I have visited the Boherlahan area on a couple of occasions and even made contact with some distant relatives, but that was some years ago.
I believe that my ancestors John Cooney and Honora Strapp were married in Boherlahan on 23 Feb 1824. The marriage was witnessed by the bride's older brothers William and John. Honora came from nearby Camus where the Strapp family farmed an area of 38 acres at one time. I believe Honora’s brother William Strapp is likely to be the person of that name who married Eileen Cody in Boherlahan in 1815, and the marriages of several other Strapp family members are recorded in the parish although I am unable to establish their precise connection to my family.
I believe John and Honora had eight children including my great, great ,grandmother, Bridget Cooney who was baptised in Cashel on 21 Mar 1827. The baptisms of five other children of John and Honora are recorded in the Cashel registers (Patrick, Honora (Annie) , Judy, Margaret and Thomas) and John was recorded as being a farmer of Mt Judkin. Family names of sponsors include Carroll, Cooney, Cusack, Doherty, Dwyer, Hewett, Lonergan and Ryan. From records in Australia I know there were at least two more children of the couple (Mary and Catherine) but I have been unable to locate a record of their baptisms.
John Cooney emigrated to Australia in 1857 along with his two sons (Patrick and John) and daughter (Catherine), rejoining three of his daughters (Mary, Bridget & Honora) who had emigrated some years before. Their mother Honora did not emigrate to Australia, so I presume she had died in Ireland, perhaps during the famine? Similarly two of the daughters (Judy and Margaret) did not emigrate to Australia either, so I presume they both died young in Ireland.
The family originally settled at Moolap, close to the city of Geelong in Victoria. Almost all of the children of John and Honora married after their arrival in Australia and have descendants. However I have been unable to find a record of the marriage of Mary Cooney and William Hainey who were possibly married in Ireland before emigrating.
I was born in Geelong, in 1950.
I have written and posted a family history online, withte relevant chapter being found at https://bpbond.ucoz.com/CH6.html
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1800 (circa) | |
| Date of Death | 1st Jan 1850 (circa) | |
| Spouse (First Name/s and Maiden/Surname) | John Cooney | |
| Place & Date of Marriage | Boherlahan on 23 Feb 1824 | |
| Number of Children | 8 | |
| Names of Children | Bridget Cooney, Patrick, Honora (Annie) , Judy, Margaret, Thomas, Mary | |
