the architectural details of the church go to the Buildings of Ireland link at: http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CO&…

Mary’s father Hugh may have either been working for the army at the West Barracks or the East Barracks at the time of Mary’s baptism, or he may have been an employee of the workhouse itself. There’s also the possibility that he was a tradesman, such as a carpenter, blacksmith, wheelwright, farrier, cordwainer, cobbler, glazier, carriage or coach maker, etc.

Concerning Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy, if they had been born in Fermoy, there will not be baptism records for them. Even though St. Patrick’s Church goes back to 1810 or 1811, baptism records for the parish do not begin until 1 January 1828, 12 years before Mary Gallagher was born and baptized. You can see the availability of baptism and marriage records in the Fermoy Catholic Parish, as well as view a map of the Catholic Parish at the National Library of Ireland link at: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0051

THE MITCHELSTOWN BAPTISM RECORDS

A Google Map shows that Mitchelstown (Civil Parish of Brigown), is 12.2 miles north of Fermoy. Hugh, Mary, and their daughter Mary Gallagher would have made the move there between the birth of Mary in 1840 and the birth of Johanna in 1843. See the map at: https://is.gd/GkiWNs

Speaking of Johanna Gallagher, she was baptized 16 June 1843 in Mitchelstown. Her baptism is the 8th entry down from the top of the left-hand baptism register page at: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634792#page/104/mode/1up

Her father is Hugh “Gallaher.” Her mother is Mary “Mulchacy.” The first name of the godfather is Pat. I couldn’t make out his last name however. The first name of the godmother is “Brid,” short for Bridget. Her last name may be Mulchacy, but I can’t be sure.

William “Gollohue” was baptized on 24 August 1847. His baptism record, which spans the left and right hand pages of the register, is the second entry down from the top of the register at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000634793#page/26/mode/1up

William’s father is Hugh. His mother is Mary Mulcahy. The godfather is Martin Gollohue. The godmother is Ellen Russell. The residence of William and his family is, “Glanatlucca.” The priest who baptized William was C. Hogan. I couldn’t find a place near Mitchelstown called Glanatlucca, but did find a small townland called Glenatlucky, which I believe is an anglicized, alternate spelling for Glanatlucca. According to a Google Map Glenatlucky is, by the shortest route, only 2.6 miles south of Mitchelstown. See the map at: https://is.gd/fbbr85

For a Google Street View of Glenatlucky, go to: https://is.gd/qAxAR6

Catherine Gallagher was baptized on 9 September 1849. Her baptism can be found at the following National Library of Ireland link: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634793#page/41/mode/1up

Catherine’s baptism is the 8th entry up from the bottom of the register. Her father is Hugh Gallagher and her mother Mary Mulcahy. The sponsors named on the right-hand page are George Fitzgerald and Johanna Keily. The priest who baptized Catherine was J. Keily. The address of the Gallagher family is Robert Street. This refers to Robert Street in Mitchelstown. More on this later. The priest who baptized Catherine was J. Keily, who may have been related to the godmother, Johanna Keily.

To view the location of Robert Street in the Ballinwillin section of Mitchelstown on a Google Map go to: https://is.gd/GMVtNC

For a Google Street View of Robert Street, see: https://is.gd/65wo6w

You can also view Robert Street on an ordnance Suurvey Map from the 1837 to 1841 time period at the GeoHive website link at: http://bit.ly/2UBM9Rr

On the map you’ll also see to the east of New Market Square, and across Lower and Upper Cork Street, the “R.C. Chapel,” and Grave Yard. This “chapel” is the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the church where the five Gallagher children born in Mitchelstown were baptized. I’ll have more on this church later.

Patrick was born after Catherine. He was baptized on 21 March 1852. His baptism is the 7th entry down from the top of the baptism register page at: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634793#page/55/mode/1up

Patrick’s father is Hugh “Gallohough.” His mother is Mary Mulcahy. The godparents are Denis Mulcahy and Margt Fitzgerald. Denis Mulcahy may have been Mary’s brother. The residence of Hugh, Mary and Patrick is “Robt” (Robert) Street. The priest who baptized Patrick was W. O’Brien.

John was baptized after Patrick. John’s baptism took place on 2 April 1854. His baptism is the 15th entry down from the top of the baptism register at: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634793#page/65/mode/1up

John’s father is Hugh “Gallaher.” His mother is Mary Mulcahy. The godparents are Thomas White and Peggy Kelly. The residence of Hugh, Mary and John is Thomas Street. The priest who baptized John was W. O’Brien.

