FAMILY NAMES - Berrigan, Oreilly, O'Reilly, O'Rahilly or Reilly

[daisynook]

Yes, that's right, easy to get lost, I've done it so many times!
Yes, all children born in Kilkenny, Ireland, I believe James being the eldest. 

[heywood]

As has been said before, there are no obvious births for children of those names in The Kilkenny registration district 1910-1921.

With regard to Ellen Berrigan’s death, dies your friend have better details - a memorial card for instance with place and date of death etc.

Added
Did all or any of the children stay in Ireland? If so - where?

[heywood]

I have found a page on Family Search which I believe is the right family but not much info. I emailed the name of person who added it but no reply as yet.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G4HR-HRK

That tree has James who ‘married’ Ellen Berrigan with a year of birth 1914.
That wouldn’t make sense with your dates, would it?

It might be best to work back from what is known.

Your friend’s relevant parent.
The parents’ marriage with father’s details.
The O’Reilly parent’s place of birth and approximate year etc.

The death of grandma - what details are known.
Is it Kilkenny  town or a place within the county?

[daisynook]

I now believe that Ellen's surname was Bergin or Bergan not Berrigan.  I've been told that not unusual for the name to be abbreviated.
Ellen died in March 1981.

[daisynook]

I am coming back to this family after many years of searching.  My friend has found that her grandmother who we thought was called Ellen Berrigan had another name too Ellen Culinan or various spellings of it.  I just don't understand these surnames in Ireland!!

[heywood]

I am coming back to this family after many years of searching.  My friend has found that her grandmother who we thought was called Ellen Berrigan had another name too Ellen Culinan or various spellings of it.  I just don't understand these surnames in Ireland!!

Can you give further details about the new discovery? When/where was grandma called Culinan?

[heywood]

At some point in this thread you mention Galway.
Here is a James Reilly b 1921 in Galway (Grange, Dunmore) with parents James Reilly and Ellen Cullinane.
.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1921/01189/1495405.pdf

[heywood]

You mention, Helen
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1922/01153/1481879.pdf

There is a Joseph in 1923 but no image
Mary - 1916
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1916/01333/1550551.pdf
Patrick 1917
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1917/01309/1541458.pdf

Peter 1918
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1918/01269/1526594.pdf

[heywood]

Marriage - Reilly/Cullinan
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1914/09851/5577525.pdf

Does this ring an6 bells with your friend?