A recently found cousin is providing bits and pieces that is slowly giving us some new leads to work with. If I have repeated any of this, sorry. Just trying to keep all of this straight in my head!
There were 3 Quinn families officially listed as living in the Ballintra area of Donegal. Actually there were four, but this is where it already gets confusing. One was called the "Daniel Quinn family," one was the "John Quinn family," and the other two were both known as the "Patrick Quinn families."
My new cousin, Patrick Quinn (I'll call him Pat) is descended from the Daniel Quinn family. I come down from the John Quinn family. As for the other two, one was always known as family, the other one wasn't. BUT, all four of these families shared all the same relatives!
This next part is just a bit confusing, and I'm trying now to get this straightened out. Even though all of these families were known as being from Ballintra village, they were actually from Ballinakillew Mountain and an area known as The Oucht. I'm told it's because no one knew where these places were, so they would say Ballintra village.
The Daniel Quinn family owned a farm that was known to be located at the top of the street in Ballintra. Right after 1800, they were forced from their farm and relocated to another farm that was in Lisnapaste (Ballinakillew.) Today the Church of Ireland stands on this land. Since The Oucht and Ballinakillew Mountain were only a couple of miles from the village, I have to assume that this was the area they referred to as "at the top of the street."
The John Quinn family seems to have lived on a farm somewhere in the area, but it's confusing as to exactly where it was. We know he rented 10 perches of land in Rafoarty, and we know that sometime around 1844, the family was moved into a house that was in Ballintra village. The land, the house, and the move was all because of Alexander Hamilton owning these things and moving them.
Now, for the REALLY confusing part!! There are so many Patrick's here, I can't keep them straight yet! One of the Patrick Quinn families was supposedly not related, but their farm bordered the other Patrick Quinn farm. The cousin I'm talking to (Pat) says that it depended on which part of the family you talked to. Some said they weren't family, some said they were. And since they list the same relatives, we both feel they were family.
Now, in the middle of all of this comes yet ANOTHER Quinn! There was an old man named Andrew Quinn. Pat's family said he was not family. His farm bordered one of the other Quinn farms. When Pat's grandmother was pregnant, he came to her and told her that if the baby was a boy, and she would name it Andrew, he would give the child his farm.
The baby was a boy, born in 1879. This was Pat's father. (By the way, Pat himself is in his late 70's now.) They named him Andrew, and the old man did give him the farm. He moved in with Pat's grandparents and lived with them until he died, which was when he was EXTREMELY old. When the baby Andrew grew up, he took over this farm that was given to him.
Pat says that the family later said that this old man WAS a relative of the family. And that the 4th Patrick Quinn family was also related, but for some reason no one would admit it.
I told all this, hoping someone might have the same stories in their family. So, basically, is anyone connected to:
Andrew Quinn, ANY Patrick Quinn, Daniel Quinn, John Quinn, and their families? Are they from Ballintra village, or Ballinakillew Mountain, or The Oucht?
We have determined that every Quinn in this area was a blood relation, and we are now on the massive search to find these descendants.
One more monkey wrench here??? ONE of these farms was sold sometime around 1900-1920 to yet ANOTHER Patrick Quinn!! His grandsons took over the farm, and one still lives there today. The other one is named Sean and he lives here in the United States - Connecticut I think.
Now that I have TOTALLY scrambled everyone's brains, here is ANOTHER Pat Quinn signing off.
Patty
