I've been searching for my great great grandfather Mathew Farrell (c1830). He dropped from outerspace into Buffalo New York around 1848 or so. He first appears in a Buffalo census in 1860 with his wife Mary (Doyle) Farrell and children Thomas, Bridget, Ellen, Pierre (Perry) and John. There were three more, I think. Mary was an infant who died. There was Michael that I could never track and a William (also known as Guglianas). Using the Catholic Parish records I thought I found Mathew in a Farrell family in Castlepollard Parish in Westmeath, but I do not match the DNA of one of the brothers descendents.
I believe that Mathew came to Buffalo with brothers. His daughter Ellen has a godfather named James, so I assume that James is a brother. Also, after Mathew's death in 1870, his widow lived for a short time in the home of Christopher Farrell, who I also assme is a brother. The family in Westmeath was of James and Bridget (Fagen) Farrell and had all three names...Mathew, James, and Christopher all at about the right time. There were two more brothers and a few sisters as well so it was a large clan.
DNA testing, however, has thrown us a curve. My brother has done the YDNA67 test and has a terminal SNP of DC63. This puts our origin more likely in Limerick, Tipperary, or Clare. There's no telling when they may have left, however...if they even did. Perhaps two or three generations earlier a Farrell moved from these counties elsewhere. I thought it was worth a shot to check in here though. I'll also post in Tipperary and Clare. My fingers are crossed that some of this rings a bell to someone.
BTW...Mathew's two eldest children, Thomas and Bridget were born in Ireland to a different mother. Mathew immigrated and Mary Doyle supposedly brought the kids over after he was established. He and Mary got married in Buffalo and had several more children.