Help sought on Kilrush parish records

Thanks for the suggestion Miriam. I haven't tried searching Roots Ireland, but I note that you can get a 24 hour subscription for 15 Euros, so it's defintely worth a try. I have already trawled through the online St Senan's births and marriages records on two occassions, but perhaps I missed something, or the the Roots Ireland data may have been transcribed directly from the books. I just wondered when my Great Grandparents stated they were from Kilrush, Co Clare,  if there were any church records other than St Senan's I should be looking for.

Thanks once again, Chris Nolan

Hi Chris

Welcome to the IrelandXO Co Clare community!

Co. Clare's parish records survival rate is not the best. Having said that, Clare Library has a whole treasure trove of alternative resources online that may help you fill in the gaps... (also IGP Clare Archives)

Records available on Kilrush (including surrounding parishes). It's good that you have at least a place of origin.

The given name "Anthony" is rare enough, so I would treat any Anthony Nolan turning up on records in the barony of Moyarta as a possible kinsman (named after a shared ancestor).

You may have to patch your information together from a few leads in other records. (In my case it was the same deal, we have a list of possibilities but no hard evidence). The good news is, if you follow the blacksmith lead, you may find a living decendant who holds the family history, if an old forge still remains in Nolan hands somehwere. (Smiths did migrate to other parishes, often invited up by a landlord).

The other thing to bear in mind, is that the baptisms likely took place in the home rather than in the church, in the early 1800s. The mother may have gone home to give birth to her first children, which could well have been in another townland. 

You may also get lucky with estate or eviction records for their landlord Col. Vandeleur

Freeholders list of 1821  has a few Nolans and Nowlans with 40 shilling holdings

A wealthy gentleman by the name of "Anthony Nowlan" with an annual value of 50 pounds much further west of Kilrush, in Carringaholt (Bleanmore) who is likely be the man referenced in the Killard Tithe Applotment notes.

In 1826, there were a number of Nolans recorded in the parish of Kilrush.

 Anthony Nolans in Tithe Applotment Records 1826 : see Mrs Anthony Nolan in Kilrush also a Martin Nolan (blacksmith) and a James Nolan in Kilrush. By 1855 Martin Nolan still had his forge in "The Glen" Kilrush.  James Nolan was sharing a house with James Flahavan on Old Poorhouse Street. And a Patrick Nolan appears in Moore Street. By 1888 the was a Michael Nolan, smith, at High Street Kilrush. 

Griffths Valuation Co. Clare 1855   see Anthony, George (blacksmith), Denis and John Nolan at KNOCKERRY WEST (Kilrush)  (1901 Census see Timothy Nolan, decended from the Timothy names there in 1821 Freeholders list). In 1888 George Nolan, Knockerra, was listed as a flag merchant. 

Gallagher + Nolan parishes in Co Clare.

Headstones in Co Clare

Hope this helps!

Looks like some Nolans were evicted in 1834, so that may explain a move (note the townland they were evicted from).

Rootsireland has only 19 Nolan listing for Co. Clare in its entirety and none for the parish of Kilrush I'm afraid.

Thanks Rua,

that's quite a comprehensive list you've provided me with! I will study them all, and together with the St Senan's records which  I have spread sheeted, perhaps I can patch possible Nolan family groups together. It's good I have Kilrush as a definite area to focus on. In fact on the first UK census I located my Great Grandparents on there were several other Kilrush families sharing limited housing in the Preston (Lancashire) area. I also like the idea of following up the blacksmith lead. In the last couple of days I have had an exciting development of a Y DNA 35/37 match on FTDNA who states his last known male ancestor was Tim Nolan of Kilrush, born 1837! I haven't been able to contact him directly as his email addreess is actually Patrck Waldron's, who, amongst many other ventures, I believe is chairperson of the Clare Roots Society, so perhaps he is coordinating the DNA results. I am currently awaiting a reply to my email, but as he seems to be an extremely busy person, I will wait his response patiently (but excitedly!)

Thanks for the great leads, if I need any more guidance I will certainly post again.

Regards, Chris Nolan.

Whooo... that's exciting news Chris ... keep me posted!

Here comes the roller-coaster ride...  

Knockerra Village had its own RC Chapel in the 1830s aka St. Senan's (RC Parish of Knockerra & Killimer). 

And this seems to be the general area that Timothy Nolans turn up...

(It will help to get your spreadsheet "map-oriented"... look north-east of Kilrush town, from Ballykett to Knockerra Lough).

1821 Timothy Nolan freehold at Kilrush  ... 1826 Timothy Nolan freehold at Moyada Begg (not here on 1855 land records, but note Brew is) ... 1868 Timothy Nolan (b.1816)  died in Kilrush ...

