21 October 2006

Excellent site. I am a former student of Dreenan school and we had a great reunion a few years ago. I will have a few articles and stories from the famous townland of Drummuck Lavey parish - if you are interested. I am living in Newfoundland and I am semi-retired and learning Irish for the past few years . My son is into music www.patrickboyle.ca. So keep up the good work and I will in touch soon. Micheal Boyle.

* I would be very interested in any stories or info that you wish to share, I will get around to creating a page for it shortly. William Convery

I will have a few stories for you, mainly about Lavey parish and especially Dreenan and Drummuck, here's one "Strange Tale" for you. I was a ghost. People around Drummuck near Maghera in South Derry still tell the story from from my youth back in the early sixties. I blame Ronnie Delaney as he had won a Gold medal in the Olympics. He inspired me to take up running. I was the lone runner in our local area. Neighbours would say that my father Paddy Joe was losing it by allowing that Mickey fellah to run up the moss road and jump over ditches. At that time I would run in football boots or gutty slippers. I would have white football shorts and a white undershirt as a running vest. I took part in many cross country running events. Folks would salute with one or two fingers and others would shout comments. So I would run in late evening. On one foggy damp Halloween evening in 1960 I did my usual course up Mayogall moss and over to the Curragh and the last part of the course was Drumghlessa and then the Rock of Drummuck. Here there were old wallsteads and ruins of houses belonging to families who emigrated to America many years ago. In the darkness I noticed some orange crock drainage pipes and in the distant men were unloading a lorry. With head down and mouth shut I sprinted through the wall steads and down the mucky lane towards our back hill. It was some weeks later that I found out those men saw me and were convinced I was a ghost. It appears that a drainage scheme was taking place. McErlains from Portglenone were delivering the load of drainage pipes and when the workers saw the white clad figure jump over the wallstead they fled running in hobnailed boots to a nearby farm. Many people in the area still remember the Halloween Mickey Boyle ran through Drummuck as a ghost. So today look out again if you are out around the Drummuck area. Slan for now Micheal Boyle Newfoundland

 

16 October 2006

What do you know about Parish Killelagh. I understand it is next to  Maghera or they are the same. I believe my ancestors, the Slamon family, came from Culnagrew in Killelagh to the US in 1852. I cannot find any details of this location online. Do you know of this town? Tim Slamon

* I don't have much info as Swatragh is a few miles from my main area of Dreenan. But from what I can gather Killelagh Parish was part of the Old Civil Parish of Maghera, but please bear in mind the boundary's of parishes can be very vague. Culnagrew is not a town but a townland just North of the village of Swatragh. The modern Killelagh Parish Church is in Swatragh. Note you will find the spelling of townlands and even parishes may differ greatly from the modern spelling. As an example of this in from my records, Culnagrew is recorded in the "Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland" for the parish of Maghera the townland is recorded as "Tulnagrew" and according to it there was a John Slaman aged 35, John Salman aged 32, and Henry Salman aged 28, all of who emigrated from Tulnagrew to Glasgow in Scotland in 1835. You should also check the "Griffith Valuation" and The "Tithe Applotment" either should list who lived where in that townland in and around the date of 1830 to 1860.

Hi Mr. Convery:  Just finished reading, no make that studying the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland  for Maghera and Tamlaght O'Crilly, Volume 18.  What a book!  I found more than I bargained for involving Slamon Family history.  I also purchased Place-Names of Northern Ireland, Vol 5, Couty Derry, but that was not as exciting nor as rewarding.  My question to you: Are there any other books out there that you are aware of which would enrich my understanding of Maghera and Killeagh like the Memoirs book???  I know of one book I might like to read, "A History of the Parish of Maghera" by John R. Walsh, but I cannot get a lead on where to buy it. .  I hope you can help me there.   Please let me know.  Thanks. Tim Slamon

 

13 October 2006

My gg grandfather, Hugh McAtamney married Mary Bradley in the Parish of Maghera, County Derry in the late 1820s through 1830s. Can't find an exact date. They were married by a Rev. McKenna. They were Roman Catholic. They immigrated to Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA in May of 1848 from Belfast. I don't know who their parents were or siblings. Hugh McAtamney's brother, Bernard, also sailed to America on the same ship in 1848. If anyone out there has any information of any type on this family or the Bradley family I would appreciate hearing from you. I'm pretty much stuck on their lives before coming to America. Thanks. Patty, Ohio, USA

* Maybe someone reading this will be able to help.

