McGirr

[Ingham]

Iam the greatgrand daughter of Robert McGirr, born in Newton Cunningham  Donegal,  who married Catherine Ivory of Dublin in Melbourne on 27th December, 1865.
Robert's parents were Robert McGirr, a Mill Wright, and Elizabeth Hume.
Anything at all about the McGirr family would be great.

[Christopher]

Hiya Ingham,

A link to your Ivory of Dublin thread may help if a message relating to the McGirr family is posted there.

The only Robert McGirr births on www.familysearch.org are from Co. Tyrone in 1857 and 1864.

Irish Ancestors Surname Search which is based on Griffiths Valuation of Ireland 1848-64 shows there were eight McGirrs in Co. Donegal and eighty in Co. Tyrone during that time. There's a possibility you may have Tyrone connections too. It might be an idea to keep an eye on the spelling variations.

Christopher

[Ingham]

Thanks Christopher  for your messge.

I have found my Robert McGirr in Donegal through another message site, and have a copy of the gravestone of his father there in Newton Cunningham.

Catherine Ivory was only 4 years old when she came to Australia - don't know whether she was famine orphan or not- so I'm not sure that posting a message about the McGirrs on the Dublin site would do any good or not, Robert was about 20 years old when he came to Australia - I have these figures from their death certificates.

Thanks again,

Ingham from Aus.

[Allyclack]

Dear ingham,

The Robert McGirr who was married to Eliz Hume is I believe my great great grandfather. He farmed at ballyhaskey farm near Newtown Cunningham. His son David moved to Scotland in the 1870s or so and inherited the farm when Robert died. I am on holiday at present so do not have the info at my fingertips, but I will try and look this out for you when I get home - home being central scotland. I visited Ireland a few years ago and paid my respects at the gravestone you mentioned.

Alastair