Coffey and Burke
by Sheila MacAvoy Block via
Danielle,
I failed to mention that Mary Coffey married William Burke probably
sometime before 1844 when my great grandmother, Catherine Burke, was
born. Abbyknockmoy is not so far away from Aughrim to be a birth
location for Mary Coffey. Kinvara is a stretch for William Burke. I feel
quite sure he was a local boy to the Aughrim area. Then, of course,
there is the genealogist's nightmare, Burkes in that part of Galway are
quite common!
I have a cousin who lives across the N6 in Foats, still part of Aughrim
parish. She is descended from my great grandmother's sister who married
Martin Deeley. We had a family reunion at my cousins home 2 years ago
and I got to meet yet more Burkes from Mackney nearer Ballinasloe. No
Coffey information from them either. My cousin is still looking so I
have an investigator on sight. She has reached the same brick wall. We
have had lots of happy days tramping through cemeteries and visiting
parish offices in that part of Galway.
Happy hunting.
Sheila