 

21 September 2006

I am interested in learning more about the Scullion family as mentioned especially a Sarah Scullion who married John Murphy and had family born Lavey 1850s-1870s. John Murphy died 1902 and most of the children emigrated to Australia. Carmel McMullen

* I have a record of John Murphy marriage to Sarah Scullion in December 1865 at Lavey, and births of 7 children to them, does that sound about right?  What other details have you got? Are you connected in some way to this family?

Thanks William I am distantly connected because 2 of their grandchildren (cousins) married 2 brothers of my grandmother and the families were closely connected e.g. others were witnesses on marriages etc. Now I am also helping a cousin from their descendants do research. I thought the marriage would have been a little earlier but the ages I have for children are taken from ages on shipping records and people often changed their age on shipping to suit the requirements for assisted immigration. The children names I know of were Edward, Henry, Andrew, Mary Jane, Bridget, John, Patrick and James and Catherine. I have heard a family story that most l came to Australia together but I have found Edward, Bridget and Andrew came together in Dec 1883 but can't find any others on that voyage. Henry possibly came the year before. Catherine, John and James didn't emigrate at all. If you have found christenings for some of these names then it is probably the correct couple so any extra information will be very gratefully received. Regards Carmel

* Yes It seems to be the same family as the records I have show their children as; Henry 1860, Mary Jane 1862, Bridget 1869, Sara 1871, (Twins) John and Patrick 1873, John 1879 (The first John must have died before 1879) The record I have is from the Parish Records and lists John Murphy and Sarah Scullion were married on the 10th December 1856, and are recorded as being from "Broagh" (an area close to Knockloughrim) I can if you want, pass on to you the email address of Maryanne Butler who has posted on my Dreenan Website Notice board, who mentions lurganagoose which is in the general area of Broagh and Drummard, she may be able to help you more with info on that area as it is at the other end of the parish from Dreenan and although I know the area well, I haven't researched it in any detail.

 

28 July 2006

Your site is very good I also enjoy the Walk through Dreenan. Members of my family do get a mention here and there. I would like to contact the lady with connections with the Scullions from Lurganagoose (is how it is spelt on a marriage Certificate I have) for Sarah Jane Scullion from Lurganagoose marrying John Lagan from Drummuck Lavey Chapel Magherafelt 26 Jul 1889. The fathers name was Henry Scullion. She had a brother Hugh we believe and sister Mary who married Bernard McKee. All the Mooney's including Teresa the teacher at Dreenan school were John Lagan's nephews and nieces. His sister Sara Ann married Bernard Mooney in 1884 at Lavey Chapel. I have a photo of the old Lagan House but I don't know if you count Drummuck as in your area or not. Maryanne Butler

* Thanks I hope you found something interesting on the website; I will pass on her email address to you.  The townland of Drummuck is "next door" to Dreenan and although I have no plans to include it in detail on the Dreenan website I may create a page for other neighbouring townlands and include what info I have. If anyone has info to they like to see on it, contact me

 

26 April 2006

Do you have any info on the Farrell families in the Drumard townland area, particularly the Farrell Hill area. My mother, Anna, was a Farrell from there. Thank you. John Flood.

* There is a great book "Where the Lark Still Sings" by John Hughes which contains a wealth of interesting information of the Drumard area and it mentions the Farrell families living there.

 

25 March 2006

I have a memorial card for a Felix O'Neill who was Rev Monsignor O'Neill in Brockton NY USA Pastor-Emeritus of St Pats Church he is interred at Calvary Cemetery Cleveland Ohio near his relatives William John O'Neill Sr wife Mary nee Birt from Ballymacpeake and William John O'neill Jr Felix was born 30 May 1899 ordained 3 Mar 1928 died 19 Jan 1978 I think he is from around Dreenan area should anyone be interested or can confirm that fact for me I also have a picture of his gravestone should anyone want it. M. Butler.

* Rev Felix O'Neill was indeed from Lower Dreenan, and is mentioned on this site in "A Walk Through Dreenan"