|
Francis O’Neill of Gortroe (b. 1805)
My great, great, great, great grandfather, was Francis O’Neill (b. 1805). Francis and his wife Bridget Burke, are listed in the 1826
Tithe Applotments as living in the townland of Gortroe. Gortroe is 1 km northeast of Drumgriffin. Francis and Bridget married sometime around 1825, and lived at plots 13A and B in the
townland of Gortroe. The property was rented from the Blake family which owned much of the property in Annaghdown Parish.
Francis died before 1845 since his wife is listed as the tenant of the Gortroe property in the 1845 Griffiths Valuation.
She is listed with her three children, Martin O’Neill (b. 1825), William O’Neill (b. 1826) and a daughter whose name was not listed. The
records also show that Bridget later passed at least part of her lease for the property to her son William (b. 1825) around 1861. Her son was also known as “Billy.”
Son Martin O’Neill.
Martin O’Neill (b. 1825), married Mary Burke (b. 1831) on 6 April 1854 in Drumgriffin, Ireland. It is believed based upon the marriage record that this Bridget Burke was the daughter of Mary Burke (nee O’Neill) and Patrick Burke (b. 1803) and therefore Martin and Mary were first cousins, once removed. They received “special dispensation” from the Archdiocese of Tuam for their marriage.
Martin and Mary had three children. John O’Neill (b. 1856), Bridget O’Neill (b.1858) and William O’Neill (b. 1860).
Shortly after William’s birth in 1860, Martin O’Neill died.
After Martin’s death in 1861, Mary O’Neill (nee Burke) married a second time to Patrick Mulryan.
Mary and Patrick Mulryan lived in the Gortroe/Corrandulla area, having at least four children, Mary (b. 1864), Martin (b. 1867), Margaret (b. 1869), and Ellen (b. 1882). It is believed that the O’Neill children (John (b. 1856), Bridget (b. 1858) and William (b. 1860)) stayed with their mother after her marriage to Patrick Mulryan.
Grandson John O’Neil. John O’Neil (b. 1856) moved to Durham England where he married Catherine Burke on 19 January 1878. Catherine Burke was born in
Sacriston, Durham, England on 4 February 1858.
In 1881, John O’Neill and his wife Catherine, along with Catherine’s mother Julia Burke (nee Flaherty, b. 1823 in Annaghdown),
emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and then to Herminie #2, Pennsylvania. Upon their arrival the immigration papers for the O’Neill’s show they used the name “O’Neil.”
Granddaughter Bridget O’Neill. Bridget was born in 1858. She died in 1882 at the age of 24. She was living in Gortroe at the time of her death.
Grandson William O’Neil. William was my great, great, great grandfather.
He emigrated to Herminie #2, Pennsylvania, USA in 1883. His immigration papers also show he used the name “O’Neil.” After several years in Herminie #2, he traveled to Pittsburg, Kansas were he met Catherine Kelly (born in Bothwell, Lanark, Scotland). They married in Kansas in 1889. In 1890, my grandfather Martin Francis O’Neil was born in Pittsburg, Kansas. They returned to Herminie #2 in 1891.
In 1907, it is said that William returned to Gortroe, Ireland.
Upon his return to the US in August 1907, he was joined by his half-sister, Ellen Mulryan. On her immigration papers, her name is listed as Ellen “Mulroyan.” It is very possible that Bridget Agnes Kilkelly (b. 1893) emigrated with William O’Neil (b. 1860) and Ellen Mulroyan at this time. Bridget A. Kilkelly (b. 1893) was listed as living with Patrick Mulryan and his wife, Mary Mulryan (nee Neil, nee Burke) in the 1901 Ireland Census.
John and William’s families have flourished in the US. To view some information on the US families (not current however), go to this
web site.
Son William O’Neill.
William “Billy” O’Neill (b. 1825) married Margaret Larner on 17 November 1856. They had six children who are more fully discussed on the Chart and List pages. Billy O’Neill owned a public house at the “Crossroads,” near Gortroe and Drumgriffin. One of Billy’s sons, John O’Neill (b. 1865), later used the property to farm. A line of Billy’s descendants (the Kavanagh’s through Billy’s daughter Margaret), is still flourishing today. Patrick Kavanagh (b. 1923) is a Holy Ghost Brother (Br. Gall) and lives in Dublin, another descendant, a Michael Paul Kavanagh is a barrister in Dublin, and his mother, Christina Kavanagh lives in England.
John O’Neill of Tonagarraun and Tonamace
John O’Neill leased and farmed property in Tonagarraun and Tonamace, which are both about 1 km west of Drumgriffin.
John married Bridget Killilea sometime before 1835, and they had two sons. Francis O’Neill was born in 1836, and his brother John O’Neill was born in 1843.
Michael O’Neill of Tonamace
Little has been found regarding Michael, other than he leased and farmed property in Tonamace.
Patrick O’Neill of Addergoole
Patrick O’Neill is leased and farmed property in Addergoole, which is 2.5 kms southwest of Drumgriffin, and 2.5 kms south of Mace.
Patrick married Margaret Burke in 1832. They had two daughters and a son. Honora was born in 1834, James in 1841 and Catherine in 1842.
An interesting note is that Margaret Burke’s brother, Patrick Burke (b. 1803), married Patrick O’Neill’s (her husband) sister, Mary O’Neill (b.
1803).
Bryan O’Neill of Mullaghadrum and Drumgriffin
We have good information on Bryan O’Neill since he still has O’Neill descendants living in Drumgriffin.
Bryan is listed as leasing and farming land in Gortroe (plot 20), Mullaghadrum (plot 26) and later in Drumgriffin. Mullaghadrum is adjacent to Gortroe.
Bryan married Catherine Healy in January 1843.
They had three sons, Michael (b. 1843), James (b. 1845) and Patrick (b. 1846). Catherine died sometime prior to 1849.
On 3 June 1850, Bryan married a second time to Sabina Costello. They had one son and two daughters.
Patrick (b. 1851), Bridget (b. 1851) and Mary (b. 1852).
Son James O’Neill (b. 1845). James married Margaret Long on 23 December 1866.
They had three children, James (b. 1868), Patrick (b. 1877) and Mary (b. 1875). Margaret died sometime prior to 1885. James married a second time on 11 April 1886 to Bridget Stauton. They has at least one son, Michael.
Michael married Julia Lally.
They had at least one child, a Kathleen O’Neill. Kathleen married a Mr. O’Shea. Kathleen O’Shea still lives in Drumgriffin.
James O’Neill of Addergoole
James O’Neill is listed as leasing and farming property in Addergoole, as listed i the 1824 Tithes. He married a Margaret (surname not
known). James died before 1845 since Griffiths Valuation shows that his wife was the sole tenant at the property in 1845.
Mary O’Neill of Gortroe (b. 1803)
Mary O’Neill was born in 1803.
She married Patrick Burke around 1829. They lived in Gortroe or Corrandulla. As stated earlier, Mary’s brother Francis (b. 1805) married her husband’s sister, Bridget Burke.
Mary and Patrick had at least two children, a Mary Burke (b. 1831) and a Thomas Burke (b. 1831). This Mary Burke (b. 1831) married my
|