A Google Map shows that Thomas Street, going south, T junctions into Robert Street in Mitchelstown: https://is.gd/PCEI9X

For a Google Street View of Thomas Street, Mitchelstown, see: https://is.gd/N0X5PN

The Ordnance Survey map you viewed earlier also shows that Thomas Street T junctions into Robert Street. The map further shows the location of the “Natl. School,” that is, the National School off Thomas Street. This may be the school that the Gallagher children attended. You can see the old National School off Thomas Street on a Google Map at: https://is.gd/JYrp9A

According to the Buildings of Ireland website, the National School had formerly been the R.C. Chapel. This would have been the Mitchelstown Catholic Church before the Church of the Immaculate Conception was built. The description of the National School from the Buildings of Ireland site follows:

“Description: In Mitchelstown, on W side of Thomas Street. Indicated on 1842 OS 6-inch map as cruciform structure (long axis E-W) named 'Natl. School'; projection at E end removed by 1905 OS 6-inch map, making overall plan T-shaped; on this map it is named 'Town Hall'. According to Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 225), school was 'old R. C. chapel'. T-shaped, 1-storey, gable-ended structure survives: long axis E-W with arms at E end. Long E elevation has central pointed door and window opes and inserted National School plaque. Chimney atop N gable. Now used as parochial hall. Limestone cross from this building removed to steeple of replacement church (14732) (Power 1996, 61) on hill to E. According to local information, area around church was used as burial ground during The Famine.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.”
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The description above references “Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 225).” This is a reference to a description of Mitchelstown from the 1837 edition of Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary, which you can read at the following LibraryIreland.com website link:
https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/M/Mitchelstown-Clongibbons-Cork.php

Timothy “Gollohue” was baptized after John. The Find My Past transcription gives his baptism date as 18 October 1867. But this transcription is in error, as he was actually baptized on 18 October 1857. His baptism is the 18th entry up from the bottom of the baptism register page at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000634793#page/81/mode/1up

This baptism register can be difficult to read because ink from the right-hand page has transferred to the left-hand page in a cross-hatching pattern. Timothy’s father is High Gollohue. His mother is Mary Mulcahy. On the right-hand page the first name of the godfather appears to be Edward. I couldn’t make out his last name. The last name of the godmother appears to be Farrell. The residence of the Gollohue family is “Chapel ?.” There’s a letter after the word Chapel which I couldn’t make out. It may refer to the letter L, which stands for Lane, but I couldn’t find a Chapel Lane in Mitchelstown on either a modern Google Map of the Ordnance Survey Map of Mitchelstown from the 1837 to 1841 time period. The priest who baptized Timothy was W. O’Brien.

The youngest child whose baptism I found is Maurice. He was baptized on 8 June 1859. His is the 15th entry down from the top of the baptism register page at: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634793#page/90/mode/1up

Maurice’s father is Hugh “Gallogher.” His mother is Mary Mulcahy. The godfather is Maurice Ryan. The godmother is Catherine Condon. The residence of Hugh, Mary, and Maurice is Upper Cork St. The priest who baptized Maurice was W. O’Brien. Maurice may have been named after his godfather, Maurice Ryan.

For a Google Map showing the close proximity of Thomas Street and Upper Cork Street in Mitchelstown, see: https://is.gd/IqrfNG

For a Google Street View of Upper Cork Street, go to: https://is.gd/TqiqLg

The church in Mitchelstown where Johanna, Catharine, Patrick, John, and Maurice Gallagher were baptized, as mentioned earlier, is called the Church of the Immaculate Conception, located off Church Hill. See the location of the church on a Google Map at: https://is.gd/moNCeL

For a distant Google Street View of the steeple of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, go to:
https://is.gd/cQ2jCu

According to the Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940 website, the church was built in 1834. See:
https://is.gd/Vme9t8

Also see the following description of the church and grave yard from the Buildings of Ireland website link:

"In Mitchelstown, on W-facing slope overlooking New Market Square. Church demolished in 1977/78 leaving W tower standing attached to modern church (Power 1996, 61). Tower of ashlar limestone construction. Central pointed door ope in W wall: original wooden doors and ornate iron hinges survive; date stone inscribed 'A.D. 1847' in wall overhead. Tower topped by embattled parapet wall with corner pinnacles, and by ribbed spire with ball and cross at tip. Church indicated on 1842 OS 6-inch map as T-shaped structure with slight chancel projection to E; first opened in 1834 (ibid.). When tower built a limestone cross from earlier church (14753) was built into it; cross removed in 1988 and placed in graveyard to S (ibid.), from where it was removed recently. Interior of church had plastered fan-vaulted ceiling, made by craftsmen who executed ceiling of gallery at Mitchelstown Castle (14918) (ibid., 123).

