What We Still Don't Know
Genealogical research is never truly finished. Some questions may never be answered; others require resources we cannot yet access. This page documents the puzzles that remain—both as a record of where our research stands and as an invitation for help from those with access to archives we cannot reach.
The further back we go in Irish history, the fewer records survive. Pre-Famine (pre-1845) records are scattered. Tithe books vanished. Many parishes didn't register births until 1847 or later. Deaths in rural areas often went unrecorded in the civil system. And that's before considering the destruction of records during wars and emigration.
What remains is fragmentary—a marriage record here, a census entry there, a newspaper clipping, a court case, a land document. We piece these fragments together like shards of pottery, trying to reconstruct the whole. Sometimes the gaps are too large. Sometimes we must accept that certain truths are lost to time.
Still, we search. Because each answer opens new pathways. Each document solved leads to another question. And the research itself—the hunt, the discovery, the incremental building of knowledge—is as much the goal as the destination.
What We Know: Patrick Gaffney of Cuilmore and John "Owen" Gaffney of Falleens held adjacent Griffith's Valuation plots (~1857). They cross-witnessed each other's children's weddings (John Flaherty witnessed John Sr.'s 1861 marriage; Pat Casey witnessed John & Margaret's 1891 marriage). They lived in the same tiny townland cluster. Their children married each other's children's friends and neighbors.
What We've Tried (and Failed):
What Still Might Work:
The Parable of the Sherds: We have circumstantial evidence as strong as you can get without a marriage record, death record, or baptism. In archaeology, we'd piece these together and declare it a match. But genealogy requires documents. It's maddening—but that's why the hunt continues.
What We Know: Born ~1830–1838 in Falleens (we've inferred this from his children's ages and his own age listing in parish records). Married Jane Casey in 1861. Had at least six children: John Jr. (b. 1867–68), Mary (m. McLoughlin 1895), Ellen "Nellie" (b. ~1872), Rose, and two others. Was alive in 1895 (his daughter Mary married, with John as father recorded). Died before 1901 (not in census; Jane appears as widow).
What We Don't Know: The exact year he died. The townland where he died. Whether his death was ever registered. Whether he emigrated or remained in Ireland.
Evidence Searched: IrishGenealogy.ie for all John Gaffney deaths in Boyle SR district, 1874–1911 (23 results). All plausible candidates checked by Meghan. None from Falleens. Not found in 1901 or 1911 census across Sligo/Roscommon/Leitrim. Not in any UK census (1881–1911).
Possible Explanations:
What We Know: Held Griffith's plot in Falleens (~1857). Had at least two children: daughter Mary (m. James Healy 1887; witness Thomas Gaffney) and son Andrew Jr. (b. 1860, Sligo). Son Andrew Jr. joined merchant navy 1878 on vessel Arethusa from Sligo port.
What We Don't Know: Andrew Sr.'s birth year. When and where he died. Whether he emigrated.
Evidence Searched: IrishGenealogy.ie for all Andrew Gaffney deaths across all Irish districts, 1870–1910 (6+ results). None match Falleens. Not found in 1901 or 1911 census. Not in any UK census (1881–1911).
Andrew Jr.'s Puzzle: We have a merchant navy record showing him on the Arethusa (discharged to UK), but he doesn't appear in any UK census (1881, 1891, 1901, 1911). He may have: emigrated to a third country, used a different name, remained at sea, or died young with no record.
What We Know: Matthew married Mary Regan and had daughter Winifred (b. 20 Oct 1860, Falleens). Mary Regan likely died ~1860–1861 (Matthew remarried in 1861). Matthew then married Mary Gaffney, 1861, Ardcarne.
What We Don't Know: Mary Regan's parents. Her townland. Her death record (probably never registered). Why Matthew married a second Mary.
Why It Matters: Matthew appears in the 1911 census (age 80) in Drummaunroe, Co. Leitrim with the second Mary. The first Mary Regan connection suggests possible ties to Leitrim or a neighboring area.
What We Found: A woman née Gaffney married Mr. John McShera (Boyle area) and died January 1928. Her brother Patrick Gaffney survived her. Her nieces Katie Gaffney and Bridget Gaffney mourned her.
What We Don't Know: Her first name. Her birth year. Which Patrick was her brother (the one b. 1892 grandson of Patrick of Cuilmore, or another Patrick?). Whether Katie and Bridget were daughters of Patrick or of another sibling.
Next Step: Find her death record to identify her maiden maiden name and dates, then work backward to her parents. This could establish another documented line of descent from the Falleens brothers.
