HEFFERNAN

Hi Sheryl:

Many thanks for your post on the message board and welcome to the site.

I live in County Clare and I am one of the Tulla volunteers for the programme.  I will be happy to assist you and I have some Newmarket contacts that will be able to help as well.

Have you checked the Clare Library website?  If not, you definitely should.  The link is below and the website has a lot of great resources including parish registers (baptisms and marriages) as well as graveyard inscriptions.  The Catholic parish of Newmarket is also the civill parish of Tomfinlough  and here is the link to the graveyard inscriptions and the names of the graveyards in the parish:  http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/graves/index_graves_catholic_parish.htm

The parish register link is here:  http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/tomfinlough.htm  and you will note the various resources that you can view for other information.  Please let me know if you need anything further and I will assist you.  We will arrange to have someone with local knowledge meet with you when you arrive.

Kind regards,

Jane

fort.

Hi Sherl,

Griffith's Valuations has a John Heffernan in the townland of Mooghaun North, Newmarket-on-Fergus. He is leasing a house and 35 acres of land from Lord Inchiquin. This can be accessed via www.askabout ireland.ie - free site. Mooghan is known for its ancient fort.

The townland has a Daniel and Denis Rourke also.

The nearest cemetery is Kilnasoolagh. The church here is Church of Ireland, but the graves to the front are Roman Catholic.

The Church of Ireland graves are at the rear of the church. The church was originally Roman Catholic.

Newmarker -on --Fergus is approx two miles from Mooghaun North. The Roman Catholic church is on the Sixmilebridge Road. In ancient times there were some seven church in this parish - known as Tomfinlough. Most have cemeteries at or close to those ancient churches. 

Thank you so much for assisting me in finding my ancestors gravesites etc. I have been on the websites you have given me but I still can't find any further information with regard to Margaret O'Rourkes birth place and birth date. I have Margaret and John Heffernan's marriage date 2.2.1859 at Newmarket on Fergus diocese of Killaloe, and their childrens birth notices. But that is all I have at the moment . I can't find their death notices or places of burial, or church they were married in? When we are over there I will visit the churches nearest to Mooghaun North and the cemetery at Kilnasoolagh but nothing is showing in the registers. Also, Jane ,I would love to meet someone when we arrive there for some guidance. Where should I go to arrange this? Again thank you for all your assistance, I feel I have been researching this side of my family forever to no avail!!! regards Sheryl

Hi Sheryl:  

if you contact me directly with your travel plans at jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com,  I will be able to assist with a meeting.  

All the best,  

Jane

Hi Sheryl,

In relation to your quiry regarding the burial place of John Heffernan and his wife Margaret Rourke, apparently there are some members of this family buriesd in Quin Abbey and in Fenloe (Finlough) cemeteries. The last person - Frank - who sold the farm to a neighbour is buried in Fenloe. His brothers Andy, Paddy and Jack are buried in the grave of an uncle named Andrew Heffernan who apparently served in the British forces. This grave is in Quin Abbey. (Local Source)

Because of he length of time which has passed, it would help if you could identify your family member who was the son/daughter of John Heffernan and Margaret Rourke. There is a record of a John Heffernan and Margaret in Moohane in 1884. 

Regards,

McCoy

Hi McCoy, Thanks for this information on the Heffernans in Quin Abbey and Fenloe(Finlough) They are definetly on my "to visit list "

when we get there. The family of John Heffernan and Margaret Rourke are: son Daniel born -12.4.1862, daughter Margaret born - 12.4.1864, son Patrick born 28.6.1867 . All were born at Newmarket on Fergus. Margaret (daughter) is my great grandmother and she came out to Australia and married Patrick Fallon (also from Ireland). I know John Heffernan was a farmer in Moohaun. John and Margaret were married in Newmarket on Fergus 2.2.1859 . That is all the information I have gathered on my 2nd great grandparents!! The record of them in 1884 in Moohane is one I don't have and would love to know where that record was? Thanks again for all your assistance, it is appreciated. regards Sheryl

Dear Sheryl:

I'm glad to see that others are assisting you with information.  If you would like to meet with a volunteer while you are in Ireland, please let me know.  You can email me directly at:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com

Happy New Year!

All the best,

Jane

I just found this note. I have a lot of information on John Heffernan (1818-1895) of Mooghan North. He is my great-great grandfather. His wife was Sarah O'Neil. Their sons Thomas, Patrick, and James emigrated to Rochester, NY along with a daughter Bridget. A son Andrew went to Dublin for a while and was a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police. He was also the anchor of the DMP tug-of-war team. Tug-of-war was a pretty popular sport in the late 1800s. I've found newspaper articles of crowds of 30-40,000 people attending the big events and even a crowd of around 25,000 just to welcome the team home after a big victory in Scotland. After Andrew retired from the DMP he moved back to Clare and had a shop in Quin. He is buried at Quin Abbey.

John and Sarah's son Denis married Margaret McNamara and stayed on the family farm. Their sons Andrew, John, Patrick, and Francis (Frank) ran the farm (along with the McCormacks) until the late 1900s

I have a lot of other Heffernans in my tree, but i don't seem to have a John Heffernan married to Margaret Rourke. I hope you have found the information you need.

All the best,

DanZ