Looking for information about the Mahon family of Masonbrook, Loughrea and any living relatives

Novagirl:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Hopefully, someone will see your message and recognize the family. I did locate the 1895 civil marriage record for John and Margaret. She was from a townland called Ballylogue in Killoran civil parish to the northeast of Loughrea parish. Margaret's father was Malachy and Thomas was the father of John.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…

I also found Malachy in the 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Killoran civil parish. He was living in Ballylogue.

You may also want to consider autosomal DNA testing.

Roger McDonnell

Hi Roger,

Many thanks for replying to my post and for the helpful information. I will update that information in my family tree and hopefully it will provide some additional clues.  I do hope that some other kind person will recognize the names and share information.  I have done the DNA testing through Ancestry, and actually just got the results yesterday.  It confirmed that two other people that I had connected with because I saw connected names on their Ancestry family trees were indeed cousins.  There are a number of other names that popped up, but unfortunately most of them do not have family trees for me to look at and I have not found one yet that shares a name that I know to be in my family tree.  I will keep hunting though!  Many thanks again for your help.  I really appreciate it. - Kerry

Kerry:

Ancestry DNA matches are hard to work with since many people do not have a public tree as you indicated. I think some people take the test to get their ethnicity breakdown and go no further.

You may want to look into Gedmatch www.gedmatch.com which is a volunteer run site. You can load your raw Ancestry DNA data to Gedmatch and see if you match people who tested with other companies (and also loaded their data to Gedmatch).

Roger

Hi Roger:        

Thanks for that advice.  I will look into the gedmatch site.  I was curious if you might have some other tips on how I might be able to chase down another clue that I think I have stumbled onto.  This document references a Father Michael Mahon who is buried in the Abbey cemetery in Loughrea, and I am trying to see if he may be a member of my family.  Do you have any thoughts on how best to track down who his family might be? I'm wondering if he could be related to my great great grandfather (Thomas Mahon)? Would it be typical in that time for a Priest to stay in his local community?

Kerry

Novagirl:

Normally a priest would not be assigned to his own parish. We don't have access to the images for 1870 death records at this time. Images start in 1878 but the 1870 records should come on line maybe later this year or in 2019. I did check and there were no 1870 deaths recorded in the Loughrea registration district in 1870. Possibly this Fr. Michael was from another diocese and was buried in his home area. Until the 1870  death records becomes available onlinethere is not much more you can do.

Roger

Hi Roger     ​​Thanks for the guidance.  I will keep my eyes peeled for updates.                                                                                                                                                                                                Kerry

Hi Roger, - in your original reply to me you referenced Malachy in the 1855 Griffiths Valuation as head of household listing for Killoran civil parish. By My estimates I have Malachy as being born @ 1850.  Do you think the Malachy you referenced may have been his father?                                                                                                                                                                                                    Thanks - Kerry

Kerry:

Good possibility that Malachy was his father. Uncle is also a possibility.

Roger

Hi Roger - I had been told by mother that her father (Michael Mahon) had also been in a British Internment camp, but I have not been able to verify that. However I have come across a couple of other references to other Mahons. Do you know how I could verify if the two Mahon men referenced in this doc are the brothers of my grandfather? Thanks Kerry

Kerry:

Very interesting read. My initial reaction is that there is no connection. I'm familiar with Loughrea and it is a twenty minute car drive to Oranmore now so a much greater distance a hundred years ago and of course, Mahon was a common sunrame. I would start with the main library in Galway city and ask for advice on resources related to IRA members.

Roger

Hi Roger,       Thanks for the advice.  I'm hoping this is something I can do on-line with the library.  I just took a look at the Galway city library site, and am not immediately seeing where I might find an appropriate contact. Would you recommend just emailing info@galwaylibrary.ie ?     Thx - Kerry

Kerry:

Yes, I would start with the address you listed and if no response contact the Oranmore branch library.

Roger

Thanks Roger.  I will send them a note.