What We Found: Mrs. Kate (Katie) Gaffney, "formerly of Fanleens, Monasteraden," married James Gaffney of Drumnagranshy, Keash. She died 1984. James came from the Keash area—his family produced GAA footballers in the 1950s (Mick Gaffney, Tommy, Pat, Louis).
What We Don't Know: Katie's birth year. Which Falleens brother or family member was her direct ancestor. Whether she left Falleens as a young bride or was born there and moved later. The relationship between the Drumnagranshy Gaffneys and the Tonaponra Gaffneys (both in Keash area, both producing notable athletes).
This is a major lead for future research. The Katie Gaffney obituary is the only documented evidence we have that anyone from Falleens married into the broader Gaffney diaspora. Following this thread could answer where the Falleens Gaffneys went.
What We Know: Michael Gaffney (b. ~1855, Gort, Co. Leitrim) married Mary Anne Fitzsimmons (1890, Aughrim). Their sons John Joseph and Tom became IRA officers. Michael Sr.'s father was "Michael Gaffney" (confirmed via 1890 Aughrim marriage record), and his father's wife was "Mary" or "Mary Anne" (per 1911 census).
The Problem: Michael Sr. (the father) is not one of the four Falleens brothers (Owen/John, Patrick, Andrew, Matthew). So who was he? How does he connect to our line?
What We've Searched: Two possible Michael Gaffney marriages in Kilronan parish (1843, 1858). Two possible Michael Gaffney baptisms in Kilronan area (1821, 1835). None definitively match our Michael Sr.
The Working Theory: Michael Sr. might be a cousin or nephew of the Falleens brothers, born in the Roscommon/Leitrim border area. But we haven't proven it. Maggie Gaffney's marriage to John Hunt is the proven bridge between Falleens and Gort, even if we don't fully understand Michael Sr.'s pedigree.
What We Know: Patrick Cassidy Sr. (b. ~1808, d. 22 May 1873, Kilkelly area, age 65) was Peggy's great-grandfather. He had at least one son: Patrick Cassidy (our Patrick, Peggy's grandfather, b. ~1841).
Two Marriage Candidates Found (Kilmovee RC Parish):
What We Don't Know: Which one (or both) was our Patrick's mother. Whether Honor Brett had other children who survived. Bridget Sheil's maiden name and parentage.
What Might Solve It:
What We Know: Patrick "Pat" Cassidy was born ~1892 (he was age 9 in 1901 census, age not listed in 1911). He was a Scholar in 1901, living in Cashelduff with his National Teacher parents.
What We Don't Know: What happened to him. By 1911, he was gone from the household (age ~19). He never appears in Irish death records. He doesn't appear in the 1910 US census with his siblings Martin and Peter in Cincinnati. He doesn't appear in any surviving US records.
Most Likely Explanation: He emigrated like his siblings (Martin to Cincinnati 1903, Peter 1906, Philip 1925, Peggy 1925). But we haven't found his passenger record (possibly because he traveled under a different name, or emigrated to a different port, or the records were lost).
What Might Find Him:
What We Know: Two Cassidy families lived in the Charlestown/Carracastle/Kilbeagh area of east Mayo:
The Geographic Clue: Griffith's Valuation shows adjacent Cassidy holdings in Puntabeg (Plots 3 & 4, dated c. 1857). Both John and Patrick Cassidy appear in this survey. But Griffith's Patrick (Plot 4, ~19 acres) may not be our Patrick (b. ~1841, only ~16 at the time of survey).
What We Don't Know: Whether John (National Teacher, b. ~1864) and Patrick (Farmer, b. ~1841) were brothers, uncles/nephews, or unrelated. Whether the Griffith's John is our John or a different John Cassidy.
What Might Solve It:
What We Know: Catherine Cassidy (b. 6 Jan 1886, Bullaun, Co. Mayo) emigrated to Cincinnati. She married Edward M. Brophy on 27 Jan 1915 (Hamilton County, Ohio). Edward's parents were James J. Brophy and Rebecca Dolan (County Offaly, emigrated 1863).
What We Don't Know: Exactly when and how Catherine got to Cincinnati. We haven't found her passenger record despite multiple searches.
What We've Tried: FamilySearch Ellis Island collection (1892–1925) with various name spellings and birth year range. Six results found, all ruled out (wrong locations, wrong ages, wrong destinations).
Why It's Tricky: Like Peggy, Catherine may have traveled through England, which would cause her to be indexed as "British" rather than "Ireland" on the manifest. Ellis Island search with "Ireland" birthplace filter would miss her.
