John m Kelly and Sarah O'Donnell

[Deborah Starr]

looking  for great great  grandparents    John M Kelly  [maybe O'Kelly]   and Sarah O'Donnell  things I know   they were Catholic  there is a comment  from family  of them saying  they   would never see  Cork again   also that  Sarah was born  in Donagal  castle. ?  John was born  Oct or Nov  of 1820--Sarah was suppose  to be a few yrs older..  John died   in 1868  in Idaho.. family hist  says Sarah moved back to New York- when he died  by 1870 -can not find her  only child  still at home  James John  [born 1860] he went with her to NY    they were  suppose  to have lots  of family  all over united states--suppose to be part of upper crust--  they moved a fair amount  John  and family  ran  hotel - boarding house - a store  and saloon in mining camps  I assume they  could read and write.in order to run  business  they had a child right after  landing in new York  1846   so guess  they were married  with in a few yrs before that--the children s names  Isabella ,  Mary Ann. Sarah,  Francis   and  James John -  thank you  hope someone has some leads  Deborah starr

[aghadowey]

Looks like your post on another forum- with details you’ve not posted here but your 2 posts there have conflicting information:
http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=22&p=localities.northam.usa.states.idaho.counties.boise
Also a bit on these posts:
http://boise.idgenweb.org/queries.html
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/KELLEY/2001-03/0984249251

Putting those posts together makes this outline-
John M. Kelly (Oct./Nov.1820-18 Oct.1868 Idaho) m. Sarah O’Donnell
Gravestone for John: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=59330294
1.   Isabella Kelly m. Samuel Benedict (d.1877) m. E.W. Robie
2.   Mary Ann Kelly (Mar.1852 Thompkinville, N.Y.) m. Alexander Orchard
3.   Sarah Kelly (July 1853 Thompsonville, N.Y.) m.(Aug.1869 Florence, Idaho) James or John Wood m.(Jan.1868 or 1877) Daughtery m.(1885) George Cartwright
4.   Francis “Frank” Kelly
5.   James John Kelly or John James Kelly (1860)

I then found the family in 1860- family in 1860? https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDQJ-5SZ

Using the above information and other records I put together a slightly different, and hopefully more accurate, outline-
In which case the family tree should perhaps look more like this:
John M. Kelly (c1833 Ireland) m. Sarah O’Donnell (c1831 Ireland).
1.   Isabella Kelly (26 Nov.1848 Staten Island, N.Y.-1911 Idaho) m.(7 Feb.1863 Florence, Idaho) Samuel Benedict (1835-1877), m.(1880 Idaho) Edward William Robie (1834-1889)
2.   Francis Kelly (18 Nov.1849 N.Y.)
3.   Mary Kelly (29 Mar.1852 Tompkinsville, N.Y.-1927 Idaho)
4.   Sarah Kelly (6 July 1853 Tompkinsville, N.Y.-1919 Idaho) m.(1868 Idaho) Leander Dougherty, m.(1869 Idaho) James Wood, m.(1885) George Cartwright
5.   John John Kelly (c1859 Portland, Oregon-1955 California)
1910 NY https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5SV-3TK
1920 NY https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVMX-T27
6.   Elizabeth Kelly (c1860 Oregon)

Then, after all the time I’ve spent searching I find what seems to be your family tree on Ancestry. So will just add a few more comments about your initial post here-

If Sarah O’Donnell was born in Donegal (whether the county of the Castle itself) and if John Kelly was born in Cork it is unlikely that they married in Ireland. Perhaps they met on the ship or very shortly after arrival. However, it may be that the saying about never seeing Cork again was just an expression picked up at some point and passed down a few generations- perhaps just meaning they'd never see Ireland again.

If the Kelly family were moving all about the U.S. running hotels in mining towns, etc. then they might have done fairly well for themselves but I wouldn’t think they could be considered ‘upper crust.’