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Hi Folks. Declan Kelly, the former archivist to Clonfert diocese, is later this year publishing a biographical dictionary of the deceased clergy of Clonfert. He has the most extensive knowledge in this area and has advised that Fr William Joseph Larkin was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway on 31st July 1831, and died in Baltimore USA in late April 1899. Declan has also told me he has no problem if people wish to email him directly for any further information. Declan also says Fr Larkin is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington DC.

Hi Chelsea Pilot,

Forgive my lateness to the party, I've only seen this now. If interested in the Galway Militia, I recommend David Wilkins' article in the 1998 JGAHS. If you're having any difficulty getting access, just let me know.

Onto John, did you view John's records on FindMyPast? Did they provide any additional detail in terms of where he served? He was one of at least 32 from that parish who fought (and survived to discharge) in the British Army in the nineteenth century, though I cannot see any others from the 65th regiment.

S.

Hi again aghadowey,

No, these weren't sent to the four courts as they weren't formal state records. The EC records, like the school rolls keep turning up with a bit of effort / luck. I wrote a piece for a journal (Genealogical Society) over here on the school rolls and the different places I found them and it would drive you mad. Some were still in the long-closed schools, some held in libraries, some kept by retiring schoolteachers as mementos, some in the national archives - I could go on.

For the RC records in this case, the Kilconickny (the local RC church) records are officially lost, however I've pieced together bits and pieces (from various sources) which can act as a substitute and I strongly suspect they survive somewhere in the extensive estate records of the Dunsandle Dalys (some of these records are in the National University of Ireland, Galway; some in the National Library being catalogued as we speak, and some other bits here and there) or in the records of the EC or in some Dublin repository.

On the wider genealogical picture, I think we're moving into an era with a greater appreciation over here for conservation and I expect to see more and more little nuggets being unearthed. Its happening already (old maps, local graveyards being quietly digitised, family records being made available), its just not being highlighted / catalogued yet. I live in hope :-)

S.

A Miskell family (two families indeed, cousins) lived near Loughrea (Clostoken parish) but the parish (RC) records don't begin until 1831. The EC records are currently 'lost' but I expect will turn up in a Dublin repository sooner or later.