Entry from the 1939/40 electoral roll John Donegan ...where to go now?

[hallmark]

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Merchants_Quay/Geraldine_Square/1299083/ the only one I see with an Edward and Michael..

[Winterbloom21]

This looks very interesting.   There appears to be a discrepancy between the age he gave to Trinity when he started, and the age on the birth record/census.      Why would he tell them he was three years younger than he really was?   Perhaps it was something to do with rules and regs about 'mature' students or something.    But if he was really 22, where had he been since he left school?    I wonder if Belvedere College have any archives that are accessible?   Might be worth a letter. 

(Just realised I have got my sums back to front here, (see next posting) but the Belvedere enquiry might still be worth doing in any case).

[Winterbloom21]

Oops - wrote last posting very late last night.    I realise now that I got my sums back to front.     

If he was born in 1909, then he was only 16 in 1925 when he told TCD he was 19.    Perhaps that's why he didn't graduate.     Perhaps they found out.     But somebody else must have colluded with this, because how else would he have paid the fees?

Unless they have misread 1928/9 for 1925.

[hallmark]

Census ages can vary considerably

[Winterbloom21]

Oh, I agree Hallmark, but there's a clear difference between a 2 year old, as recorded, and a 5 year old, I would have thought.

[hallmark]

Well you find a nearer match!!!

[aghadowey]

If he was born in 1909, then he was only 16 in 1925 when he told TCD he was 19.    Perhaps that's why he didn't graduate.     Perhaps they found out.     But somebody else must have colluded with this, because how else would he have paid the fees?

Unless they have misread 1928/9 for 1925.

And there is the photograph which seems to indicate that he did graduate.

[Winterbloom21]

Indeed, that is what it looks like.    Yet TCD don't have a record of it, apparently.   Very curious.   

Of course, we don't know how reliable TCD's record keeping is, but you wouldn't have thought it was likely to be sloppy.


PS: Have just been away to double check this thought, but it seems that TCD is one of the few old universities where you don't have to graduate to wear the gown.   They have, or certainly used to have, the concept of the 'undergraduate gown' there.

[hasta]

Hannah. To answer your questions re finding John Donegans possible wife, children or siblings, you are going to have to start trawling the Civil Index and buying certs - this info won't be online for the time period you are dealing with now and only buying certs will throw any light on things.

The information from Trinity does change the timescale a little. You said you have found the John Donegan 1909 birth record so I'd buy that to find his mothers maiden name you will need this in order to find any siblings and his parents marriage which is not exactly jumping off the page at the moment.
Regarding a possible marriage to 'Eva' - It doesn't seem to exist, but if he is born 1909 then he needs to be 21 to marry so any marriage has to be post 1930. Looking for possibilities between 1930 and 1939 gives 5 possibilities that I can see. You may need to buy all of these but one that is very slightly jumping out for me is the 1933 John J Donegan to Georgina Tallon.

1. Because Georgina is a name that could just possibly be corrupted to Eva and
2. Georgina was born in Clontarf (1911 census - Hollybrook Road) and in the 1939/40 register her family (parents James and Jane) are living on Seafield Road which runs parallel to Kincora Rd. There are 2 boys born to this marriage one in 1934 and the other in 1939 so fits with what you have been told. The Marriage record is Dublin North which is consistant with he being from Glasnevin and her from Clontarf. The 2 boys births are registered in Dublin South which might be consistent with births in Hollis St Hospital, anyway thats where I would start.
You at least have enough leads now to start making some educated guesses and proving/disproving, as I said you may need to order all 5 John Donegan marriages 1930-1940.
A good idea by Winterbloom to contact Belvedere College - they may have something to add - I would think a Belvedere education would account for the Latin and German language skills alone never mind Trinity (did they not tell you what he studied there ?)
I will still check the post 1939 Electoral Reg for Eva the week after next and let you know.