Library Forum

Hi Sheila, There is a good possibility that Andrew McNamara born in 1842 has an older sister named "Margaret" born in 1831. Several of the baptisms for Andrew Sheedy McNamara and Margaret Clanchy are very unclear in the register, including the 1831 baptism - is it "Mary" as transcribed or "Marg" sam...

Hi Sheila, Thanks for your feedback. As far as who was the Andrew McNamara who was arrested in 1882, I was correct with my first guess! He was Andrew Sheedy McNamara born 1841/1842, the son of Andrew McNamara and Margaret Clanchy. Most of the articles in the regional UK newspapers described the thre...

Sheila, thank you for your research (and of course, your transcriptions) into the Tulla baptisms back on page 14 that listed out all the 9 Andrew McNamara's baptized between 1819-1881: 12.08.1828: Andrew Mac of Andrew Mac and Bridget Mac, Uggoon; sponsors: Michael Sheedy, Mary Pepper. 18.04.1835: An...

Hi Sheila, Thanks very much for checking the GRO record to confirm that Andrew McNamara was indeed 89 years old when he died on 6 January 1869 - so most likely he was born in 1779. His wife Bridget McNamara was born about 1793, thus a fair bit younger than Andrew. Their marriage was prior to the 181...

Hi Sheila, Thanks again for bringing up Miles McNamara of Glandree which led to the interesting debate in the Irish American Weekly on Irish soldiers who fought in the British military. This also led me to consider the motives for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree to enlist in the Union Army i...

Hi Sheila, Thank you for researching what resources are available regarding soldiers from County Clare who enlisted with the British military. Both the two books you mentioned and especially the Clare Militia article by Kieran Kennedy in The Other Clare are great finds. The Other Clare articles are ...

Hi Sheila, As far as reading material, it is probably not what you are after, but I highly recommend " Kim " by Rudyard Kipling. I suspect that Kipling was not part of your Irish school curriculum as he does romanticize British imperialism a fair bit. But I think you would enjoy reading about the po...

Hi Sheila, As suspected, the father of Thomas McNamara born in Corfu was indeed a Thomas McNamara born in Ireland. Thomas of Corfu's mother Eliza McNamara was admitted to a Chatham poorhouse in April 1901 and her occupation was "Widow of Thos Pensioner RE"; "RE" standing for "Royal Engineers". Eliza...

Hi Sheila, Thanks for having a look at the Irish Census and providing the numbers born in India. I think you are correct that most individuals born to Irish parents living at a military barracks in an overseas British colony would be unlikely to settle in Ireland. Children born into this environment...

Could John McNamara a veteran of the 82nd Regiment of Foot and born around 1830 be the son of John McNamara and Mary Kelly of Glandree? See 8.2 on family tree on page 13. And possibly be the brother of Thomas McNamara, the missing Civil War soldier of Glandree? Upon further consideration, this is l...

The 1901 census for Claretown (Clarecastle Village), (Clareabbey DED), shows James Reddan, aged 58, and Bridget aged 43, and 8 children. The 1911 census shows that James had died. What can life have been like for a widow with so many young children, in those pre-widows pension years. And you are ri...

Hi Sheila, Thank you very much for this new information on Thomas McNamara #9 and for all your help last year. I'm very pleased with our progress so far in the search for the missing Thomas McNamara of Glandree and it is great to start the New Year with this discovery. Utilizing your marriage and ba...

Miles McNamara of Glandree enlisted in Limerick with the Madras Royal Horse Artillery on 3 September 1847 and was discharged on 22 December 1865. This is a period of 18 years and 111 days. He would receive three "Good Conduct Badges" after 5, 10, and 15 years of service (without any misconduct) whic...

Hi Sheila, Thanks. I have saved a few follow-up points on Michael Jones for another day. I am finding Miles McNamara that you've mentioned the more interesting story. The Miles McNamara who married on 19 February 1868 to Margaret Fitzgerald (father James Fitzgerald) in Clooney was the son of Michael...

Hi Sheila, Thank you for the new information on the Michael Jones family. I was hesitant to accept that Michael Jones, Sr. and Kate McNamara had a son Michael Jones based just upon the one 1842 baptism record. Especially since the priest appears to have made lots of mistakes in the Tulla baptism reg...