Question of the Week: Do you have Irish Roots? [closed]

Question

Éirinn go Brách!

It's March! Celebrate your Irish heritage and tells us about your ancestors!

You might also stop by and visit the Irish Roots project to see how you can help.

Comments

I'm not sure but my powers ancestors from Vermont might have been but I can't get that far back without some help

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I am nearly 1/2 Irish & have been unable to get past my great grandmother.  My grandmother's family was from Miltown Malbay & my grandmother grew up in the Ennistimon Workhouse because she was illegitimate.  Six years & no further.  Too many adoptions & in my family to figure anything out.

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1/8 Irish via Skehan & Hooley from Cappawhite who immigrated to California during the gold rush.  Intermingled with Cornish miners (1/4) & English farmers (1/8) in the first half of 1900’s.  Volga Germans (1/2) were added to the family tree in the 1960’s to the family tree.

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I like to join the Irish Google Group I put in request from google groups. I like to join the Irish project. this family suppose to be from Ireland. I believe his father was from Ireland. Only reason I believe his father is from Ireland is because his one set of grandparents are German Origins. The Family is found in Lewisburg Pennsylvania. Is there anyway to find out this mans Father from Irish immigrant records or families in area ? 

http://www.searchforancestors.com/bios/pennsylvania/history_of_centre_and_clinton/callahan_charles.html

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Callahan-2158

Billie 

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I'm also trying to find out if my Powers ancestors in Vermont originally came from Ireland. How can I find out?

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The least amount of info I have in my tree is my great grandfather Mathew O'Connor. He died Aug 14 1896 in Fremont Nebraska he was 61. I don't have a date of birth or where he was born, I believe he immigrated from Ireland. His parents names were Patrick O'Connor and Agnes Fardle. That's all the info I have on them. Mathew's  wife was Ellen Martley, her ancestors came from Ireland to Nebraska via Quebec.

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Carolyn - Family Search GSRG-XDJ says he was born in Ireland about 1837.It also shows Patrick & Agnes as born/died in Ireland. Hope that helps!

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I know, I added that to Family Search. Thanks.

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I have Irish roots but unfortunately that’s where there’s a big wall as well.

I also have what they call scotch Irish as well that I have to look further into.

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My 5th great-grandfather was Richard Ellis. He was born in Dublin in 1704, his father was a native of Wales. His arrival date varies upon the source (1717, 1733, 1745) to Massachusetts. He married after he arrived in America. He might be my only Irish ancestor.

I always wondered whether I carried a recessive gene for red hair. I seem to recall one of the testing companies indicated that I do. Perhaps it was from the Irish.

Answer 1

My maternal great-grandmother's maiden name was Callahan. Her grandfather, Bernard B Callahan was born in Donegal, Ireland in 1828. I would love to join the project!

Comments

Hi Kathyand welcome to the Irish Roots Project.

Answer 2

I am My GGGM is Kemmis-20 Catherine Henrietta Kemmis of the Kemmis of Shaen. I am also connected to the Campbells and Rowleys of Mount Campbell.

Answer 3

My first paternal ancestor to America was John Gregg (1690 - 1758)  his wife Nancy Wood (1694 - 1768) and their childern William, John, Thomas, Robert, Andrew and Elizabeth shipped from Ireland to America in the mid-1740's (about 1747). 

They are discendants of the Clan MacGregor, who are Gaelic-Scots (Scots-Irish)

Answer 4

yes I do have Irish roots and proud of it.

Answer 5

I was told My Turners were Irish Heritage by my blonde haired, blue eyed grandfather, but since I cannot break down the brick wall of John Turner-10956 born SC int he 1790's I haven't been able to go any further back.  My Husbands family of Dunn's also came from Ireland, still working on both lines.

I do think that I have the luck of the Irish so I am still searching for the treasure!

Answer 6

While I knew I had some Irish ancestry, I was very surprised by my 23 and Me test which said I was 49% Irish/British (growing up with a name like Heumann, I always assumed I was mostly German).  Digging back in time has been a lot of fun and I've been surprised to find my Irish ancestors were here in this country for so long.  Since I married a Kearney, I'm now more appropriately named and we look forward to going to Ireland this summer!

Answer 7

23 and me says I have 78% Irish/British heritage. With the last name of Fitzmaurice, I know I am Irish. But there are many other families in my tree that are Irish. Fitzmaurice, Connolly, Ryan, and Carrigan's emigrated with the potato famine, but I have no idea past that. On the other side we have the Harpers, and I expect some others close to them.  My other Irish/Scotch roots are very early US.

Answer 8

My ethnicity estimate (per Ancestry DNA) shows 37% Ireland/Scotland/Wales. My paternal grandmother was Mary Ann Lenahan and her brother Edward George Lenahan were the offspings of  William Edward Lenahan and Catherine Giblin. Mary Ann and Edward were both born in Castletownarra Ireland. One aunt who remained in Ireland was the owner of the Greenmount Hotel in Salthill Galoway. It has been torn down to be replaced by a nursing home. My father spoke often of a going to Skeen to visit other aunts and uncles.

Answer 9

I have a Jacob Larkin in my background, so there must be Irish there, but there equals 1825 Kentucky and a brickwall! :=(

Answer 10

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day helps me to honor my 21% Irish DNA.  My paternal line of Clerke comes from County Cork.  John Clerke emigrated to New Brunswick, Canada in 1828.  Some of the same line cousins living in County Cork use the name Clarke.  Irish usage sounds like Clerke.

Answer 11

According to my DNA results yes.

