RootsChat.Com

Regretably, my computer has suffered a couple memory crashes since 2009, and I have been unsuccessful in locating the contact information.  Will keep looking.
Dan

Shane,

I had the name and contact info of a lady from Coolbagh, maiden name O'Brien, who met my two sisters (in May, 2009?) and showed them what may have been my grandfathers home as a child, before his having traveled to the U.S.  I will try to locate her information and will post again if I find it.

Good luck on your search.

Ter,

No, you are the first to reply.

I did write to the Parish (?) in Clashmore regarding vital records, but they were reluctant to search their records without a significant commitment from me, it seemed, so I opted to exhaust other resources first.

My sisters will be visiting Ireland this fall (from California) but seem more interested in visiting the O'Brien Castle and the Waterford crystal factories than looking at headstones, etc. ... can you imagine?

Unfortunately, I've lent my note binder to one of them, and at age 70 my recall is a bit light.  I do recall piecing together a map of Coolbagh based on data from the big survey taken around 1880(?).  Seems there were about eight O'Brien households at the time, one of which may have been a Mary O'Brien.  There was a blacksmith on the northeast section of Coolbagh at the time, near the N-S road to Clashmore, who may have apprenticed my grandfather, Patrick Joseph O'Brien and perhaps a cousin, Thomas O'Brien, prior to their departures to the U.S.  My grandfather sailed from Queenstown on the steamship named the "City of Chicago", in 1888, arriving New York on June 24th.

Finally, I recall a Maurice O'Brien and wife Anastasia being listed in or near Coolbagh in the early 1800's that may have been my grandfather's grandparents.

Anything you might be able to contribute to this quest would be highly appreciated.