Francis McArdle

 Francis McArdle was born about 1765 in Armagh County, Ireland.  We do not know the name of his wife at this point in time, but we do have a list of known or surmised children.

1. Alice was born about 1787.  She married John Haffey (see the Haffey page)
2. Cornelius was born about 1805.  The name of his wife is unknown.
1. Cornelius had a son Peter who married Bridget McGeone.  Peter had a daughter Mary Ann who married James McGeown.  Their daughter Sarah Ann married John Gribben and we have a DNA match to their grandson.
3. Henry was born about 1805 and died abt 1875.  He married Mary Hughes and they had three known children.
4. John was born about 1806.He had a daughter Anne who married George Loughran.  They had nine known children.  We have DNA matches to descendants of three of those children.
5. Margaret was born about 1815.  She married a LaVelle and they had a son James.  James had a son Bernard who had a daughter Anne.  Anne married a Coyne and we have DNA matches to descendants of two of their children.

Francis died on the 3rd of April 1847 in Madden.  

The number of deaths shown for March and April of that year suggest the impact of the famine.  This is not the city, but small farming townlands.  Where the record says nil, it means that there was no fee paid for the burial.  Looking through the names, I began to wonder if that didn't indicate other recent deaths in the family. Although McArdle is not an uncommon name in the area within the two pages I examined there are deaths for Felix McArdle on March 12 with a fee of 0-6-0, Tally McArdle on Mar 23 no fee, Francis, and Rose McArdle on April 30 with a fee of 1-11-6.  There are also ten others of Madden who died within that two month period.  

Fourteen residents in two months is a high number for a townland that had 288 residents in 1841.  Approximately one in 20.  That definitely suggests either hunger or a contagious deathly disease. A search for nearby newspapers might answer the question.  By 1851 there were only 162 residents in Maddan just over half as many as ten years before.  Most likely some had moved, to England, Canada, Australia, the US or even just to the nearby city of Armagh or perhaps to Belfast.  But, obviously a disproportionate number had not survived this famine.  

John Haffey of Magherarval

1830 Ordnance Survey Map

John Haffey was born about 1776 in Magherarval County Armagh.  He married Alice McArdle before 1806 when their son James was born.  Although there is no actual proof that John Haffey born abt 1819 was their son a number of things make it very likely.  

First is that DNA matches with James and other children suggest a fourth cousin relationship among the current generations.  

Second is that John named his oldest daughter Alice, a name that is found in other descendants families as well.  

Third is that James's son James settled close to our John in Canada and family tradition said that he was a nephew. 

Fourth is that we have McArdle matches to siblings of Alice, which proves that she is a connection and not just John.

A number of John's children or grandchildren emigrated, most to Canada but at least one to Australia.   

John was living in Magherarval when the Tithe Applotments were taken in 1832. Magherarval  is a townland consisting of about 171 acres in Lisnadill Parish, south of the city of Armagh.  

Haffy, John - Townland: Magheriarval Year: 1832  (Note spelling of Haffy and of  Magherarval.

We don't know when John died at this point.  He is listed in the Vicar Choral's Rent Books in 1836 but has been replaced by his youngest known son Joseph (spelling Haughey) by 1855, so it assumed that it was within that time frame.

About the extractions from the Vicar Chorals Rent Books  

 

The suggested Family of John Haffey and Alice McArdle includes:  

1. James 1806-1871 m Catherine Corr (christening record exists) DNA match
1. Ten known children  matches Walsh O'Brien Reynolds
2. Peter  1809-1869 
3. Mary 1810-1874 m. James McMahon DNA match
1. matches Haughey, Lomas, McKinney, Cairney
4. Eliza 1811 
5. Ann 1814
6. Rose 1816 m .Thomas Harrold (to Australia)
7. Susan @ 1819 m Patrick McAvinchey DNA match
1. matches Feighan Hamill
8. John
9. Catherine 1821 m. Patrick Sheridan
10. Margaret 1824 m. Owen Tunny
11. Joseph 1827 m. Margaret Donnelly

Family Gatherings 2025

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Family Gatherings 2023

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Who done it!

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Play Time!

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Tahoe 2021

 

Lots of activities, lots of food ..nearly everyone showed up for at least a few days.. 

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Maol Seachlainn O'Ceallaigh

Maol Seachlainn O'Ceallaigh was born in  1326 in Gailey Castle, Co. Roscommon. He took over as de facto leader of the Ui Cheaallaigh in 1375 and assumed the kingship of Tir Mhanie when his father stepped down in 1380. 

