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@aghadowey

When did the parents marry?

There is an index to a record in Glenbeigh Parish, which suggests it was  1851.  I must qualify it, as the marriage records for that period seem quite fragmentary, and I have never seen the original entry.  But in terms of a timeline for the mother.  I have identified her as being born in 1831, so it is entirely possible it is correct.  At least, I am sure it is close to correct, based on information Bridget (the daughter, who was very good with dates.) provided about the age of one of her sisters.

The parents, Michael O'Brien and Bridget Breen lived in Breanlee, Killorglin Parish.

That is a very remote spot.  The place where they have a parking lot for climbers to Ireland's highest peak.

I've never been completely clear on how the registration system worked.  Their district was Caherciveen.  If they really had to travel all the way there, I think it would have been a hard journey.  Only one sibling had their birth registered. 

The parish itself, for reasons unclear to me, has older records but is missing a large period spanning very roughly from about 1850-1880, as such, there are no surviving baptisms for the siblings.

My main sources of information for the siblings comes from various censuses (including American) and the Forester records of Bridget (daughter) and her brother Pat.  These were life insurance records made in the vicinity of Boston, USA.

Trouble is the Forester records don't actually include the siblings names, just their ages and health status, as reported by the brother and sister.

Pat (filled out his application in 1903) was very bad with dates.

While Bridget (who filled hers out in
1913)was very good with them, but Bridget didn't mention the brother who died in a train accident.

The number of siblings each gave doesn't quite agree, and I can't follow the logic behind it, only to think that neither was considering the possibility anyone would want to look at it for genealogical purposes.

Pat reported 4 sisters living in 1903, and 0 brothers living (though he probably had at least 2 in Ireland), while he reported one dead brother. (Who d. c1896 after the train accident)

Bridget reported 3 sisters living in 1913, while not mentioning a fourth, living or dead.  She reported two brothers living and one who died in 1906.

I even know the month (May) he died and the cause of death (pneumonia) but I have never been able to find the death record, and would guess it was never reported.

These are the siblings I know of:

Emigrated to Boston
Bridget 1870-1929
Julia M. 1867?-1921 (never married)
Patrick J. 1862?-1949

In Ireland in 1901
Daniel 1855?-1930 (Liv. in Breanlee)
Mary 1858?-1932 (Kilcurrane West)
Michael 1862?-1906? (In Breanlee in 1901, Suspect never married, don't think his death was reported)

Whereabouts and identity unknown

Sister b1853?, Liv. in 1903, possibly dead by 1913, but not necessarily.

Brother (Patrick, who was very bad with dates gives about c1877-c1896.  The first number is clearly off, and probably not even close)

Patrick said that all four of his grandparents died at age 100.  Though, by the time his sister filled out her application, it did not request this information.

Pat said his father died in 1885, when it was 1887.  And called his mother 80, when she was really about 72.  He called his sister 30, when she was about 33.

I think the brother who died from the train accident would have had to been close to Bridget's age (b1870).  It's not altogether impossible he was younger than his sister Bridget, as Pat seemed to imply.  But I think it is quite certain that he wasn't really a teenager, as reported by Pat, unless they had adopted him.

By the way, does anyone know if there is any logic to the location of the parish of a vicar?

Do they try to put a vicar in a certain place?  Or is it just a random place in the diocese?  Maybe, where a parish priest received a promotion, to become vicar because he was seen as a suitable candidate.

@Wexflyer

I have a feeling this is really an historical question about the 17th/18th C?

Correct, I should have stated that.

One man I was wondering about in particular was an elderly parish priest, who died in the late 18th century and was buried in a parish that was not even adjacent.

He can be identified definitely because the stone was erected by another priest from the parish (with the same surname), who gave his own church.

I am wondering about what that would most likely mean.  That he had been reassigned there?  Or somehow died there - perhaps at a sort of home for priests?  Or that it was his native parish?
____
Some words or terms that I find a bit confusing:
"His substitute" referring to another priest on the 1697 return.  (I wonder whether this would imply that a priest had more than one parish, and was absent at times.  The return does not survive for the vast majority of Ireland, outside of Dublin and its very near environs)

"Mensal parish."  This is a term that I believe I have only seen in interpretive notes, relating to a portion of the 1697 return.  But I wonder if it would only mean where a Catholic bishop resides, or if there is some implication that he may have also resided at a second parish, at times.

Much obliged for your help, Sinann.

I was also wondering whether another townland, Kilmurry, could have ever been in Balyna parish.

Balyna doesn't seem to be associated with that Civil Parish.  (Dunfierth)

But I know a priest of Balyna lived there in 1704.  (Could a priest live outside his parish?  I think I'll ask this question on the general board) And an old variant name for Balyna is Johnstown, which is a townland that borders Kilmurry.

If I had to guess, I would say that it was a part of Balyna, at one time.  But there appears to be no way to test it.