Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

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murf
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Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by murf » Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:16 am

On 27 Feb 1865 Edmond Murphy of Ballycorick married Bridget Hehir in the chapel at Miltown Malbay. Bridget, then aged 19, was the daughter of Patt Hehir, farmer of Doonsallagh.
The Killernan Graveyard Headstone Inscriptions http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... veyard.htm reveal a tomb "erected by Margaret Hehir alias Murphy in memory of her beloved husband Patrick Hehir of Dunsallagh who depd life April 22nd 1860 aged 55 years"
Now this appears to be at odds with the marriage certificate of the above wedding which makes no suggestion that Patt Hehir was deceased in 1865. Of course it is entirely possible that there were two Pat Hehirs of roughly the same age in Doonsallagh around this time, but the Murphy maiden name of Margaret (above) is tantalising, for it suggests a previous link between the Hehirs and Murphys, possibly of Ballycorick.
One of the Hehir families resident in Doonsallagh West in the 1901 census is that of Thomas (56) and Catherine (34).
Their children are:
Patrick 9
John 7
Brigid 5
Thomas 3
Margret 1
If this family followed the standard Irish naming convention of the first son after the paternal grandfather and the second daughter after the paternal grandmother, then this is strongly suggestive that Thomas(56) is the son of Patrick and Margaret above.
Transcripts of the baptism Records for Kilmurry Ibrickan Parish by Marie Crowley http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... rowley.htm are now appearing on the scene, and if this is an ongoing project which stretches to 1846 and beyond it may include the baptism of Bridget Hehir and confirm her mother's name.
But it would be interesting if anyone knows of a connection between the Hehirs of Doonsallagh and the Hehirs/Murphys of the Ballycorick/Ballynacally area.

murf
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by murf » Fri Jun 05, 2015 12:18 am

I just stumbled across the death record for Patrick Hehir on familysearch.org which gives the same transcript from the Killernan graveyard, only this version gives the year of death as 1866, not 1860. If this is correct then it would mean that this Pat Hehir was indeed very much alive at the time of Bridget's wedding in 1865.
The familysearch record provides a link to findagrave.com where there is an enlargeable photo of the gravestone. Unfortunately the year is indistinct and one could not conclude from the photo whether one or the other is correct. The photo was supplied by Kevin J O (presumably O'Brien).
Perhaps Kevin may be able to resolve this?

murf
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by murf » Fri Jun 05, 2015 1:06 am

Here we go again - I keep answering my own questions.
Just found in Wills and Letters of Administration
".. of the personal estate of Patrick Hehir late of Doonsallagh in the County of Clare Farmer deceased who died 22 April 1860 at same place were granted at the Principal Registry to Margaret Hehir of Doonsallagh aforesaid the Widow of said deceased."

I guess this resolves the gravestone transcription question (Kevin O'B please note), but leaves me back at square one. Either there was more than one Patrick Hehir in Doonsallagh or the marriage certificate overlooked the fact that the bride's father was deceased.

Sduddy
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by Sduddy » Sat Jun 06, 2015 8:43 am

A great many priests did not state whether the father of the bride (or bridegroom) was dead or not. In the case of my own ancestors, it is rarely that "dead" or "alive" is entered after the father's name. There was no heading, or column, in the certificate to prompt the giving of this information. So it's bonus when it is given - usually in brackets below the name). I would say the bride and bridegrooms were just asked for their fathers' names, and no more.

Sheila

mgallery
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by mgallery » Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:36 am

I am related to the Hehirs of Ballycorick through a Taaffe of Erinagh and Drumcanin marriage (my gt grandmother was Helena Taaffe). Her sister married a Hehir. I know one of the Taaffes lived in Miltown in the 1800s I think it was my gt grandmother;s uncle or aunt. I will have to dig out the connection. A guy who is related to the Hehirs contacted me about the Taaffes. I just got onto him and asked him to follow up on this post if he can help. Declan Barron of Newpark house put me in touch with him. Declan is also conected in some way to the Hehirs of Ballycorick.

hope this is helpful.

murf
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by murf » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:42 am

Thanks Sheila that is reassuring. I had another marriage certificate in which the bride's father was pronounced "Dead", but I had no way of knowing if this was normal practice.
Margaret, I recall you mentioning in previous posts that you had an interest in the Hehirs of Ballycorick, so thanks for your interst in this.
I have been monitoring the Baptisms of the Kilmurry Ibrickan Parish as they appear in the What's New Box. So far, in the five years 1839-1843 there were no baptisms at all in the townlands of Doonsallagh East and West, which is rather curious since just about every other townland in the parish is represented. As far as Hehir baptisms go, most of the activity appears in the nearby townland of Doolough. I noted that there is also a Murphy family in this townland, so it is possible that Margaret Murphy Hehir may have originated from here.

pwaldron
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by pwaldron » Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:15 pm

murf, don't hold your breath waiting for Doonsallagh baptisms to appear in the Kilmurry Ibrickan transcriptions!

The townlands of Carrowduff, Doonsallagh East, Doonsallagh West, Killernan, Knockanalban, Knockloskeraun, Shanavogh East and Shanavogh West in Kilmurry (Ibrickan) civil parish appear to have become part of Miltown Malbay Catholic parish in 1839 and part of Ennistimon PLU in 1850. This move straightened the meandering boundary between the two civil parishes and between the original 1838 PLUs.

Pat Hehir and Margt Murphy had the following children baptised in Miltown Malbay Catholic parish:
Bridget Feb 1839
Tom 10 Dec 1842
Tom 4 Jan 1844
Patrick 15 Feb 1848
John 26 Oct 1849
Michael 21 Aug 1851
Honora 6 Aug 1859.

mgallery
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by mgallery » Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:03 pm

Thats interesting Paddy as my sister lives in Knockliscrane (this seems to be the modern day if not official spelling) and considers she lives in Kilfarboy parish. Her son plays for the parish teams she goes to church there and gets the kids christened school etc there as it is just a mile outside the town.

murf
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by murf » Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:35 pm

Paddy!
You had a brickbat in one hand and a bouquet in the other. Thanks so much, that's brilliant.
It confirms Margaret Murphy as the mother of Bridget.
I should now be able to match some of her siblings in the 1901 census.
I notice that a couple of the townlands that you nominated (eg Killernan and Shanavogh) do appear in the baptism lists thus far. But there may be a case for some cautionary note (probably on the Kilmurry Baptism Register page) to the effect that baptism records for some of these northern townlands of the Parish may be found in the Miltown Malbay Parish records, so that other unsuspecting people don't wander down the same path as me.
Cheers, Murf

johnmayer
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by johnmayer » Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:19 am

Murf,
To support your thought, Owen Hehir and his wife Mary Cahill had four children baptized in Miltown Malbay Parish between 1839 and 1844, and a fifth child baptized in K-I Parish in 1849.

Kevin J. O'Brien
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Re: Patrick Hehir of Doonsallagh

Post by Kevin J. O'Brien » Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:04 am

Very interesting message board.

I have noted the 1860 death date for Patrick Hehir of Dunsallagh on the "Find A Grave" site and my personal notes for Killernan Graveyard. I will be on holiday this July and plan on spending a few days in Killernan Graveyard photographing stones and copying inscriptions.

I have the family of Patrick Hehir and Margaret Murphy of Dunsallagh in my family tree on Ancestry.

I have looked at hundreds of County Clare civil marriage records and usually do not find the status of the father listed as "Deceased" when in fact I know it to be true. I think that some of the "clerks" at the time would take it upon themselves to do this, as I have found this noted during certain time periods in the records.

Thank you for the clarification.

Slan,
Kevin J O'Brien

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