We are featuring a few more great Gatherings this week. Whether you are a Tobin, a Coughlan, or a football enthusiast, there’s a Gathering just for you! If you need help planning your trip or your time in Ireland once you get there, we can help. Just visit our Tours page for information.
Tobins of Sheepshead Gathering
Church at Kilcrohane
On June 2nd, a gathering of The Tobins of Sheepshead will be held. Everyone with a connection to John Tobin and Mary Spillane, of Caherurlagh, Sheepshead, Kilcrohane, West Cork is invited. John and Mary were married on February 4, 1836. There are a lot of Tobins from Sheepshead, so Danny Tobin (who submitted this listing) would like to give a particular shout-out to the Malllory Tobins.
Several of the Mallory Tobins made the journey to America over the years, and Danny is looking for any of the American branch to get in touch with him. So, if you think you might be descended from the Tobins of Sheepshead, County Cork, let us know you are out there!
Click here to view listing on TheGatheringIreland.com
Coughlans of Ballydehob
Ballydehob
Calling all descendants of Daniel Coughlan and Bridget Reilly who were married on the February 11, 1870 in Ballydehob North, West Cork! On August 4th is the gathering of the Coughlans of Ballydehob. There is already a large group of descendants from the East Coast of America planning to attend, and Danny is hoping that some family from the West Coast will make the trip as well.
A Baurgorm farmhouse in ruins — photo courtesy of Donal Collins
Although I have yet to receive a Gathering postcard from Ireland, I have been graciously invited to a gathering event next year. The invitation did not come from my family in Ireland, but rather from a client.
Shortly after Regan and I returned from Ireland in October, Donal Collins of County Cork contacted us. He wanted to trace the American branch of his family tree. Donal’s mother, Dympna, had completed extensive genealogy, carrying on the work her aunt had begun years ago, collecting the stories of the older generations in Ireland, as well as keeping in touch with those who emigrated. Dympna corresponded with American cousins and hosted them on visits to Cork, but after some time they lost touch.
We got to work on the search for descendants and began by looking at four Sullivan siblings who left from Baurgorm, near Bantry, in West Cork, in the late nineteenth century. Their father Denis Sullivan of Baurgorm married Helena O’Leary of nearby Widdy Island. Denis built the farmhouse pictured above. Three of the Sullivan siblings (Patrick, Denis, and Helena) settled in Manchester, New Hampshire. The fourth sibling, Timothy, settled in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Once we had located the four siblings in the records, we turned our attention to their descendants. Some descendants have already been “found” and invited to the Sullivan O’Leary Baurgorm Bantry Gathering on June 15, 2013. Donal has a full slate of events planned, including a Mass, reception, food, video on the history of the family, and live entertainment. Donal told me he has a really great group of musicians lined up and is encouraging attendees to share their talent – be it a song, a story, or a dance.
Sounds like a great night! Now, we just need to get some American cousins to Bantry for the celebration. If you claim descent from the Sullivan or O’Leary families of Baurgorm/Widdy Island via Manchester, New Hampshire, leave a comment or send me an email. I will put you in touch with Donal right away. It is not every day you receive an invitation like this!
Here are some of the surnames associated with the Sullivan-O’Leary family in the United States:
Martin
McGillan
Sullivan
O’Leary
Rohrbaugh
Simard
If you think you might be related, or know someone who is, please contact us. Get in touch with your family history, see the farmhouse Donal and his wife Carol lovingly rebuilt in 2000, and learn the stories of the Sullivan and O’Leary families.
Click here to see some fantastic photos of the Baurgorm Stone Circle.
The Irish in America 