1901 & 1911 Timothy aka Thady Nolan (1853-1933) farmer, m. 1896, son of Denis Nolan, res. at Knockerry West (aka Knockerra).

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*POSSIBLE LEAD*  Honoria (b.1855) dau. of Anthony Nolan @13b Knockerra, labourer, married Thomas Tubridy in 1877. This couple are not turning up in the Irish Census Records (presumed emigrated) do you have any Tubridy neighbours on your UK Census returns?  How about , Browne, Mulqueen, Moloney?

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Take note: at a time when most could not, these Nolan tenant farmers could afford headstones...

KNOCKERRA Nolan graveyard transcriptions (beginning 1812)

Also, I have discovered that the Nolans of Kilrush were originally very well-off landholding middlemen / merchants rubbing shoulders with local gentry. They held leases to large tracts of land all over these parts, had shops in Kilrush and had branched into Carrigaholt by 1810 and into Nenagh by the 1840s.

Given names handed down were Anthony, Denis, George, Richard.

Anthony Nolan, of Lack East who christened a son 'George' in 1865, was a Gentleman Farmer. George Nolan of Frances Street, Kilrush who christened a son 'Anthony' in 1865, was a Civil Engineer. 

See George Nolan (1749-1810) of Carrigaholt interred at Kilrush Church of Ireland graveyard (his eldest daughter 1775-1818 married George Brew).  George was either father/brother to Anthony Nolan of Durha, who was a £50 freeholder in Carrigaholt in 1821; c.f. Anthony Nolan of Ballykett (Kilrush) who married Mary Brew (1754-1822) and is interred on Scattery Island. 

The Brews were under-agents to Col. Vandeleur. In 1841 Anthony Nolan contributed £10 towards a Reward for discovering the murderers of Thomas Foley Brew of Shyan KILMIHIL; son of Kilrush Postmaster, William Brew Esq. (1784-1846) 

I have no doubt the Kilrush Nolans are all related in some way...

Let's hope your DNA results hold the key!

Rua,

thanks for the extensive background search material and plethora of information you have provided me with. It will take me a while to comprehensively follow all the leads you have suggested, but here is a bit more information on some of the points you highlighted. The Killimer and Knockera RC chapel you mentioned has birth and marriage records online from 1859. An initial view hasn't provided me with anything concrete, although with my last known Nolan ancestors appearing on UK census from 1861, it is probably on the cusp of dates they might have appeared in the marriage record. They may, however, provide other possible relationship names. The associate surnames found in close proximity on those census returns weren't the Tubridy neighbours. They are Woodruff, White and Markham from Kilmacadam?; Lillis from Kilmchael?; Kirin from Drumgain?; Griffin, McCormack, Cunningham, Lynch, Breen, O'Brian, from Kilrush. I also could use the leads of Godparent names from my Great Grandparent/Greatd Uncle/Great Aunt who were born in 1860 and 1862 respectively.to look for in Kilrush records. (who were Andrew White, Bridget Meskill, Mary Rearden, Michael Cunningham and Barbara McCartney). I will take your advice to get the Nolans and all these associates 'map orientated' around Kilrush. I don't think that the spreadsheet data sort option will be up to the task, so I'll probably use a manual approach with coloured 'Post it Notes' on a wall. I hope it is as successful for me as it seems for the TV detectives!

On another level I am glad to discover that some of my Kilrush relatives sppear to have made it through the horrific times at the beginning of the 19th centuary without having to leave the area. Also on the point you raised of some of the Nolans being land holding 'gentlemen', one of my cousins said that she thought that in about 1930 her father, my uncle, moved out of rented accomodation into a terrace house in Blackburn, Lancs. which he bought with money which came from a plot of land in Ireland. I have always considered this fanciful, but as he was the oldest of my fathers siblings, who knows?

I am certainly finding this venture both extremely interesting and rewarding as for the past 60 years my Nolan heritage has been a mystery to me. Before my ancestral connection with Co Clare I have actually been to Kilrush on a couple of occassions in the 1990's as I travelled extensively throughout Ireland with my wife during several holidays, in which we stayed in farm and country house accommodation. I remember an extremely enjoyable week based with the lovely Griffey family at Lahardan House, Crusheen.

Anyway, can I once again sincerely thank you for all the information and help you have furnished me with. At the end of this I may still not be able to definitively move back beyond my Great Grandfather, but at least I can prove my ancestry to the Kilrush area through association and, if my Y DNA match can be contacted, perhaps he has family records I can link into to.

All the best,

Chris

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