D-shaped graveyard to W, enclosed by stone wall on W side, low curving stone walls topped with iron railings elsewhere; four piered entrances. Headstones date from 19th century to present day. Also 20th-century burial ground to S of church. Of same date is large rectangular burial ground to N, named 'St Fanahan's Catholic Cemetery' on 1935 OS 6-inch map.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research."
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From the Gallagher baptism records we now know that the family had lived in at least three different locations in Mitchelstown. These are Robert Street, Thomas Street, and Upper Cork Street. The baptism of Timothy in 1857 shows the family living in a location called Chapel, but I could not determine if this was a Chapel Lane in Mitxhelstown, as I didn’t find a Chapel Lane on a map of Mitchelstown.

I now wanted to see if I could find a marriage record for Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy. Because their daughter Mary was born in Fermoy in 1840, I first looked for their marriage in the Fermoy Catholic Parish registers, but didn’t find it. According to the National Library of Ireland website, Fermoy marriages are available to search for the years 1828 to 1881. You can view the availability of the Fermoy marriage registers as well as the baptism registers at the National Library of Ireland link: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0051

I also looked for their marriage in the Mitchelstown Catholic Parish registers, which according to the National Library of Ireland, are available from 1822 to 1880, but again I didn’t find their marriage record. See the availability of the Mitchelstown Catholic Parish registers at the National Library of Ireland link: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0081

GRIFFITHS VALUATION

For the next search I wanted to see if I could find Hugh Gallagher in an Irish property tax record known as Griffiths Valuation. Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland between 1847 and 1864. The valuation for Mitchelstown was completed by the year 1852, the year that Patrick Gallagher was born and baptized in Mitchelstown and one of the years the family had been living on Robert Street.

Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who leased property. Each person who paid to lease the property was called an “Occupier.” The other person listed in Griffiths Valuation was the person who owned the property, or who worked as the middleman for the owner. This person was called the “Immediate Lessor.”

You can access Griffiths Valuation transcriptions and original copies for free at the askaboutireland website link at: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

I didn’t find Hugh Gallagher anywhere in Mitchelstown in Griffiths Valuation. But we know he did live in Mitchelstown. What this means is that he didn’t pay for the lease of the house he and his family were living in, as only those who paid for the leased were enumerated in Griffiths Valuation. It may be that he and his wife Mary and their children lived in a residence leased by a relative of his orMary’s, and so I looked for any other Gallaghers and people named Mulcahy in Mitchelstown in Griffiths Valuation. I found but one. This is for Thomas Mulcahy, leasing property on Robert Street, the very street where the Gallaghers were living in 1852. Thomas Mulcahy could have been Mary’s father, or brother, or perhaps even an uncle.

Below is a transcription of the Griffiths Valuation for Thomas Mulcahy:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 28
Civil Parish: Brigown
Townland: Mitchelstown
Street: Robert Street
Occupier: Thomas Mulcahy
Immediate Lessor: Thomas O’Keefe
Description of Tenement: House and yard
Area of Land: Acres – Roods - Perches -
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: - Pounds
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 2 Pounds, 10 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 2 Pounds, 10 Shillings
____

Griffiths Valuation shows that Thomas Mulcahy leased a house and yard at 28 Robert Street from an Immediate Lessor named Thomas O’Keefe. Thomas O’Keefe was likely the middleman who collected the rent for the owner of the property who is not named. The valuation shows that Thomas Mulcahy did not lease any appreciable amount of land, as the lease does not include any acreage or any cost for land. Only a small yard is listed, which goes with the lease of the house. The lease for the house was valued at 2 Pounds and 10 Shillings.

From the Griffiths Valuation entry for Thomas Mulcahy on Robert Street, I suspect the Gallagher family were living in the same house as he, though I cannot conclusively prove this. Griffiths Valuation would only be circumstantial evidence that the Gallagher family was living in the same house with Thomas Mulcahy in the year 1852.

