How to find my ancestors Parish

Dear Jane:

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

I note your attachments and your comments about County Waterford.  This may be a good place to start as both surnames (Gooley and Fitzgerald) were there and it would appear that your ancestors may well have known one another before they emigrated.

I have found a Michael Gooley born about 1852 in Cahir Waterford to parents names John Gooley and Honor Shunny.  This is from the Roots Ireland Database which is a subscription site that has transcribed records from all over Ireland.  This may or may not be your Michael. 

In addition, I noted that there is a family tree on Ancestry that is associated with Michael Gooley which gives him a year of birth of 1845 based upon his death certificate of 9 October 1887.  It also lists his parents as Martin and Mary.  I was not able to find any corresponding birth/baptism record for a Michael Gooley with these parents, but it is possible that the registers are not on this site, and may be held in the parish. 

I also noted that Michael Gooley was listed as a blacksmith.  Often, that trade tended to run in families, so it might be worth looking further to see if there were other Gooleys who were also trading as blacksmiths.  You mentioned a James Gooley, a brother living with Michael and his wife, Kate in 1870.  Have you traced him?  He may give you further clues as to Martin's parents as well as to the parish that they came from.

I have found a Martin Gooley aged 70 in the 1901 Census living in Portlaw Waterford with his wife Alice. 

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Waterford/Portlaw/William_Street/1768503/

You might also take a look at the Griffith's Valuation for Gooley families living in Waterford.

There is a Patrick Gooley living in the townland and the civil parish of Kilbarrymeaden.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=48&Submit.y=15&familyname=Gooley&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=WATERFORD&unionname=&parishname=

If you can gather as much information as possible about your ancestors from the Chicago area to include gravestone information and cemetery records, that would be a big help to you with your research.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Jane.

Dear Jane Halloran Ryan,

This is the most useful help I have ever received- thank you so much!!  The Michael Gooley information you found on him is probably from me.  I guessed on his parent's names just to generate more information to follow.  His year of birth is hard to determine because his age seems to change with every document I find him in.  Michael's brother, James,  is hard to trace because he doesn't show-up again in Illinois.  I did find a James Gooley living in Pennsylvania in 1880 and he is working for the railroad.  This could be Michael's brother based on the age but I haven't found any concrete proof.  James Gooley in Pennsylvania did remain there and die there.  He was married and had a small family.  I have attached James Gooley's death information.  I also included a 1900 census of James Gooley with his family.   Michael Gooley's youngest son was named James Gooley so it is making searching for the other James problematic.  When I look in the directories for James Gooley in Chicago, I only find Michael's son James.  But I will go back and try again.   I will definitely look at the sites you have attached for me and let you know how it goes.  Michael Gooley and Catherine Fitzgerald married in Chicago at St. Columbkille Catholic Church, would that be normal to know each other in Waterford, Ireland but not marry until you get to the states?  I searched all Irish Catholic Churches online from another site that had the marriage registrations for these churches and just got lucky.  It took quite a while.  I based the year on the birth of their first born.   I also attached Michael and Catherine nee Fitzgerald Gooley's second son's birth information.  I see there is a Joanna Fitzgerald and perhaps she is a Godparent.  Prior to 1870, cenus records for Illinois do not list the names of wives or children.  Talk about rediculous!!!!  It is so frustrating!!!  Thank you again for your help Jane!!  Sincerely, Jane