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Hi Allyson

I have a copy of a booklet titled 'Offaly Tombstone Inscriptions; No. 4 - Daingean Graveyards', a 1985 publication of the Offaly Historical Society (ed. John Kearney), which lists all the inscriptions of Killaderry graveyard plus the Church of Ireland gravestones. There is no record of a Sherwood but there is a 'Pain' monumental stone from more than 200 years ago, so it may be a link with a change of spelling over the years. It is lengthy so I will only give the names here - erected by Catherine, and mentions John Denny (her father, d 1811), his father Peter of Ballylakein (d 1793), her brothers Bernard and Lancelot. If it is the right family, that will be a good addition to your tree. There are more than 150 headstones recorded, and probably 300 or more names. It also includes the story of Fr Andrew Mullen who is buried there, a revered local man who died at 28 in 1818.

It's a pity that the old cemetery has been let go. I remember going there in 2000 while staying nearby and it was in reasonable shape then. I have two of my gt gt gt gt grandparents buried there.

Good luck
Bernard

I am also researching Scallys in Kilbeggan, but at least a generation earlier than Anthony's family of interest. My GG Grandfather, Patrick Scally, was born in Kilbeggan around 1835 and arrived in Queensland, Australia, on the 'Sabrina' in Nov 1855. His parents were Patrick Scally and Jane McDermott. Griffiths indicates that both these families may have farmed just over the border in Offaly but that is not confirmed. However, I do not know the name of any of Patrick's siblings, so I cannot point to a link to George Scally or his family, or any of the other families mentioned in earlier posts.

It may not be much of a guide, but the names of Patrick's children were: Bernard, Jane, Hugh, Michael, Catherine, Mary Rose, Johanna, Ellen, Patrick, Cecelia, Hannorah, Margaret. The Scallys/Skellys farmed near Toowoomba, then Crows Nest and Gowrie Creek which are all in the same general area.

Curiously, my Patrick had a grandson, another Fr Joseph Skelly (1899-1970), a priest of the Toowoomba diocese who would have been a similar age to the Fr Joe in the photo. (The family name changed from Scally to Skelly within 20 years of their arrival in Queensland.)

And if there are a few redheads in Anthony's photo - and it looks suspiciously like there are! - then the chances of a link grow even stronger.

Bernard