Donnelly Family Maghera/Draperstown area

[california dreamin]

I wonder if anyone is tracing their families that lived in the townlands of Lisnamuck, Kirley or Brackareilly? This area lies in the foothills of the Sperrin Mts. roughly btween Draperstown and Maghera.  I am currently trying to find out further information about the Donnelly family in the townland of Kirley.  However, to do this I am having to look at the neighbouring townlands (listed above) as there are further Donnelly families there.  I do have alot of research information, however, I was wondering if there are others that are reserching this area & may have married into the Donnelly family?  I thought it may be helpful to compare any information. Other families living in Kirley include many Lagans, McKenna's, Convery, Cassidy, McCusker, McWilliams ....well I could go on, but there are certain families that dominate this area.  The Donnelly's were Catholics and appear to have had their allegiance with the church in Glen (St Patrick's) rather than the RC Church in Draperstown. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

[aghadowey]

Can't help you with any of the families you mention but be aware that there are 2 townlands called Lisnamuck (meaning 'the fort of the pigs') in County Londonderry- other one is in Aghadowey Parish.
Moore Munn, in his book Notes on the Place Names of the Parishes and Townlands of the County of Londonderry (1925), gives the spelling as Bracaghreilly although there are usually lots of variations in Irish place names.

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   I am not related and have no knowledge of the families you mention but I can find the names in the general area in which you are looking. If you can give us names and dates of people you are interested in I, and others with a similar interest, will be happy to use our resources to help if we can.

Regards

[california dreamin]

Thank you for your reply - (also to Aghadowey).  I am trying to find out further information about my g-g-grandfather - from Barony: Loughinsholin Civil Parish: Maghera
Townland: Kirley
John Donnelly - b. approx. 1840  / died 15 Sept 1898
married to Margaret Cullinan or Culnan or Cullenan
(I have 3 documents that all spell her name differently)! She also seems to have been known as "Peggy".
They had two sons -
Patrick b.25/7/1869 in Kirley
Paul b. 17/11/1871 in Kirley
I am unaware if there were any more children.
John was a tenant farmer for the Drapers Company.  It was the Drapers Co. who owned all the land in Kirley and Brackareilly (Bracaghreilly).  There are two "John's" who appear in the Cancellation Books - I am trying to find out if they are the same John - one John was passed the property tenancy from Charles Donnelly and one from Michael Donnelly.  Normally, as you may know the tenancies were passed from father to son.  Hence my query, as I would like to find out who John's father was.  To complicate matters I also have a baptismal certificate for a John Donnelly from the Priest at St. Patricks,Glen listing the birth of a John Donnelly (b.1843) parents address listed only as "Co Derry" Parents names listed as Francis Donnelly & Margaret McCusker.
So I now have a choice of 3 fathers - !!

Patrick (my g-grandfather) left Kirley in  approx. 1894 for Glasgow and did not return.
Paul and his Mother appear to have left at some point after John death in 1898 - and moved to Cumberland, England where Margaret died in 1913.  The family believe Paul and his family emigrated to the US at some point after that.

Thanks for any help you may be able provide.  My "brick wall" is very high at the moment!

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   I have not been able to find a lot. I can confirm the births of Patrick and Paul from Emerald Ancestors where the mother's maiden name is spelled CULNAN and a parent search on the IGI also gives a daughter NANCEY (sic) born 16 Oct 1866. I cannot find a marriage but there is a good chance they married before Civil registration was required in 1864. I looked up the townland of Kirley in the 1858 Griffith's Valuation and found 7 Donnelly families but could not find a Culnan family in the Magherafelt Poor law Union.

Regards

[california dreamin]

Thank you so much for your efforts The discovery about  "Nancey" is a little jewel of information. I was aware of the 7 Donnelly families from the Griffiths Valuation.  They are all related in some way - from research they appear to be 2 generations, but at this stage I am not sure who is related to who and how. The older ones may have been brothers.  This is why I am trying to find out the relationships of all Donnelly's in Lisnamuck, Kirley and Brackareilly.  I am hoping that his will assist me in finding John Donnelly's father and learn more about his family.

I like you could not find a marriage btween John & Margaret.  I came up with the same conclusion, that they may have been married prior to 1864 or married in another district.  I have not pursued the Cullinan (Culnan) family but I can tell you that the name Cullinan is not native to Derry but derives from a place called Ennis in Southern Ireland.  There are 2 small pockets of Cullinan's one in Donegal and one in Co. Tyrone.  There are 15 Cullinan's on Griffiths Val in Tyrone!  However, without a name of any parents for Margaret or birthdate I felt like I was on a fools mission, and feel happier trying to sort out my Donnelly's!! So I'm leaving the Cullinan's in peace for the time being.  Thank you again for your help.

[PPCJMM]

I wonder if anyone is tracing their families that lived in the townlands of Lisnamuck, Kirley or Brackareilly? This area lies in the foothills of the Sperrin Mts. roughly btween Draperstown and Maghera.  I am currently trying to find out further information about the Donnelly family in the townland of Kirley.  However, to do this I am having to look at the neighbouring townlands (listed above) as there are further Donnelly families there.  I do have alot of research information, however, I was wondering if there are others that are reserching this area & may have married into the Donnelly family?  I thought it may be helpful to compare any information. Other families living in Kirley include many Lagans, McKenna's, Convery, Cassidy, McCusker, McWilliams ....well I could go on, but there are certain families that dominate this area.  The Donnelly's were Catholics and appear to have had their allegiance with the church in Glen (St Patrick's) rather than the RC Church in Draperstown. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

[PPCJMM]

HI,MY G-GRANDFATHER WAS FRANCIS DONNELLY FROM KIRLEY HE MARRIED MC GUIGAN FROM BRACKALISLEA( DESERTMARTIN PARISH) AND MOVED TO BRACKALISLEA.THE CULINAN YOU MENTION COULD BE FROM BRACKALISLEA AND THE MARRIAGE MAY HAVE TOOK PLACE IN DESERTMARTIN OR BALLINASCREEN(DRAPERSTOWN)

[Baird]

I have a Thomas Donnelly married to a Bridget Kean from that area. Two sons were Thomas Donnelly (b 1822 who married an Agnes Cassidy in Glasgow in 1845.) and James Donnelly who married a Catherine Livingston(e) and had a son James born in Co. Londonderry about 1833. He married an Alice Gillies in Glasgow in 1865. Recurring family name is James Edmund Livingston Donnelly. The last one of this name killed at Gallipoli in 1915 aged 18.