Trying to Verify

Hi Sheila,

Thank you for your message.

I have forwarded it on to one of our volunteers in the area who hopefully may be able to advise or assist you.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support

Parish Records indicate a Michael Collins was baptised on 16 August 1843?son of Timothy Collins and Mgt. Costello. There are no entries for address or sponsors. 

I did additional searches for Margaret Costello and Timothy Collins in Duagh that yielded no other plausible connections.

Duagh is directly adjacent Abbeyfeale.

I found this information on chruchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie

Thanks for the extra search. I have those Church records already and was hoping that there might be something more around. As I do not know Michael's mother's name for sure this birth/baptism seems to be the best match. Michael did not comply with civil registration when he married in 1870 in Abbeyfeale but even if he had they would have only listed his father anyway. Maybe they might have indicated Kerry somehow but I doubt it. All Irish records I have ever obtained are rather vague on extended family. If you find something helpful at a future date let me know. I appreciate all the help and try to do the same here.

A search of Ancestry's Ireland database shows a landholder Timothy Collins in the Townland of Rathoran  in Duagh which is just outside Abbeyffeale. It is listed as a house (with no garden) and had the value of six shillings. This listing from Griffith's Valuation in 1853.

If you can find someone who can visit St Brigid's in Duagh, you will find more information in the baptism record such as residence and the name of the sponsors. Unfortunately, the Church records appear to have been taken from typed transcriptions rather than the original handwritten record. Sadly, the typed transcriptions omit information and, worse yet, appear to contain errors.

That sounds like it may be the family. They certainly are in the right place. My great grandfather Michael was trained as a tailor and his oldest son Tim followed the trade. I wonder if there are apprenticeship records for the trades? All the family on my grandmother's side in Abbeyfeale are long gone. My living cousins on my grandfather's side are up in Westmeath and Offaly. Can I write to the Church for a better copy of the register? I was able to do that with the Church in Abbeyfeale. Otherwise it will have to wait until I get to Ireland again. I have been three times but don't manage it more than once every 5 or 6 years. Thanks for the find, it is very helpful.

I'd do it myself, but I am in the US. I volunteered because no one was administrating the Duagh Parish. I've tried emailing the parish, but I didn't get a response. I suppose you could write a letter and see what happens.

I was lucky because I have some Australian cousins who were able to visit the church and were given access to the records. It didn't hurt that they were staying with another cousin in Duagh that was long time friend of Fr. Pat Moore.

There may be apprentiship records or even business listings. Typically published business listings were kept in some of the larger towns such as Tralee.

I am in the USA as well. I have been doing this for a while but as you know the circumstances of Irish History pose problems. Both my Irish greatgrandfathers are an issue for different reasons. Strangely my female kin are'better behaved'. Even having someone 'on the ground' in Ireland is not always the answer. An Offaly cousin has run around trying to solve the parentage of my Westmeath great grandfather to no avail. I have used all the usual record paths (LDS, heritage groups, Irish National Archives, Griffiths etc).

I rechecked the Kerry Church records and it looks like Tim and Margaret (if my great grandfather is their son) had older children. He would be the youngest. I think I will try posting something on the message boards to see if his siblings had children etc.