Hi there, I'm looking to trace my grandfather James Walsh's parents James Walsh & Mary Walsh (cavanagh) from Killaloonty Tuam. Mary's parents emigrated to America when she was a Baby so she lived with her aunt Honor (Norah) Forde & her husband Michael Forde. I have found both families Walsh & Forde on both 1901/1911 census. Would be great if anyone had any information in helping me trace any living family as my grandfather lost all contact with his family after his father died and his mother remarried and moved to England .
Saturday 10th Jun 2017, 12:40PM
Message Board Replies
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Rachel:
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!
It will be very difficult to find living descendants. Can you clarify when James Walsh and Mary Cavanagh married. There was a 1903 record in Belfast (see below) You will need to sign-in. There are also Mary Kavanagh/James Walsh marriages in other parts of Ireland but now Co. Galway.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…
Forde is a very common surname in Galway. You can try the online Irish phone book https://www.eirphonebook.ie/ Use Residential TAB and if you see someone in Tuam, send them a letter.
Roger McDonnell
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Hi Roger thank you for the information unfortunely this is not them Mary's fathers name was patrick. I'm not certain on dates but I'd guess they married in 1902 or 1903 as my grandads brother was born in 1904.
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Rachel:
Still can't find the marriage record.Do you have a birth record for the brother?
Roger
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Dear Rachel: Thank you for your query to the Ireland Reaching Out message board. We do have a local volunteer who I have contacted on your behalf and she will revert to you with information. Thank you for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out and please let us know if there is anything further that we can do to assist you. Another alternative for research is to try the parish office in Tuam. They may be able to assist with the local family that you are connected to. We do not advocate cold-calling due to the number of phone scams out there and many people would be unwilling to help/answer any queries.
You also mention the surname Forde. Would you be able to give us further information as that would greatly narrow down the area that your Forde connection might have been from?
Many thanks for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
Jane.
Jane Halloran Ryan
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Dear Rachel: Thank you for your query to the Ireland Reaching Out message board. We do have a local volunteer who I have contacted on your behalf and she will revert to you with information. Thank you for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out and please let us know if there is anything further that we can do to assist you. Another alternative for research is to try the parish office in Tuam. They may be able to assist with the local family that you are connected to. We do not advocate cold-calling due to the number of phone scams out there and many people would be unwilling to help/answer any queries.
You also mention the surname Forde. Would you be able to give us further information as that would greatly narrow down the area that your Forde connection might have been from?
Many thanks for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
Jane.
Jane Halloran Ryan
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Evening Rachel
I have asked a local person from that specific area if they recognise any of those surnames from the area and hopefully she will get back to me later this week.
I see the family on the Census alright HERE. It would seem like the correct assumption that Catherine and James married between 1901 and 1911 - she is not mentioned there in 1911. There is one Walsh family there in 1911 but no Mary and James in that townland.
Do you know when James died? A civil death record would pin-point where he was at the time of his death - they may have moved outside of Tuam.
I will let you know as soon as I know more.
Best wishes
Clare Doyle
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Hi Clare James and Mary where married and living in Raleigh row Galway in the 1911 census and in 1901 census James was living with his family in killaloonty. His fathers name is also James walsh.
hi Roger I think Thomas was born in Tuam and his year of birth is 1904 and he emigrated to America in 1924 over to his grandparents in Baltimore. I also think his father died around 1918. Many thanks for all the help.
Jane thank you only info on fordes is tat they lived in killaloonty and Mary kavanagh lived with them as her parents emigrated to America wen she was a baby. Wen Mary's husband James died there kids (my grandad) James walsh born 1904 and his brother Thomas sister Mary and twin brothers Bernard & Francis and possibly another sister have no name where living with the fordes for sometime. There mother went to England not sure if she was remarried before she went.
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Jane Mary's aunt honor Forde is her fathers ( patrick Kavanaghs) sister.
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Hi Clare/Jane and Rachel!
Rachel:
No luck looking for a Thomas Walsh 1904 civil birth record in Tuam or anywhere else in Ireland. I even did a reverse search for Cavanagh and did not see the birth record. www.irishgenealogy.ie
Roger
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Hi Rachel,
I believe that the relationship shown on the 1901 census is incorrect.
Mary Cavanagh was born 24th November 1879 in Tuam, parents Patrick Kavanagh and Bridget Carroll.
Michael Forde was married to Honor Carroll. More than likely Bridget Carroll and Honor Carroll were sisters and the 1901 census should have read Mary Kavanagh "Niece in Law".
