Looking for where Thomas McCaffrey (1813-1873) and his wife Dorcas Ann Willoughby (1817-1872) came...

Hi Annette, 

Glad you found that information helpful.

With regard to the church records available on www.irishgenealogy.ie, they only cover parishes in Counties Cork, Carlow, Dublin and Kerry. 

Civil registration of all births, marriages and deaths started in Ireland in 1864, non-Catholic marriages were registered from 1845 so that may be why you are not finding any relevant results so as you have suggested, commissioning research may be the best way to proceed.

Best wishes,

Gillian, 
Ulster Historical Foundation

Dear Gillian
Thanks for your additional information. As an established educational researcher I love doing my own investigations and so I joined ancestry to access documents for relatives from England and Australia and have been relatively successful. The McCaffrey/Willoughby line has been a mystery and challenge beyond their arrival in Australia. I will give some thought to commissioning research but it seems like admitting defeat!
kind regards
Annette

Did you have any luck finding information on Dorcas Willoughby.   I have a family of Willoughby's ; Richard, Ralph, Eliza Mary, John and Henry from Monaghan, Cavan, Fermanagh.   Another Thomas Willoughby, son of a William born in Dung, County Cavan, Ireland.  All of the above came to Canada in about 1822.

Joyce

Hi Joyce
I got as far as Cavan for the Willoughbys and Fermanagh for the McCaffreys but gave up as they left Ireland so long ago (1851) the record trail seems impossible.
Thanks
Annette

Hi Annette and Joyce,

As with all family history traces, similar names can add to the confusion of direct lines going back in time.

With some leaving for Australia and some for the Americas it would be wonderful to find a common family connection.

Please feel free to post some photos of any documentation you have, you never know, you may be related!

Martin

Hello Annette 
I have googled and stumbled upon your search for Thomas and Dorcas, and suspect we're related. I have come across those two names often in my family research (in Victoria, focussed on North Melbourne and Castlemaine predominantly). I suspect they were uncle and aunt of my great great grandfather James McCaffrey who emigrated to Melbourne, and his younger brother Philip who followed him.
Shipping records for James show he travelled with a Thomas who could have been his uncle/cousin/brother. Would love to be in touch! I live in Melbourne.
Best wishes
Genevieve 

Hi Genevieve,

It's wonderful to hear about your research and connection to Thomas and Dorcas! It's truly exciting to uncover family history and potential relatives. However, I wanted to let you know that Annette's profile is no longer active, so she may not see your message.

Best of luck with your genealogical journey, and I hope you find more fascinating connections!

Cathaoir 

Hello and thanks to the moderators for letting me know. If you have any email address for Annette, I would be very grateful if you could send her my message and email address. I have no other way of contacting her, especially without her family name. 
Thank you for your understanding.