Townsend Estate Sale, 1898

A list of the purchasers in the Townsend Estate sale, around Skibbereen.

Townsend Estate Sale

Tithe Applotment Transcriptions for Bridgetown, Kilcummer, and Clonmel now online

New Publications!

Tithe Applotment transcriptions for Bridgetown and Kilcummer (in Fermoy union) and Clonmel (by Cobh).
Cork Gen Tithes

Kanturk district page:  Kanturk

Church of Ireland Transcriptions, by parish and by surname, starting with: Drimoleague

Collinses in Rearahinagh

My 3g-grandfather Larr Collins lived, by his own words, in Adrigole starting about 1803. If he wasn't pulling the leg of the loan officer to whom he made that statement in 1853, he would have been about 20 when he settled there. So far, I have been unable to conclusively link him to other Collins lines, though I do have a fishing line out there dangling (in the form of a Y-DNA test) and it could be a matter of waiting until enough Collinses with ancestry from west Cork step up to the plate (for such a common surname, the project has very few participants overall let alone participants with known Cork or Ireland ancestry).

Larr was by no means the only Collins around during the 1825 Tithe Applotment of Castlehaven parish. Also in Adrigole, which is the extreme north end of the parish, were Jerry (on the same lot), John, and Daniel. Unless his death record is grossly wrong and he was much older when he died, this Daniel was not my gg-grandfather Daniel, whom we think was born in 1814. So the questions are, did Larr have a brother Jeremiah, a brother Daniel, a brother John?

If it is the same Laurence in neighboring Coornishal during the 1829 Kilmacabea TA, there were a John and a Timothy Collins there also. The same surname and the close proximity to each other do not necessarily mean they were relatives, of course.

Later during Griffiths Valuation, there were a Timothy and a Patrick on Adrigole lots 2a and 3a while Laurence occupied 7b and 8a. I suspect it was this Patrick on the 1849 baptism record of Laurence Collins, my great-granduncle. Was Patrick this child's uncle?  And what happened to Patrick, who disappeared after Griffiths Valuation?

Such is research - it leads to more questions than answers.

I have been aware of the presence of Collinses in Rearahinagh almost since I've started my research.  Rearahinagh is a townland that does double duty between the parishes of Caheragh and of Drimoleague. I have had this Rearahinagh clue in my hand for a while, and today I may have finally added some substance to it.

There is a baptism record of a Laurence Collins in Drimoleague & Drinagh RC Parish.  The parents - Darby Collins and Margaret Neill, resided in Killaveenoge, part of the parish of Drinagh.  The baptism record is here:

10-Jul-1825 Laurence, Killaveenoge

Searching for other children of Darby (Jeremiah) Collins and Margaret Neill yields 0 results. However, there may be a clue in the Drinagh Tithe Applotment of 1833.

Looking in the TA under "Keelovinoge" there is nobody named Collins, and there is no Jeremiah or Darby Collins anywhere in the parish; however, there is a listing for a Darby Shinough Neill right there in Killaveenoge. The name Shinnick is a common name around the Dunmanway area. Could Shinnick have been an agnomen for O'Neill in these parts?

Repeating my search for children of Darby or Jeremiah Collins, only this time indicating the mother as Margaret Shin* Neil, yields the following additional results.  Note that the record above, for Laurence in 1825, is the only baptism record in which the mother Margaret is recorded as Neil:

In Dunmanway RC Parish:

30-Sep-1821 Michael, Derrynacaheragh

1-Feb-1824 Daniel, Lacka, godparents Jeremiah McCarthy, Catherine Collins

20-Aug-1826 James, Coom, godparents Pat Leary, Honora Collins

Now comes a possible Rearahinagh connection.

13-Jan-1832 John Collins, Rearahinagh, Caheragh RC parish
parents Timothy Collins and Margaret Roe (Donovan?),
Godparents were Jeremiah Collins and Margaret Neil

Then back to Dunmanway:

13-Apr-1832 Julia, Inchanadreen, godfather Daniel Collins

6-Jan-1835 Dennis, Inchanadreen, Dunmanway RC Parish,

I am unable to find any marriage records for a Jeremiah Collins and a Margaret Neil or Shinnick in what is available online.

