Julia Mulvihill

Hi--

I've been working with Duagh records for awhile now. In the process, I've exchanged information with another researcher who actually visited St Brigid's Church to view records. She said many pages are illegible becaue of damage over time, so unfortunately, there are many gaps in the records. The records I found scouring church records online of my very prolific GGG Grandparents, shows  5 and 9 year gaps between children. My guess there were children in those gaps whose records are gone.

Duagh's Giffiths Valuation of 1853 shows two Mulvihills in Duagh:

• Michael Mulvihill: Knockaubrack, Land I shilling house 7 shillings
• Michael Mulvihill: Rylane,  House and Office 12 shillings 

Tithe Applotment books from the 1820s show Mulvihills in neighboring parishes of Knockanure and Listowel. A huge number were in the nearby parish of Murher. The map below provides a reference.

 From what I can tell, my people married within the parish, but that does mean that was always the case. I did a search a broad search for death records for Julia Mulvihill on Ancestry and found 2 deaths of Julia Mulvihill, both from Glin in Northeast Co Limerick very close to Murher: 

• b. 1795 d. Mar 1883
• b. 1802 d 1871

I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope I've increased your set of clues in some way. The 1911 Census of Duagh show only one Mulvihill an elderly Mary living with her daughter in Duagh Town. To find where Mulvihills lived in the early 1900s, you might check the National Archives site. I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope I've increased your set of clues in some way.

You might contact also contact North Kerry Reaching Out.

Steve O'Connor

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your thoughts.  It is especially helpful to know that some of the records were lost to the ravages of time.  I do believe I have enough information to be sure that my great grandmother Julia MULVIHILL was born in the area even though her actual baptismal record isn't available.  I gather from your message that the Duagh records from the Irish Geneaology website are from St. Brigid. 

Thirteen years ago my visit to Ireland included the area where my great grandfather Edmund FINN was born in Upper Teer, near Cloghane on the Dingle peninsula.  It was a wonderful experience. Now that I have clues about his wife and her family, I hope to visit St. Brigid and the Duagh area sometime in the future.

Do you know anything about Islanddanny?  Julia listed that as her home in Ireland on her US Naturalization application and her father's marriage record lists it as his resdence.

Thanks and good luck to you in your research.

Regards,

Linda

Yes, St Brigid's is the RC for the parish of Duagh in the village of Duagh. 

The gaps in records meas that just because we can't find a record, it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Islandanny is a townland in Duagh. I've seen multiple references to it in recent times (obituaries) and in genealogies. There was also a school there, but for the life of me, I cannot find it on any map. I've searched everything I can find from ordinance maps from the 1830s to Google Earth. Again, the folks at North Kerry Reaching Out may be able to help. They are centered in Listowel adjacent Duagh. 

I hope to go to Duagh in the next year or two myself. I'm holding out for more information as to the actual townland of my GGG Grandparents. Townlands were recorded in St Brigid's records. I know this because my mother went there years ago and found the Townlands of birth for my G Grandparent and his siblings. For some reason, they were not included in online records.

Best of luck. 

Steve

Hello Linda,

I've just spotted your message about Edmund Finn and wonder if we're related - my maternal grandma is a Finn from Upper Teer.

Her mother's name (my great-grandma) was Joan Ashe. I'm tracing the family tree myself at the moment, and would love to hear any knowledge you'd be willing to share about the Finns. I've come across census records featuring Edmund Finn and would love to understand how he fits into the family history.
Warm regards,

Esther

Hi Esther,

I do have some info about Esther ASHE.  We are definitely related, but I do not have definitive records to prove exactly where the connection occurs.  According to my records, Esther married Michael FINN on the 9th of Feb. 1907.  They had 9 children.  Michael's parents were Edmondus FINN and Maria HOULAHAN.  According to an interview I had with a fellow researcher, Michael HENNESSY, Edmondus was born in 1821 in Inch, County Kerry.  He had 2 brothers, Bartholomew and Eugene. I can track my line back to a Bartholomew FINN but I don't think he is the same Bartholomew as that above. 

I visited Ireland 15 years ago and was able to meet some of the people in Upper Teer.  There are no longer any FINN's living in the village.  Most everyone left before 1900 or passed away by the time of my visit.  One of the last two was your Michael FINN. At the time of my visit I asked the question which of those 2 FINN's was I related to.  The answer was both of them, of course.  At some level all of the FINN's from that village were related. So... hi cousin!  Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.  I do have some info about Michael's siblings and Esther's ancestor's that I can share if you don't have those details. I would love to hear of any additional info you may come across regarding Edmondus FINN and Maria HOULAHAN.  Lastly, have you checked the online records at www.irishgenealogy.ie ?

Islandanny is not actually a townland. So you won't find it on any modern maps. It used to refer, generally, to that part of Duagh which was north of the river Feale - but perhaps not all of it. It certainly included the townlands of Lacka East, Sluicequarter and Rea. Maybe Shronebeirne, Pilgrim Hill and Knocknacaheragh also. But not Rathoran or Kingsland. And definitely not Islandboy East and Islandboy West.

In the ordinance survey map that goes with Griffiths Valuation there is an island on the Feale which is called Islandanny. That island no longer exists.

The name has a long history. On Petty's map of Iraghticonnor you will find it as Illananeene. That was the first attempt to transliterate the gaelic name Oilean Eanaig which means "marsh island". Later it was rendered as Island Annen and you can see how this would metamorphose into the contemporary name. I have seen an early 19th century map where it is divided into a Lower and an Upper part, these measuring roughly 800 and 600 acres respectively.

The name is no longer used for postal addresses but people born  up to, say 1950, would have used it. And I can remember my family receiving mail with Islandanny on the address up to the 1970s. This would inevitably be from people who had left the area long before.

The school in Islandanny was closed in 1971. I know this because I was a student there at the time.

I hope this clarifies the use of the name to some extent.