On the possibility that Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy were born in Mitchelstown, I looked for their individual baptism transcriptions in the Mitchelstown Catholic Parish. According to the National Library of Ireland, the baptism records for the Mitchelstown Catholic Church commence on 1 January 1792 and terminate on 7 May 1881. There are some gaps in these registers however. For instance there are baptisms from 1792 that go to 13 July 1801. The baptisms don’t begin again until 11 September 1814. Church marriage records in the Mitchelstown Parish run from 7 January 1822 to 1 November 1880.

I didn’t find a baptism record for Hugh Gallagher in the Mitchelstown parish registers, or any other County Cork Baptism registers for the early to mid 1800s, but I did uncover four Mitchelstown Catholic Parish baptism indexes and transcriptions that may pertain to Mary Mulcahy at the Find My Past website. Children named Mary Mulcahy/Mulchy were baptized in 1817, 1819, 1822, and 1824, though the 1824 baptism may have been too late to marry and have a child by 1840, but you never know. You can view the Find My Past indexes of the baptisms at: https://is.gd/5Kri0e

You can access the full transcriptions of the baptisms by clicking on the paper icon to the right the first name of the child’s mother.

The parents of the Mary “Mulchy” baptized in 1817 were Tom Mulchy and Margaret, whose last name is too faded to read.

The parents of Mary Mulcahy born in 1819 are John Mulcahy and Ellen Cary.

James Mulcahy and Mary Moore are the parents of Mary baptized in 1822, while Phillip Mulcahy and Margaret Luddy are the parents of Mary baptized in 1824.

Your information shows that Mary Mulcahy was born in 1816, though there is no way of telling if the Mary Mulcahy born in 1817, or any of the other three children named Mary Mulcahy/Mulchy in the baptism indexes and transcriptions, is your ancestor. I’m not even sure if Mary Mulcahy was born in Mitchelstown. She could have been born in Fermoy, or perhaps in another Cork townland altogether. You would really have to know the name of her father and the first and maiden name of her mother to see if you could pin down a baptism record for her.

HUGH GALLAGHER

Your information also shows that Hugh Gallagher died in 1864. I found a civil registration death index for a Hugh “Gallaher” at the FamilySearch website at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/

The death index shows that Hugh Gallaher died on 28 March 1864 in Ballyarthur, Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland. In the death index you’ll see Mitchelstown referenced three times. These references mean that Hugh’s death record was recorded in the Mitchelstown Registration District, while his death took place in Ballyarthur. The Mitchelstown Registration District also covered portions of County Limerick. At the time of death Hugh was 50 years old. However, the index also shows that his wife’s name is not Mary, but Norry, which is a nickname for Norah, Honor, Honoria, or Hannah, etc. And so I don’t think this particular Hugh Gallagher is the Hugh Gallagher in your direct line. See the FamilySearch index below:

Name: Hugh Gallaher
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 28 Mar 1864
Event Place: Mitchelstown, Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland
Event Place: Ballyarthur, Mitchelstown, Cork Limerick, Ireland
Gender: Male
Age: 50
Birth Year (Estimated): 1814
Relative's Name: Norry Gallaher
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife

Citing this Record
"Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGKK-KMG1 : 6 February 2019), Hugh Gallaher, 1864.
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A Google Map shows that Ballyarthur is 8.7 miles south of Mitchelstown: https://is.gd/VFjGR3

Another Google Map shows that Ballyarthur is only 1.8 miles north of Fermoy: https://is.gd/NcvG9i

I also found the death record for a Hugh Gallagher at the irishgenealogy.ie website. This death record may pertain to the Hugh Gallagher in your line, but I can’t be 100 percent sure that he is. He died in Mitchelstown on 11 March 1886. At the time of death he was an 85 year old widower. His occupation had been shoemaker. The cause of death was, “Chronic Bronchitis Some years. No Medical attendant.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was Patrick Gallagher. The registrar, Edward McRaith, recorded the death record on 5 April 1887. Hugh Gallagher’s death record is the first one listed at number 143 in the death register, which is attached to this reply.

The death record doesn’t say how Patrick Gallagher was related to Hugh, but Patrick may have been his son, as we know that Hugh and Mary had a son named Patrick baptized in 1852.

