David Fitzgerald and parents John Fitzgerald and Margaret Connell

Dave:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

We have a parish liaison in Castleisland parish. I will alert her about your message.

Roger McDonnell

Hi Roger,

I wonder if you ever heard anything from the Castleisland liason about the Fitzgeralds.

Thanks

Dave

Dave:

Sorry! Let me contact our HQ staff and let them followup.

Roger

Hi 

Sorry for the delay, you should be hearing from our volunteer over the weekend

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

Hi Dave,

Existing Irish Catholic Church Records do not go back further than the beginning of the 19th century so it will not be possible to find out additional information on David's parents John and Margaret from that source. I checked the Tithe Applotment records for Co Kerry for 1827 but could find no Fitzgerald in Lacabaun at that time. However there was a Maurice Connell with land in the adjoining townland of Mullaghmarky. In Griffith's Valuation of around 1850 a David Fitzgerald had 36 acres of land in Lackabaun and a Michael Connell had 60 acres.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNam…

By the time of the 1901 Census a James Fitzgerald and his family were farming this land in Lacabaun. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000889397/

I know some of his descendants who still live in the Castleisland area. Perhaps you already know them? If not, I can contact them for you and ask them if they have been able to find out any further information on your ancestors.

Kind Regards,

Joan Holland

Many thanks Joan

Best wishes

Clare

Genealogy Support 

Hi Joan,

Thanks so much for the information. 

It would be interesting to find out if any of the current descendents living in Kerry have any family history information for John Fitzgerald and Margaret Connell,  about David Fitzgerald leaving Ireland for the United States. Anything that they could provide would be greatly appreciated.

In the interest of full disclosure, the Fitzgeralds are not my family.  I have been helping a friend try to track her family, and David Fitzgerald has become a brick wall in her research.  To my knowledge she does not know any of the family still living in Ireland.  She only recently became aware of David and his descendants.

Again, thanks for all you help.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I had a brief chat yesterday with one of the Fitzgeralds who has a shop in Tralee. He told me that as far as he knows, only one member of the family stayed in Ireland, with some emigrating to the UK and the others to the US. He doubts if anyone has information on the family going back to the early 19th century but has given me the name of another family member that might have some other information on other aspects of the family tree. He informed me that the land in Laccabaun is still owned by a member of the Fitzgerald family but there isn't anyone living there now and the land is rented out to a local farmer. When I have more time over Christmas, I will try to make contact with the family member that might have more information on the extended family.

Hope this helps.

Joan 

Hi Joan,

I was wondering if you were able to make contact with the family member you mentioned you your last message concerning the Fitzgeralds. 

Thanks for all you help.

Dave

Hi Joan,

Did you ever have a chance to talk to any other Fitzgerald family members? 

I haven't heard anything since December, and would like to update my friend if possible.  Otherwise, I'll let her know you weren't able to find anything else.

Thank you

Dave

Dave:

I sent a followup e-mail to Joan.

Roger

Hi Roger,

Thanks so much

Dave

Hi Dave,

I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to follow up on that since, due to work and family committments. However, I will get a window in mid July and will see who I can contact.

Sorry about the delay.

Joan

Thanks Joan.  I appreciate your help. 

Dave

Hi Dave,

I sent a Facebook message to a member of this family a while ago but haven't as yet received a reply. I will let you know as soon as I hear from them.

Regards,

Joan

Hi Joan,

Thanks for the update.  I appreciate your help.

Dave

I am not sure if this is of any use but in the 1950/60s there was a shop that sold everything on the road from in Dromulton to Currow run by a Davey Fitz. perhaps there is a connection - Not sure if there is a shop there now search on google maps mayto see if it is still there.  Fingers crossed it is the same family. 

Kind regards

Sheila   

Hi Dave,

I've eventually been able to make contact with a great great granddaughter of John Fitzgerald and Margaret Connell. The only information she had on Margaret is that she had red hair and freckles!! She had also heard of two brothers, Dick and Jeremiah who emigrated to Chicago. She wasn't sure if these were sons or grandsons of John and Margaret.They were very tall and both became policemen. Her brother has done some research into the family tree. She will be meeting him at the weekend and will get back to me if she gets any more information from him.

I'll be in touch.

Joan

Thanks so much Joan. 

Will look forward to any additional information her brother might be able to provide.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Having contacted the other family member who has done work on the family tree, I'm afraid there is no information on the family before the C19th due to a lack of records. It looks like the Fitzgeralds were in the neighbouring townland of Curranes before they moved to Laccabaun as some of the records show children born there. My contact's ggrandfather David, who lived on the farm in Laccabaun from at least 1850, was also married to a Margaret Connell. A lot of Connells lived in the neighbouring townland of Mullaghmarky at the time. This is a link to a map of the area around the 1850s; http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/single_layer/i8.php?lat=&longt=…

David and Margaret married in 1848 and had at least 11 children: John, Mary, David, Patrick, Maurice, Timothy, Bridget, Michael, James (my contact's grandfather). Jeremiah and Richard - twins, who both emigrated to Chicago. The Fitzgeralds are buried in a tomb in Old Kilbannivane Cemetery near Castleisland.

That's all the information I have been able to find. Hope it helps.

Kind Regards,

Joan

Hi Joan,

Sorry I hadn't replied before.  Thanks for all you help on this inquiry.

Dave