Potato famine immigrants to England

[dave the tyke]

I have a Mathew O'Hara b. c. 1822 Co Sligo and his wife Mary b. c. 1824 Co Cavan. They had 3 children in Ireland, the last in 1848. Their next Mary Ann was born in Halifax, Yorkshire a month before the 1851 census so that puts their immigration smack in the middle of the potato famine.
My questions are
Do any passenger lists exist ?
What are the best ways to trace Irish ancestry ?
Thanks Dave

[JustinL]

Hello Dave,

A good starting point is Griffith's Primary Valuation, which will give you an idea of the distribution of the surname O'Hara in Co. Sligo

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php

It strikes me as significant that Mathew's wife came from Co. Cavan. One of them moved quite a distance, i.e. through Co. Leitrim, to marry.

Where were the three older children born and what were their names? It is quite likely that the eldest son was named after Mathew's father.

For further advice, browse through these pages.

http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

Justin

[aghadowey]

Ireland was part of the U.K. and no passenger lists were (and still aren't) kept for people travelling between Ireland/Scotland/Wales/England.

[dave the tyke]

Justin -
thanks for the links I'll look later. Unfortunately the 1851 and 61 census details just give the boys places of birth as Ireland. In 1871 when Mathew and Mary add Sligo and Cavan to the details, the boys have left home.
The Eldest boy was John followed by Charles and Peter - they seem very English names to me !
I did know there was a convention for who to name children after but I've forgotten what it was and I don't know if older children died or were left back with relatives. but thanks for reminding me.
Aghadowey -
Should have realised that, nothing has been easy with this family
Thanks
Dave