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For over 15 years I have been searching for the family of John Patrick Joseph Fahey born March 1870 in Galway Ireland. John was my great-grandfather. John immigrated to the US with his family sometime between 1875-1885, possibly to the state of Ohio.

John "ran away" from his parents and family at the age of 18 and rarely, if ever, spoke of them again. Because of the secrecy and silence, I have very little solid information to go on in my search for his family. My grandmother said he wouldn't speak of them and what little they knew they learned from their mother.

According to family stories, John's parents could possibly be Joseph Fahey and Mary Kathleen O'Connell or O'Connor. He lists on his petition for naturalization that he was born in Streamsford, Ireland.

John ended up working in coal mines in Kentucky and eventually moved to the state of Indiana where I live now.

I have traced Streamsford to this parish and am desperately hoping for some clue or sliver of evidence/help in determining in fact who is family was and what happened to them. Any information at all would be so greatly appreciated.

Wendy

Monday 17th Mar 2014, 09:21PM

Message Board Replies

  • Dear Wendy

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and apologies for the delay in replying to your message. 

    As you can see from the link below, Killimodaly is a Civil Parish in Co. Galway:

    http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/townlands/index.cfm?fuseaction=TownlandsInCivil&civilparishid=1050&civilparish=Killimordaly&citycounty=Galway

    Records for the corresponding Roman Catholic Parish of Killimordaly and Kiltullagh begin in 1839. As this is the case, you should be able to locate a baptism record for John as well as a civil birth record, as he was born after 1864 when civil registration began in Ireland (generally speaking). Have you already tried searching the sites suggested below?

    www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.

    www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.

    Other important sources include the Tithe Applotment Books and Griffith?s Valuation:

    Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1837): http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp

    Griffith?s Valuation (1847-1864): http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

    Even though these sources only name the head of household, the information can be very useful - John's father may be named here. 

    Have you tried searching Ancestry.com for any mention of your ancestor?s name in member family trees or messages?

    Some other websites that may be helpful are:

    The National Archives of Ireland: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/  you can search the 1901/1911 Census on the National Archives page too for instances of the family name at that time

    Owners of land over 1 acre 1876http://www.failteromhat.com/lo1876/295.pdf 

    Remember to post any new information that you find here. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

    Best of luck with your search

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support  

    Tuesday 8th Apr 2014, 10:53AM
  • Hey Wendy,

    I am a volunteer living in the parish of Kiltullagh Killimordaly. Apologies for not getting back to you before now, whilst I have picked up the records i have for the parish of Kiltullagh Killimordaly here outside the town of Athenry in County Galway many times since you posted, a direct connection is not jumping out at me. This is not to say that there is not a connection, there are a few Fahy families in the parish, indeed the records of our 1821 Cenuss show a few families in a number of townlands in our large parish, again in the Tithes around 1824. No Fahey or Fahy for Griffith Valuation @ 1857 for Streamford mind.  (but there is, Fahy Edward Brackloon Grange Galway and
    Fahy John Cross Grange Galway and a Fahy Thomas Grange Galway so do check out Griffiths)

    Ok looking at what we do know and you may have already accessed same, baesd on the Streamsford connetion you mentioned - this would be in what is known as the parish of Grange, Galway. Going on the 1901 Census records there are two listing, for Fahey Patrick (65), Catherine (55) and their children Mary, Thomas and Joseph viewed http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Grange/Streamsf…, the other for an Annie Fahy (22) a Servant in a neighbouring house. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Grange/Streamsf…

    This might seem to be a good connection to your family date wise????

    The 1911 Census for the same area does not show up a Fahey or Fahy name that I can see. But  have  aroute around based on the following locations mentioned below.

    O'Donovan's Field Name Books describe Streamsford (Irish = Baile an tSruth?in meaning town of the streamlet), situated on the N. boundary of the parish. It has the parish of Killimer-Daly N. and the townland of Beechhill on the S. In Kilconnel Barony.
    So, whilst some records would note that Streamsford has a Killimordaly connection, it would be more associated with the civil parish of Grange as mentioned already, and the barony of Kilconnell, and that would tie in with church records for the neighbouring parishes of Bullaun, Grange & New Inn in Galway East. A good map of the area comes from 1840s OS http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/maps/#M233%7CLX83544Y31326%7CS0.3640733%… or indeed the modern day version Google Maps https://www.google.com/maps/@53.32208,-8.53474,15z
    It's immediate neighbours would be Clooncah (in parish of Killimordaly), Cappaghnanool, Beech Hill, Skehanagh, and a place called Dooghcloon.
    OS map with give you an idea of location and surrounding townlands: http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,563337,730350,5,7

    This is a good site for getting use to the names of the surrounding area http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/asp/parish.asp?id=18721 and might help pinpoint the name further. There are crossovers through as Brackloon mentioned in grange here is in Raford in the parish of Kiltullagh here today, a Fahy family does live here today but still some distance from Streamsford and unsure of connection as yet, if any (although note the Griffith Valuation of Edward Fahy above).

    can i direct you also to gravyard records where you will find quite a few Fahy names (may/may not be related):
    Grange - http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Heritage/Graveyards/Grange/
    Killaan - http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Heritage/Graveyards/Killaan/
    Killimordaly - http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Heritage/Graveyards/Killimordaly/
    Kiltullagh - http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Heritage/Graveyards/Killtullagh/

    Something else i found, again as Fahey/Fahy are common surnames and all the forenames such as Joseph, Thomas, John etc are also very common, this may or maynot be a relative, but worth a mention
    Patrick Fahey Date and Place of Death=20th June 1868 Ballyfa, Grange Age last birthday=10 years; Labourer's Child; Key drocphelis(?), Certified Cause of Death and Duration of Illness=2 months Uncertified no medical attendant; Signature, Qualification and Residence of Informant=The X Mark of Margt Fahey, present at death, Ballyfa
    (Ballyfa Grange would be close to Streamsford Grange)
    Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlgal/index24.htm

    Hope this is of some help. Route around with the 1901 connection there a bit more if you have not already done so, see where the children might show up in the 1911 cenus, if Catherine is still alive, broaden out of the grange, area, killaan, new inn, indeed even woodland, athenry all these areas around them.

    My email is kiltullaghkillimordaly@gmail.com or post again here, as i do get notifications to my email.

    All the very best

    Michelle Mitchell

    Kiltullagh Killimordaly IRO Volunteer

    Tuesday 8th Apr 2014, 12:37PM
  • Thanks Michelle

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support

    Tuesday 8th Apr 2014, 02:03PM

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