1
Armagh / Re: 1821 Census McDonald Forkill, Armagh
« on: Thursday 30 January 20 12:37 GMT (UK) »There's more than one Aghagallon in Ireland.
Aughanduff to Aghagallon, Co. Antrim about 30 miles according to Google Maps.
...
Another Aghagallon in Co. Tyrone, just outside Omagh, which is further away.
https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/east-omagh/cappagh-east-omagh-portion/aghagallon/
It may be true that there is more than one Aghagallon, and in modern period it may be easy to travel to any of these locations from Aughanduff. However, it's extremely unlikely (although admittedly not impossible) that the McDonalds in this Antrim Aghagallon (or Tyrone for that matter) are descended from those in Aughanduff.
McDonnell and McDonald are both very common common names throughout Ireland. Take a look at John Grenham's mappings of both as renters in 1864.
https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=McDonald
https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=McDonnell
Occam's razor (with no evidence to the contrary) would suggest these Aghagallon McDonalds belong to one of the many other branches of that family.
If there were some DNA matches to Aughanduff McDonnells alongside historical records linking that DNA descendant to these Aghagallon McDonalds, that could explain a link.
There is a Mary McDonald, age 60, born Co. Armagh, in Aghagallon D.E.D. in 1901-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Aghagallon/Drumaleet/1002529/
That lady is also a widow and as such would not be 'McDonald' by her own name. Her dead husband was most likely from Antrim all things considered.