Keegan/Clarke

[bupski]

I am trying to trace my great great grandma elizabeth Keegan born 1864 in Kinnegad, father michael Keegan, mother esther Clarke. She married edward Walsh in 1892, she was living in Killucan at the time. I believe she is buried in the old village graveyard in Killucan. can anyone help or give me some directions?

[BChibs]

Hello,

I am also searching for Keegans, but I am not entirely sure if they are from Westmeath or Kildare.  My relatives came to the US between 1842 and 1860 (New York) but they were Lawrence Keegan (Born ~1800) and Bridget Keegan (Born ~1810).  Their children were Patrick (b1830), Lawrence (b1832), William (b1834), Margaret (b1836), Mary (b1838), and Catherine (b1842-d1933).  Do any of these names sound familiar?

Thanks!

[rathmore]

1901 census Keegan is a James (35) Mary (28) and children Kate, Mary, Lezzie, Bridget living at 44 Kinnegad Westmeath

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Westmeath/Kinnegad/Kinnegad/1781731/
you might have to type this yourself.

cannot find anything else no Edward Clarke

Moderator Note : Link fixed

[spuncy]

Hi bupski,

We are related!

Michael Keegan and Esther Clarke are my ggg-grandparents through their daughter, also Esther, born in 1860. I had only done some preliminary research into them, so this information is from my notes from last year.

They were married in 1844 in Kinnegad RC parish and I have found 8 children, including your ancestor, Elizabeth (the last), in 1864. There are a good few Keegans around Kinnegad/Killucan area, so I have not definitively narrowed down our Michael Keegan's address. There are 4 possible townlands for Michael Keegan in Griffith's in the civil parish of Killucan:
Aghamore
Derrymore
Kinnegad
Riverstown

The birth certificate for Elizabeth may give us the correct townland, but I have not acquired it from the GRO yet (it's still on my todo!).

Esther, my ancestor, moved to Dublin and married a Peter Coyne, a train driver. Some of the rest seem to have ended up emigrating to Newport, Rhode Island (Francis, Margaret and Mary). I had found Elizabeth's marriage to Edward Walsh in the index, but did not get the record.

As for what happened to Michael and Esther (snr), I have some possible death records from the civil registration indexes, but have not followed up on them. Once we have the address, that may lead us to the correct graveyard.

Going back further may be possible with records from the Tithe Applotments and deducing relatives from the marriage record witnesses and children's baptisms, but it's tough to say at this point.

Sure let me know your information and see if we can piece together some more details.

[spuncy]

Hi bupski,

I got the civil birth record for your ancestor Elizabeth in the GRO today. It lists the address for Michael & Esther Keegan as Kinnegad. Michael was a labourer. Looks like they lived in the village and not in the surrounding countryside.

PM me if you want more details.

[Faye567]

Wow, I was not imagining I was going to come onto this site and find people related to me. But, Elizabeth Keegan and Edward Walsh are  also my Great, Great Grandparents. I am related via their son William Walsh who is my Grandmother's father. My Grandmother moved to England with her husband in the early 1950s. This thread has given a tad more info about her I didn't know she was buried in Kilucan, so thank you very much! I know this thread is quite old, but, have either of you heard the rumour that Elizabeth was related to Molly Keegan a famous Soprano singer? My grandmother always used to say she was. We have a picture of Elizabeth Keegan and Edward Walsh if anyone is interested.

Also, I know that both Elizabeth, Edward were living in Bolton, Lancashire, England in 1901. I assume they lived there for a time for work before returning to Ireland. 

[spuncy]

Hi,

Good to find someone else in the family! I had searched for Elizabeth and Edward Walsh in the 1901 census in Ireland but didn't find them. The fact they were in Bolton would explain why, so thanks for the information.

I would love to see the picture if possible.

We have no information on Molly Keegan. The only thing I can offer is that Elizabeth had an older sister, Mary (Molly?), born in 1858 in Killucan. I found a death certificate for her (99% sure it's the right Mary Keegan) in Newport, Rhode Island in 1947: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F843-MS2

[Faye567]

Hi, don't worry about Molly Keegan, I suspect that might be unsubstantiated family legend. I would be willing to scan the photos and send them as an attachment, but, that could take a few days (another family member has them at the minute). But, if you have an Ancestry account another long lost family member has uploaded photos of Elizabeth and Edward as well as some other family members to a public family tree. If you put in Elizabeth Keegan's details into a search the right tree should appear. Hope that helps  .

[spuncy]

Thanks Faye, I got the pic from Ancestry. It's great to see a picture of a member of that family, as we have no contact or records of that side at all.

With regard to the Keegans, since the address for Elizabeth's birth record has them in Kinnegad, there is a Griffith's Valuation record of Michael Keegan in Kinnegad (plot 12a). Although Michael is a labourer according to the birth cert of Elizabeth, Griffiths lists him as the owner of the small plot of land ("in fee").

Have you been able to trace that family further back?