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Carlow / Re: Cloneighgal ?
« on: Wednesday 16 July 25 11:58 BST (UK) »Patrick Clynch and Mary Byrne married and gave birth to at least five children. Four of them emigrated to Iowa, USA in 1850's. One son, John, had engraved on his headstone, "born Parish of Cloneighgal County Carlow Ireland May 24 1823. He is the only family member who left a lasting link to his home place. This is an unusual spelling, CLONEIGHGAL; any thoughts on this spelling of what I perceive to be current parish of Clonegal. John's brother, William, baptism (1820) is found in the Bagenalstown records. The family must have moved about.
Oh, I just love how that headstone gives such a rich clue. Yes, “Cloneighgal” is definitely an old or phonetic misspelling of Clonegal — the parish on the Carlow-Wexford border. It wasn’t unusual for names to get spelled how they sounded, especially by American stonecutters unfamiliar with Irish geography.
The research confirms William was baptized in 1820 in Dunleckny (Bagenalstown), and John was born 1823 near Clonegal, though his baptism’s missing since Clonegal registers didn’t begin until 1833. That unusual spelling is actually a little genealogical gem — one of those lovely quirks that helps more than it hinders!
URL for reference:
Clonegal parish registers: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0700
YourRoots County Carlow search:
https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county