Connor Ancestors of Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland
Castlegregory was the parochial center of the small villages on the peninsula that forms the western shore of Tralee Bay on the northern shore of Dingle Peninsula. Birth, death, and marriage records were recorded in the Castlegregory Parish. Castlegregory, Candiha, Cutteen, Fahamore, Kilshannig, Stradbally, and Maharabeg are some of the villages where my ancestors lived. All of the people named on this web page were from County Kerry, mostly from the sub-peninsula known as the Maharess which lies between Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay.
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Surnames found on this page:
Browne, Brown, Connor, Cournane, Finn, Fitzgerald, Flynn, Fynn, Guiel
Click on the family name you want to investigate - if it's highlighted.
Tips for searching out Irish ancestors:
Until the middle of the last century, many but not all Irish families named their children in a traditional manner. First-born sons were named after the paternal grandfather; second sons after the maternal grandfather; third sons after the father; fourth after the father's oldest brother; and the fifth after the mother's oldest brother.
The practice was not so strictly adhered to when naming daughters; but when followed, first-born daughters were named after the maternal grandmother; second daughters were named after the paternal grandmother; third daughters after the mother; the fourth after the mother's oldest sister; and the fifth after the father's oldest sister.
Baptism records generally name two sponsors or godparents but not always. They are not always male and female, either, but will likely turn out to be either brothers and sisters of the the parents or brothers and sisters in law. Catholic baptismal and marriage records offer clues about family relationships. Since all of my Irish ancestors were Catholic, I am not familiar with Protestant records but assume that they are just as useful.
Irish genealogy websites:
Search 1901 and 1911 Ireland Censuses
Irish Genealogy, Civil and Church Records
Search County Kerry graveyards
Find cemeteries in County Kerry
Ireland Reaching Out - Naming and baptism traditions that could help your search for ancestors.
Baptism and marriage records from 1828 to 1864) - decrepit records with terrible handwriting and Latin names but still worthwhile.
Diary of Timothy O'Flaherty, a teacher at the National School at Fahamore in Maharees, holds valuable information about that area (1846 - 1909.
More Flynns, Connors, and O'Connors who are from County Kerry but are not in my family tree. Aughacasla - Carrigadav, Castlegregory.
You will also find some Irish recipes on that site.
The numbered lines in the chart are "clickable".
This six-generation pedigree chart will never be completed. The birth, marrriage, and death certificates simply don't exist in Ireland.
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Children of (2) MICHAEL FLYN of KILSHANIG and (3) MARY BROWN of KILSHANIG
Generation 2
Julia, John, Patrick, Stephen, Mary, Norah, Jeremiah, Thomas, Maurice, and Eileen.
Witness 1 to the marriage was Thomas Connor, and witness 2 was yet another Thomas Connor.
(Go to my Flynn Page)
Irish genealogy - Search church and civil records here.
Generation 3
Children of (5) Julia Connor and (4) Michael Flynn
born 03 OCT 1858
married 19 FEB 1898 in Castlegregory
spouse: Mary Browne (3) (my grandmother) - Go to my Browne Page
Go to my Flynn Page
Generation 4
Children of James Connor(14) and Margaret Cournane(15)
Patrick Connordob: 1 NOV 1845Catherine Connor(7) (my great-grandmother)
pob: Fahamore
father: James Connor)
mother: Margaret Cournane
sponsors Patrick Cournane & Margaret Husseydob: 05 NOV 1847Daniel Connor
pob: Fahamore, baptism sponsors or godparents were Daniel Connor & Mary Walsh
father: James Connor (Jacobi on Catherine's baptism record)
mother: Margaret Cournane
dom: 30 JAN 1872
pom: Castlegregory
spouse: Patrick Browne(6) Go to my Browne Page
dod: Unknown - she was alive at the time of Patrick's death in 1918.
pod: Unknown
dob: 08 JAN 1850Michael Connor
father: James Connor
mother: Margaret Cournane
sponsors: Maurice Fitzgerald & Catherine Fitzgeralddob: 27 JUL 1852 (based on other date information)Bridget Connor
address: Fahamore
father: James Connor
mother: Mararet Cournane
sponsors: Michael Shea & Margaret Sullivandob: 28 Jan 1855 (based on other date information)John Connor
address: Fahamore
father: James Connor
mother: Margaret Cournane
sponsors: Dennis Cournane & Julia Readydob: 20 May 1857James Connor
address: Fahamore
father: James Connor
mother: Margaret Cournane
sponsors: Edmund Hussey & Margaret Cournanedob: 28 AUG 1859Hugh Connor
address: Fahamore
father: James Connor
mother: Margaret Cournane
sponsors: Michael Spillane & Mary Spillanedob: 29 MAR 1863
address: Fahamore
father: James Connor
mother: Margaret Cournane
Marriage of (4) Michael Flynn and (5) Julia Connor on 12 FEB 1854 (Castlegregory Parish)
Michael Flynn
address: CastlegregoryJulia Connor (nothing more recorded)
occupation: NR (Not Recorded)
father: NR
mother: NR
Are these two the parents of Michael Flynn who married Mary Browne in 1898, both of Kilshannig, County Kerry?
Where was Julia Connor from?
Who were Julia's parents?
