After three years of an exhaustive search to find where in Ireland my 2nd great grandfather was born, I have been lucky to recently connect with a second cousin who had a document, Declaration for Pension, which states where he was born! My 2nd great grandfather, John Gilmore, served in the US Civil War. It states he was from County Down and it also seems to state his township (I am not sure if you call it township, village, or parish?). I seems to say something like Dacoment? I am a DNA match to four members of a family that has lived in Slievenaboley for many generations, so I wonder if it could be a neighboring town? John left Ireland when he was just 10 or so and without his parents. I don't think his parents ever came over to the US. This document was filled out some 60 years after his arrival and John may have remembered the town incorrectly, so it may be something similar. I am attaching both the relevant part of the document, but also the complete document as well if it is helpful. I hope you can help! Thanks in advance!
blamb
Wednesday 4th Jan 2023, 10:25PMMessage Board Replies
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I have a feeling that Dacoment might be Deehommed. That’s a townland in the parish of Drumgooland. And it's very near Slievenaboley (a few hundred yards away in fact). You can see where both are using this website:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9b31e0501b744154b4584b1dce1f85…
There are many Gilmores in Deehommed in Griffiths Valuation c 1860:
https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=name…
Deehommed is 1525 acres in size. In the 1901 census there were 94 houses there and a population of 333. There were about 6 Gilmore households (spelling of the name varies. 20 folk in all). All RC:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Moneyslane/Deehom…
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 4th Jan 2023, 11:16PM -
Elwyn, Thank you so much for your response! What a great lead for me! I am having difficulty grasping all of the information in the links that you gave. I do know that John's death certificate says that his mother's name was Catherine O'Hare. Does this still make sense with all that you see in these links? Thank you so much!
blamb
Wednesday 4th Jan 2023, 11:41PM -
Blamb,
The surname O’Hare was certainly common in the area. If you look at the census link I gave you’ll see 4 O’Hare households in Deehommed townland, and there will undoubtedly be others nearby. Folk married locally in those days. Courting was done on foot.
You haven’t actually said when John Gilmore was born or who his parents were. Might help if you told us that.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 12:51AM -
Elwyn, thanks again! John was likely born in 1832. He emigrated to the US in 1840 to 1844. His death certificate says his mother is Catherine O'Hare and his father was John Gilmore.
blamb
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 01:03AM -
Two RC parishes in that area. Drumgooland Lower with records starting 1832 and Drumgooland Upper with records from 1827. You can search them on the nli site: http://www.nli.ie Plus Ancestry & rootsireland also have them.
There are several John Gilmore baptisms around 1832 in Drumgooland but none to a mother Catherine O’Hare. Nearest was on 24.3.1833 in Drumgooland Lower to John Gilmer & Jane Doyle. That was in Deehommed.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 10:45AM -
Thank you so much, Elwyn!
blamb
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 12:27PM