Hanrahans of Steuben County NY

Brick wall - Searching for location in Ireland where David Hanrahan (Born 1795 wife Mary Meagher) is from. Children (All born in county Clare Ireland) are David Jr., Helen, Johanna, Margaret, Michael, Robert, Martin (1814 wife Bridget), James (1822), John (1830, wife Ellen Hurley) and Patrick (1826 wife Mary Hurley, their daughter Susan, 1860, and her husband John Wood are my Great grandparents). I can verify that David, Patrick, John, Martin, James and their spouses settled in Addison, Steuben county NY.  Not sure if the rest emigrated to USA or not.  This is the only information I have.  Have been unable to find any birth or marriage records.  I know they arrived in USA before 1850. The only other information I have is my DNA results indicate SW County Clare and the Loophead of County Clare.  I have no town, townland or parish in Ireland. Cannot find an emigration or immigration record for David or his children, do not have David or Mary Meagher's parent's names.  I have been searching all of the usual places for the past several years with no luck. Any help or insight would be appreciated.

There is a good concentration of Hanrahans in the late 1700s in Causeway, County Kerry that would only be on the next peninsula separated by the mouth of the Shannon. The only David I find on the site www.genealogy.ie is in 1792 with the birth of Mary.  His wife is Ellen Cahill.  You might check your DNA with the Cahills to rule it out or in and with the Thanksgiving Special with familytreedna you could do more testing to get a more definitive on the family.  In the 1800's there are more David Hanrahan's listed there in the church records.  I'd suggest you widen your view of the area and look further at your DNA maps if you're on familytreedna as it can help you make those leaps where they might have originated, but not necessarily lived.   Also, check your military records for more proof.  I found this David Hanrahan enlisted at the age of 12 from Tarbert (there would have been a gaol and military outpost there) where you would have passage between the two peninsulas as well. ( Name: David Hanrahan Age: 12 Birth Date:12 Aug 1796 Military Date:20 Aug 1808 Unit: 67th Foot Soldiers)

I hope this helps a little! 

Ginger Aarons

Hi Nicholas! 

You've already received some wonderful tips from Ginger to help you bring down the brick wall in your research. I hope it will help you discover more about your Hanrahan ancestors. 

Keep us posted on your findings, we'd love to hear more about what you're able to uncover. :)

I am from this area and can tell you that Tarbert, Co Kerry is right on the border with Co Clare. Just across the river in fact. The two areas are very interconnected. There's a large concentration of Hanrahans in the Tarbert/North Kerry area. I would recommend you talk to a registered local genealogist. There's a well established and qualified lady called Kay Caball who is based in the North Kerry area and I think she would be a great help. https://mykerryancestors.com/about-us/
Best of luck, 
Áine
PS: Lucky you if you turn out to be from Kerry!!   

If Kate is unavailable, I also have been doing research in Ireland for 21 years and would be available for consultations. 

You may find my information on my website as well.  www.timetraveltours.com 

I also specialize in early records for Ireland as well as early American history. 

Best,
Ginger 

Thanks for the great tips, especially the County Kerry angle.  I have a Cahill in my Hanrahan tree who married my Great grandmother's brother in the USA. Would it have been common for people to move from where they were born to a different county in Ireland in the early 1800's?  Would there be a record of such a move (other than the non-existent census). Also, where would they have emigrated from in Ireland being from County Clare or Kerry?  Both my Hanrahans and Frawleys were farmers in Steuben Co., NY and my Frawley who originally came over was illiterate, so I don't imagine they were families of great means in Ireland, though they were highly successful in America!

New York would have been a popular destination. I believe Cobh in Co Cork would have been the main departure point.
Tarbert is the most northerly point in Kerry and it's only 1km across the river to Co Clare so they are right beside each other and it wouldn't have been an epic move. I doubt there would be a record of a move, unless they married in the new parish and it was recorded on the marriage record? But I really think a genealogist would be best placed to help at this stage. 
Good luck!
Áine 

Hi Nicholas, 

I always say we travel in packs!  If you look at the names around you, whether you know them or not, oftentimes they are interconnected, so it would be possible that the families knew each other in Ireland and immigrated after each other or one offered the other a helping hand to get established.  They would have also gone to where there was work, especially if that person wasn't the firstborn and didn't inherit the farm so to speak.  So, looking at adjacent counties or even to England during that time would be the natural progression in your research. 

They most likely would have sailed from Cobh from that area (Cork) and also look at the ship manifests out of Liverpool or elsewhere in England.  There was another 'famine' ship that would have come out of New Ross in Wexford. 

There would be no records of people moving around the country unless you found letters or other documentation through newspapers.  You might be able to trace them through estates if they were working on them and through Griffith's Valuation for the farming angle. 

Happy Hunting and Happy we could all help!
Ginger

Hi Nicholas, 

Áine and Ginger have been super helpful, and I hope this will lead to more information about your ancestors! Keep us posted on your findings. We'd love to hear what you're able to find out. :)