How do I find what county or town John J. Carroll is from, besides just “Ireland”?

Question

According to US  birth, marriage, and census records, my ancestors are from Ireland.  However, I can’t find a method for locating specifically where they came from.

 I have specific names and parents of those names, but searching the entire country of Ireland, seems a bit daunting.

 John Francis Carroll b. 1903  Springfield, Massachusetts

 His father: John J. Carroll, born in Ireland

- born approximately 1860

- died in  Springfield Massachusetts, approximately 1941

 His father’s parents:

 Timothy Carroll, Mary Flynn

- both born in ireland

 His mother: Margaret T. Ryan, born in Ireland

- born approximately 1850

Married 1895,  Springfield, Massachusetts

Answer 1

Hi Mark,

Do you know when they emigrated? If it was after 1901 they will be in the census, I can see a few possibilities but as John Francis was born 1903 in Mass they must have moved by then. do you know if there were older siblings who moved with them?

I'm not seeing a marriage record for them on familysearch?

Anything else at all you know or think may help narrow the search :)

Lizzie

Answer 2

I ran across the same problem myself. only difference is I know the county, but not exactly where in that county.

Answer 3

 

Name:	John Carroll
Baptism Age:	0
Event Type:	Baptism
Birth Date:	1860
Baptism Date:	19 Mar 1860
Baptism Place:	Birr and Loughkeen, Offaly and Tipperary, Ireland
Parish Variants:	Birr, Loughkeen
Diocese:	Killaloe
Father:	Carroll
Mother:	Mary Flynn

Source Citation

National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 02478 / 03

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Answer 4

 

Name:	Margaret T Ryan
Age:	28
Birth Year:	abt 1867
Birth Place:	Ireland
Marriage Date:	14 Aug 1895
Marriage Place:	Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
Father:	Francis Ryan
Mother:	Maria Reagan
Spouse:	John Carroll

Source Citation

New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911–1915

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

Answer 5

As an Australian, I don't know much about your records in America but what I would say to you is look for clues for their origins in Ireland from where they lived in America. Some of the people they associated with etc in America may also be from the same place in Ireland or who were witnesses to marriages etc or who lived near them. Also I would look at the approximate years of birth as you have the mother some ten years older than the father (if I have interpreted your message properly) with the mother being 45 when she married and 53 when John Francis Carroll was born in 1903. Perhaps one or both had been married before given their ages. Using Family Search you could put in the search box and the spouse box the surname combinations of Carroll/Flynn and Carroll/Ryan and in the where married for the grand parents Ireland and the parents try Ireland and Massachusetts. Also you might have immigration records that capture then arriving which you would be looking at prior to 1895 if they married in America in that year. I hope this is of help. Maree.