searching for living descendents of Hugh Shovlin, and 1st wife Susan Conaghan? and/or 2nd wife Bridget Fischer?

Hi there,

These are unusual surnames. I would suggest that  you check other variants of the names when you are carrying out research. For example, the name Shovlin, might be Shevlin. http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=

Conaghan: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=

Fischer: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=

Do you know when your families emigrated from Ireland?

There are Roman Catholic church records available for the diocese of Inniskeel (Raphoe). These date from 1866 for baptismal records. You can find these at the National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4599, or the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI), MIC.1D/86, or the Church of Latter Day Saints, 1297237, items 4-7 and others.. If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for more assistance.

You could check the 1901/1911 census records to check for family members in the area. You can access this here: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

Civil registration records are available from the General Register Office (GRO). These start from 1864 however. You can access the website here: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm

I could offer you other suggestions for your ancestors if you like? Perhaps you are just interested in finding living relatives in Ireland. If so, hopefully someone in the local community will be able to help you further, As I said, these are unusual surnames and are sure to ring a bell with people.

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)

Hi 

I am also researching family in the parish of Inishkeel so may be able to help you.

Here is a map of the parishes in Donegal and as you can see Inishkeel is quite a large parish.

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/counties/rcmaps/donegalrc.htm

Do you have any idea what part of Inishkeel your ancestors lived in?

The names Shovlin and Conaghan are quite common in Donegal but I will try to help.

Regards,

Eimer

My great grandfather, Patrick Shovlin (1822-1864) was from Ardara, Co. Donegal.  His parents, Patrick Shovelin and Agnes (?) Breslin (Bryce) were farmers from Ardara.  Griffith's Valuation for 1857/58 show they were likely in the townlands of Barkillew or Liskeeraghan, just West of Ardara Town in Inishkeel civil parish.  In my research I have come across several Shovlin families from that area including Hugh Shovlin and Susan Connaghan who were from the viciinity of Ardara.  I don't have my research material handy, but I think Hugh's family were from Newtownburke Townland which is near Liskeeraghan on the Loghros Point penninsular a short drive immediately west of Ardara Town and is considered Ardara for all intents and puposes.  Ardara Town is actually in the civil parish of Killybegs Lower, but the area generally to the North and West is in Innishkeel parish.   Shovlin / Shovelin is a comon name in this part of Southwest Donegal and emigration brought many Shovlin and Breslin families to the anthricite coal region of Eastern Pennsylvania, generally along what is now I-81 from the Summit Hill and Pottsville areas north to the Wilkes-Barre region.   That's where you'll likely find living descendants of Hush and Susan.  Incidentally, the surname (originally O'Seabhleain) is generally seen as Shevlin, an anglicized spelling that was used as the standard in Griffith's.  However, the Shovlin spelling persists in Donegal and wherever you see the name spelled with an "o" it is likely that the family originated from Southwest Donegal around Ardara or Killybegs and environs.  'I hope this helps.                Ed Shevlin