Donovan and Mahony families from Lackavaun, Kilmoe Parish

Hi Tom,

I'm off by a generation or more, but my maternal Greatgrandfather was Cornelius Mahony who married Biddy Carthy in Goleen in 1855, sponsors Patt Carthy and Hony Driscoll. Cornelius was from the townland of Ballyvogue, Biddy from Letter. They had 10 children: Catherine in 1856, John 58, Ellen 60, Patrick (my grandfather) 62, Michael 63, Cornelius 66, Mary 68, Anna 69, Johanah 71, Daniel 75. The sponsors were loaded with McCarthys and Driscolls. Patrick came to the US in 1883 and settled in the Boston area.  I wouldn't be surprised if we're not too distant cousins. I took the Ancestry.com DNA test and  so far it's revealed 1 2nd cousin, 12 4th-6th cousins and around 40 distant cousins. If you take it my user name is the same as here, if I match up let me know and I'll fill you in on what little I know on this side of the pond. It was Mahoney with the e and Bridget McCarthy on Patrick's death and marriage certificates here.

Good luck and happy hunting,

Bill Sheehan

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the message.  I concur that there is a probability that we may be related.  Looking at the townland map of Kilmoe Parish (see: http://www.westcorkgenealogy.com/images/colkilmoe.gif), the townlands of Ballyvogue Beg and Ballyvogue More (27 and 26 respectively wrt to the link) are only 4 to 5 townlands away from where my ancestors lived (townland Lackavaun - No. 36 on the aforementioned link).

Per my earlier posting, none of the sponsors listed have the Mahony surname.  In my opinion, that would suggest that my Mahony ancestor, Mary, had no adult brothers or close male Mahony relatives living in the Lackavaun area.  Or tshe was not from the Lackavaun townland.  If she was not from Lackavaun, she could have conceivably been from Ballyvogue or another townland surrounding Lackavaun.

Although I subscribe to Ancestry, I have not yet purchased any of their DNA products.  However, I have been involved with genetic genealogy just the same.  The DNA testing I have been involved with has been through the company Family Tree DNA (FTDNA).  Not only have I DNA tested myself, but I have sponsored a number of other relatives.   with respect to relatives who would be descended from my great-great grandmother Mary Donovan (n?e Mahony), I have tested myself, my aunt and a first cousin of my aunt (and father).  Would you be interested in DNA testing with another company?  If we share a common Mahony ancestor, you have a possibility of sharing DNA with either me, my paternal aunt or her first cousin.  Per my sposorship, all three of us have our DNA results with FTDNA.  Does this interest you?

Although I would not be opposed to testing myself with my Ancestry, you can see I am somewhat invested somewhat with FTDNA.  Let me know what you think.

- Tom Weingart

Arlington, Virginia, USA

My McCarthy family is from Balleyvogue, Goleen. I was there last May, saw St Patrick's Church in Goleen that Patrick McCarthy married Margaret Sheehan in and saw the Kilmoe Burial Grounds cemetery they are buried in. I saw the ruins of their house and met a distant cousin who now owns the land.  Based on some of the land records, I now think that Pat McCarthy is the son of Daniel Carthy.  I wonder if your sponsor Patt Carthy is the same as my Patrick McCarthy, I have seen his name spelled as Patt.

Hi,

Sorry I'm slow responding. I haven't revisited the site since I first joined. The church register had the name transcribed as Patt with 2 t's and the image seemed to bear it out. The index showed Cornelius Mahony from Bally- but I concluded after studying the map it must be Ballyvogue. All the subsequent births showed the Mahonys living in Letter, but the Griffith's Valuation showed Patrick Carthy in Ballyvogue-more and Patrick & James Mahony in Letter. Very confusing, our ancestors! I hope to pin things down better across the pond so if I go back over again I'll be able to visit the places they lived and farmed. I believe my Sheehans were from the Kanturk area but that is yet to be proven. The Ancestry DNA test confirmed a gentlemen in Chicago was my 2nd cousin and we believe our Murphy Grandmothers were from Millenahorna (near Skibbereen). I love that you joined this site on St. Patrick's Day! If you ever take the Ancestry DNA test you'll find out if we're related. My tree is public on their site and I'm just starting to post my suspected Cork people now, so you'll be able to see whether we have a connection. 

Merry Christmas (and happy hunting),

Bill

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the quick response. FTDNA is too rich for my blood at $289 for the autosomal test. I paid $99 for an Ancestry autosomal test and just ordered a 2nd one at the same price for my son to take. Their regular price is $129 and I think they just finished filling their waiting list orders. A review can be found at http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/2012/04/02/a-review-of-ancestrydna….

I haven't posted my tree on their site yet but I will be doing it soon to see who I connect with. I've been playing with my tree on and off since 1996 but i'm getting serious now (I  turned 71 on October 25th, the day you signed up for this website)  as I'd like to preserve the tree for the future generations. It's moving higher on the Bucket List!

I was fortunate to spend 8 days in Ireland 4 years ago and drove around several counties including Cork. I  went down the western side of that peninsula and back up the eastern side stopping briefly in Goleen  at St. Patrick's church. I stood in the cemetery and snapped a pic of headstones  bearing the names of Sheehan, McCarthy, Mahony and Donovan, as well as Ballyvogue (which I had not identified as a family address at that time). It is still very rugged country in that area and not probably that much different from the place my grandparents were born 1 & 1/2 centuries ago.

My paternal greatgrandparents were Thomas Sheehan and Honorah Spillane who I believe I've found in the Kanturk area. Their son Timothy married my paternal grandmother Catherine Murphy in Boston in 1896. I believe I've located her parents Patrick and Catherine (n?e Collins) marrying in Skibbereen in 1864  and Catherine was born in the townland of Mullinahorna in 1870. Could be a connection there as well, though Murphy is the #1 surname in Ireland. I hope to get back over there again and explore the townlands from which they came. 

I don't know if you know about the O'Mahony Society. I don't belong but I've found some interesting things on their website and in their back issues of their newsletter.  Link is http://www.omahonysociety.

Good luck,

Bill Sheehan

MA, USA

Hi Bill

As a Cork genealogist I can undertake a search if so desired. Enjoy festive season.

Seamus Fox ~ foxseamus@gmail.com