Brien (O'Brien) Maher

Dear Peter:

Thank you for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board and welcome to the site.

We have a volunteer in Clonmel who may be able to assist you and I will forward this post to her.  You might give her a week or two to reply.

In the meantime, if you would like to add any of your ancestors to the XO Chronicles (located at the top of the page), please do so.  These profiles are read by all our members and have been very successful in connecting others who are researching the same families.

Thank you for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out!

Kind regards,

Jane.

Dear Jane,

Thanks so much for your positive reply.

I am really looking forward to hearing from your volunteer researcher in Clonmel.

I have more information about the extended family if that would assist his/her work.

Best wishes,

Peter

Dear Tom and Jane

Thank you so much for that invaluable information.  Even so, I wanted to ask for just one further piece of help from you.

Let me explain our problem.

1. We have traced my direct family from Clonmel to Sheppy in Kent and then on through successive generations.

My Great Grandfather and Grandmother Patrick Maher and Alice (O’)Brien

When they moved to Kent, already had 3 children and went on to have a further 8.

Their Eldest, Annie Elizabeth, (The “Anna” in the records you sent me) ended up living and working in New York.  We have extensive records of her there and she did not die until 1949.

1. A second Strand of our family tree, the O’Briens (of New York) began with a marriage between Andrew O’Brien and Ann Walsh in Clonmel (we think). Their son John O’Brien (1845 – 1905) emigrated to the USA and set up home in New York.  We know from legal documentation that there is a familial link between Annie Elizabeth (Anna) Maher and (at least) two of the daughters born to John O’Brien in New York; they are described in this documentations as being “cousins” of Annie.

Our dilemma is that we can’t find the link between these two branches of the family and to do so would be a major milestone in the understanding of our family; it probably lies buried in the archives of SS Peter and Paul in Clonmel

Alice O’Brien 1860-1949, father Thomas (O’) Brien and mother Alice Keegan

John O’Brien 1845-1905, father Andrew O’Brien and mother Ann Walsh

Thus, Alice and John are not brother and sister, but what is the link between these two parts of the O’Brien family if Alice is “cousin” to John’s children? Does that make John O’Brien Alice’s Uncle? If so how?  it would seem that there might be a missing person in the O’Brien tree that would bring these two branches together perfectly. It might help to uncover more of the (O’) Brien family in Clonmel between 1845 and 1865 (or beyond)

Can you, or anyone out there help me to solve this riddle?

Thanks

Peter

i am looking for a Mary Maher daughter of  James Maher who married Christopher Cousins in the roman Catholic Church Of Newcastle in Tipperary in 1926. they then moved to NYC. i have not been able to find anything else about Mary

Hi my name is Toni,
My great great great grandmother was Anna O Brien who married Jeremiah Keane in 1858 in Kilsheelan Tipperary/Waterford area this is on my maternal side. On my Paternal side Thomas Maher and Patrick Maher are/were second cousins to my father Patrick Connolly from Carrick on suir Tipperary. Thomas stayed in Tipperary and Patrick as did my father come to Kent married and brought up their families in Kent. They are also cousins to the Ryan familes in the area Kilsheelan to Carrick on suir and my mother's side may be related to the Ryan's also through Annie o Brien mother. My father told me that Carrick on suir is made up of seven families coming from the surrounding areas and over time everyone has become related back to these families. The Walsh family I am related to on my mother's side I have been told came from Kilkenny but I have never been able to find that link. St Nicholas church in Carrick on suir Tipperary has records not just for Carrick but the surrounding areas it worth checking with them

Hi my name is Toni,
My great great great grandmother was Anna O Brien who married Jeremiah Keane in 1858 in Kilsheelan Tipperary/Waterford area this is on my maternal side. On my Paternal side Thomas Maher and Patrick Maher are/were second cousins to my father Patrick Connolly from Carrick on suir Tipperary. Thomas stayed in Tipperary and Patrick as did my father come to Kent married and brought up their families in Kent. They are also cousins to the Ryan familes in the area Kilsheelan to Carrick on suir and my mother's side may be related to the Ryan's also through Annie o Brien mother. My father told me that Carrick on suir is made up of seven families coming from the surrounding areas and over time everyone has become related back to these families. The Walsh family I am related to on my mother's side I have been told came from Kilkenny but I have never been able to find that link. St Nicholas church in Carrick on suir Tipperary has records not just for Carrick but the surrounding areas it worth checking with them

Hi Toni,

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply and for giving me such great details of our possible family links.  This is honestly the strongest lead I have had in more than 10 years

Can we continue this conversation so that we can delve a littler deaper.  

Ann Walsh (1820) and Andrew O'Brien (1815) from our family tree had two sons Timothy and John.  I am searching for the illusive link between John O'brien and the Peter Maher and Alice O'Brien who married in Clonmel before moving off to Kent in about 1845.

It would be very helpful to know who the parents were of Andrew O'Brien, do you have this name and that of his wife.

Fascinated to learn about the Kent connection too and would love top know more.

I guess finally is the position of Peter and Alice Maher'sa eldest daughter, Annie Elizabeth.  We lose track on her after he baptism record in Clonmel until she turns up in New York in about 1903.  When the family moved to Kent she is not listed on the census retuyrn six years ;ater in 1871; I had assumed another childhood  death.  Perhaps she did go to Kent with them and perhaps was not at home on census night; away working as a residential maid?  (consistemt with her later employment in New York).  Annie says she travelled to the USA in 1878; did she travel alone of with some other family member? we can find no consistent listing in any ships manifest for her.

Alternatively did she stay in Ireland with members of the enlarged family?  Did she go from Ireland to New York, perhaqps as part of an O'Brien party?

So many questions!  

Look forward to hearing from you again.  

Peter

Dear Tom,

The reply from Toni may explain why your search of Clonmel records could not find a link to the Walsh/O'Brien family.  Tony and I, hopefully, will be able to bottom out possible links between the familes.  The obvious explanation is that they married in Ann's local church rather than Clonmel.

Do you think this makes sense?

Peter

Attn: Gregory who posted a comment above on March 12th:

I set up a new message for you in Newcastle parish. Tom Hussey will have some information for you.

Roger McDonnell

Hi Tom,  thankyou for alerting me to the potential problems.  As a novice user i don't know who Roger is and how to get in touch with him.  Could you forward this to him and ask 1. remove email addresss, 2. forward my email address to Toni with a request for contact.  Thanks.  Peter

Peter:

As requested, I deleted your e-mail address from your March 16th comment at 11:31.  Toni should have received a couple notifications that additional comments were posted  to this message thread. Lets wait a few days to see if she posts another comment.

Roger

Dear Peter:

I am the Volunteer Coordinator with the Ireland Reaching Out programme and I have been following this thread.  I'm delighted to see the progress that you are making with others about your family research.

If you would like any email information, please contact me directly at:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com.

The very best of luck to you with your research!

Kind regards,

Jane.