Coming to Dublin

Hi Russ,

I recommend that you check  www.askaboutireland.ie - Griffith's Valuations - 1840'50's for property holdings and catholicparishregisters@nli.ie National Library for Baptisms & Marriages for each county that you are interested in. The name McDonnell was quite common in that period. The more you narrow down the detail, the better the chances of meeting some distant relative.

Both Sites are free.

Regards,

Just to add to McCoy’s comments, I looked in the 1901 Irish census. (It’s the oldest complete census).  Including variant spellings, there were 7948 people named McDonnell, and 3968 named Rourke/O’Rourke. So both very common names. The more information you can give to narrow the search the better.

Hi Russ,

You say............
I am looking for any McDonnells and O Rourke's. John Jr and his wife Bridget along with their son David and his wife Alice left Ireland in the 1850s. 

Sorry but............... is he John McDonnell or John O'Rourke.
David again his surmane, do you know Alice's maiden name.
You say from Clare and Cavan......who was from Cavan and who was from Clare?

Have you got the date and ship name they came on?

The death years and age at death for any of the names would help.

Better to search from you.......going back.
If you give more details we will be able to help.
Thanks

Margot

Thank you all for your replies.  Margot, the McDonnells came from county Clare and O'Rourkes from county Cavan. All the above are McDonnells.  Alice's maiden name was Lynch.  The McDonnells were all in New York by 1855 then all moved to Anamosa Iowa to become farmers. I don't know when Farrell O'Rourke came to the U. S. But they also went to Iowa.  I have pictures of them back to 2nd great grandparents. They all died in Iowa. Farrell was 98.

Thank you all for your help. I am the last in my family and this has helped me get through some hard times.

God Bless,

Russ

Hi,
The only record I can find with McDonnell and Lynch is a marriage in 1845 Patrick McDonnel and Judy Lynch.
He was from Broadford and her address was Kilruan, which is a townland.
The Parish was O'CALLAGHANS MILLS.
Both Parishes are next to each other ..........if they were Catholic, you may find them in here.
O'Callaghan's Mills, Killaloe - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI

Farrell............was his father also Farrell?
I saw this in the tithe records....2nd entry down.
004587434/004587434_00274.pdf (nationalarchives.ie)

This is the area......Drumany (the Townland)  Drumgoon (the Parish)
Drumgoon Townland, Co. Cavan (townlands.ie)
Drumgoon, Kilmore - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI

With a Christian name of Farrell, unusal, there are a few.......

In 1901 there was a Farrell O'Rourke in the area he was 40.

Farrell O'Rourke was he with his wife and children when he went to the USA?

Margot