Quinlivan of Ballyroughan
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:29 pm
Probably the most frustrating family that I have ever tried to research in county Clare (or elsewhere, for that matter!) are the Quinlivans, who seem to have come originally from the townlands of Rathluby and/or Ballyroughan in the parish of Quin, barony of Bunratty Upper.
I am not descended from the Quinlivans, but am in correspondence with several proven, probable and possible descendants.
The proven and probable descendants of this family include farmers, corn merchants, many priests, a bishop, a mayor of Limerick, an award-winning actor, two Irish rugby internationals, a journalist and newspaper editor, the wife of an ambassador, etc. This has resulted in numerous references in print, many of them using tantalising but imprecise phrases like `near relative to' (e.g. Irish American, 11 Sep 1852, p.3) or `cousin'. Other references include blatant errors, e.g. the Old Limerick Journal of Spring 1981 at http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Media,3939,en.pdf
(The OLJ article has two errors. Firstly, Fr. Michael Quinlivan died in 1894, not in 1904 as it states. Secondly and more significantly, his brother Laurence was not the Laurence who was Mayor of Limerick. Fr. Michael's brother Laurence married Margaret Hogan in 1861 and she was still alive in 1901 (census, Gower North townland). The Mayor married firstly Ellen Mary Kelly (d.1851) in 1850 and secondly Margretta Cullinan (d.1869) in 1863. Both errors are reproduced on p.4 of Fr. Thomas J. Morrissey's `Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer of Limerick, 1842-1917' (Four Courts Press, 2003) and at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/t ... 0969816126 ).
The earliest apparent reference to this Quinlivan family that I have found is in a lease for lives at http://museum.limerick.ie/index.php/Det ... t_id/20212, dated `18 June 1793', `witnessed by Edward Quinlivan', and in which one of the lives is described as `James Quinlivan, son of Lanc. Quinlivan of Rathloobain, Co Clare'.
I am merely guessing that Rathloobain was Rathluby. Am I correct?
Declan Barron has sent me this entry from the 1825 Freeholders list for Tulla Barony:
Laurence Quinlivan, Abode - Rath, freehold- Rath, Landlord - Mrs. Comyn, Lives on lease - Edmond, John and James Quinlivan.
Is Rath the same place as Rathluby? If so, why is it listed under Tulla and not under Bunratty Upper?
I have second-hand accounts of the marriages of two daughters of Laurence Quinlivan of Ballyroughan:
1. On 14 Feb 1790, a marriage agreement was registered between Tim Killeen of Moloska and Catherine, daughter of Laurence Quinlivan of Ballyroughan
2. The Limerick Advertiser, in 1813 (date not noted), reported the marriage of John Fitzgerald Currunekeale and Miss Quinlivan daughter of Laurence, Ballyroughan
I have not yet seen either of these sources myself.
Whether Laurence lived in Rathluby or Ballyroughan, I am reasonably satisfied that he had these three children:
a) Michael of Ballyroughan (c.1780-1862):
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=193 has: April 25, aged 82 years, Michael QUINLIVAN, Esq., of Ballyroughan, county Clare. This excellent gentleman was the father of the Rev. Michael Quinlivan, P.P., Kilacduan, and of the Rev. P. Quinlivan, of the Australian Mission.
Freeman's Journal 2 May 1862
b) Bridget m. (before 1810) William Meehan:
Five of their children are listed in the early Quin baptismal registers (1817-1823). Hugh Weir in Houses of Clare (1999. p.141) confirms that Father Michael Quinlivan of Gower Hall `was a first cousin of Father Meehan [c.1810-1878] of Moveen [sic, recte Moneen] at the time of the Little Ark.' (Strictly speaking, this too is just hearsay.)
c) James of Ballyroughan (c.1787-1857):
The Clare Journal of Monday 23 Nov 1857 reported the death `on Friday evening at Ballyroughan in this county, aged 70 years' of `Mr. James Quinlivan'.
The Tithe Applotment Books for Quin (1 May 1825) included:
Quinlivan Michael Part Ballyroughan Quin
Cunlivan James Ballyroughan Quin
Despite the different spellings of the surname, I believe that these were brothers.
I am altogether less certain whether the following are siblings of Michael and Bridget, or related in some other way, if at all:
1. Mrs Killeen above
2. Mrs Fitzgerald above
3. Edward Quinlivan (father of Mayor Laurence Quinlivan and grandfather of Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer)
4. Mrs Jane Browne (see discussion at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=1697)
5. A twice-married Mary Quinlivan, wife of Edmond Palmer of Caherdavin (d. 21 Jun 1804, children bapt. 1799 and 1800) and Michael McCarthy of Shelbourne Cottage (m.27 Apr 1808).
6. Fr. Patrick Quinlivan
Clare Journal Feb 27 1860
`Deaths
At Lahinch, on Wednesday [22 Feb 1860], after a short illness, at an advanced age, the Rev. Patrick Quinlivan, formerly P.P., of Inagh. From the beginning of his sickness which he dreaded would prove fatal, he was constantly attended by one of the Ennistymon Curates. Though comparitively a stranger, and apparently friendless - he experienced much kindness and attention from both the parochial clergy, and the people.'
All six potential siblings appear to be of roughly the same generation and in cases 3, 4 and 5 I have found some imprecise or inaccurate reference to a relationship. The inclusion of no. 6 is purely speculative, given the number of priests in later generations of the family.
