The 1922 Dublin fire that burned most of Ireland's genealogical records.
The fire left my own pedigree nearly blank in four branches: the ancestors of my great-great grandparents Simon Carey, Eliza Furlong, Patrick McGuire, and Mary Toole. I do know some information about their heritage, more so with Eliza Furlong than the others; her family came from County Wexford, and miraculously, there are a few baptisms and marriages where the records survived locally. But the other three branches offer no specific place names, only that Simon Carey was from County Clare, and Patrick McGuire’s mother was from County Mayo. It’s almost certain his father was also from County Mayo, and Mary Toole’s family may have been from there as well.
In a general way, these blank pedigrees had a common history: they lived for many generations as peasant farmers under British rule, barely making a living. They were devoted to the Catholic Church, untouched by the protestant conversion happening in other parts of Europe. Typically, these people lived in rough cottages, paying annual rent to a landlord, and growing potatoes, oats or flax on plots of land as small as an acre and a half. All of the Irish peasants were affected by the Great Famine of the 1840s, and this directly led to at least three of the four branches giving up and moving to America (only Simon Carey may have left for other reasons).
There were a few differences in each of the branches. The Furlongs of County Wexford were from the extreme southeast corner of the island, and because of that, they were slightly better off. Their DNA was also likely to be less pure Gaelic than the branches from the west coast; this is because Vikings and other invaders landed there centuries earlier, mixing in with the local population. County Wexford was where John F. Kennedy’s paternal line originated (our families probably connect at some point, but it’s impossible to prove). Overall, the Furlongs found more success in America than my other Ireland branches. One of my immigrant ancestors from County Wexford, Mary Butler Furlong, was shown to be literate, which wasn’t true for most of the potato famine immigrants.
The McGuires of County Mayo had a much rougher existence. Coming from the northwest corner of the island, the climate and geography was more harsh. In addition, with invaders entering Ireland from the other side of the country, these people had very little mixture with non-Gaelics. This branch likely lived for centuries scraping out a living on their tiny farms, and never traveling very far from the place they were born. Alcohol took a toll on some of the people, and Patrick McGuire’s father and maternal grandfather are known to have been heavy drinkers. Since I can identify some DNA from the parents of Patrick McGuire, Ancestry.com offers a map that suggests where the family was from; this is a region on an inlet that includes the towns of Westport, Killawalla, Castlebar, Ballyhean and Newport.
The place in Ireland where the McGuires were from. (Source: Ancestry.com)
The ancestors of Mary Toole are much harder to trace. Although she and both of her parents died in Minnesota, no record identifies their place of origin other than “Ireland.” A close relative was named Dominick Toole, though, and the name has ties to County Mayo. Perhaps the most significant thing about the Toole ancestors comes from a family story that claims they were scavengers who liked to find items to resell for profit. While the story took place in late-19th-century Minnesota, it’s easy to imagine they brought this trait over from Ireland.
The fourth Ireland branch of my family is perhaps the most sketchy of all. Simon Carey was a young man who came to America and joined the army during the Civil War; his military enlistment identified his place of origin as County Clare. But the names of the exact town, as well as his parents’ names are mysteries. Sadly, this information may never be known.
All totaled, my untraceable Irish branches represent a full quarter of my family. While it’s frustrating that I will never know many details of their lives, at least I can see the corners of the island that they were from, and consider it a strong part of my heritage. These people who led such hard lives were survivors, and their strength made my existence possible.
