James Feeney

Barbara:

Ballinahinch is a small village in Moyrus civil parish in Co. Galway.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballynahinch,_County_Galway   The RC parish would be Roundstone but records for that parish do not begin until 1872 and civil registration started in 1864.

I checked the 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Moyrus civil parish and there were three Feeney records but they were located in Rusheennamanagh townland which was much further south In Moyrus parish down near Carna so I don't think they would be for your family.

Feeney/Feeny was a very common surname in Co. Galway and very likely your family came from the area near Ballynahinch but I can't locate any records to confirm. 

Roger McDonnell

Barbara,

To add to the Post by Roger McDonnell, Ballynahinch Castle was owned by Richard Martin (Humanity Dick) and later by his son Thomas Martin.

In 1849 the Castle and lands were put up for sale.

Carna and surrounding areas were part of the Martin Estate.

During and following the Famine hundreds of people were evicted from their holding, due mainly to non payment of rent.

It is more likely that information on your relative will be found in the US, as records were not properly kept by either the Church

or the landlords. Ballynahich Castle would be the centre where people would go for assistance which, maybe the reason that this

name was mentioned.

An outbreak of cholera was another problem.

Regards,

Dear Roger and McCoy,

Thank you very much for your time and your information. I will do more reading about the history of this area. I agree that he most likely came from this region and I suppose that will have to suffice. I knew records of his birth were more than likely not to be found, so knowing that the Feeney name was in the area will have to be our closest conclusion.

Best wishes to both of you,

Barbara

Barbara:

Have you considered DNA testing? You may get matches with 3rd or 4th cousins who have more information on the origins of your Feeney family in Co. Galway.

Roger

I have four gg grandparents on my father's side from Ireland. One couple from the Gort area (she came to the US with the children and we are not sure what happened to him) and the other from Birr, Offaly County. My husband and I were able to visit these areas when we were in Ireland in 2019.

My mother's side are my difficulty. Seven out of eight of my gg grandparents are from Ireland. Out of those 7, I have only learned the townhome of one....the Hawley family from Ballybritt, also Offaly County....I learned this since our 2019 visit.

My DNA is 89% Ireland: Leinster and Donegal and with my siblings we have Leinster, North Leinster, Ulster, Donegal, and Central Donegal between us.

However, we have cousins who have Donegal, Central Donegal, Connacht, North Connacht, W Roscommon & E Mayo, and S Sligo & N Galway.

As far as matches are concerned, I keep looking. You never know when something new can come up. So far it seems that the work that my brother and fellow family genealogist have done is more extensive than what we have found with our matches. However, I will stay hopeful. It was a difficult time when they left and as you said there were few records. 

These are the names we are searching for:

James Feeney m Catherine McCauley

Bridget Daly m Thomas Hawley

Ellen McCaffrey m Thomas Hogg (England)....they all married once in the US

Denis McKeever m Margaret Herron/Hearn (They married in Ireland and had two children born in Ireland, Anthony and Catherine (my g grandmother.) Margaret must have died and Denis married again by the time Catherine was 5 at which point they were in the US)

Thank you again for your interest. I will keep plugging away.

Barbara

Barbara,

Attached for your information.

Regards,

McCoy,

Thank you. Interesting to read.

Best,

Barbara