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I've been trying to track down my WHELAN forebears in Wexford.

My grandmother was a Hannah Saunders, born 1883 who married Patrick Whelan (born 1881) in 1904.  Patrick lived in King St at time of marriage and his father was John.  He might have had sisters (Elizabeth and Mary Kate) and a brother (James) as these are cited as godparents to some of Hannah and Patrick's children.  One child was my father, John Whelan (b. 1907).  Other children were Patrick, James, Maggie, May, Kathleen, Clare, and Angela (another child Nicholas died aged 3).  Hannah's brothers were a Patrick, Nicholas and John and her sister was Catherine/Katie.

I know quite a bit (though it's never complete!) of my Saunders' side, but virtually nothing of my Whelan side. Both the Saunders (this branch originating in Fishers Row) and the Whelan (my father's) families lived in Seaview Avenue, from before the 1901 census to when my aunt Katie (Hannah's sister) died in the 1970s.

My grandfather was a sailor and for years on the rosslare-fishguard ferry (he died in 1943) and a member of the Fishgaurd lifeboat that rescued the crew of the dutch schooner Hermina in 1920 (a fairly well known incident in Wexford maritime circles).  My Uncle Pat was aboard the Kerlogue during WW2 when it picked up german sailors sunk in the bay of biscay, my Uncle James (Jim) was a lieutenant commander Irish Navy and lastly harbour master at Limerick before his sudden death in the mid 1960s.  My father was also a sailor who settled in liverpool in 1938.

Hannah's mother was Mary O'Connor who married a Patrick Saunders.  She is cited as 'widow' aged 45 in the 1901 census but i'm not sure about this status (as I've seen elsewhere that this Patrick Saunders died in 1919).

I've heard (family tale) that Mary's father a 'captain o'connor' built the houses in Seaview Avenue but can't verify this.

Anyone know anything about my elusive WHELAN ancestors?

Incidentally, my Aunt Katie (Saunders) became a Roche (she married Matt Roche, brother of Jem Roche, the great boxer). *

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The houses in Sea View Avenue and the cul de sac next door (Trinity Place) are of similar design and are most likely to have been constructed around the same period.

The earliest date for which I can find a reference amongst my bits & pieces to the existence of Sea View Avenue is 1st January 1893 as noted in the Bride Street Church baptism register.

Trinity Place is recorded in the 1890 baptism register so it’s likely Sea View Avenue was also in existence around this date.

It would be interesting to know exactly when these houses were built.

Hi i've just joined rootschat as i'm looking to establish when the houses in sea view avenue were built - anybody got any further with this query?

my main reason for asking is my father (whelan) and grandparents (whelan/saunders) and other relatives (roche) lived there, moving between several of the houses, from before the 1901 census (and up to the 1970s) and i believe (family tale) that my g-g-g grandfather ('captain o'connor' - father of my maternal g-g grandmother who married patrick saunders) built the houses

i'm trying to verify if this is true....................................