I am a Dumb American

mikemac64

Greetings,

I am actually not a dumb American (I don't think). I am from Massachusetts, USA. I am trying to start locating relatives in Ireland. My grandmother was from Tuam (Marie Fahey). She came to America around 1920 and settled in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.

She was the daughter of William and Margaret (WYNNE) Fahey of Tuam. Any info or a push in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks.

orestes

I don't seem to sound like a smart ass, but I don't think you are going to have any luck here with that I'm afraid.

Your grandmother moved to the states almost 100 years ago, the odds of anyone here knowing her (or her parents) are pretty slim I'd imagine, I'd just think the odds against it are pretty huge.

Have you tried getting in touch with any government offices in Tuam or Galway? They should still have records of her, birth cert and stuff like that and maybe records of any brothers or sisters she had who stayed in Ireland, so they might be able to point you in the right direction.

I wish you all the best with your search and hope you find what you're looking for

mikemac64

Well, I guess I was thinking someone from Tuam or the area will say, "Hey, I am a Fahey, etc....". I'll email this guy and see what's up.

I figured not too many of my Grandmothers contemporaries would be around, but a niece or nephew might.

AckwelFoley

wynne is not that common a name.

Best chance start with that

mikemac64

We'll see. Thanks.

nytraveller

try here:
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/

kaizersoze

A few sites to assist in your search.

http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/map.php?&set=yes Free for basic search but you pay for detailed.

http://www.ellisisland.org/ Immigration records for Ellis Island, New York.

http://www.groireland.ie/ The General Register Office, births, marriages & deaths.

biko

You can check the census from the time http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ Mind I think they only made it to Dublin so far.

ScumLord

Forget the government, there useless. It's the church you want to speak too, the have proper records.

The only Fahey I really know in the Tuam area is Judge Mary Fahey. There are Faheys in Dunmore too.

kaizersoze

ScumLord wrote: »

Forget the government, there useless. It's the church you want to speak too, the have proper records.

The only Fahey I really know in the Tuam area is Judge Mary Fahey. There are Faheys in Dunmore too.

The church records are on the first site I linked to (IFHF), not all of them yet of course.

mikemac64

Thanks. I'd like to be able to explain the Irish side of my family to my kids. At least pass onto them some document about who is who and what not.

Thanks for your help so far.

galwayrush

You could also try looking for old school archives from that general area.

Bighound

Mike mac, don't mind any of these gomies, no of them are probably even from Tuam. There's a good few family's called Fahy in Tuam and there's loads of them just outside of Tuam in the countryside parish of killerarin. The best thing you can do is get yourself over to tuam and basically just find the first pub ya see, head in and talk to the locals. You'd be suprised who knows who, seeing as everybody knows everybody in Tuam!

Bighound

also go to this website http://www.tuamfamilyhistories.com if should help you out better than any of the other sites. also go to this part of the website http://www.tuamfamilyhistories.com/civil_records/griffiths_tuam/index_to_griffiths%20tuam.htm . It is griffiths evalution of Ireland( taken between 1848 and 1864). It's probably to early to be your grandparents but it probably has your great grand parents. There are numours "fahys (as it's spelt here) and at the real bottom there is a wynne, who I can say with great certainty that you are a direct desended of, because that is not a common name at all around here and he's probably your great-great grandfather. Extremely likely that he's the father of margret wynne who you mentioned earlier. Get in touch with the people that run the website they should be able to help better than i ever could. Give them an email.

Mars Bar

mikemac64 wrote: »

Greetings,

I am actually not a dumb American (I don't think). I am from Massachusetts, USA. I am trying to start locating relatives in Ireland. My grandmother was from Tuam (Marie Fahey). She came to America around 1920 and settled in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.

She was the daughter of William and Margaret (WYNNE) Fahey of Tuam. Any info or a push in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Would you have any street address for them or anything?
I live in Tuam, the pubs are the best way to find out about people...I could ask around. And did you try writing to the Tuam Herald?

http://www.tuamherald.ie/contact.htm

ballymary

fahey is a very common name in ireland!! especially in galway

ErnieBert

There is a organisation called the Old Tuam Society who bring out a book every year called JOTS ( Journal Old Tuam Society ). They have a website www.oldtuamsociety.com

Good luck with it.

July

There are Wynnes and Faheys around Tuam. Just to highlight that there are Fahys around Tuam also but I'm sure you have got the spelling right.

I too would recommend a letter to the editor of the Tuam Herald. People do that regularly enought looking for relatives. Make sure you put in an email address as people would be more likely to email than sit down and write a letter - well I would anyway.

Besta luck!

Jamey

There are a couple of Wynne families still in the town. On Galway Road to be exact.

johnnylakes

Indeed...
Wynnes and Fahys both on Galway Road, Tuam