Answer 12

I always though I was 25% Irish as both my maternal grandmother's parents were from County Kerry.  The ethnicity reports say I am only 2% Irish, which I suppose translates as 2% Celtic.  I can trace Irish one line to Norman invaders from England (and before that, Normandy, of course) so perhaps the ethnicity reports are correct.  It makes one wonder how much Celtic blood is in the typical modern Irish born man or woman.

Answer 13

Yes. I have Irish ancestors.
  My mothers father was from a long line of American born Irish married to mostly Irish folks. Mother Gibson and Four of her five grown sons arrived at Baltimore, MD in 1800. One son remained in Ireland with his family. The single ones went to America.
  My mothers maiden name was Ash. I don't have the list handy but the family had a list of names handed down. Most were Irish married to Irish here. I know my great grand parents in one of those lines were Ash married to a Coulter.
  They have been harder to follow so I have spent more time on my maternal grandmothers line that were early colonists having arrived in 1622 at Plymouth  and 1609 at Jamestown, VA. Easier records to follow.
  My Dads side seems to be Scot, English, and a Native American Grandmother. Dads Aunts on his mothers side were a mixture. Some looked very Indian while others were light skinned and even one named Goldie because of the golden streak at each temple in her light brown curley hair. There was a great grandmother born in Scotlad, her mother a Gregg and her Father a Kelly. Hmmm...
    On Saint Patty's Day, we're all Irish anyway. Except perhaps my Dad. He would wear a bright orange tie and dare anyone to pinch him.  :)

Answer 14

My father's paternal side is Irish. Was told the Loney clan came from County Clare but I am having a hard time tracing them back to there. I have a copy of a photo of a pub in a village called Murtagh. But can't find it on any map of Ireland. My great uncle had traced the Loney's back to the 14th century Ireland and the name was O'Loney, and they were related to the King of Ireland and they were horse thieves but the only horses the stole were the king's.

I remember my great uncle saying they sailed out of Cork and landed in Nova Scotia, then came to America through Massachusetts. They then moved to Wisconsin where my great grandfather was born, and then to Minnesota where my grandfather and father were born.

The research that my great uncle spent years working on was thrown away by his children because they weren't interested in it. That is information we will never know about. My great uncle came to America when he was in his early 20s and never lost his Irish brough (Not sure if I  spelled that right). We would ask in questions that required a long answer just to hear him talk. I met him when I was 13 years old and that was when my interest in anything Irish started.

Answer 15

Happy St. Patrick's day. Yes, my wife (Driscoll) and I (Costello) have Irish roots. My great grandfather Matthew Costello (1827-1904) came from Drumcliff, Dunfore, Sligo, Ireland to NY City on the ship Issac Wright in 1847. Does anyone else have a relative that year on the same ship? His future wife, Elizabeth Ferry (1835-1915), came from Donegal, Ireland in 1848. Any other Ferry's out there? They both wound up in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Answer 16

Yes, I have alot of Irish and Scotish roots starting with my father's side of the family. My Grandmother was born a Davis and from there it has been traced back to Eva Aoife ,MacMurrough to Murrertac O'Toole and many more. My ancestor's came from Ulster County, in Northern Ireland. I'm still receiving information on my Father's Mother's side of the family. My cousin has alot of the information and received information from some of our family still in Ulster County Ireland. My Great Grandfather family came from Scotland and I am looking for information on that side of the family.

Answer 17

Well the DNA says we have but pinpointing the ancestors seems to be a whole different ball game. They did tend to go back and forth like yo-yoes from Scotland early days so perhaps there were a few mishaps along the way.

Answer 18

For nearly 30 years I have hacked away at those Irish brick walls that hide the anguish and suffering of so many. At times it is heart wrenching to uncover the brutal reality of life in the 1800s. So many family’s lost their young children in very early age, what a hardy bunch they must have been to face harsh reality and get on with life and repeat the cycle again and again. My grandmothers family ”Francis” of Westmeath lost perhaps 80% of their numbers at early age because of appalling conditions. It’s a great miracle that so many of us are around today. And because we’re here and digging up those roots, sacrilege and sacrifices are resurrected and history is rewritten. My own family tree researche will, hopefully, continue for many years to come, my legacy to those who follow will forever be banked here in wikitree for all to see.

My Irish roots (paternal) run through the counties of Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath with family names: Gill, Francis, Casey, Daly, Casserly, McCormick/McCormack, Lynch, Coyle. This really is a never ending story, it’s a tale of survival in the face of all odds, my ancestors are my hero’s and I’m blessed to be here and living their memories.

Answer 19

Yes I have Irish Roots. My maternal Great- Grandmother was born in Cork. My paternal grandparents were born in Waterford. Through my Father I found out that I am a fourth cousin to Liam Neeson. My father and Liam's great grandmother were first cousins.

Answer 20

Most of my mom's ancestors (and a few of my dad's) came from Ireland - the majority from Northern Ireland.  Most considered themselves as "Scotch-Irish" and those whose religion is known to me were Presbyterian or Anglican (Church of Ireland). 

My ancestor, John Clements (c1779-1828) came from County Antrim (probably Ballynure), was a cattle drover by profession, and participated in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 where he was wounded and left for dead.  He obviously recovered as he married Elizabeth Kirk and fathered eleven children.

Other ancestors, including the Porteus, Johnston, and Beatty families, came from County Fermanagh.  A wonderful website has church records and more for this county:  http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/index.htm

My Boulton ancestors reputedly came from County Wexford, but I can't quite connect them with the Boltons shown in the book, Bolton Families in Ireland, by Charles Knowles Bolton.

Many of my other Irish ancestors left no record (that has been found) specifying their place of birth in Ireland.

Some day I would love to visit Ireland!