Katherine Nealon (spelling?) County Mayo

Kris:

I think Catherine Nealon was older than she let on. Civil registration of births started in Ireland in 1864. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and found a baptismal record for a Catherine Nealon on December 6 1859. Father was shown as John Nealon and mother Catherine McDonough. The RC church was Kilconduff/Swinford.

The family lived in Carracanady according to the Roots Ireland transcriber. I believe the correct spelling is Carrowcanada.

The actual record is here   https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632337#page/11/mode/1up  look on the right side of the page.

I also found a record for a sister Mary July 10 1857.

The parents were married March 8 1853 in Kilconduff/Swinford church. John's last name was transcribed as Niland but I'm sure it is the same person.

Let me look for a record for a brother John.

Roger McDonnell

Kris:

I located a baptismal record for a Patrick Neilan baptized October 4 1862 in Kilconduff/Swinford church. Father was John Neilan and mother was shown  as Catherine McDonnell which I believe was really McDonough. So Patrick would be a brother to Mary and Catherine.

Was John older or younger than Catherine? Is it possible the entire family emigrated before John was born?

Roger

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.anyPlace=…;   I found this entry which may be of interest to you as it contains an entry for a Katherine Nealon from Carrowmore , County Mayo  birth year 1888, who is a probationer nursing student on the 1911 census. This is a list of medical/nursing staff . Wonder if there is a connection to your family.

I feel sure that Roger is right about the Niland form of the name.  Variant anglicizations of names were common in older records.  Nealon, Neilan, and Neylan (and Niland, as Roger found) are all variant anglicized forms of the Irish name Ó Nialláin, which originated further south in County Clare, but spread north into what are now Galway and Mayo (and probably some other nearby counties).  The name means "descendant of [little] Neil", but it is unrelated to the more widespread O'Neill surname (a surname which originated separately in different places in Ireland.  It is also unrelated to the surnames Nolan and [Mc]Neela, which I noticed were found in Carrowcanada in the 1901 census.  There was no one with the surname Nealon/Neilan listed in 1901, but it's possible that the surname had become confused with one of the others.

John Neilan [with that spelling of the surname] is also listed in Griffith's Valuation (mid-1800's) as a tenant of two plots of land in Carrowcanada.  You can see the info at this link:

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNa…

You can see more info about the townland of Carrowcanada at this link, which includes an interactive map which allows you to move around the area and see what is nearby:

https://www.townlands.ie/mayo/gallen/kilconduff/swineford/carrowcanada/

The Irish form of the townland name is Ceathrú Cheannada, which means "Kennedy's quarter [of land]".  At this link you can see the history of the various anglicized forms of the name used in records over the years.  The oldest one shown is from 1617,  "lands of Bochoalla [vizt] Keanadda", which would mean "lands of the Kennedy boys".  Obviously, a Kennedy family once lived there.

https://www.logainm.ie/en/36755

Mac Donough and Mac Donagh are common anglicized forms of the Irish name Mac Donnchadha, meaning "son of Donagh".   It is a very common name in that area.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7C7-XFZ   Death of James Griffin aged 25 years, son of Patrick Griffin and Kate Neilon   Chicago Illinois 18th July 1914.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7JK-3QY   Pt Nealon, wife Kate Mc Donough

Wow!  Thank you for all that information.  I will look through it all and report back.  I am happy to give the info I have if anyone wants it.  I have information on Katherine Neilon and Patrick Griffin, their children and many of their descendants.  

Kristin