Killasser Church

Mary Ginty was baptized on September 3, 1850 and married Lawrence McIntyre on March 1, 1877 both in this Killasser Church.

Killasser Church, County Mayo

For more information go to additional postings in this blog:

Killasser Civil Parish

Killasser Catholic Church

Mary Ginty Baptismal Record 

Mary Ginty and Lawrence McIntyre Wedding Record



Photos: Elaine Beaudoin, July, 2011

1911 Irish Census - McIntyre/Ginty

The 1911 Census of Ireland lists Laurence McIntyre and his wife Mary (Ginty) with two of their children Bridget, age 25, and John, age 19.  It notes that all but Mary were born in County Sligo, she was born in County Mayo.  At the time of the census, they were living on the farm in Lislea, Kilmacteige Civil Parish, County Sligo.

The census states Laurence and Mary have been married 34 years.  I have their marriage record from Killasser Parish, County Mayo with the date of March 1, 1877 which agrees with the information provided.  In addition, it states Mary had six children with five currently living.  Their daughter Catherine died young.  Although I don't have a death record for Catherine, all the rest of the children lived beyond 1911, so it must be Catherine who is deceased in 1911.

Laurence could not write and did not sign the census, but his son John was the witness to his "mark."  My belief is that it is John McIntyre's signature at the bottom of the census.

On associated 1911 Census sheets -- Form B. 1 - House and Building Return and Form B. 2 - Return of Out-Offices and Farm-Steadings -- it notes the McIntyres had three out-buildings including a stable, a cow house and a piggery.  The house itself had either a wood or thatched roof, was composed of only two rooms and had two windows in the front of the home.   Certainly a modest home in which to raise six children.

Daughter, Bridget, married P. Billy Haran and lived on the farm raising five daughters:  Mary (Crane), Annie (Brennan), Tessie (Cafferty), Bridget (Heffernan) and Josephine (O'Malley/Pointing).  Their daughter, Tessie, married Dominic Cafferty and they then lived on the farm.  Dominic died in the early 1980s.  They had no children.  In the 1990s, Tessie sold the farm to a neighbor and moved to live with her niece, daughter of Bridget (Heffernan), in Cheekpoint, County Waterford.  I am told she eventually went to England, probably to be near her sisters, where she died in 2004.

So, after more than 150 years, no longer were there any descendants of Michael McIntyre (c1830-a1854) living on the farm.

Killasser Civil Parish, Barony of Gallen, County Mayo, 1837

Mary Ginty was from Killaser Civil Parish.

Killaser, a parish, in the barony of Gallen, in county Mayo, and province of Connaught, 6 miles (E. N. E.) from Foxford, on the River Moy and the road to Swinford; containing 6,581 inhabitants.  This parish was the scene of a sanguinary battle between the native septs of the Jordans and the Rowans, at a spot since called Lugnafulla, or "the valley of blood". It comprises 10,000 statue acres, of which about 6, 000 are arable and the remainder principally bog and mountain; the land is of indifferent quality and is in many places covered with rocks of great size; some of the eastern portion is more productive, but agriculture is in a very backward state; there is a large tract of irreclaimable bog.  It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry, forming part of the union of Templemore; the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of the late Roger Palmer, Esq.  The titles amount to L512.0.4., which is equally divided between the impropriator and the vicar, there are two chapels, situated respectively at Calla and Boulebee, both well built and roofed with slate.  About 90 children are taught in a public school; and there are five private schools, in which are about 450 children.  There are several Danish forts in the western portion of the parish; at Calla is a small lake, in which is an island presenting appearances of fortifications, said to have been inhabited by the sept of the Rowans; at Erbull and are the ruins of an Old Castle; and there are ancient burial places at Killasser, Blackpatch and Calla.

Extracted from A Topographical Dictionary of Mayo, Samuel Lewis, 1837.

Lawrence J. McIntyre, Death Certificate, 1943

Thomas J. McIntyre's brother Lawrence J. McIntyre was the husband of Lillian O'Brien.  He was found dead at 506 N. Clark, Chicago on November 6, 1943. The doctor determined he died of chronic myocarditis, i.e., heart attack. The informant on the death certificate is his wife Lillian O'Brien McIntyre. This document is a good example of misinformation or incorrect information on a death certificate.

Lillian did not know her husband's birthday so his age is guessed at 45. It was off by a few years. He was born cMay 18, 1890, making him 53. She listed his father as Lawrence McIntyre, County Sligo (the person filling out the document wrote "Slago") and his mother as Margaret Madden. Only because I have Lawrence's baptismal record do I know that Margaret Madden was his godmother not his mother. His biological mother was Mary Ginty McIntyre, born in County Mayo. Lillian probably never met Lawrence's mother who never came to the US, and Lillian probably heard him speak of Margaret Madden and thought that was his mother's name.

Lawrence is buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois,  Lot 59, Blk 17, Sec 37, Gr 2, in an unmarked grave.

