Hi Sean, How lovely to hear from you! I wish I could help but I'm afraid my earliest record is the birth certificate of my great aunt, Maria Conneely, who was born in Gurteen, Mount Bellew (about six or seven miles from Kilkerrin) in 1873. When my sister and I obtained the certificate with the help of a very kind lady in the Family History office in Galway City in 2010, we believed it may be the breakthrough we'd hoped for but I'm afraid we were disappointed. Kilkerrin seems to be one of the parishes whose BMD records were lost, possibly when the old church was demolished and replaced round about 1900.
According to the 1911 census, my great-grandparents probably married in 1873 but there was no record of the marriage in Mountbellew so I assume they married in Kilkerrin. I have certificates for births etc which took place in the UK which is where I got my great-grandmother's name from and which was crucial in tracing Maria, but the only other items I have are excerpts from Griffiths Valuation for Kilkerrin. However, if you'd like copies of anything I have just let me know. If you 'private message' me with your email address I'll send anything which you feel may be helpful.
I hope you have a wonderful trip and if you have any information which you think may connect to Patrick Conneely and/or Mary Donelan I'd be eternally grateful if you would le me know. I've always assumed that some family members would have gone to the USA but have no idea where to start looking.
Marie.
