Hello -
My ancestor John Flanagan married Ellen Barry approximately 1843 - sadly, I've got no birth record and only a family story that they came from Clare, nothing more specific. Family notes say John's parents were John Flanagan and Bridget Heath, but a death record I found in NY says his mother was a Lillian Cooley.... so I'm not sure.
John and Ellen had Patrick, Mary and Bridget before emigrating to the US in 1849 and settling in Newark Valley, NY.
This is really a shot in the dark - I don't know what my next step is to find where they lived.
thank you
Beth Flanagan
bethflana
Wednesday 21st Mar 2012, 02:31AMMessage Board Replies
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Hi Beth,
Yes it's a pity you do not have any specific location. I can however direct you to an excellent resouce for County Clare:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm
It might take some searching, but you could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) and the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available here: www.askaboutireland.com
Another useful website is called www.failteromhat.com
You could try checking the 1911 and 1901 census records to see how frequently and where the surnames come up in Ireland. Cooley would a more unusual name, so it should be easier to find than say Flanagan. Don't forget to check the variants of the surnames when doing your research.
Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.
Kind regards,
Sinead Cooney
Genealogist (Ireland XO)
Friday 23rd Mar 2012, 12:37PM