RE: Shanahan and Kennedy
It appears that William Shanahan married Catherine Kennedy (mother Catherine Shanahan & Rodger Kennedy) in Coventry England before they came to Australia on the David McIver ship. William was sick when he arrived and possibly died soon after arrival. William and Catherine are both listed on the shipping records as being from Garrankilka. William's brother John Shanahan was also travelling on the same ship. I have been unable to source Williams death certificate in Australia.
My g.g. father was Timothy Kennedy whose family are from Cronovone/Ballynahow/Castlehill (father Patrick Kennedy). Timothy married Mary Delaney from Fantane in 1857 at Borrisoleigh and came to Australia in 1857.
Catherine Kennedy then married a second husband John Fitzpatrick. Catherine and John Fitzpatricks daughter Catherine Fitzpatrick married Patrick Kennedy, son of Timothy Kennedy and Mary Delaney.
Timothy's sister Mary Kennedy married Denis Darcy in Borrisoleigh and came to Australia four and half years earlier than Timothy.
They all settled at Kangaroo Hills, a few kilometres from Eganstown, home of John Egan from Borrisoleigh who Eganstown was named after.
Catherine Kennedy, Timothy Kennedy, Mary Kennedy, Denis Darcy and John Fitzpatrick are all buried at Eganstown Roman Catholic Cemetery which was established by John Egan on his land, See photo of Egans memorial from the Eganstown cemetery Borrisoleigh website. Patrick Kelly, another Borrisoleigh person and Mary Kennedy's husband Denis Darcy were involved in fund raising to build this memorial.
Also living in the area were other Borrisoleigh families including: Patrick Darcy, John Darcy, John Kennedy, three other Mary Darcy's, Patrick Kelly and Ellen Darcy, Martin Treacy and Honora Bourke.
Other families from Borrisoleigh were living in small communities such as Bungaree, Bald Hills, Forest Hill, Ballan, Miners Rest, Bullarook (now known as Newyln) and Wattle Flat. All these communities are within 20 minutes drive of each other. Other family names mentioned in public records are: Dwyers, Bourkes, Turners, Handley, Doyle, Corcorans, Cantwells, and Ryans.
Some families stayed in the Eganstown - Creswick - Ballarat area while other families moved further north in Victoria when more land became available for sale in the 1870's. While some people tried their luck at mining, many of the early settlers soon became farmers.
I believe that many of these families mentioned above are interrelated in Ireland over generations, and were living around simiar areas of Borrisoleigh
Cheers
Rosemary Kennedy