Where are these locations?  Coom, Derrynacaharagh, and Inchanadreen are in Fanlobbus parish. Lacka was probably Lacka Wood, a woodland in Coom. These locations lie sharply northwest of the town of Dunmanway, encircling a lake at a location called Rockmount.

What do the tithe applotments tell me?

Location	Parish	Year	Names
Coom	Fanlobbus	1827	Denis, Timothy Collins
Derrynacaheragh	Fanlobbus	1827	no Collinses
Inchanadreen	Fanlobbus	1827	no Collinses
Rearahinagh	Caheragh	1827	Jeremiah Collins

What does Griffiths Valuation tell me?

Location	Parish	Year	Names
Coom	Fanlobbus	1852	Michael, John, Timothy Collins
Derrynacaheragh	Fanlobbus	1852	no Collinses
Inchanadreen	Fanlobbus	1852	no Collinses
Rearahinagh	Caheragh	1853	Margaret Collins
Rearahinagh	Drimoleague	1853	John, Timothy, Jeremiah Collins

The Michael listed in Coom certainly could have been the one born in 1821. However, I have not found a John or Timothy up around Coom, born to this couple.

If I am wrong and the couple in Dunmanway and the couple in Drimoleague were two different couples, there is still a good chance that the Drimoleague couple whose son Laurence was baptized in 1825 were the godparents of a Collins child baptized 1832 in Rearahinagh, adjacent to Adrigole.

So far there is no conflicting data showing these MUST have been two separate couples. If I am correct that this is the same couple in all these records, they were apparently laborers and moved around where the work was. Maybe their time around Dunmanway is a clue to where the family originally came from. However, much more investigation needs to happen before I can make any case that the Dunmanway and Drimoleague families were the same family, much less claim that they may have been relatives of Larr. I am going to have to trace back a few families in the Adrigole area, not as easy as it sounds, since baptism records for the area from the early 1800's are so sparse. Rearahinagh is tough to research. So far, I have not seen it in the Tenure Book for Caheragh or for Drimoleague so I may have to dig elsewhere.

Hurleys and Cahalanes, Part 2

In a previous post I described the family of Michael Hurley and Bridget Cahalane of Coolnagarrane, outside of Skibbereen. Their oldest son, John, was my gg-grandfather. Michael and Bridget married in Kilmacabea parish, near Leap, from which came numerous Cahalanes, and so I wonder how did Michael and Bridget meet. Is it possible the Hurleys were also from there and moved to Coolnagarrane before 1815?

Both the Hurleys and the Cahalanes are rather mysterious to me. The information that follows is rather speculative since Skibbereen baptism and marriage records are so scarce. I believe Michael Hurley had at least three siblings - Mary, Daniel, and Ellen - the latter one showing up in Skibbereen church records baptized 22-Jan -1815 in Coolnagarrane, parents John Hurley and Jane McCarthy. There may have been a fourth sibling Johanna.

Michael and Bridget married 25-May-1838 in Leap, Kilmacabea and lived in Coolnagarrane. Their known children, all baptized in Skibbereen:
John (my gg-grandfather) 23-Feb-1839, godfather Daniel Hurley, godmother Catherine Cahalane
Patrick 2-Mar-1841, godfather John Hurley, godmother Mary Cahalane
Daniel 31-Mar-1843, godfather Dan Hurley, godmother Johanna Hurley
Ellen 21-Sep-1845, godfather Michael Cahalane
Michael 15-Jan-1849, godfather Dan Hurley, godmother Mary Hurley

Mary married Jeremiah Driscoll some time before 1839. (There are records of a same-named couple in Drimoleague around the same time, which is a point of confusion.) Their known family, all baptized in Skibbereen:
John Driscoll 28-Jun-1839
Jeremiah Driscoll 19-Dec-1841
Mary Driscoll 3-Mar-1844, godfather John Hurley, possibly her grandfather, and godmother Bridget Cahalane
Ellen Driscoll 10-Oct-1847, godfather Michael Hurley
Nancy Driscoll bap 10-Jun-1852, godfather Daniel Hurley

