Did my maternal and paternal ancestors cross paths years ago on a different continent?

Back to Family Story outcomes, S22

by Ryan Pattwell

In my genealogy research I have found that all of my ancestors that immigrated to America came from Ireland. This was not surprising, but rather confirmed what my family had already known, that we were very Irish. However, in an effort to dig deeper into my almost homogenous Irish heritage, I looked into dates and specific geographical locations where my ancestors lived. Mapping out this specificity gives my family and I a better understanding of where our ancestors came from, and their immigration patterns. It was also interesting to see who was in the same region at the same time that I shared DNA with centuries before I was born. 

Below is the fan chart I included in my brief presentation to the class about my Family Story and discoveries while doing this project. To go into more detail I will look more closely at where in Ireland these ancestors were born and the times I believe they lived there. It will be interesting for me to see if maternal and paternal relatives were in the same area at the same time since my parents would not have met until years later. 

Paternal

Great Grandparents

  • Martin Pattwell 1888: Tarbert, Kerry, Ireland
  • Norah Kelleher 1888: Killorglin, Kerry, Ireland
  • Peter Gilroy 1877: Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
  • Honoria Duane 1884: Shanbally, Tynagh Co. Galway, Ireland

2nd Great Grandparents

  • Thomas Patt
  • Mary Ann Kane
  • Timothy Kelleher
  • Hanora Brandon
  • Edward Gilroy 1847: Northern Ireland
  • Mary Seery (Kenny?)
  • John Duane 1827: Loughrea, Galway – Portumna Galway
  • Mary Broderick 1836: Shanbally, Tynagh Co. Galway – Portumna Galway

Maternal

Great Grandparents

  • Christopher J Ryan 1883: Offaly, Ireland
  • Margaret Condon 1884: Offaly, Ireland
  • Harry A. McEnroe 1899: NJ
  • Mary McCormack 1904: NJ

2nd Great Grandparents

  • Martin Ryan
  • Margaret Walsh
  • Michael Condon
  • Bridget Carroll
  • Thomas Henry McEnroe 1863: NJ
  • Mary McConnell 1872: NJ
  • Edward McCormack 1870: Cloonbur, Oughterard, Galway – NJ
  • Hanoria A Devany 1869: Kiltimagh, Mayo – NJ

I first made a list of my great grandparents and second great grandparents including the year they were born and where. For many of my great grandparents I could not find a specific region in Ireland. I was  able to find the specific regions that my great grandparents were born in, which helps me assume that their parents, my 2nd great grandparents, were in that region at that time. 

With this information I was able to map out which counties I suspected my ancestors spent time in and estimated years they would have lived there. I pinned my ancestors as well as their birth years at their respective counties. I used blue font for paternal ancestors and pink font for my maternal great grandparents and 2nd great grandparents. It was cool to see that in Galway I had ancestors on both my maternal and paternal sides. It was especially interesting to find that Honoria Duane, my paternal great grandmother was born just 14 years after my maternal 2nd great grandfather Edward McCormack was born in the same county. So long as Edward McCormack did not move before age 14, they likely lived in the same county almost a century before my parents, their direct descendants, met. 

Lastly, I found it interesting that my ancestors who immigrated to America lived in New Jersey and many were born in New Jersey since that is where my family has mostly stayed. I grew up in New Jersey and so did my parents and grandparents. It is funny to me to think about how so many years ago my ancestors on both my maternal and paternal sides immigrated from a few counties in Ireland to New Jersey where my parents eventually met and got married. My maternal great grandparents Harry A. McEnroe 1899 and Mary McCormack 1904 were both born in Newark, New Jersey, which is less than an hour from my house and where my parents grew up. My maternal 2nd great grandparents Thomas Henry McEnroe 1963 and Mary McConnell 1872 were also born in Newark, New Jersey, so they clearly stayed in the same area as well. My maternal second great grandfather Edward McCormack 1870 who I have already mentioned was born in Galway, immigrated and ultimately died in Newark, New Jersey, as did his wife Hanoria Devany, who was originally from Mayo. 

While so much of my background is the same on both my maternal and paternal sides, with all of the ancestors I have found being Irish, it is interesting to pay attention to the details. Ultimately, seeing the specific counties where my maternal and paternal ancestors originated from gave me a better perspective of my Family Story. The similarities in the immigration patterns and birthplaces of my maternal and paternal ancestors makes me wonder if at some point these different ancestors knew each other. Additionally this research paints a picture of my parents’ family history and how they wound up meeting each other on a different continent than where their families both had previously been at the same time.