Brilliant information, Aghadowey & Elwyn. That was quick!
Yes, apart from the paternal grandparents, extended family of both parents were in Creeslough and surrounding townlands.
I'm struck by the parallels between the 2 generations. Bridget O'Donnell Devir, having parted from her child and native country to make a better life, dies at 27 following dreadful postnatal complications, with only 2 of her 6 children surviving infancy. Her husband vanishes within 4 years.
Her only daughter, Bridget Devir Strain, leaves her birthplace, and a dead daughter, for similar reasons, loses another infant, dies a similar death, and her husband is dead 4 years later.
I'm glad the youngest Bridget broke the pattern! She and my grandfather, her mother's only remaining sibling, both had very large families. Lovely to have a description of her. Her cousins (2 of them are still living!) were all, er, on the petite side, too.
But her grandmother Bridget, and quite a few of her descendants had/have red, red, red hair!
So much to be going on with, much more than expected. Thanks again
Out at State Archives today, chasing details on John Devir/Diver's possible police career, and it seems he
was appointed a constable, about 4 months after arriving in Australia, but was discharged (as opposed to dismissed) after 3 months. There was a good description of him. He then became a railway porter, country town then Sydney, and continued in that occupation until he disappeared from the records in about 1889. Legend has it he went to the goldfields, possibly Western Australia...
Cheers, Ann