Searching for Kelly/Shea Family Roots

joesamjon3:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

There are four Ballynakill civil parishes in Co. Galway which complicates research. Your Ballynakill would be in the western part of Co. Galway in the barony of Ballynahinch. Unfortunately, the Letterfrack RC parish register did not show the townland whre the Patrick Kelly family lived when Anne was baptized in 1874. I also located a sister Mary Anne who was baptized in 1872. I looked for the marriage record in Co. Galway and did not find a record. Shea is not a Galway surname so I expanded the search and located an 1871 record down in Co. Kerry where the name Shea is very common. The record is below. Now I can't guarantee that this is the correct record for your ancestors particularly since Patrick Kelly and Mary Shea are very common names. You could get a copy of the civil marriage record which would show more information. The index record is below. By the way I also looked at the 1901 census for Ballynakill parish (Ballynahinch) and Patrick and Mary were not there. Let me know what questions you have.

Roger McDonnell

First name(s)MaryLast nameSheaRegistration year1871Registered Quarter/Year1871Registration districtCahersiveenVolume10Page29MarriageFinder™Mary Shea married
Patrick Kelly

Area - KERRY (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - PRIOR

Marriage of PATRICK KELLY of NR and MARY SHEA of PORTMAGEE on 18 April 1871

HusbandWifeNamePATRICK KELLYMARY SHEAAddressNRPORTMAGEEOccupationNRNRFatherNR NRNR NRMotherNR NRNR NR

Further details in the record

PriestREV. J. BARTONHusband's Father's OccupationNRWitness 1TIMOTHY SULLIVANWitness 2PATRICK SHEA

How can I obtain a civil marriage record?

What does NR PortMagee refere to?  also is there an occupation, not sure what NR Witness means?

Thank you for what information you have provided, it is more than I have been able to find.

My maiden name is Susan Marie Collins, my father was Charles E. Collins, and his father was Cornelius Collins.  Charles had one brother, Lawrence Collins, both born in the U.S.

My father was born in U.S. in 1909 in Watertown MA.  Cornelius, I think came into the U.S. from Canada.  My latest information is that he met Anne Kelly in St Johns New Brunswick, Canada and they traveled into the U.S. and married in the U.S.  I cannot tell if Cornelius was born in Canada or in Ireland.  My father always told us he was an emigrant from Ireland, but some of my research shows that he may have been born in Canada, parents being John Collins and Bridget Ultican.

I have not been able to confirm either side of the family.

joesamjon2:

Just seeing your April 12th comment.

Go to this link https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx   print out the marriage form and fill it out to the best of your ability. Include the info from the index record above: year, registration district and volume and page number. Make sure you only request a copy which should cost around 4 euros. You have to mail the request to Ireland (address provided whn you print the form) but you can aks GRO to e-mail the copy back. I always use a credit card number and have had no issues. 

Portmagee is a town in Killemlagh civil parish in Kerry.

NR means not recorded

Roger

It has been quite some time, but I have been researching on Ancestry and found quite a bit.  I know my Great Grandmother, Mary Shea Kelley was married to a Patrick Kelley.  They had two daughters, Mary Kelley and Anna Marie Kelley (my Grandmother).  Anna Marie Kelley was baptized Mar 22 1874 in Ballanakill Parish Letterfrack County Galway,  Her sponsors were Tom and Mary Kelley.  My Great Grandmother Mary Shea Kelley and her two daughters journeyed to American sometime between 1883 and 1888.  They settled in Watertown MA USA and my Great Grandmother shows on all US census records as a widow to Patrick Kelley.  I have just sent for a long form Birth Record for my Grandmother thru GRO and hope they find it or send a letter that it does not exist.  I have her Long Form Baptismal Record, Marriage Certificate and Death Certificate in the US.  I am hoping to apply for Dual Citizenship if I can get all the required documents together.  My interest now is to locate some information on my Great Grandfather, Patrick Kelley.  I cannot locate him and have no information to even apply to GRO with such as date of birth or death.  If appears that he may have died in Ireland as there is no evidence that he traveled with the family to the US? I see the information you had posted, but it appears to be a real long shot.  There should be some evidence that they lived in the Parish location when they baptized Anna Marie especially using sponsors with the Kelley name?  Not sure if you can help further, I have hit a wall for Patrick.  Thank you 

copying response I made to a Facebook post on the same family...

Civil birth records for Anne - 3rd March 1874 and Mary Jane - 6th December 1872

Residence for both births seems to be Dawros More townland which is located less than 2 km north west of Letterfrack. Patt's occupation is listed as labourer. Informant for both births is mother - using her mark.

marriage of Pat Kelly & Mary Shea - 6th Feb 1872 at Ballinakill RC chapel. Both give their residence as Letterfrack, Patrick's father is Thomas occupation tailor, and Mary's father is John a labourer.

Unfortunately the records for the RC parish of Ballinakill only go back to 1869, so it may not be possible to trace any earlier details on Pat or Mary and their families. I didn't find any sign of good match for a death for Patrick in Clifden district ..