Origin of Ginty and McIntyre Names

Ginty
"In the sixteenth century, MacGinty was found mainly in County Donegal in the province of Ulster, but it is now a rare surname in any part of Ireland.  In Irish it was Mag Fhinneachta, meaning fair, or blond haired as the snow. There were many variation of the name, of which Maginnity, MacGinity and Ginty are probably the most notable.

"The late Dr. Edward MacLysaght, a pioneer of the study of Irish surnames, says that MacEntee has no connection whatever with MacGinty, although the two names certainly do sound alike.

"Because of the mass migration of family from County Donegal at the time of the plantation of Ulster, the MacGintys were driven south and settled in Connacht, where they became fairly numerous in the counties of Mayo and Clare.

"Remarkably little has been recorded of this ancient family.  Percy French, the famous painter, comedian and songwriter from County Roscommon, immortalized the name in his ballad, 'Paddy McGinty's Goat,' who had a taste for their bustles hanging out on the line to dry!"

Grehan, Ida. The Dictionary of Irish Family Names, 1997, Roberts Rinehart Publishers, pages 227-228.

McIntyre
"The name Mac an tSaoir originated both in Northern Ireland and Scotland.  In Ireland, it has gone through a variety of transformations, of which MacAteer is the most common, especially in counties Antrim, Donegal and Armagh -- where there is a townland called Ballymaccateer.  Mac an tSaoir means son of the tradesman and it is very likely that the Irish name, Carpenter, also derives from MacAteer.  Both MacIntyre and MacAteer are more plentiful in the north than in the south of Ireland.  In County Mayo there is a Carrickmacintyre (MacIntyre's Rock), but Cahermackateer is a County Clare placename.

"St. Kieran, who founded the famous Abbey of Clonmacnoise in AD 541, was known as Mac an tSaoir long before the establishment of surnames, designating his father as a craftsman.  Michael Mac an tSaoir was Bishop of Clogher in County Tyrone from 1268 to 1287."

Grehan, Ida.  The Dictionary of Irish Family Names, Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1997, page 233.

John Ginty, Griffith's Valuation, 1855-1857

In an effort to value Ireland's land to secure an unbiased and equitable tax base for the wealthy and poor alike, Richard Griffith completed his monumental undertaking in the mid-1800s to collect specific valuation details to enable grand juries and Poor Law Guardians to set their tax rates. During the plotting of a tenement, the surveyor asked the occupant or the landlord, "What is the rent?" and "How is the tenement held [i.e., by lease, by the year, owned]? and entered these details in his notebook.

The Tenement Valuation in county Mayo began in 1855 and was completed in 1857. In the Civil Parish of Killasser, Townland of Carrowbeg, John Ginty, Mary Ginty's father, is listed as leasing land, a house and office/she from Edward Baxter. Edward Baxter, the owner of the land, lived in Dundee, Scotland and owned a total of 2,151 acres of land situated in County Mayo. John Ginty, for his property, paid an annual valuation of £8.

Killasser Catholic Parish, Swinford, County Mayo

The Ginty family were members of the Killasser Catholic Parish, Swinford, County Mayo.  Some history of the Parish from its website:

"The rural parish of Killasser is situated north of Swinford in County Mayo. To the north of the parish lie the spectacular Ox Mountains, and to its south flows the River Moy. Killasser takes its name from Cill Lasrach, meaning “the church of Lasair”. St Lasair established a church here in the 8th Century, the ruins of which can be found in Killasser cemetery in the townland of Knockmullin. The richness and variety of archaeological monuments in the parish, with evidence of human activity here going back 5000 years, has made Killasser well known to many outside County Mayo.

"Today, Killasser is served by two fine churches. The parish church, dedicated to All Saints, and situated in the townland of Listernan, was built in 1832. Its anchor-shaped design is unique in Ireland. The church of St Thomas, in the “half parish” of Callow, was built in 1811. It is prominently situated overlooking the picturesque waters of Callow Lough Upper and Lower. The church has beautiful stained glass windows, including a window depicting St Patrick from the studio of Harry Clarke.

"Located near the parish church of All Saints is the Killasser Community Centre, with its many facilities, opened in 1980.  In recent years, the very fine Hennigan’s Heritage Centre has been established in the parish of Killasser. Here can be traced the archaeological and social history of the parish.

"Further information about the parish can be found at www.killasser.com. (This website has photos of the area and is worth a look.)  Also recommended are three publications “Killasser-a history” and “The Archaeological Heritage of Killasser, Co Mayo”, both by Bernard O’Hara, and “Callow School Reunion – A Celebration”, all currently out of print but available at local libraries.

"Ancient Ecclesiastical Sites: The ruined remains of a very ancient church are to be found in Cill Seisneáin in the townland of Graffy.  Other more recent remains are situated on the hill of Srón in nearby  Carrowneden. Mass is celebrated in alternate years at each church  site around mid summers day."

Mary Ginty, Baptismal Record, 1850

Mary Ginty was baptized on September 3, 1850 at Killasser Roman Catholic Church, County Mayo, Ireland. Her parents John Ginty and Peggy Conway (Convey) are noted as well as her sponsors Thomas Ginty and Mary Cahill. This entry is recorded in the early pages of the Baptismal Register of the Parish and therefore damaged due to age and wear.