We’re lucky that the Millstreet Parish (and Kerry Dioscese) baptism and marriage registrers have been digitised and indexed online since 2009, but yesterday the National Library of Ireland have put the microfilm of the of the Catholic Church Registers (pre 1900) for the whole country online. So where we had the information previously, we can now go and see the original entry in the parish registers.
There are four Registration Books for the Millstreet Parish (click the links below to see each one):
- Baptisms – 4th December 1853 to 16th July 1863
- Marriages – 14th January 1855 to 13th April 1881
- Baptisms – 21st July 1865 to 8th Sept 1878
- Baptisms (Cullen) – 12th January 1873 to 27th Feb 1881
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Bordering Millstreet Parish, other register books of interest are:
- Carriganima Church Records are in the Clondrohid Register Books (Cloyne Diocese)
- Dromagh Church, and Derrinagree Church records are in the Dromtarriffe Registers (Cloyne Diocese)
- Kilcorney and Banteer Church records are in the Banteer (Clonmeen) Registers (Cloyne Diocese)
- Boherbue and Kiskeam Church records are in the Boherbue (Kilmeen) Registers (Kerry Diocese)
- Rathmore, Gneeveguilla, Knocknagree, and Shrone Churches are in the Rathmore Registers (Kerry Diocese)
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Having browsed some of the records, and having compared them to the online records, it became obvious that whoever was transcribing the online records left entries blank where they could not decipher the handwriting.
One example is the marriage of Thomas Pomeroy and Maria Keliher of Ballydaly on 19th February 1855.
The digital online record has sponsor #2 as NR (Not Recorded), whereas the original document clearly shows sponsor #2 as Meredithus Pomeroy in the first entry on top of the page.
My advice is that if you have the details of your ancestor, check the register to make sure there isn’t more detail.
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Unfortunately the records are not digitised and indexed, so you have to know what you’re looking for before you go browsing, otherwise you’ll have a tough time trying to find what you want. The plan is to have these digitised and online in the next three years.
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It is strange though these are only a few of Millstreet’s registers. Millstreet’s online records cover from 1751 to 1903 (though there are a number of blanks in the middle). Maybe some of the records are not with the national library, we will try to find out.
WOW!, what a lovely surprise!. I first looked at the Baptisims in Millstreet RC Church 35(!) years ago when I first started tracing my Family Tree. I think whoever decided to put all these records online should get a big medal, there will be many people all around the world who will be able to go back further in their Family Tree because of all the info in these records.
To all the others out there thinking ‘I can’t find any of my family, where are they all, why am I doing all this?’, keep going, you never know what you might find!
Patricia Hannafin. (Nee DARLING), by way of SHINE and HERLIHY
Excellent news! My brother and I are already combing through the records…!
Wonderful to see that our roots in Millstreet are with the National Library – as well as Millstreet. Bravo to all.
This is great ! Thank you. I found my Great Grandfather’ record – John Patrick O’Leary May 1856.
I was in Millstreet in July 2013 and will be returning the first week of September.
Patrick
Hello to Millstreet,
My great grandparents, Daniel and Johanna Dennehy are listed in the 1901 Census @ house #5 in Lower Mill Lane. I visited Millstreet in 1993 and October, 2012. We had a grand tour of the Millstreet area with Sean Radley in 1993. My first cousin, Mary Dennehy, a retired teacher lives in Tanyard Woods. Her sister, Sheila Sherlock passed away in 2013.
I was delighted to see the listing of parish marriages, baptisms etc. but UNFORTUNATELY I am unable to read it. I would love to get the maiden name of Johanna Dennehy who married Daniel Dennehy about 1870 and the parents names of Julia Lehane B 1873 D 1950. She lived @ house #7 in Lower Mill Lane. My father, James J Dennehy immigrated to Boston in 1924. I still have his passport! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Mary, She was Johanna Hegarty. I can’t find their marriage though. Jeremiah was born on 2 Mar 1869.James was born approx 18 Feb 1903.
Dear Mary, Thank you so very much for the information on Johanna Hegarty and the birthdate for Jeremiah Dennehy. Do you have any suggestions on how to research the parents names of Julia Lehane Dennehy, my grandmother, B 1873 D 1950. She was the wife of Jeremiah Dennehy and lived her life in Millstreet on Lower Mill Lane. On my last visit I went to the old cemetery next to the church with my cousins who knew where the graves were but there were no names on the headstones. I joined Ancestry and have gathered much data that way. Again , thanks so much for replying! Mary Dennehy Rogers Arlington, MA
Hi Mary, I have just found Julia – in Coolinarna
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/41f3a70397750
Mary, if you’re going to go stray from 1873, there are two other Julia Lehanes born around that time. unless there’s more information, who knows which one (if any) is the correct Julia.
Baptism of JULIA LEHANE of CAHERDONEE (Caherdowney) on 10 May 1867
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/72599a0397460
and
Baptism of JULIA LEEHANE of AUBAAE on 18 March 1869
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/a7968f0397870
Dear Mary Hackett, YOU MADE MY DAY!!! Thank you SO MUCH! Not only did you find my grandmother’s birth with her parents names but also you “nudged” my cousin, Mary to write to me. I completely agree this Julia is the right one BECAUSE her brother, John who lived @ Pound Hill married his wife Kate in 1895 (per the 1901 census) and his parents were listed as Johanna Creedon and James Lehane. You are a great detective and should go to work for Ancestry! As I told Mary, Ireland truly has great records compared to other countries. When I am ready to move on to Galway and Roscommon, hopefully I will find a similar site to Millstreet. Is Colluonarne a small town like Millstreet or a section of Millstreet? With many thanks, the “other ” Mary Dennehy
admin’s note: Colluonarne (proper spelling “Coolanarney”) is a townland about 6km north west of Millstreet. You can see how to get there from Millstreet on google maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/weQOT
Julia lehane was my mothers name. I was brought up in the cottage next to the railway bridge in balydaly until 0 with granda michael lehane. nan Margret lehane and my aunty nora lehane and my late mum Julia Sheehan. my father was not a good man and he was here in England committing bigamy and left us near on starving, so mum took me to England where I met him for the first time, and of course we upset his plans and he was on the drink as well, and he tried to kill us both so he was arrested and the rest as they say is history. the other lehanes were down the railway next to the coolnarna bridge, and both famalies shared the bog together for the turf. i hope our familys names will help you. the other Lehanes lived in barna and worked the first german turf cutting machines.