Link to birth of James Joseph Walsh in Galway City in 1905. Mary's surname spelt Kavanagh.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_retur…;
Regards
Gerard, Parish Liaison Lackagh
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Hello Gerlish, thank you so much for the information as I thought the name Carroll was just a mistake on the census. U wonder then did the kavanagh side Patrick's parents live in Tuam also?? Maybe Thomas was born out of wedlock and have Kavanagh on his birthcert ? So many questions thanks again for all the help from Irelandxo.com. Cannot get the link to open for the birth of James. Looking forward to more answers too share with family.
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Hi roger, is it common! Could u find him on going to America and I also have him on American census 1930 1940 . Thanks again
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Attached Filesbernard walsh death.pdf (289.81 KB)
hi all
i have been searching through deaths for surname walsh as i was looking for my grandads brother bernard walsh who had a twin brother (francis) DOB september 1914. i was told tat bernard had died at a young age. i found his death and he died in salt hill industrial school in 1921 aged 6 . would anyone have any idea how i would go about tracing wat happened to his twin brother.
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Hi All
I saw that Carroll connection last night and located the Michael Forde marriage and have asked my contact this morning to see if her family can connect a Carroll. It would seem that the Forde family lived in the area back to Murty Forde, Michael's father and perhaps before that too.
In relation to Bernard, you could contact the Records Unit at the Dept of Health and Children who can check their Access to Institutional and Related Records Project to see if he is recorded there. You can find them on Google easily enough
Will get back to you with any additional info I find next week.
Clare
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Attached FilesJames Walsh Civil Birth 1905.jpg (49.52 KB)
PS attached is a a jpeg of Gerlish's link to James birth
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Thank you so much Clare I really appreciate your help.
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Hi Rachel
My name is Michaela and I am the great Grandaughter of Mary Cavanagh.and James Walsh. I too am conducting ancestry searches on my great grandfather, James Walsh and Mary Cavanagh.
My grandmother, Mary Walsh, born 4th May 1915 in Oughterard, Tuam, Galway and her sister Nora Walsh, born 24th August 1922, were both taken to live in a convent, following the death of my great grandfather James.
My grandmother Mary, revealed, very little information, regarding her early life in Galway. My mother Eileen, Mary's daughter, was told that her brothers were sent over to America to live with relatives, my grandmother gave no explanation as to why this was!. My grandmother said that her father James, was killed at work, where he was working as a groomsman, James, was apparantly, kicked by a horse, this apparantly occured in 1922, unknown location. James and Mary, lived in a cottage, in the grounds of the estate, where Mary , was permitted to remain, for a further twelve months following James's death.
My great grandmother, as stated, then placed the two girls in a convent, Mary, aged eight and Nora, just a baby. It is unknown as to why and the convent name is unknown. In 1924, I believe, my great grandmother, married a Mr. Patrick Byrne, in Tuam, Galway in 1924, and subsequently, followed him to England, where I believe, he came to find work.
Both daughters remained in the convent in Ireland until my grandmother, Mary, at thirteen years of age, somehow, left the convent and sailed to England alone, to be with her mother. Nora was sent for, again, no information, as to whom it was the brought Nora over to England. Neither of them saw their brothers again.
My great grandmother passed away in Leigh, Lancashire, England in 1967. My grandmother, Mary, passed away in 1993.
Any information would be greatly appreciated, to assist me in piecing together, the lives of my grandmothers' brothers.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Michaela
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Hi Rachel
My name is Michaela and I am the great Grandaughter of Mary Cavanagh.and James Walsh. I too am conducting ancestry searches on my great grandfather, James Walsh and Mary Cavanagh.
My grandmother, Mary Walsh, born 4th May 1915 in Oughterard, Tuam, Galway and her sister Nora Walsh, born 24th August 1922, were both taken to live in a convent, following the death of my great grandfather James.
My grandmother Mary, revealed, very little information, regarding her early life in Galway. My mother Eileen, Mary's daughter, was told that her brothers were sent over to America to live with relatives, my grandmother gave no explanation as to why this was!. My grandmother said that her father James, was killed at work, where he was working as a groomsman, James, was apparantly, kicked by a horse, this apparantly occured in 1922, unknown location. James and Mary, lived in a cottage, in the grounds of the estate, where Mary , was permitted to remain, for a further twelve months following James's death.
My great grandmother, as stated, then placed the two girls in a convent, Mary, aged eight and Nora, just a baby. It is unknown as to why and the convent name is unknown. In 1924, I believe, my great grandmother, married a Mr. Patrick Byrne, in Tuam, Galway in 1924, and subsequently, followed him to England, where I believe, he came to find work.
