Kilkenny/Ghaghen surnames

[PATRICK KILKENNY]

Hello <br> I am writing from England on the english 1881 census it shows my great great Grandfather John Kilkenny born 1843/45 and lists that he came from Ireland. His father was one Patrick Kilkenny born presumably about 1820's As we have no parish listed on our census I am finding it very difficult to trace either of them. John Kilkenny marries a Rose A Ghaghen in england in 1871. I have been told these surnames were mainly in the Connaught area of Ireland and wonder if anyone could give me any information as to how to go about tracing parishes from the UK<br> <br>Any help would be gratefully appreciated<br> <br>Regards<br>Partick Kilkenny
<br>
<br><hr size=7 width=75%><p>


pkilkenny@pkilkenny.freeserve.co.uk

[Dominic Monahan]

:Among the family of my GGGFather Patrick Kilkenny (1798-1884), was a son Francis J. Kilkenny (1836-1939) who was the father of my great grandmother, Catherine Kilkenny, who in turn married my grandfather, Francis J. Monahan. According to oral legend in Leitrim, the Patrick Kilkenny family migrated to Leitrim from the vicinity of Ballinasloe in County Galway. They settled in Ballykiltyfea, in the parish of Cloone in the parish of Aughavas. Two Kilkenny brothers, Patrick and John, settled in Drumersnaughton (a former townland consolidated by the Ordnance Survey of 1836 into the townland of Killafee, but still known locally by its older name.) Two other brothers whose names I've never discovered, settled slightly further to the east of the townlands of Corrmore and Coronea near the village of Arva in County Cavan. John Kilkenny was a "hedgemaster" and apparently never married. Patric, married a woman named Brigid "Biddy" Curran from the townland of Corrlagh in the parish of Drumreilly. They raised at least 5 children, including my GGrandmother Catherine Kilkenny. The children included three girls and two boys, Patrick and a boy named John who died in infancy. My experience is that it is difficult to compile complete records of the births of rural Irish before 1845. In most cases it's a case of lost information as there were few records kept about rural Irish Catholic families in those days. Up until 1829 when the Irish penal laws were finally repealed, the Catholic Irish could not own land and could not officially practice their religion. Thus records regarding land ownership, marriage and death were none existent. (While marriages and baptisms occurred records were not kept because there was no parish house or church in which to maintain them. The absence of records also made it difficult to prosecute who performed these sacraments.) To the extent there is information available there are some tombstones and much oral tradition. <p>After the 1829 repeal it took a few years to formally establish Catholic parishes in Ireland and even longer for parish priests to become accustomed to keeping records. Even those early records have little more than names and dates. I have found the best source is to locate local Irish with good memories who continue the tradition of recording local history through storytelling. I have found that these oral accounts are often verified as essentially correct when written records occasionally are discovered.<p>If you have any idea which townland or civil parish your ancestors came from, you can determine the church parish for that area. And each county in Ireland now has a heritage center which makes genealogy much easier to trace. Incidentally the name Kilkenny was quite common in Leitrim.<p>Good luck!<p>Dominic Monahan<br>Eugene, Oregon USA<p><p><p>Hello <br>: I am writing from England on the english 1881 census it shows my great great Grandfather John Kilkenny born 1843/45 and lists that he came from Ireland. His father was one Patrick Kilkenny born presumably about 1820's As we have no parish listed on our census I am finding it very difficult to trace either of them. John Kilkenny marries a Rose A Ghaghen in england in 1871. I have been told these surnames were mainly in the Connaught area of Ireland and wonder if anyone could give me any information as to how to go about tracing parishes from the UK<br>: <br>: Any help would be gratefully appreciated<br>: <br>: Regards<br>: Partick Kilkenny <p>

<br>
<br><hr size=7 width=75%><p>


dmonahan@luvaascobb.com