Mahonys in Skibbereen

I have started snooping around in Bohernabredagh (often just abbreviated Bredagh) because there is a chance my great-great-grandmother Mary Mahony was the daughter of a Denis Mahony of this townland.

Mary Mahony married Daniel Collins 4-Feb-1845 in the old Drinagh chapel in the Roman Catholic parish of Drimoleague & Drinagh.  Witnesses included Denis Mahony, possibly her father.

Daniel Collins shows up in Cullomane East in Griffiths Valuation and the first child I know about, Mary, was baptized 1-Feb-1852. Mahony baptismal sponsors for the Collins children were Kean (Cain), Daniel, Catherine (Kate), and Timothy.

In the 1901 census Mary Mahony Collins was in Cullomane age 75.  The census says she is married but in fact her husband Daniel Collins had died in 1894.  She died in August that census year, estimated age 75, making her birth year possibly 1826, maybe a little before.

There is a Denis Mahony in the Dromdaleague tithe applotment in Bredagh, possibly her father.  A Denis Mahony is in Bredagh in Griffiths Valuation.  It could be the same Denis as in the TA, or possibly a descendant.

I have tallied the following names from the Abbeystrowry, Caheragh, Drinagh, and Dromdaleague Tithe Applotments, keeping in mind that the 1845 marriage took place in Drimoleague & Drinagh RC parish:

Cain Mahon(e)y
Clover Hill (Abbeystrowry)
Inchingerig (Caheragh)

Daniel Mahon(e)y
Kilnaclasha (Abbeystrowry)
Lissalohorig (Abbeystrowry)
Minanes (Drinagh)

Denis Mahon(e)y
Baurnagowlane (Dromdaleague)
Bredagh (Dromdaleague)
Clashduff (Dromdaleague)
Ceancullig (Dromdaleague)
Kealanine (Caheragh)
Minanes (Drinagh)
Seehanes (Dromdaleague)

Timothy Mahon(e)y
Cooranuller (Caheragh)
Derreenavarihy (Caheragh)
Minanes (Drinagh)

I know the tithe applotments could be too early for brothers of Mary Mahony named Cain, Daniel, or Timothy to be showing up, but, as is so often the case, closely related families often carry the same names.  When Skibbereen Heritage researched Mary Mahony for me, they came up with two potential Denis Mahonys as fathers:
12-Sep-1823 (Bredagh)
22-Aug-1819 (Lettergorman)

The best concentration of "matching" names is in and surrounding Bredagh.  And although there are no Mahonys in Lettergorman in the TA, Minanes is not far away, where there is another good concentration of matching names.

There are also Cains, Denises, Daniels, and Timothys in various parts of Skibbereen in Griffiths Valuation.  A Denis Mahony is in Lettergorman.

One Timothy Mahony, age 31, died 14-Apr-1864, in Driminidy; brother Cain Mahony of Clashduff was the informant.  Driminidy and Clushduff are within shouting distance of Bredagh.  Cain Mahony, age 92, died 2-Feb-1904, in Clashduff. He was in the 1901 census in Tonafora.  Again, this is within shouting distance of Bredagh.  Within Bredagh, the 1901 census shows Denis Mahony, age 53, HoH, with possibly batchelor brother Cain, age 60.  Cain died 4-May-1910, reported age 82, throwing the question of his age up in the air.  Were I to look for him among baptismals, I would probably start by what the death record estimates.

There is no assurance, of course, that Denis Mahony is the father of my Mary Mahony, but that is all I have to go on at the moment.  It is probably worth noting that the second known son of Mary Mahony and Daniel Collins was named Denis, who happened to be my great-grandfather.

The name Cain O'Mahony stands out, and it may be extremely old (many many centuries).  I have read literature that derives Cain from Enniskean, a place name.  The same name belonged to a man whose family had a store on Townsend Street in Skibbereen, at least from the mid-1800's. He was mentioned in Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa's book.  There is a picture of that gentleman here.