Patrick Dolan : Short Biography

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The Dolans were recorded at Kiltycreevagh Townland, Drumlish RC Parish, County Longford, Ireland at the time of Patrick Dolan's twin siblings' births (Edward & Ellinor) on 9th September 1865.

Other siblings were Rose (baptised 21st February 1854), Mary (baptised 5th August 1858) & James (baptised 2nd September 1860) Dolan.

I note Patrick Dolan's baptism was on the 2nd December 1855.

Kiltycreevagh Townland is in the Ballinamuck half of Drumlish RC Parish and is also in Killoe Civil Parish.

 

I see Michael Dolan, John Dolan, James Dolan & Bridget Dolan recorded as occupiers at Kiltycreevagh Townland in my 1854 Griffith's Primary Valuation index book.

 

I also see Patrick Dolan, George & James Dolan, Widow or John Dolan, Bryan Dolan senior, Bryan Dolan junior, Mary & James Dolan and John Dolan recorded at Kiltycreevagh Townland at the time of the Tithe Applotment Books in 1826.

 

There is also a new book on Drumlish and Ballinamuck Parish to which I contributed. Website as follows:

https://drumlishhistoryandheritagesociety.ie/history-book/

 

Hoping the above is of interest,

David Leahy

Limerick, Ireland (born Longford)

Having Drumlish RC Parish ancestors myself - Courtneys & Mimnaghs

Email: davidleahy @ eircom.net [without the spaces either side of the '@' symbol]

 

 

 

David Leahy, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘︎

Saturday 2nd November 2019 09:51AM

David,

That's fantastic info, thank you! I don't think I'd happened across anyone familiar with Longford yet so had been sort of stumbling my way through the limited info I could find.

One area I've gotten tripped up is figuring out who is who and how they fit. Of the siblings, I know Patrick, Owen, Mary, and William all made it to the States, likely all together around 1866.

Rose, James, and the twins don't show up again anywhere as far as I can tell. I assume that means they didn't live through the years in between, so is there an RC church likely to have burial or death records? Or are there likely Dolans buried in the area who might shed some light on the search?

And I'm guessing William not showing up in the 1854 Griffith's Valuation is an oversight because we know he was there from Rose's baptism that same year. I think I'd found William's baptism records as well, from 23 Aug 1835, showing a Richard Dolan and Elizabeth Clarke as his parents. Given that they don't show up in either the Griffiths or Tithe Applotment in 1826, what would be a reasonable guess to make? That they live in a different townland? Or maybe weren't of age in 1826 but had passed by 1854? I think the Michael in the latter records in also one of Richard and Elizabeth's children too if that's helpful.

Will take a look at that website as well - I'm a sucker for trying to learn more about where my family is from so fascinating to see there's a book about it.

Chris

tripstakepeople

Sunday 3rd November 2019 02:34AM

 

Chris,

 

William and Bridget (Reilly) Dolan and their four children Owen (14), Patrick (10), Mary (8) and William (4) were recorded at South Bethlehem, Northampton, Pennsylvania, United States at the time of the 1870 U.S. Census on 16th August 1870. William & Bridget Dolan and the three eldest children were recorded as having been born in Ireland with William junior recorded as having been born in Pennsylvania.

 

It apears therefore as if the Dolan family emigrated from Ireland to the United States between the period September 1865 (when the twins Edward/Ellinor Dolan were born in Ireland) and August 1866 (by which time William Dolan junior had been born in the U.S.).

 

William Dolan senior died in 1874 and Owen Dolan died in 1879.

 

As there is no mention of Rose, James, Edward or Ellinor Dolan with their parents in the 1870 Census or with their mother in the 1880 US Census (under the surname Dollan) it is likely that they died in Ireland (possibly shortly after birth) or on the trip to the United States. There was a high rate of mortality amongst children at the time and especially so amongst twins.

 

As mentioned above, I see Michael Dolan, John Dolan, James Dolan & Bridget Dolan recorded as occupiers at Kiltycreevagh Townland in my 1854 Griffith's Primary Valuation index book. Griffith's Primary Valuation just lists the head of the Household as an occupier and does not list the individual family members, so there would probably have been four Dolan families at Kiltycreevagh Townland in 1854.

 

In addition, I see a William Doolan and a Mary Doolan recorded at Kiltycreevagh Townland and this William Doolan is therefore a possibility for your William Dolan. Thomas Reilly and Mary Doolan are recorded just before and just after the entry for William Doolan indicating that they may have been related as your William Dolan's wife was Bridget Reilly.

 

There is an old and new graveyard in Ballinamuck, but it is unlikely that there would be a tombstone dating back to the 1850's/1860's in relation to the burials of the Dolan children if there.

 

It is not likely that William Dolan, born in 1835, the son of Richard Dolan and Elizabeth Clarke was your William Dolan senior. The 1870 US Census suggests a date of 1820 for your William Dolan's birth and Richard and Elizabeth (Clarke) Dolan were living in Abbeyshrule which is at the other end of County Longford some 20 miles away from Kiltycreevagh Townland.

 

The Battle of Ballinamuck during the 1798 Rebellion between the English and the French (assisted by Irish) principally took place in the Townlands of Kiltycreevagh and neighbouring Shanmullagh.

 

Hoping this helps further,

David Leahy

 

 

 

David Leahy, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘︎

Sunday 3rd November 2019 03:01PM

David,

Thanks so much. Some of that I knew, but some was completely new and very helpful.

I'm pretty good on them after they get to the States. Against all odds, my 2nd great-grandfather was the only Patrick Dolan in Bethlehem for much of that time so it was reasonably easy to follow the family through the years. 

Same with their arrival - I haven't found the immigration records, but they helpful had children directly before and after the trip, so it can pinpointed as you said down to a period of about one year. 

I suspected the same for the siblings as well, and had figured they'd just likely passed before or during the journey, although I didn't know about the higher moratlity rate amongst twins.

The William Doolan at Kiltycreevagh Townland was brand new though, and feels like it's probably a hit. I've broken through several other brick walls by connecting neighbors in censuses to later marriages or witnesses in church records, and this seems to make sense.

It's also very helpful to know that Richard and Elizabeth aren't the likely parents. One of the things that's sort of hard to tell from a distance is how complete the records are. That was the only one I'd seen, and census birth estimates can sometimes vary wildly from reality, so it seemed like a plausible fit even if not perfect, and my most likely candidate. But it seems much more likely now that the Doolans were Dolans, that there were 6 families at Kiltycreevagh, and that my folks come from there as opposed to Abbeyshrule.

Are there likely to be any Dolan graves left there? And is the only way to get further likely a visit? Also, I didn't know about the Battle of Ballinamuck at all, much less that it took place there, so thanks for the insight. It gives me a whole new rabbit hole to follow. And thank you for the help - I appreciate it!

tripstakepeople

Monday 4th November 2019 06:02PM