Both daughters remained in the convent in Ireland until my grandmother, Mary, at thirteen years of age, somehow, left the convent and sailed to England alone, to be with her mother. Nora was sent for, again, no information, as to whom it was the brought Nora over to England. Neither of them saw their brothers again.
My great grandmother passed away in Leigh, Lancashire, England in 1967. My grandmother, Mary, passed away in 1993.
Any information would be greatly appreciated, to assist me in piecing together, the lives of my grandmothers' brothers.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Michaela
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Hi Michaela and all
That fills in some of the blanks as to why Bernard was placed in the Industrial School at such a young age.
My contact is still checking things out but says that there was an older Forde lady living in Killaloonty and she died a few years ago. I am checking with the Presbytery in Tuam to see if they can give me a plot number for the grave - there may be a Walsh grave beside or near it too, and they would possibly be Nora & Mary's grandparents.
If you can take out a subscription to the Irish Newspaper Archives you might be able to find out about any reporting of James's accident. I assume he is buried in Galway if he was there in 1911 - unless he is buried in the family plot in Tuam. Again, the AIRR Project mentioned above in my earlier post, might provide some info as to what home the girls were placed in - there were a few in Galway including the Sisters of Mercy who had an orphanage in Galway City in the early 1920s and before that managed the Widows' and Orphans' asylum.
As/if I know more I will get in touch here again
Clare
PS I am not aware of any place in Tuam where there is a townland of Oughterard, so you could be talking about the town of Oughterard in the parish of Kilcummin, some distance from Tuam. Perhaps James worked there.
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Hi Michaela , omg I am so happy I have finally found family belong to my grandad. This is my email if would like to contact me and I will gladly pass on all the information I have found to date. I cried when I read your reply I am so excited to find out more about you. Email: staffordrachel@yahoo.ie . It's funny I was only down in Tuam today and spoke to a distant cousin of ours. I am from Dublin and that's where my grandad settled after he left the army. Looking forward to your reply. Rachel
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Clare thank you so much for all your help .
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Hi Clare
I have just spoken to my mother, whom it seemed, had always believed her mother, Mary Walsh, to be older than she said. My grandmother celebrated her birthday on 4th May 1915, but the 1911 census clearly states her date of birth as 1909, making her six years older than we thought. The question is why???. My mother is now convinced that Nora Walsh is the daughter of my Grandmother, not her sister, this being the reason my Grandmother was placed in a home, apparantly, ran by French Nuns. This is very possible, as James Walsh, my Great Grandfather was believed to have died in 1922, just after Nora was born, however, I am unable to find any evidence of this in that year. Should James Walsh have died in 1918 as suggested in Rachel's post, he could not have been Nora's father, whose date of birth was 24th August 1922.
My Grandmother did mention her brothers to my mum, although, rarely. The impression given to my mother was that the brothers had all been sent over to America when she was placed in the convent, I now know this to be untrue. My Grandmother never saw her brothers again, which I find so, so sad.
Michaela
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Hi
I haven't been able to learn anything further but I have the grave plot number for the Forde family in Tuam main graveyard. I am waiting for the graveyard caretaker to tell me he is free to meet and he will show me the plot. I will sent on a photo when I can.
Clare
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Hi Clare, I was shown the fordes plot recently when I was in Tuam and also have pics . Is this the main graveyard for Tuam or is there more ? The Walsh's lived on the Galway road so would this graveyard be for this area too. Thanks again for all your help. Rachel.
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Hi Rachel, yes that would be the main graveyard for Tuam. There is a smaller one in Belclare but that is a good bit further out the Galway Road outside the town, so Tuam is likely your focus.
Best wishes
Clare
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Thanks Clare can I ask wat is the name of tat graveyard in Tuam where the fordes are buried ? Rachel
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Hi Rachel
It's just called Tuam Graveyard, it's on the Athenry Road on the outskirts of the town. I am still waiting for the Caretaker to call me to say he can meet and show me where in the Forde family are buried. I have a Section and Plot number but i's too big to just wander aimlessly around on the off-chance I see it (tried that!) I will add what images I find.
Clare
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Brilliant thanks so much Clare
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Attached Files
Attached pics of Forde grave in Tuam
Clare
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Hi Clare
Thank you so much for all your help I really appreciate everything u have done and to Ireland reaching out, I wouldn't have got as far as I have without all your help.
Rachel x