He took over a kingdom that was on the rise and although never gaining the importance of his father he was still an intergral part of the political history of Eire, playing a leading role in the permanent split of the Ui Conchobhair. 

In 1395 Maol Seachlainn was convinced by his uncle Muirchertach, Archbishop of Taum to submit to the rule of Elizabeth I.  It was for Muirchertach that the Book of Ui Mhaine was compiled starting in 1392 when he was still Bishop of Clonfert.

A praise poem Fa urraidh labhras leac Theamhrach (Found in The Book of O'Conor Don) presents him as a national figure who should be King of Tara, is hospitable, a patron of poets and more.

Maol Seachlainn died in 1401.

Mail Seachlainn Ó Cellaigh, high-king of Ui Mhaine, ie from Cara to Grian, the most outstanding man of Western Europe, defensive tower of the Irish, the best man of his time for hospitality, alertness, and wisdom, for defending churches, for supporting foreigners, the feeble, and the exiled, a sage both faithful and reverential to the Church and to confessors, and a very charitable man to the weaklings of the Creator --- this excellent man died at the height of his rule and of his powers, after the tribulation of Penance.  He had been brought before death to the monastery of Cnoc Muaidehe [Knockmoy], and he was buried there in his own stone tomb, having left his family to succeed him. [The Four Masters]

The Ó Cellaigh  tomb is located in the north wall of the chancel at Abbeyknocmoy. a Cistern Abbey founded in 1190.  Unfortunately it was partially dismantled for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and is not in good repair.  The inscription reads: DO MULEACHLAIND O KEALLAID DO RI O MANI AGUS D'INDBUALAIND INGE(N) I CHONCHUR DORINE MATHA O COGLI IN LEABAIG SEA

[For Mael-Sechalind Ó Cellaigh king o Ui Maine, and for Fionnguala, daughter of O Conchobair, Matha O Cogli made this bed]

The illustration here depicts the tomb before it was dismantled.

Fionnguala died in 1403

Ulliam (Buide) Ó Ceallaigh

 

Uilliam Mac Donnough Moyneagh (Buide) Ó Ceallaigh of Callow Castle was born in 1297 in Co Galway.  

Uilliam's father died in 1307 His half brother Aodh took over the kingship in 1326-1332. By  1340 a puppet-king, Tadhg Og was installed by the king of Connacht in Tir Mhaine.  This is noted in the Annals as a civil war in Tir Mhaine. Uilliam refused to accept Tadhg who in turn attempted to banish Uilliam from Tir Mhaine.  Uilliam, however wounded and captured Tadhg, who later died of his injuries. It wasn't until 1349 that Uilliam gained complete lordship over the Ui Cheallaigh.  

Of note during his reign the black death came to Ireland in 1349.  The enmity between the King of Connacht and Uilliam continued until 1356 when his wife the daughter of Seoinin a Burc was kidnapped by Aodh Ó   Conchobhair who was subsequently slain.  This resulted in Aodh (son of Feilim) Ó  Conchobhair an ally of Uilliams assuming the kingship of Connact. 

Uilliam had Kilconnell Friary built for the Franciscan's in 1353.   About this time the Catholic Church was trying to crush the influence of the Irish Bardic tales.  The Irish nobles in turn took to supporting the Poets and artisans. William's 1351 Christmas Feast was perhaps the best known example but there are other notations that show he was not the only patron of the time

The Book of Ui Mhaine provides the following biography of Uilliam:

Uilliam s[on of] Donnchadh M[uimhneach], the youngest of the family, took the kingship of Ui Mhaine from Caire to Grian in defiance of his enemies, and he made the noblest Christmas feast ever heard of for the poets and chief-poets of Ireland and for all the artistic and mendicant folk of every Irish population, and he distributed food [read 'steeds'] and silver and many treasures such as had never been given before, and he was thirty-five years in full kingship of Ui Mhaine. [ Ó Muraile]

The poem Tath aoinfhir ar iath Maineach  in the Book of Ui Mhaine gives a detailed account of the rule, nobility and integrity of Uilliam.  

Uilliam died in 1381 in Galey Castle, Knockcroghery, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Uilliam was buried in 1381 at Kilconnell Abbey.

William, the son of Donough Muimhneach O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many, a man of greatest character, worth, and renown, of his own tribe; the man who had given a general invitation of hospitality to the schools of Ireland, and had given them all their own demands, died a very old man, after the victory of penance; and his son Melaghlin assumed his place. [Annals of the Four Masters 1381]