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Hello,

My name is Gerald McGowan, i live in London, and i am trying to trace my grandfather's ancestry from what i believe is Achill Island.

His name was John "Darkie" McGowan, born i think June 1907, and had a sister named Molly.

I have a photgraph of the pair of them outside the house i think they grew up in.

He moved to England, where he lived in Norfolk, which is where i n

knew him from. I, shamefully have never been to Ireland, but want to make a trip this year, and would be amazing to visit where he is from.

I am in the process of applying for his birth certificate, which i am hoping will also help me!

Thanks for reading...

Gerald McGowan

Gerald McGowan

Wednesday 11th Mar 2020, 09:02PM

Message Board Replies

  • Gerald:

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

    There were no McGowans on Achill Isalnd in the 1901 census so likely John was not from there. Also, I checked civil birth records from 1903-1909 and there were no John McGowan birrh records in the Newport registration district (which includes Achill). Do you know his parents names?

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Wednesday 11th Mar 2020, 10:50PM
  • Attached Files
    grandad.jpg (88.35 KB)

    Hello Roger,

    many thanks for the reply....  unfortunately i do not know his parents names... hopefully i can find a birth certificate somehow.

    I have now been told the date was 15th June 1908 as birthdate.

    there are a couple of pictures attached which i have from my dad Bernard Victor McGowan, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago.

    There was also an area (?) in Mayo that was mentioned called Doo York with possible family links... but i am having trouble finding this.

    be great if someone recognised people from the pictures!

     

    Gerald McGowan

    Thursday 12th Mar 2020, 08:28AM

  • Gerald:

    This may be John's family in Dooyork in the 1911 census. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Rathill/Dooyork/707690/   The civil parish is Kilcommon which is a huge civil parish in northwest Mayo. Use Google Maps to see where Dooyork is located. It is about 18 kilometers south of Belmullet.

    Here is the 1901 census for the family and they were living with Anne's parents. So Anne's maiden name was Scanlan  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Rathill/Dooyork/1579808/

    I was unable to locate a civil birth record or a baptismal record for John. I also did not find a civil marriage record for his parents.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 12th Mar 2020, 02:47PM

  • Rodger,

    grear information! very interesting....

    many thnaks for your help!

     

    Gerald

     

     

    Gerald McGowan

    Thursday 12th Mar 2020, 08:17PM

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