What Religion?

[lalkav]

I need help trying to find out what religion my gg grandfather (James Kavanagh) was so I know where to start to look for any records. He enlisted in the British Army in 1845 and also married Mary Murphy around about this time. On his papers it states that he was born in 1828 in the Parish of Leighlin near the town of Bagnalstown in the county of Carlow. Does anyone know if this was an RC parish?

Any help would be appreciated as I don't know where to begin.

Thanks
Lorraine

[trystan]

Lorraine,

I found this page:
http://www.from-ireland.net/counties/laois/hist/cloydagh.htm

If you go right to the bottom of the page it describes "A Catholic chapel is in this parish, belonging to the Union of Old Leighlin, Wells, Clonmulsk, and Cillinane; and the religious history of the Union is traced under the heading of the Parish of Leighlin, by the Most Rev. Dr. Comerford."

It sounds to me to be a Roman Catholic parish. Perhaps somebody else can shed some light on this for you.

Trystan

[JAP]

Lorraine,

You might well be aware of the following but just in case.

This site might perhaps be relevant:
http://www.from-ireland.net/diocs/diocekildleigh.htm
It is about the RC Parish of Kildare & Leighlin in 1836 and mentions 'Bagnelstown'.

It's part of Dr Jane Lyons's site.  Her Carlow page is at:
http://www.from-ireland.net/contents/carlcont.htm

And her page which has something about the RC records available for Bagnalstown is at:
Click Here

If you look for Civil Parishes in Carlow on the SeanRuad site at:
http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/
it doesn't list Kildare or Leighlin - only Oldleighlin which seems to be the Church of Ireland parish(?).

It's worth Googling for Leighlin, for Oldleighlin, and for "Old Leighlin" as there are lots of hits which might help.

It might also be worth a search for your surnames on the Fáilte Romhat site which is now at http://www.failteromhat.com/ but it has just moved and the search engine isn't working yet.

Good luck,

J

[lalkav]

Thankyou so much to both of you. I'll go and see what I can find out before my trip to Ireland at Easter.

Thanks again.

Lorraine

[Christopher]

Thankyou so much to both of you. I'll go and see what I can find out before my trip to Ireland at Easter.

Thanks again.

Lorraine

Hiya Lorraine,

Did you discover anything more about your great great grandfather James Kavanagh before or whilst on your Irish trip

All the Best, Christopher

[NIFTYFIFTY47]

Hi Lorraine,

I have never heard of anyone by the names of Kavanagh or Murphy in and around Carlow who were not Catholic.

Mary.

[Irishcolleen]

Hi,
I am from County Carlow  and know Bagnalstown well, as with most of the South of Ireland Parishes are generally of the Catholic faith, they may have a Church of Ireland , but without knowing the name of the church I can't help you, but in general, you may take it as Catholic
 Irishcolleen