Ellen married John Sweeney in 22-Feb-1846 in Skibbereen. Their family, all baptized in Skibbereen:
Eugene Sweeney 1-Mar-1847, godfather Daniel Hurley
Michael Sweeney 29-Apr-1849, godfather Michael Hurley
John Sweeney 12-Aug-1851
Daniel Sweeney 13-Aug-1854, godfather Daniel Hurley
Ellen Sweeney 18-Mar-1858, godparents Michael Hurley and Mary Hurley
Patrick Sweeney 16-Apr-1862, godfather Patrick Hurley

Daniel married Honora McCarthy of Driminidy 12-Feb-1850 and they lived in Coolnagarrane. Michael Hurley was a witness. Their family, all baptized in Skibbereen:
Mary Hurley 5-Jan-1851
Ellen Hurley 17-Dec-1852, godfather John Hurley. She went on to marry William Young of North Street 1875.
Catherine Hurley 29-Apr-1855 She went on to marry Michael Herlihy 7-Mar-1886. Witnesses William Young and Ellen Sweeney
Honora Hurley 13-Sep-1857, godfather Jerry Driscoll
Daniel Hurley 3-Jun-1860. He went on to marry Julia McCarthy (a distant cousin) 22-Apr-1894. Witness John Hurley.
John Hurley 6-Mar-1864, godfather Patrick Hurley

Now back to the Cahalanes. The only ones in these records are Catherine, godmother to John (1839); Mary, godmother to Patrick (1841); and Michael, godfather to Ellen (1845).

Searching the records for additional appearances of Michael Hurley and Bridget Cahalane, I came across the marriage record of James Young and Ellen Cahalane, 28-Feb-1843, in Kilmacabea. A Cornelius Cahalane was a witness. Their known children, all baptized in Drimoleague:
William Young 28-Jul- 1845, godparents Michael Hurley and Bridget Cahalane
John Young 26-Jun-1848, godmother Barbara Cahalane

With further searching, I found a Cornelius Cahalane m. Anne Kingston 28-Feb-1843 in Kilmacabea. James Young was a witness. The family moved around. Their known children, all baptized in Kilmacabea:
James Cahalane 29-May- 1844
Bridget Cahalane 9-Nov- 1845
Tom Cahalane 24-May-1850
Michael Cahalane 25-Oct- 1860, godparents Michael Cahalane and Catherine Cahalane

In addition, I found a couple Tim Cahalane and Mary Cleary in Kilmacabea. The family lived in Ballyriree. Their known children:
Mary 2-Jun-1838
Ellen 2-Mar-1843, godmother Barbara Cahalane

Finally, I found John Hurley m. Julia Regan, possibly 19-Oct-1829 in Caheragh. They lived in Ballyriree. Known children, all baptized in Kilmacabea:
Michael Hurley 8-Sep- 1834, godmother Barbara Cahalane
William Hurley 15-Oct- 1839
Mary Hurley 18-Jan-1844 James Hurley 8-Apr-1846

The Michael Cahalane who was godfather to Ellen Hurley (1845) may have been the one who married Honora Donovan 22-Feb- 1851 in Kilmacabea. I have corresponded with some of the descendants of this family. Their known children, all baptized in Kilmacabea:
Denis Cahalane 28-Mar- 1852
John Cahalane 30-Jun-1853
Mary Cahalane 18-Apr- 1855, godfather James Cahalane
Cornelius Cahalane 15-Mar- 1857
Bridget Cahalane 8-Mar- 1859, godmother Catherine Cahalane
Michael Cahalane 8-Apr- 1861, godfather John Hurley
Catherine Cahalane 28-Sep- 1863
Thomas Cahalane 11-Feb- 1868

I have not been able to pin down the baptism godmothers Catherine Cahalane or Mary Cahalane yet. Anyway, here are the Cahalanes I have found, who could be closely related:
Bridget Cahalane m. Michael Hurley
Ellen Cahalane m. James Young
Cornelius Cahalane m. Anne Kingston
Tim Cahalane m. Mary Cleary
Michael Cahalane m. Honora Donovan

In addition, Barbara Cahalane, Mary Cahalane, and Catherine Cahalane

Could John Hurley m. Julia Regan of Ballyriree have been a relative of the Hurleys in Coolnagarrane? And can anybody shed any light on these Cahalanes?

