Shaughnessy-Power families, Barrettstown-Waterstown.

[Sinann]

The sun decided to shine just as I started taken these which increased the contrast but I didn't have time to wait for a cloud.

[Sinann]

2 more

[Sinann]

last one

[Sinann]

Just home from the mass, no sign of a O'Shaughnessy headstone and blank looks from anyone I asked about the family.

[scarlett0017]

Just home from the mass, no sign of a O'Shaughnessy headstone and blank looks from anyone I asked about the family.

Looks like a nice graveyard, some nice headstones, i thought it was going to be a really old creepy graveyard.
I've been looking at a few graveyard locations on this site http://kildare.co/Kildare-Graveyards-by-Parish.asp around the area where they lived, god only knows where they are buried, literally.

[scarlett0017]

I think the O'Shaugnessy name was just Shaugnessy when the family were living up in Kildare.

Looks like Patrick added the O himself for whatever reason, but usually a name change implies you want to distance yourself from something, or someone.

Still haven't found a burial place for Patrick's wife Mary, definetly not buried with him, his sister, son and daughter-inlaw in Glasnevin.

I found the name changes with the other side of the family as well, O'Brien was also O'Bryan, then just Brien or Bryan. 

Makes trying to track everybody down more interesting, i suppose.

At the very least you get to test your investigating skills.

[Sinann]

Adding the O is completely normal and very common, my family did it as well
Scroll down to the Gaelic Revival, variations in spelling also very common it usually depended on the official writing the record not the family member.
https://irishhistory.com/genealogy/irish-surnames/understanding-irish-surname-prefixes-o-mac-and-mc-a-guide-to-irish-genealogy/

[scarlett0017]

I think Patrick's father, or maybe his grandfather who was also called James Shaughnessy could have been an interesting person though, i found a lot of petty crime stuff belonging to him. Then a half brother by blood, not sure what that means, but i think it could mean either one of his parents had a child with somebody else.

I think he was also involved in the Clongorey evictions from the O'kelly estate, there is a James Shaughnessy listed as being one of the evictees.

Its hard to know which James was which.