Cornelius McSweeney- Harness Maker, West Cork

[AlanR83]

Hello,

I am looking for any additional information concerning my Great Great Grandfather Cornelius McSweeney - I know he was from somewhere in the West Cork area, I know he had a daughter born in 1873/1874 - Mary McSweeney (my great grandmother) and I know he was deceased when she married in Glanmire in 1894. I know from her marriage cert that his occupation was a Harness Maker, but that's all I know. I can find no record online or in roots ireland of Mary's birth in 1874 or Cornelius's death or who his wife was? Any direction, advice or information would be appreciated.

[Sharon01]

Hi,

I found this record on An...ry

Mary Anne Mc Swiney born13/06/1874,Cork, Ireland
Parents Cornelius Mc Swiney  & Anne Shea

Sharon

[AlanR83]

Hello Sharon,

Sorry I should have mentioned that - I checked out the Anne Shea connection already and the occupation of that Cornelius McSweeney was a Reporter not a Harness maker and they are from Cork City not West Cork. That was the only Cornelius McSweeney I could find with a daughter Mary but it does not fit.

[Sonas]

Have you done this the other way and looked for a death for Cornelius McSweeney? 'West Cork' is a bit of an amorphous phrase. Where did you get this information from? Have you searched under 'Kerry' on the Irish Genealogy site as some of the western most parishes in west Cork are in Kerry diocese?

[AlanR83]

Hello,

I have had a bit of a break through regarding this - I have found a link through Google for a 1915 Trades Directory which lists a Patrick McSweeney as a Saddle and Harness Maker in Main Street Macroom, I also checked the Griffith's Valuation and there is another Patrick McSweeney listed on Castle Street Macroom in 1853 - I am pretty sure that this is the family that my Great Great Grandfather Cornelius McSweeney came from - would anyone know of a contact or local office in Macroom where I could find more information on this family?

[Sonas]

Macroom records should be on the Roots Ireland site and Mallow Heritage Centre is responsible for them. I'm not sure many people would include Macroom in west Cork. You might try Family Search for possible deaths for Cornelius and births for Mary.

[AlanR83]

Hello,

After a lot of searching I had a breakthrough with this and found a Cornelius Sweeney who was a Saddler/Harness Maker on North Street, Skibereen in 1866. I found the marriage cert for him and a Mary Hallihan from Castlehaven and I also found the baptism cert in Skibereen of my Great Greatmother Mary Sweeney / McSweeney with these parents, her address at birth was North Street. I am trying to find out what happened to Cornelius - I have located a death cert for a Cornelius McSwiney a labourer in 1885 age 47 in a place called Laghtneill, Crookstown. However I do not know if this is the correct person.

[pehayes]

AlanR83:  We may be distantly related (like thousands of other Sweeneys).  I descend from Timothy Sweeney (circa 1810) who married in Macroom in 1835.  His first son, Patrick, was born in 1836 in the Townland of Mashanaglass just 2 miles southeast of Macroom.  His sixth child, Cornelius, my GreatGrandfather, was born in 1847 in the Macroom Parish but I know not which Townland.  Among the other children there are two listed from the Townland of Coolacoosane just east of Mashanaglass.  I have no record of the generation above Timothy.  Since his first son was named Patrick it would seem to follow naming tradition that Timothy's father would have been Patrick (circa 1780).  BTW, this Cornelius from 1847 married in Bandon, produced three children there including my Grandmother Mary, emigrated to Connecticut in 1883 and produced additional children including a Cornelius Jr.

Nice to meet you.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[AlanR83]

Hello Patrick,

Thank you for the message however I don't think we are related - I have since found record of a Mary Sweeney on the Griffth's valuation for North Street, Skibbereen in 1853 - I am pretty certain this is my ancestor Cornelius's mother as he listed this as his address on his marriage cert in 1865. However very unusually he has left a blank space under Father's name and occupation on the marriage cert so I don't know if this means he did not know who his father was or he did not want to acknowledge him - either way due to the commonness of the name in West Cork I have no way of tracking my ancestors on the Sweeney line any further back than Cornelius.