Gillen family, Donegal Town

Hi Moira,

It would be helpful if you provided the years which you are researching and the religious denomination of the family.

In relation to the headstone, the provider usually inscribed their name on the plinth.

If you Google Stone Masons+ Donegal you may get a response.

Regards

Moira,

In case you don’t have the dates, James Harkin married Bridget Gillen on 20.2.1919, James Gillen married Annie McKeown 9.4.1923 and James McHugh married Margaret Jane Gillen on 27.4.1938. All in Donegal town.

Clyde Hodgson married Mary Gillen in 1923 in the USA (according to a tree on Ancestry). So if there are still descendants in the Donegal town area, they’ll likely be from the first 3 marriages.

I can see the birth of Margaret Mary Harkin in 1919 to James & Bridget here:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1919/01232/1512310.pdf

Births in Ireland within the past 100 years, marriages within 75 and deaths within 50 years are not generally on-line. They are open to the public at the GRO but you can’t search on-line. So it’s not easy for us to help you with other children these couples may have had, as those records are not readily available to us. Possibly someone reading this may know the families though. Or you may be able to trace them through the local mason as has been suggested.

Hi there, might be a bit of a long shot but I come from a strong line of "Gillen's" who imigrated to scotland in the 1900's. I have many family ties in and around Ireland  and there are lots of us in glasgow too. The whole Gillen family frequent donegal regularly (as our grandparents/great grandparents were raised there)  and my family have a home in moville. If this sounds connected to your question contact me at sophiegillen@icloud.com

Hi there I have a long family history in donegal Ireland and come from a strong line of Gillen's. there are lots of us throughout glasgow and ireland please contact me to find out more sophiegillen@icloud.com

Hello Moira,

My name is James and I have just recently come upon this site and, specifically, your post and enquiry regarding the family of James Gillen and Mary Anne Reilly.  Mary Gillen is my Great Aunt through her marriage to my Great Uncle Clyde Hodgson.  I have a wealth of information regarding both of them, including a photo, documents, and in my lifetime I have spoken directly with two immediate members of my family who did know Mary Gillen and Clyde Hodgson personally and who shared with me their memories of both of them.

I do hope that this post of mine finds its way to you.  If so, I would appreciate it very much if you could please confirm in order that we may proceed to communicate further.

My most kind regards,

James M 

Hi Moira 

I think my grandparents were James Gillen and Annie McKeown.  My dad was John, he had brothers Hugh and Pat and a couple of sisters.

My uncle Hugh used to paint the grave on his visits back home before he passed.

Jan Gillen