Byrne - Descendants from Broadford, County Clare.

[skylinejack]

I am looking to find some information on my ancestors who I believe originated from Broadford, County Clare. The following information is all I have at the moment.
"John Byrne was born in County Clare in the year 1801 – his father’s name would have been James and the family’s home was probably at Broadford, for one of his sons, at a later time, named that place as his place of birth.

When John was 25 years old (1826?), he married Bridget Ryan, in the neighbouring county of Limerick. Their ten children were born to them in the following order – James – Emma – Edward – John – Mary – George – William – Patrick – Bridget - Michael."
I would appreciate finding some information on these ancestors and also of any descendants presently living in the County Clare area or anywhere else.

If anyone can assist with information I would be most grateful
Sincerely
John Byrne, 16 Virae Street, The Gap, 4061, Brisbane, Australia.

[Paddy Casey]

John,

Do you know whether members of the family emigrated and, if so, whither and when ?

Have you already trawled the Library website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie ? I see there that there were Byrnes in the town of Broadford in the 1901 census. Could those be remnants of your family ?

Paddy

[skylinejack]

Nice to get your reply Paddy, the following is all I know at the moment regarding immigration.
"In 1855 John Byrne came to Victoria, Australia, his wife Bridget would have been with him – he would have been 54 years of age. A check of shipping records has failed to reveal any details of the journey. Their children also came out, whether they travelled with their parents is not known.
In 1855 James would have been about 28 (if he was alive), Emma 25, Edward 18, John 17, Mary 15, George 13, William 10, Patrick 7, Bridget 4 and Michael younger than that, if he was living."
This doesn't appear to be much help, hope you cam help.

The names in the 1901 census certainly are familiar but I know nothing of them. Perhaps this may be an avenue to pursue.
I have just started this journey Paddy so I am going places I am not sure where.
Many thanks, John Byrne

[Paddy Casey]

You have just started this journey, John ? Then you are in for a great time. Family history research is dangerously addictive, ha ha. The first thing to do is nail a large plaque on your office wall with the classic advice from the Way of Zen: The Journey is More Important than the Destination.

I can't offer a primer on Irish family history research - there are better people on this forum for that and there are also lots of good books on the subject - but here's just one tip for a person in your situation to start with.

I'm assuming, for the sake of getting started, that your family was Catholic

Very few Catholic parishes have baptism records prior to ca. 1830 because before that time Catholic priests were personae non gratae and baptising people into the Catholic faith/church could get one into trouble with the authorities, to put it mildly. So before ca. 1830 baptism records, which could serve as evidence in a court, were seldom kept. That said, your Mary 15, George 13, William 10, Patrick 7, Bridget 4 and Michael (ages in 1855) would have been baptised post 1830 so you might like to check the website of the Church of Latter Day Saints at http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp for the baptism records of Kilseily parish where Broadford is situated. They have the Kilseily parish records from 1844 to 1880 (see http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library ... umns=*,0,0 ) so you might just be in luck for the youngest of those children. You can get the LDS films to an LDS centre near you and browse them.

Another approach is to go to Broadford and see whether anyone knows anything about the Byrne family that was there in the 1901 census. That was nearly 110 years ago but you might be astonished at what you find out. Members of that family might still have been there within living memory (or might still be there, but there are no Byrnes in Broadford in the on-line phone book) and your informant(s) might know where they went to. Believe me, it's possible. I've recently had "hits" of that type. Unlike in the big cities, many people in rural Western Ireland have astonishing memories when it comes to family histories and the knowledge is often passed down by word-of-mouth through the generations so you can still sometimes talk to people who can give you accurate and subsequently verifiable information about people who were long dead when they, the informants, were little children. It's quite amazing.

Paddy

[cassmob]

hi John

Coming in a little late here. I can help with one of the children's baptisms from the Kiseily parish records:

Will'm Byrne baptised 22 February 1845 to John Byrne & Bridget Ryan. Witnesses were Francis Bourke and Cath Irwin. Unfortunately at this stage the priest was not making any reference to the family's townland of residence.

None of the others are in my list of names from the parish records.

LDS also has the Griffith Valuation revision books for Kilseily which are helpful -but not if your family is not there on the GV in the first place.

I have an interest in any immigrants from the Kilseily parish in particular, and East Clare in general, to Australia c1848-1865

I am in Darwin and happy to "talk" to you offline if that's helpful

Cheers

Pauleen