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Baptism of JULIA CONNOR (5) of CASTLEGREGORY (killiny) on 10 July 1836
dob: 10 JUL 1836
Father: James Connor (10)
Mother: Mary Fitzgerald (11)
Sponsor 1: Eugene Finn
Sponsor 2: Ellen Fitzgerald
But, is this the same Julia Connor that married Michael Flynn above?
Julia's baptism record, written in Latin, names her parents as Jacobi Connor and Maria Fitzgerald.
It says the parents were from Castlegregory, meaning the town, not the parish.
Who are James (Jacobi) Connor and Mary Fitzgerald?
Where and when were they married?
Who are their parents? Siblings?
(10) James Connor and (11) Mary Fitzgerald
James Connor and Mary Fitzgerald are named as parents on Julia Connor's baptism record. But, no parents' names are recorded on the marriage record for Julia Connor and Michael Flynn. Julia on the baptism record might not be the Julia on the marriage record. Therefore, nothing on this page after Generation 3 is certain.
Marriage of JAMES CONNOR (10) of AGHACORRIBUD* and MARY FITZGERALD (11) of NR on 17 February 1833
Area - KERRY (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - DINGLE
Name JAMES CONNOR MARY FITZGERALD Address AGHACORRIBUD* NR Father NR CONNOR NR NR Mother not recorded not recorded Witnesses Daniel Brosnan and Edward BryanThis couple having been married in 1833 could be the parents of Julia Connor, above, who was born in 1836. However, no parents are listed for the bride and only the surname for the groom's father. Since marriages took place in the bride's parish, this Mary Fitzgerald was from the Dingle parish, not Castlgregory. That's why her "address" is not recorded here.
*The town or village of Aghacorribud doesn't seem to exist anywhere other than on this marriage record. It is probably a misspelling of Aghacarrible townland in Kinard civil parish, Dingle Poor Law Union, lying about 29 miles southwest of Kilshannig and just east of Dingle. Other variations of the spelling found in the records are AHCORRIBUD, AUGHACORRIBAL, AHACARABUID.
Who are these people?
Marriage of James Connor (14) of CUTTEEN and Margaret Cournane (15) of NR on 23 January 1844
James Connor
dob: about 1818Margaret Cournane
pob: Cutteen ?
dom: 23 JAN 1844
pom: Castlegregory
dod: 01 FEB 1904
pod: Fahamore
father: NR (not recorded)
mother: NR
dob: about 1820
pob: Farentuleen
dom: 23 JAN 1844
dod: 10 OCT 1890
father: John Cournane
mother: Deborah McCarthy (AKA Gobnet McCarthy)
witnesses: Denis Cournane & Michael Connor
NOTE: (Farentuleen = Farrantooleen Townland, Stradbally, Corkaguiny, 11 km from Kilshannig)
The parents of James Connor and his date of birth are unknown at this time. He was a widower when he died on February 1, 1904 in Fahamore at the given age of 86. His birth year should be about 1818, then, making him about 26 at the time of his marriage in 1844. He was a blacksmith in life. The cause of death is listed as senile decay with no medical attendant at death. His son Michael was present at time of death.
Margaret died in Kilshannig on October 10, 1890 due to a 'debility of 6 months duration' at 70 years of age. No medical attendant at death. Her daughter Kate Brown (Catherine Connor #7) was present at time of death. Her birth year should be about 1820 according to the death record. Her parents names were not found on any documents but were extrapolated from records of Cournanes who I only assume to be her siblings.
Area - KERRY (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - Castlegregory
Baptism of Julia Connor of Castlegregory on 10 JUL 1836
Julia Connor
dob: 10 JUL 1836 (based on other date information)
address: Castlegregory
father: James Connor
mother: Mary Fitzgerald
sponsors: Eugene Finn & Ellen Fitzgerald
Baptism of Catherine Spillane of Fahamore on 25 June 1848
Catherine Spillane
dob: 25 JUN 1848
pob: Fahamore
father: Timothy Spillane
mother: Mary Cournane
sponsors: James Connor & Mary Fitzgerald
Baptism of Thomas Connor of Kilshannig on 23 January 1839
Thomas Connor
dob: 23 JAN 1839-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
address; Kilshannig
father: James Connor
mother: Mary Flynn
sponsors: Maurice Fitzgerald & Ann Connor
Baptism of Michael Connor of Kilshannig on 27 January 1842
Michael Connor
dob: 27 JAN 1842-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
address: Kilshannig
father: James Connor
mother: Mary Flynn
sponsors: Thomas Flynn & Catherine Flynn
Marriage of James Connor of Fahamore and Mary Connor of NR on 9 February 1834
James Connor
dom: 09 FEB 1834Mary Connor (Could this be a mistake? Cournane instead of Connor?)
address: Fahamore
father: NR (not recorded)
mother: NR
address: NRJames Connor was from Fahamore. Where was Mary Connor from?
father: NR
mother: NR
witnesses: John Shea & Robert Smith
Marriage of JAMES CONNOR of KILSHANNIG and MARY FLYNN of NR on 23 January 1838
Name: JAMES CONNOR MARY FLYNN Address: KILSHANNIG NR Witnesses: THOMAS FLYNN JOHN SCANLON