Keogh, Kelly in Glen of Imaal

[dermo]

My grandfather, John Keogh (b. 1880), and grandmother, Anne Kelly (b. 1885) were from the Glen of Imaal in Wicklow.  The townlands I have heard about in the area in which members of the two families lived are Seskin, Stranahely, Coolmoney, Leitrim and Knocknamunnion.  I think these townlands are in the parish of Donaghmore but I think that may be the civil, as distinct from church, parish.  Does anyone know what the relevant Catholic parish or parishes are for those townlands? 

I have a good deal of information on the two families from the 1901 and 1911 censuses.  The Kellys, or some of them,  moved to Kildare before 1911 but I would be interested to know if there are Keoghs still in Glen Imaal.

Dermo

[RoryT]

Hi Dermo,
I spent 24 years in the Army and spent lots of time on exercise in the Glen of Imaal.  There is a ruined house called Keogh's House just behind the Fentons pub in the Seskin area. It might belong to some of your ancestors.

Just a thought.

RoryT

[shanew147]

All five of the townlands seem to be in the Civil parish of Donaghmore , and the registration district (or Poor Law Union) of Baltinglass . See the townland database at www.thecore.com/seanruad

There is another townland named Seskin, in Mullinacuff civil parish (Shillelagh reg. district) buit I'm guessing that's outside your area of interest. (Mullinacuff civil parish is located further south near to Tullow )

To check for Co. Wicklow RC parishes see the Irish Times website at :   Wicklow RC Parishes
(Many of the details for this are derived from Ryan's Irish Records.)

The Civil parish of Donaghmore is listed under the RC Parish of Dunlavin.


Shane

[dermo]

Shane - Thanks for that information.  It gives me a starting point for following up on church records.

Rory - Interesting to hear of your experience in the army.  I assume the army exercises would have been based on Coolmoney Camp?  Pardon my ignorance, but is the Glen of Imaal firing range near Coolmoney or elsewhere?  The family story is that my Kelly great grandmother sold her land to the British in the early-1900s for the artillery range (I suspect her land formed part of the range, not the whole thing) and moved to Kildare.

Dermo

[RoryT]

Coolmoney Camp is situated not far from the Glen area itself and soldiers would have been billeted there whilst on firing exercises in the Glen.  The whole area from Coolmoney to Table mountain, Knockinarrigan, Seskin, Leitrim Crossroads is used by the army for exercises.  The place was used previously by the British Army also.

Rory

[dermo]

Rory

Many thanks for the info.

Dermo

[carhoglucan]

Dermo.

I lived near the Glen years ago.  Keoghs are still there.  I went to school with them in the 70's. From what I can remember they own/owned a sawmill in the area.  The church near them is in Davidstown. There is also a church in Donard.   Hope this might help.  I have a contact from the area if you want word to get to the Keoghs in the Glen.
Car.

[dermo]

Hi Car

Many thanks for the reply and information.  I haven't yet gotten around to checking for church records on the Keogh side of the family yet but will add Donard and Davidstown to the list to be investigated.  My grandfather's siblings who remained in the Glen were all dead by the mid-1970s as far as I know.  I imagine, if related to the Keoghs you went to school with, they would have been of their great grandparents generation.  The names I know of grandfather's siblings who stayed in the Glen are (1) William (Bill) Keogh died 1976 and had lived at Seskin, Knockenarrigan, (2) Patrick Keogh died 1971 at Coolmoney, (3) Elizabeth (Lizzie) Keogh Donohoe died at Coolmoney 1961, and (4) Anne (Nanny) Keogh Murphy lived in Seskin, died 1960.

Dermo

[Peddy]

Hi, I'm researching my family history, which in the main is the O'Brien family.  However, my grandmother was a Keogh, also on some documents spelt Kehoe.  Her name was Jane born c1861 and I believe her address might have been sheephouse Arklow Wicklow.  My gran married an Andrew O'Brien in Dublin c1879, and my dad was born in Clontarf west Dublin in 1899.  Don't know if there is any connection with the Keogh family of Glen of Imael or not, but would be interesting to find out.