I didn’t find a civil registration death record for Mary Gallagher. The government in Ireland commenced with civil registration in 1845. But at that time only Protestant civil and church marriages were recorded. Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for all religious denominations began in Ireland in 1864. The irishgenealogy.ie website has indexed deaths from 1864 into the 20th century, but only deaths from 1878 have been digitized, so that you can view the full death record, similar to the 1886 death record for Hugh Gallagher attached to this reply.

I didn’t find a death index or a death record for Mary Gallagher recorded in the Mitchelstown registration District between 1864 and 1886, the year that Hugh Gallagher died. It’s possible that Mary died before 1864, or that her death was not reported to the local registrar.

The youngest Gallagher child, Maurice, was baptized in 1859, and so Mary could have died that year, or 1861, 1862, or 1863, before civil registration began. But that is only speculation.

CONCLUSION

Just to recap Cathy, evidence from Mary’s baptism record points to her having been born on Barrack Hill, in Fermoy, not in the workhouse. If Mary and her mother were living in the workhouse at the time of the baptism, the priest would have likely taken note of that and recorded the workhouse as the place of residence.

In addition, as you saw in the baptism records, at least two more children of Hugh Gallagher and Mary Mulcahy were born and baptized between Mary and Catherine. These children were Johanna (1843), and William (1847). Johanna and William were baptized in Mitchelstown. Also, Mary would have been 9 years older than your great grandmother Catherine.

I didn’t find a baptism record in Fermoy or Mitchelstown for a Mary Gallagher baptized in 1836, or in the three years preceding 1836, or the three years following 1836. Nor did I uncover the baptism records for any more Gallagher children in Fermoy.

Concerning Hugh “Gallaher,” the 1864 death index from the FamilySearch website shows that he died in Ballyarthur, located almost 9 miles south of Mitchelstown, but less than 2 miles north of Fermoy. His wife was Norry, not Mary. I believe this is the death record you have for him. But do you have the full death record from the General Register Office (GRO) with locations in Dublin and Roscommon Town, County Roscommon? If not you may want to purchase it to confirm that his wife’s name was Norry. The death record should also record what his occupation was at the time of death. If you’d like to order Hugh Gallagher’s full 1864 death certificate, go to the following irishgenealogy.ie link for instructions:
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/civil-records/help/i-want-to-get-a-cop…

On the other hand the 1886 death record for High Gallagher in Mitchelstown shows that he was an 85 year old shoe maker when he died, placing his year of birth circa 1801. This means he would have been 58 years old when Maurice was born in 1859. That’s a possibility, as one of my Irish cousins was born in County Waterford when his father was in his 60s.

There’s also the possibility that Hugh was not 85 years old when he died in 1886, as ages in these old death records, as well as Irish census records, were not always accurate, and in many instances, off by several years. But I don’t know if this is the case with the 1886 death of Hugh Gallagher.

Also Cathy, do you know if any of Mary and Catherine Gallagher’s brothers or male cousins had settled in Lycoming County, PA, and if so, were any of them shoe makers or cobblers?

With Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

Dave- my name is Dave Kane. I am Cathy (Kane) Wallace's brother.  She just texted me and sent me the link to your response to her post. We are both blown away at the work you did on our behalf. Thank you so much! this means a lot to us! 

Dave

Dear Davepat:  

wow!!  Thanks for your very informative reply!  Much appreciated!!  

Jane

Hi Davepat,

How can we thank you enough for all of this information? We really appreciate the many hours you have put in to help us find our Irish ancestors! 

You asked about the possibility of any of Mary and Catherine's male relatives settling in Lycoming, Pennsylvania. We have not yet been able to find any. However, one of the sponsors for Catherine's youngest child's christening was named John M. Gallagher, so likely he is a brother, cousin, or uncle. We have spent many hours searching for records for him, but haven't found anything conclusive yet. Catherine died in 1883, at the age of 34, during childbirth with this youngest child. The christening was in Williamsport, Lycoming, Pennsylvania.

After receiving your information, I did find a William Gallagher, born about 1847 in Ireland, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a SHOEMAKER! Mary Gallagher was married to John H. McManigal in Philadelphia, so there is a possibility that other family members lived there. 

We will continue to research. Thank-you again from the bottom of our hearts for all your hard work! 

Cathy

You're very welcome Dave, Jane and Cathy, and many thanks for your kind words, which are much appreciated. It's been a real pleasure!

Best Wishes and God Bless,

Dave