Fanny Collins and Denis Crowley of Castlehaven

I think I have found another daughter of Larr Collins (1783-1867) of Adrigole, though I have substantially less confidence in this child than I have in the others. The records of Fanny Collins (1829-a. 1901) aren't tightly coupled to her siblings like the records of her siblings are to each other.

"Fanny" is an old variant of Francesca no longer in use. Fanny Collins married Denis Crowley 5-Feb-1854 in Skibbereen R.C. parish; there were neither Collins nor Crowley witnesses recorded as present.

Daughter Mary was baptized 8-Feb-1855 and recorded in Adrigole; the godfather was one Daniel Collins. Whether this is the girl's uncle is not clear as my gg-grandfather Daniel Collins had relocated to Colomane East a few years prior.

Jane Crowley (8-Feb-1857) was recorded in Adrigole and had one Ellen Collins as a godmother. Jane's mother is recorded as Ann.

A second reason why I thought Fanny may have been Larr's daughter was because the Crowleys resided for a time in Adrigole. But the main reason why I thought Fanny was Larr's daughter was because Larr was the godfather of Patrick, baptized 27-Feb-1859. These are the only two pieces of evidence I have implying such a relationship.

John Crowley (9-May-1861), baptized in Castlehaven & Myross R.C. parish, is recorded in Rineen. The baptism of Kate (6-Mar-1865), also baptized in C&M parish, is recorded with mother named Johanna, which I think is an error. Michael (15-Jul-1869), C&M parish, is recorded in Gortbrack. The mother's name was mistakenly written in as William Brown, then crossed out and not rewritten.

Now comes more confusion. Jerry (11-Aug-1875) is recorded in Gortbrack. However, Ireland Births and Baptisms shows a Cornelius Crowley born about that same time to the same parents. In addition, that same data source lists a "Coomeshall Crowly" born 17-Jun-1872. I suspect that Dennis and Fanny had a child born in Coornishal, who perhaps didn't live long enough to be baptized. I will know when I see that civil registration record.

Clearly I need to trawl civil registration and perhaps the revision books to bring some clarity to this family. The 1901 Ireland census shows Fanny Crowley as a widow, age 72, living with her son John, in Farrandau. Though their son John is there, Fanny is not listed in 1911, and civil registration does not provide clues to her death.

A third reason why I thought Fanny, or Francesca, could be Larr's daughter is because the man's name Francis pops up as a middle name in this extended family, especially with "Denis." The discovery of Fanny has compelled me to revisit the 20-Jul-1856 Caheragh R.C. parish record of a child of Daniel Collins and Mary Mahony that is unreadable. It has been transcribed as Johanna and as Jeremiah but I think it is neither. Could it be Fannia - another form of Fanny?

McCarthy Historical and Cultural Weekend 2013

Patrick McCarthy of the Dunmanway Historical Association has informed me that in conjunction with University College Cork (UCC), the Dunmanway Historical Association is hosting a McCarthy historical and cultural weekend May 31, June 1, and June 2 2013.

In his words, "We are hopeful that there will be a big gathering of Mc Carthys from all over thee world and Ireland for this... Further updates will be published on our website re, bookings, accommodation and so on."

http://www.dunmanwayhistoricalassociation.com/

If you don't get a quick email response please pick up the phone and call for details.

Tithe Applotment Transcriptions of Cooliney, Kilnamanagh, Kilsillagh, and Kinneigh now online

Full TA transcriptions of the parishes of Cooliney, Kilnamanagh, Kilsillagh, and Kinneigh are now completed.

I have not been able to find the Kilsillagh and Kinneigh images online, so I was especially pleased to complete those parishes.

Reference materials cite 1827 as the year of the Kilnamanagh TA book, but there were rather two enumerations, one in 1825 and one in 1829.

Cooliney is up by the Limerick border and is my first transcription venturing outside West Cork.

Like the other corkgen.org transcriptions, these are Google map linked and annotated with references.

Cork Genealogy Tithe Transcriptions