What We Found: Military Archives document CMB/29 (Swinford District Council, East Mayo Brigade) contains handwritten membership lists for the Charlestown branch of Cumann na mBan (the women's IRA organization). A33 (5 East Mayo Brigade) documents three Cassidy men (Patrick Jr., Michael, Thomas) in specific IRA operations.
What's Missing: We haven't yet reviewed the handwritten names in CMB/29. Cassidy women may appear in the Charlestown membership list—possibly sisters, cousins, or wives of the Cassidy IRA men.
Next Step: Meghan to read CMB/29 handwritten lists and extract any Cassidy, Kilgallon, Doherty, or related surnames. This could add female family members to our family tree and deepen our understanding of the Cassidy family's political involvement.
What We Know: John Cassidy Jr. and Mary Gallagher married 20 August 1928, Swinford. John's father: "John Cassidy, Teacher." Ancestry hints suggest John Sr. (b. 1822–1888) with father Bernard Cassidy.
What We Don't Know: Are these Ancestry hints correct? John & Annie's marriage record (which parish? which church?). John Sr.'s parents definitively. Whether Bernard was John Sr.'s father or grandfather.
This Matters Because: If Bernard was John's father, he lived in the 1800s. He appears in the 1826 Tithe Applotment Books as "Bernard Cassidy, Kilcolman" (6 acres). This could establish lineage back to the early 19th century.
The following materials exist in physical archives but have not yet been examined. A future research trip to Dublin and/or London would be required to consult them:
Do you have:
Please send images or PDFs to Meghan. Even a damaged or partially legible document can provide a crucial clue.
Does your family have oral histories about:
Oral history is genealogical gold. Even if it seems unimportant, it often fills gaps that official records cannot.
Do you have physical access to:
We can provide specific document references and lists of what we need. If you're able to visit these locations, we could make major breakthroughs.
Have you discovered:
Please share your findings. You might have found the missing piece of the puzzle.
If you've done DNA testing (Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, FamilySearch DNA), consider uploading your results to multiple platforms. DNA matches can help us:
To share documents, stories, or research leads, contact:
Meghan Gaffney
Email: [Meghan's email]
Subject line: "Gaffney/Cassidy Research Contribution"
What to include in your message:
All contributors will be credited in our research. We respect privacy: you can choose whether your name appears publicly or remains confidential. If you have private family information you'd like to share confidentially (for research purposes only), we can keep it off the public website.
| Question | Family | Status | Best Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick-John Kinship | Gaffney | Unproven / Circumstantial | Griffith's Revision Books or Ballinameen parish baptisms |
| Owen/John Sr. Death | Gaffney | Not Found | Workhouse records; wider name variant search |
| Andrew Sr. Death | Gaffney | Not Found | Workhouse records; emigrant list search |
| Andrew Jr. UK Location | Gaffney | Not Found | UK census variants; emigration records |
| McShera Sister Identity | Gaffney | Partial Lead | McShera death/marriage records; Boyle registers |
| Katie Gaffney Ancestry | Gaffney/Keash | New Lead | Keash parish records; Drumnagranshy genealogy |
| Michael Sr. (Gort) Parentage | Gaffney | Unconfirmed | Kilronan baptisms; Roscommon land records |
| Patrick Sr. Wife (Cassidy) | Cassidy | Two Candidates | Kilmovee baptisms; Tithe books; witness analysis |
| Pat Cassidy (John's eldest) | Cassidy | Emigrated (Destination Unknown) | US/UK passenger records; death records |
| Two Cassidy Families Relationship | Cassidy | Unproven | John Cassidy baptism; marriage records; Griffith's Revision Books |
| Catherine Cassidy Arrival | Cassidy | Not Found | England transit records; "British" birthplace search |
| CMB/29 Charlestown Membership | Cassidy | Not Yet Reviewed | Read handwritten lists in CMB/29 |
Genealogy is a never-finished project. As long as new documents are digitized, as long as family members share memories and documents, as long as researchers are willing to search, the work goes on. Some questions may never be answered—that's the nature of dealing with fragmentary historical records. But each answer we find opens new doors. Each solved mystery reveals new pathways to explore.
The Gaffneys left Falleens. The Cassidys left Charlestown. They scattered across Ireland, to England, to America. Along the way, they built lives, had children, made mistakes, achieved things we'll never fully know. The records they left behind—fragmentary, sometimes contradictory, often maddeningly incomplete—are all we have. But they're enough to tell a story. And that story matters.
If you can help us fill these gaps, please reach out. Your document, your story, your access to an archive, your DNA match—any of these could be the key that unlocks a decades-old mystery.