Daniel Phelan/Honora Rafter

Mary jeanne:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and located three baptismal records for children of Daniel Phelan and Honor Rafter. See below.

The 1849 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Grangemaccomb civil parish did not show a Daniel Phelan but there was a Honoria Phelan in Connahy so my guess is that Daniel had died and Honoria was the lease holder.

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/kilkenny/grangemaccomb.htm

I would also check out the 1901 census for Connahy and there were a number of Phelan families. Not sure how they connect to Daniel.

Roger McDonnell

Name:Ellen PhelanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:28-Jan-1835Address:ConnehyParish/District:CONAHYGender:FemaleCountyCo. Kilkenny
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Daniel PhelanMother:Honor RafterOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Andrew Lalor Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Mary White 

Name:Daniel PhelanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:28-Mar-1837Address:ConnahyParish/District:CONAHYGender:MaleCountyCo. Kilkenny
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Daniel PhelanMother:Honor RafterOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Patrick Muldowny Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Mary Phelan 

Name:Joseph PhelanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:18-Aug-1839Address:ConnahyParish/District:CONAHYGender:MaleCountyCo. Kilkenny
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Daniel PhelanMother:Honor RafterOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Philip Shea Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Bridget Maher 

Thank you for this information. Is there any way of finding out year of emigration? We think James Phelan was born in Castlecomer. He is the eldest sibling. His 1854 marriage record to Catherine Murphy (Coteau du lac, Quebec) states that his parents were both deceased. We know that James emigrated with several siblings (if not all), and I know for certain that Joseph Phelan, who you list above, was among them (and he died in Montreal, Quebec with no descendants) but we do not know whether mother Honora came to Quebec too and whether all of the siblings emigrated (I would think yes, since we understand that James was the eldest). Father Daniel Phelan we understand to have died in 1847, which would explain why mother Honora Phelan appears as tenant in 1849. 1847 would most certainly have been a famine death, I guess? 

Mary Jeanne:

No available records to determine year of emigration.

It looks like there is a gap in the Castlecomer baptismal records and the only records available would be for the last week of December https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0981  which explains why a baptismal record for James is not available. The Conahy baptismal records start in June 1832 so any children born after James up to June 1832 would not have a record. https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0982

Roger

Mary Jeanne

I may know these Phelans. I just saw your post, don't have time to look into it now, but I will net week.

Hello, tomvet2 and Roger; I'm Charles Phelan and Mary Jeanne Phelan is my sister. I wanted to provide an update with some new and interesting information I discovered earlier this year about our Phelan ancestors from Kilkenny. I joined an online genealogy group called youririshheritage.com (based in Cork) a little over a year ago. The site has two genealogists on staff where members can post questions and of the several bits of advice, from spend as much time researching in the areas where your ancestors emigrated to, as well as searching for any possible thread from sources you might have thought of before. I discovered some new information quite by accident when I came across a will of Daniel Phelan B. 28 March 1837 from 1890 just one year before he married Julia Shea in Montreal. Daniel Phelan was a soap and candle maker. In Daniel's first will I discovered that he left his life insurance policy of 2000 dollars to his nieces Mary Tynan and Catherine Tynan, daughters of Daniel's sister Mary Phelan from Conahy Kilkenny. This is the first ever proof that I we had family living in Ireland after the famine. I discovered these records using both rootsireland as well as looking through the 1901 and 1911 Irish Census for the Tynan family. I also consulted irishgenealogy and found many civil birth records and marriage records and also confirmed Honora Phelan nee Rafter's civil death record11 March1892. Here is a breakdown of the Tynan Phelan research 

Mary Phelan married Andrew Tynan on the 15 February, 1847 in Conahy, Kilkenny

Daniel Tynan b. 2 Apr 1848- d. 19 Jan 1944

Thomas Tynan b. 19 MAY 1852

Mary Tynan b. 14 Jul 1860

Catherine Tynan b. 5 Mar 1850

Daniel Tynan married Ellen McGrath 15 Feb 1900 in Conahy

Andrew Tynan b. 14 Jul 1901

John Tynan b. 10 Jul 1902 - d. 19 FEB 1951  (baptism record indicated that John Tynan Married Norah Downey 24 Aug 1942 in Conahy

Thomas Tynan b. 24 Jul 1903

Mary Tynan b. 16 Oct 1905

John Tynan Married Norah Downey 24 Aug 1942 in Conahy

Donal Tynan b.  Abt. 1944 - d.  6 Apr 1980

Liam Andrew Tynan b. abt. 1946 - d. 25 Jul 1951

Andrew Tynan b. 1950 - d. 11 Feb 1999

Three years ago I contacted Roots Ireland to ask for help. Unfortunately I didn’t find any new information but they did provide a couple leads to follow. Through a AncestryDNA match I confirmed that Honora Rafter’s parents were Richard Rater and Catherine Whelan. Daniel Phelan leased land per the Tithe Applotment Books for the townland of Conahy. He is also listed in the Tithe Defaulters List of 1831 in the townland of Conahy in the civil parish of Grangemacomb; with the occupation farmer. I found a record in Griffiths Valuation for Honora Phelan who rented plot 12A from Joseph Strangeways. Possible baptism of Daniel Phelan took place on 15/09/1793, parents were Richard Phelan and Fanny [Frances] Strangeway, sponsors Thomas Power Mary Sinot, St. John’s, Kilkenny.

Here is my family tree on ancestry https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/tree/71855738/family/familyview?cfp…

Charles:

Great work by you and the genealogists who assisted. Breaking down a genealogy brick wall is a wonderful experience!

If you have time, we would appreciate if you might add a Phelan ancestor story to our XO Chronicles sub site  https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy

Roger