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« on: Wednesday 29 August 18 02:05 BST (UK) »
Hi Holly,
I can tell you without any doubt that James McGrath was only married to Mary Bergin. They spent their whole life in Durrow, Laois. James was a grocer and eventually his daughter and son in law took over the business and expanded it. It was called Sheeran’s
You have the wrong family. This James McGrath was born under the names James Cray in Rathdowney, Laois to Martin Cragh and Ann Fry.
Martin Cragh’s father is listed on Griffiths on Moore St in Rathdowney under the name John Creagh, so is Martin’s father in law, Samuel Fry.
Martin Cragh and Ann Fry eventually moved to Ballyragget, Kilkenny living on High St and that is where he had a bakery and went under the name McGrath. His 2 sons that did not immigrate to Penn Yan, NY were John and James. John staying on high st and James moving to Durrow.
James was bapt 8 Jul 1857 under the name James Cray in Rathdowney Catholic register. He married Mary Bergin on 30 Aug 1877 in Ballyragget, Kilkenny and he died 20 May 1926 in Durrow, Laois. They had 8 children together.
I am sorry to say that you have attached my family as yours. This is not your James McGrath, mine was never divorced. I know there are several trees on ancestry by various cousins of mine that have this family on there and that maybe where you have attached him to your family but without any doubt I can tell you that this James was never divorced and was only 20 yrs old when he got married and then went on to have 8 children so he was fairly busy. All of these dates are easily verified in the catholic parish registers and also at irishgenealogy.ie if you would like to confirm on your own.
Megan