Phelans of Upperchurch

Local volunteer contacted.

Hi Steve, Christina local volunteer.   You have amazing research done. I will search through the local graveyards most on line , also shipping lists of convicts to Australia early 1800s  Upperchurch/Drumbane do a very good parish Journal, it is possible they may have done article on your ancestors

 Let me know if you have any questions.  best of luck.

    Christina  Irelandxo Volunteer.

Thanks for this Christina. I've had a bit of a break from researching but I'm back on the case now.

Can you tell me how I can access the Upperchurch Journals? Are they online? If not is it possible that someone could check whether there are any relevant articles?

I've recently had a breakthrough via an 1854 record of assisted immigration to Australia by two people named Winnifred Whelan, both are from Upperchurch. One, aged 35, names her parents as Pierce and Mary (both deceased); the other is 18 and names her parents as John and Margaret (both deceased). The record notes that the women have "relations in the colony" named Thomas and Bryan who are brother to the elder Winnifred and uncle to the younger. 

This is convincing evidence that the parents of the two Phelan convicts (Thomas and Bryan) are Pierce and Mary Phelan who are mentioned in various land records for Dooree Commons.  I'm also convinced that the younger Winnifred's parents are John Phelan and Margaret Shanahan of Foilagoule.

This it where it starts to get very interesting. DNA testing has indicated matches with descendants of John and Margaret Phelan and also with descendants of Pierce Phelan and Margaret Dwyer (also of Foilagaule). Both of these families migrated en masse to Ontario Canada in the 1850s.

The major stumbling block to my research is that all of the many people researching these families accept (without any evidence that I can find) that these Phelans are descendants of William Francis Phelan of Shevry and Shanballyduff, who was a magistrate and a very important figure in the Parish. While it seems likely that the Thomas Phelan of Shevry and Curragnatina (the convicts' prosecutor) might be more closely related to this wealthier side of the Upperchurch Phelans, it seems to me much more likely that my Phelans have their origins in Dooree Commons. 

Given the extensive and successful Phelan families in America I find it hard to believe that no one that has looked more closely at their Irish origins. I think that many are relying on a book written in 1996 by the late Father John E Phelan 'The Phelan Family of Upperchurch County Tipperary'. While the book's introduction is widely available on the internet, the book itself is unfortunately out of print and the only copy I have been able to locate is in the Syracuse NY public library which is out of my reach. I wonder if anyone in Upperchurch has a copy?

Apologies for the long winded nature of this but I report all this detail in the hope that it might reach someone who can shed more light on this fascinating family. I would be very happy to correspond with or assist any other researchers.

kind regards

Stephen

Correction: the book title is: The descendants of Pierce Phelan of Upper Church, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

Hi  again Steve,  I know the Upperchurch/ Drumbane have facebook page, I cannot access it today.

I also know I spoke with one of the researchers some years ago.

I will try ringing the local  Parish Priest and Get back to you

Christina.

Irelandxo Volunteer.

Appreciate your help Christina. Thanks!!

Hi again Stephen, I had no success with  Upperchurch Journal.

I did find person  from Upperchurch who will help you.

He said there were 150 Phelan,s and only 4 Phelan.s  in the Parish between 1800 and 1900.

The name were interchangeable.

If you email me at my Ireland reaching out address I will give you his email address.

mallow1@irelandxo.com

Christina, Volunteer Irelandxo.

Hello Steve 999, read your messages with interest. I was in Upperchurch the year Fr John E Phelan came over to hand out a few copies of his book. I did see it at a Cousin's but it did not hold any interest at the time as I hadn't start family research. I presumed that he had consulted the church records etc. and produced an accurate account. 

I am descended from Daniel Phelan(1849) and Margaret Heffernan(1850) of Shevry. Daniel's parents were William Phelan and Mary Hurley.

Have you come across the J J Garner Family Tree.  Mostly the Canadian lines that you mentioned and the USA ones. He mistakenly put Daniel under the James Ambrose line.

I did a DNA test with Ancestry and picked up on a Michael Phelan (1827) who arrived in Geelong in 1850. Think he is from James Ambrose line. There is Pierce Phelan(1855), father William Bryan, who appears to be a brother of my Gt Grandfather Daniel. He went to Geelong too and I have found some family information.

I did see Brian and Thomas on an Irish Convicts List, transported for life 1810 and 1809 but don't know anything about the Doree Commons families or how they connect. 

Hope you make as good a progress as I have. I found descendants of my Phelan Granny's 5 brothers in USA. 

Oops. Made a mistake with dates: 1910 and 1909 were D.O.Bs. You will probably have success with the local researcher. I have a Phelans Australia in Progress file, which is on the backburner, and it has your query so might have a little look when I get time. 

Hi Patience thanks for taking the time to comment. 

I'm not sure how they all connect either. I am still hoping to get access to Fr John E Phelan's book through a local (Upperchurch) researcher. I've gone as far as I can go with the parish records but I'm hoping that in his research Fr John may have found other sources that will help to unravel the Phelan lineages. 

Yes I've seen the Garner tree among others. They're helpful for American and Canadian connections but I think they are mistaken to assume they are all descendants of William Francis Phelan Esq.

I'm interested in your  Australian Phelans. If the same person, I think that the Pierce Phelan that you mention is related (distantly) to 'my' convict brothers. I have Pierce's DOB as 1857 and his parents as Bryan Phelan and Winifred Ryan. Pierce married Mary Keegan and ran several hotels in Geelong. In a newspaper memorial for the convict Thomas Phelan's wife this Pierce is referred to as a 'beloved relative'. 

There is another Pierce Phelan (1836) of interest who emigrated from New York together with his mother to Melbourne in 1855. His parents were Michael Phelan and Bridget Dwyer. Pierce was a gold miner and died in Western Australia in 1905.

Do you have an ancestry tree? I would be happy for you to look at mine if you are interested.  My email is martis999@hotmail.com

Thanks again

Stephen