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Hi HMac

Thank you so much for this information. Yes, I have Mark's service cards under both those numbers, and two photographs of him from his files that I purchased from the National Archive last year.  However, the information on both cards was very sparse and there was no mention of any vessels he'd served on, so that's great new information for me to follow up!

I'm mindful that this is post-WW1 service, but it may unlock something that takes me back a year or so into his war service for which he received the medals.

Very appreciated for your assistance there.  Thank you once again.

Regards
Runner55

Hi Rootschatters

Apart from the UK National Archive Records (which I've already exhausted) can anyone please point me in the direction of possible service records for members of the Irish Merchant Navy who served in the Mercantile Marine Reserve during the First World War - I am currently researching my late great-uncle's service with the MMR in 1918.

I found his medal award record on the National Archive website (British War Medal and the Victory Medal) relating to his involvement in 'an incident in 1918' (no further details given) and I am also aware from my research that many of the full service records for this group of mariners might not exist today.

My family have a letter from the Admiralty awarding the medals in 1926, and from that letter we also have his service record number, but apart from the basic medal record on the National Archives, I haven't been able to find anything else through Ancestry/Fold Three or Find My Past.  (Incidentally, my great-uncle died in a totally unrelated accident on an Irish merchant navy ship in 1920).

The Admiralty letter itself doesn't provide any background information on his involvement in the Mercantile Marine Reserve - literally just notification of the awards.

I wondered if there might be any specialist maritime history groups out there who might have access to other records where I might be able to at least find details on the vessel(s) he served on during this period.

Much obliged
Runner55

Hi Rootschatters

My 2 x great grandfather was a Mark Kearney (born c. 1828) who moved to Dublin as a young man and joined the merchant navy.  Several of his merchant navy crew-list records show his birth place as Arklow in Wicklow but despite many years of research, I have never been able to find a birth record for him there, or anything else to confirm who his parents were - nothing to this effect either on his marriage record in Dublin.

That said, I have some 4th cousin DNA matches on Ancestry in Canada and the US who have a Michael Kearney born 1838 in Knockinrane, Arklow married to a Teresa Mary Grennell (also of Wicklow) on their family trees, and this couple appear to have emigrated to Connecticut.

As I am DNA-connected with these people, it could be that their Michael Kearney was my 2 x great grandfather's brother or his cousin, but I can't find any records to confirm any of this.

I've tried contacting the DNA matches over the past few years, but have never received any replies.

Does anyone here on Rootschat have links to Kearneys of Arklow, and would any of these names ring a bell with anyone through their own research or family/local knowledge?

This has become one of my big research brick walls and I'd love to break through it once and for all!

Any input would be gratefully received.

Regards
Runner55

Wow Sammy!  That's amazing!  Looks like they've stepped through time into the current day and really come alive.  Thank you so very much!

So very appreciated.
Regards
Runner55

Thank you very much aghadowey for that records register - I'm going to work my way through the appropriate timelines.  Much obliged!

And thank you too LH for your reply.  The children from the marriage were Mark, William, Patrick, Thomas (my great grandad), James, Mary and Bridget.  Those names also keep appearing down the following generations across all branches.  Yes, I can see what you mean about how at least one of those names might come from Mark's parents.  Good shout for me to follow up.  Thank you!