The Fitzgerald's of Rahillakeen, County Kilkenny

The view from Tory Hill overlooking the surrounding countryside

Map of Rahillakeen and Tory Hill - If you click on the purple squares you can see the nearby townslands, including Rathnasmolagh (Bigwood), where the cemetery is found.

Our family tree-
Nellie Quinn and Thomas Allen (my grandparents)
Thomas Quinn and Ellen Kinsella (my great grandparents)
John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald (my gg grandparents)
So- who were my Fitzgerald ggg grandparents and who were Mary's siblings and family in Ireland?

Photo by P.Meado on findaGrave

According to the headstone, Mary (Fitzgerald) Quinn was 73 years old in 1864, making her birthdate about 1791.

This marriage record shows that John Quin and Mary Fitzgerald from Kilmacow Parish were married on 26 August, 1815. The townland on the record is Rahillakeen. (Usually the bride's home was listed on the marriage records.)
Their witnesses were Richard Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Murphy, and Anne Donovan.
Mary Fitzgerald would have been 24 years old, and John Quin 26. Here is the original record from St. Mary's Church, Kilkenny City. (1)

There is another Fitzgerald born in Rahillakeen and buried at St. Francis Cemetery in Jerseyville. Richard M. Fitzgerald's headstone says that he was born in Rahillakeen, Parish Mullinavat, in Co. Kilkenny Ireland. (2) There are no birth and death dates, but it says that his wife was Mary Powers, born in Kilcolm, Parish Glenmore, County Kilkenny. Mary Powers Fitzgerald died 7 Aug. 1891, age 55, so she was born about 1836. The 1880 census for Jerseyville shows Mary age 44 (born about 1837) wife of Richard Fitzgerald age 55.  If this is correct, Richard M. Fitzgerald would have been born about 1825.  The census shows both Richard and Mary born in Ireland. (2) But this Richard, although from Rahillakeen, is too young to be the Richard who stood up at Mary Fitzgerald Quinn's wedding in 1815. Did he have a father or uncle named Richard Fitzgerald?

Photo by P.Meadow on FindaGrave

Several family stories say that Richard's father was Thomas Fitzgerald, who died of typhus in Ireland. His wife, Mary Dougherty Fitzgerald then brought the children to America, landing in New Orleans before traveling to Illinois. There is a headstone at St. Francis Xavier that reads "Mary, wife of Thomas Fitzgerald, died Aug. 10, 1851, aged 51 years." This stone is near the headstone of James C. Fitzgerald (brother of Richard M. Fitzgerald) so it seems likely that this could be the grave of his mother.

Photo by P.Meado on FindaGrave

 Rahillakeen is a tiny townland encompassing about 390 acres- a little over half a square mile of land. It lies at the foot of Tory Hill (pictured above) and is in Mullinavat Catholic Parish. Unfortunately, the records for the parish are only available from (dates)

However, there are two records for this time period in Rahillakeen that give us evidence of Fitzgerald families in that townland- the 1825 Tithe Applotment and the 1853 Griffith's Valuation. The townland of Rahillakeen straddles two civil parishes- Dunkitt Civil Parish and Rossinan Civil Parish- so records are found in both areas. As you can see from the records, the same people farmed land in both formal civil parishes; this was a tiny neighborhood that happened to straddle a border.

The Rossinan Rahillakeen Tithe (1825) shows the landowner as Michael Dobbyn, Esq. Renting land there were: Michael Fitzgerald (6 acres) John and Edward Grace (72 acres,) John Grace (2 acres,) Martin Walsh (6 acres) John Murphy (17 acres) Wm Dermody and Toby Veriker.
1825 Tithe Rahillakeen, Rossinan Civil Parish

The Rossinan Rahillakeen Griffiths (1853) shows: Patrick Fitzgerald, Edward and John Grace, John Murphy, and Martin Walsh sharing 67 acres of land, with Thomas Power renting a garden from Edward and John Grace. Mary Fitzgerald rented 10 acres, Michael Walsh 6, Catherine Murphy 25, and John Murphy 3.
1853 Griffiths Rahillakeen Rossinan Civil Parish


The Dunkitt Rahillakeen Tithe (1825) shows the same landowner- Michael Dobbyn- with farmers Michael Fitzgerald (8 acres) Widow Grace (50 acres) John Grace (12 acres) and Slone, Dermody, Vereker and Dwyer.
1825 Tithe Rahillakeen Dunkitt Civil Parish

The Dunkitt Rahillakeen Griffiths (1853) shows (same landowner- Reps. of M. Dobbin Esq.) Patrick Fitzgerald, Edward and John Grace, John Murphy and Martin Walsh again share land together- this piece is 128 acres. Mary Fitzgerald rented 29 acres, and sublet houses to Robert Wall and Michael Dermody. Matthias Grace had a house, and again we see Murphys (Catherine Murphy had 49 acres) Verekers, and Dwyers.
1853 Rahillakeen Griffiths- Dunkitt Civil Parish

So- in 1825 the only Fitzgerald in Rahillakeen was Michael Fitzgerald, while int 1853 we find Patrick Fitzgerald and Mary Fitzgerald.

However, by 1853, we believe it was highly likely that our Fitzgerald family may have already left for America. So- the 1825 Michael Fitzgerald is likely a relative- but what relation was he to Mary Fitzgerald (Quinn) born 1791? Her father or her brother? What relation was he to Richard Fitzgerald, who stood up at her wedding? What relation was he to the supposed Thomas Fitzgerald, the husband of Mary (supposed Doherty) and father of Richard M. Fitzgerald, born about 1829? No Thomas Fitzgerald or Richard Fitzgerald shows in Rahillakeen in 1825- unless Michael Fitzgerald was the father, the head of family in the record. Without church baptismal records it is hard to know.


Another area mentioned in family stories is Ballyhomuck. This tiny townland adjoins Rahillakeen to the east. In the 1853 Griffith's we find an Ellen Fitzgerald leasing 10 acres of land from M. Dobbin, the local landowner. Peter Doherty was leasing 27 acres of farmland and there are other familiar family names here; Thomas Lahy (21 acres) John and Patrick Power, Michael Keefe, James Keily, Edward Grace (48 acres.)



Finally, there is neighboring Rahard townland. In the 1825 Tithe book we see John and Philip Fitzgerald. Their neighbors are Rich and Phillip Kelly.
 In the 1853 Griffith's there were 3 Fitzgerald farmers in Rahard renting land from Rev. James Hobson.
John Fitzgerald-19 acres
Patrick Fitzgerald- 7 acres
James Fitzgerald 11 acres

However, later birth records which ARE available led me to one more adjoining townland- Bigwood- also known as Rathnasmolagh.


Sources:

Headstones- St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Jerseyville, Illinois (from FindaGrave)

1- National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 05028 / 04 Ancestry.com. Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

2-Year: 1880; Census Place: Otter Creek, Jersey, Illinois; Roll: 216; Page: 104B; Enumeration District: 099