Wednesday, October 31, 2018

The Sweeneys of Lakelands

John Sweeney married Ellen Hurley on February 22, 1846 in Skibbereen. Witnesses were Michael Hurley and Daniel Hurley.

It is believed Michael and Daniel were Ellen's brothers. The extended family is being modeled on the assumption that Ellen was baptized January 22, 1815 and that her parents were John Hurley and Jane McCarthy. There are no baptism records to confirm the parentage of her assumed siblings.

The Sweeneys resided in Lakelands and Kilnaclasha. Their known children were:

Eugene bap. 01 Mar 1847, godparents Daniel Hurley and Mary Sweeney
Michael bap. 29 Apr 1849, godparents Michael Hurley and Catherine Sweeney
John bap. 12 Aug 1851, godparents James Barrett (Barnett?) and Catherine Sweeney
Daniel bap. 13 Aug 1854, godparents Daniel Hurley and Mary Sweeney
Ellen bap. 18 Mar 1858, godparents Michael Hurley and Mary Hurley
Patrick bap. 16 Apr 1862, godparents Patrick Hurley and Ellen Sullivan

Mary Hurley was probably a sister, married to Jeremiah Driscoll before 1839. Daniel Hurley, an assumed brother, married Honora McCarthy in 1850. Michael, another assumed brother, married Bridget Cahalane in 1838.

Eugene Sweeney was a godfather to a relative, Kate Hurley of Coolnagarrane, on September 30, 1878.

Ellen Hurley Sweeney died October 11, 1879 in Kilnaclasha, a widow. Patrick Sweeney, the informant, was presumably the youngest son.

One of the problems with researching this family is that there was a doppelganger family in Letter (Clooncugger), and it is easy to get the two families mixed up since they resemble each other so closely.

Eugene's doppelganger married a Catherine Regan in 1883. There is a record of Eugene Sweeney, deceased father John, marrying Mary Duggan in 1886.

After that, the Sweeney trail goes ice cold.

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