Category Archives: Irish Genealogy
My Biggest Genealogy Discovery in 2010
I’m borrowing this for Randy’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun since I wrote it only two days ago. This is by far my best research adventure of the year. I located obituaries that were out of my reach and I uncovered a new line of my Kelly family tree. None of this would have been possible …
Meet My New Ancestor, Michael Dolan
Finally! At long last I get to add a generation to my Dolan family tree. I found a possible entry for my ancestor’s brother, Patrick Dolan, in the Massachusetts Vital Records index at Footnote.com. The date, 1855, seemed a little late. Patrick would be in his 30s by the time he was married, but the …
Martin Kelly, My Family’s First Business Owner?
Much of what my Grandma Shellabarger told me about her family turned out to be myth or exaggeration. She got one thing right. One of her ancestors owned boarding houses in San Francisco. That ancestor was my Great Great Great Grandfather, Martin Kelly. Martin was born sometime around 1820 in County Roscommon, Ireland. I’m not …