Can anyone out there provide any hard evidence to confirm the precise relationships between any of these Quinlivans?
I am not descended from the Quinlivans, but am in correspondence with several proven, probable and possible descendants.
The proven and probable descendants of this family include farmers, corn merchants, many priests, a bishop, a mayor of Limerick, an award-winning actor, two Irish rugby internationals, a journalist and newspaper editor, the wife of an ambassador, etc. This has resulted in numerous references in print, many of them using tantalising but imprecise phrases like `near relative to' (e.g. Irish American, 11 Sep 1852, p.3) or `cousin'. Other references include blatant errors, e.g. the Old Limerick Journal of Spring 1981 at http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Media,3939,en.pdf
(The OLJ article has two errors. Firstly, Fr. Michael Quinlivan died in 1894, not in 1904 as it states. Secondly and more significantly, his brother Laurence was not the Laurence who was Mayor of Limerick. Fr. Michael's brother Laurence married Margaret Hogan in 1861 and she was still alive in 1901 (census, Gower North townland). The Mayor married firstly Ellen Mary Kelly (d.1851) in 1850 and secondly Margretta Cullinan (d.1869) in 1863. Both errors are reproduced on p.4 of Fr. Thomas J. Morrissey's `Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer of Limerick, 1842-1917' (Four Courts Press, 2003) and at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/t ... 0969816126 ).
The earliest apparent reference to this Quinlivan family that I have found is in a lease for lives at http://museum.limerick.ie/index.php/Det ... t_id/20212, dated `18 June 1793', `witnessed by Edward Quinlivan', and in which one of the lives is described as `James Quinlivan, son of Lanc. Quinlivan of Rathloobain, Co Clare'.
I am merely guessing that Rathloobain was Rathluby. Am I correct?
Declan Barron has sent me this entry from the 1825 Freeholders list for Tulla Barony:
Laurence Quinlivan, Abode - Rath, freehold- Rath, Landlord - Mrs. Comyn, Lives on lease - Edmond, John and James Quinlivan.
Is Rath the same place as Rathluby? If so, why is it listed under Tulla and not under Bunratty Upper?
I have second-hand accounts of the marriages of two daughters of Laurence Quinlivan of Ballyroughan:
1. On 14 Feb 1790, a marriage agreement was registered between Tim Killeen of Moloska and Catherine, daughter of Laurence Quinlivan of Ballyroughan
2. The Limerick Advertiser, in 1813 (date not noted), reported the marriage of John Fitzgerald Currunekeale and Miss Quinlivan daughter of Laurence, Ballyroughan
I have not yet seen either of these sources myself.
Whether Laurence lived in Rathluby or Ballyroughan, I am reasonably satisfied that he had these three children:
a) Michael of Ballyroughan (c.1780-1862):
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=193 has: April 25, aged 82 years, Michael QUINLIVAN, Esq., of Ballyroughan, county Clare. This excellent gentleman was the father of the Rev. Michael Quinlivan, P.P., Kilacduan, and of the Rev. P. Quinlivan, of the Australian Mission.
Freeman's Journal 2 May 1862
b) Bridget m. (before 1810) William Meehan:
Five of their children are listed in the early Quin baptismal registers (1817-1823). Hugh Weir in Houses of Clare (1999. p.141) confirms that Father Michael Quinlivan of Gower Hall `was a first cousin of Father Meehan [c.1810-1878] of Moveen [sic, recte Moneen] at the time of the Little Ark.' (Strictly speaking, this too is just hearsay.)
c) James of Ballyroughan (c.1787-1857):
The Clare Journal of Monday 23 Nov 1857 reported the death `on Friday evening at Ballyroughan in this county, aged 70 years' of `Mr. James Quinlivan'.
The Tithe Applotment Books for Quin (1 May 1825) included:
Quinlivan Michael Part Ballyroughan Quin
Cunlivan James Ballyroughan Quin
Despite the different spellings of the surname, I believe that these were brothers.
I am altogether less certain whether the following are siblings of Michael and Bridget, or related in some other way, if at all:
1. Mrs Killeen above
2. Mrs Fitzgerald above
3. Edward Quinlivan (father of Mayor Laurence Quinlivan and grandfather of Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer)
4. Mrs Jane Browne (see discussion at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=1697)
5. A twice-married Mary Quinlivan, wife of Edmond Palmer of Caherdavin (d. 21 Jun 1804, children bapt. 1799 and 1800) and Michael McCarthy of Shelbourne Cottage (m.27 Apr 1808).
6. Fr. Patrick Quinlivan
Clare Journal Feb 27 1860
`Deaths
At Lahinch, on Wednesday [22 Feb 1860], after a short illness, at an advanced age, the Rev. Patrick Quinlivan, formerly P.P., of Inagh. From the beginning of his sickness which he dreaded would prove fatal, he was constantly attended by one of the Ennistymon Curates. Though comparitively a stranger, and apparently friendless - he experienced much kindness and attention from both the parochial clergy, and the people.'
All six potential siblings appear to be of roughly the same generation and in cases 3, 4 and 5 I have found some imprecise or inaccurate reference to a relationship. The inclusion of no. 6 is purely speculative, given the number of priests in later generations of the family.
Can anyone out there provide any hard evidence to confirm the precise relationships between any of these Quinlivans?