looking for relatives in sixmilebridge area graveyards

[irwinfoy]

Hi-
I recently returned from holiday in Ireland and I had the opportunity to visit the town from which my relatives came from in Sixmilebridge (Ballyliddane West). My ancestors are from the Irwin and Carroll famillies and I was trying to locate their burial sites in the immediate area. We looked in the graveyards off of Limerick Road and Craughan and another site in Sixmilebridge, but with no luck. Are there any other small graveyards in that area that I might have missed- if so, what are their names? My relatives came from Mounteivers, Ballyliddane West in the Cratloe parish area, and I also found out that they lived in the Ieverstown area also ( if that makes sense). I would like to correspond with anyone in this location that has any connection with either the Irwin family or the Carroll family. My direct descendants were the Irwins, and the 5 living children that lived in Sixmilebridge emigrated to the US Boston area and left their parents Thomas and Margaret Irwin in Ireland, and they both died before 1920. We are also distantly related as cousins to the Cusacks of Sixmilebridge.

Any info would be very much appreciated!!

Suzan

[M. McNamara]

The graveyards in Cratloe parish are Craughan (at the Cratloe end of the parish) and The Cillín (at the Sixmilebridge end). From the description you gave, it appears that you visited both of those. Your ancestors lived in Ballyliddane West, which is in Cratloe parish so those two graveyards are the most likely place to find your ancestors.

Mountievers and Ieverstown are townlands (or districts) in Sixmilebridge parish. They adjoin Ballyliddane West.

In Sixmilebridge, the RC graveyards are at Ballysheen, Feenagh and Kilmurry. At the moment, there are no surveys done of these graveyards and thus I cannot tell you if the Irwins are buried there. There is also a CofI graveyard in the village. I note from the 1901 Census that your ancestors were RC but with the name Irwin, there is a strong possibility that your ancestors were Protestant. However, there is no record of Irwins in this graveyard.

At this time, there are no Irwins in Sixmilebridge. I spoke to a few older people about the family but had no luck. There are a few more I could speak to. You say they died before 1920, so there is a very strong possibility that someone will remember them. It requires time and patience to track them down.

Carroll and Cusack families are still here. May I suggest another visit to Sixmilebridge?

The relevant 1901 census data for your family is at: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... 118_17.htm

[irwinfoy]

Hi-

Thanks for the reply--my family visited Sixmilebridge this past April and we only had a day to do some looking around at the graveyards in the area. We were with a driver named Pat Wallace who knew the area well and did his best to help us find our ancestors. We were able to find out from Mrs Redding, the postal lady in Sixmilebridge that the Cusack family who owns the Nursery on Limerick Road was still around. We visited Ita Cusack and her family and she told us that her homesite was where my Irwin relatives lived along with the Cusacks when they shared the farmland together. They would be distant cousins to me.

I also emailed Fr Enright at the Cratloe parish to find out if he could locate the burial areas from my greatgreat grandparents' death information, but he never replied to me.
I was able to get a family history done at the Clare Heritage Centre and there seems to have been Irwins in Co Clare since 1800's at least, but I dont know if anyone would be buried in Co Limerick, since they lived so close to the border. I am also looking for 4 children of my great great grandparents who would have been buried near or with them also. I am beginning to wonder if they had unmarked graves-- would that be possible?

As for the Carrolls- they would be related to me, since my greatgreat grandmother was Margaret Carroll Irwin. Her sister was Catherine Carroll Cusack. We also found out that we have connections to the Moloney, White, Halloran families, to name a few.

Hopefully in the next few years, we will be able to visit Sixmilebridge again, as well as parts of the country that we couldnt get to. It is a lovely village, and we were all so proud to know that family came from there. If you find out any other additional info, please let me know!!

Suzan

[donaldlpcarroll]

Looking for irwinfoy in response to the post "looking for relatives in sixmilebridge". From what you have posted here and other websites I have found that we may have information to share. My GGgrandparents were from Sixmilebridge and were John Carroll and Catherine Carroll Maloney. We to have looked for these grave sites with no success.
I can't believe I hadn't seen this post earlier, now i can't seem to get in touch with you. Suzan Foy Irwin if you see this please reply, or if anybody out there can steer me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
thanks, D. Carroll