My great grandparents are Owen O'Malley and Margaret Gallagher of Keel East, Achill, County Mayo. I know from their 1886 marriage certificate that Margaret's father was Hugh Gallagher. I have found Owen and Margaret in both the 1901 and 1911 census (Keel East, Achill, Slievemore, Mayo). In the 1901 census, two of their sons, Owen and John were not listed. I believe I have found them listed as staying with Ellen Gallagher, Widow, aged 62 of Dooinkelly (Calvey), Achill, County Mayo. They are listed as her grandsons and their ages of 9 and 6 match those of the sons of Owen and Margaret. Presumably, as she is a widow, this Ellen was not born a Gallagher.
However, when searching for records of Margaret's birth and mother, I was able to find a baptism record which appears to be hers. It has Margaret being baptised in North Mayo in 1858 (consistent with her age in the 1911 census although not the 1901 census but I understand these are often erroneous) with her father as Hugh Gallagher and mother Bridget Gallagher.
I have also found a marriage record of Hugh Gallagher and Bridget Gallagher having married in Achill North Mayo in 1849. There is also a record of a Hugh Gallagher marrying a Elenor Califf in Achill in 1843 but this Elenor seems to be too young to have been Margaret's mother - unless Margaret's age in the 1911 census is correct and the 1901 census wrong).
To complicate matters, one of the witnesses at Owen O'Malley (spelt Malia in the record) and Margaret's Gallagher's wedding is Bridget Gallagher. The other is John Malia (O'Malley). Meanwhile, one of the godparents of Owen and Margaret's son Patrick (my grandad) born in 1888 is Ellen Gallagher. The other is John Cafferkey.
Who is Margaret's mother? If it is Bridget, who is Ellen and why is she listed in the 1901 census as the grandmother of Margaret and Owen's son's Owen and John O'Malley (spelt Malley in the census)?
Can anyone help unravel this as I can't seen to get any further up the Gallagher tree until I work this one out. Incidentally, Owen and Margaret's marriage certificate list Owen's father as Owen O'Malley as well but I can't find any record of him either - or Owen's mother for that matter.
Can anyone help - particularly with the Ellen/Bridget puzzle?
