Who Marries Who

Who marries who? A snapshot

This research was made possible by a generous grant from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences

The weddings listed here were covered in the newsletter of the Parish of the Travelling People, 1991-2004. In some cases locations are given for both spouses, in others, none for either partner, or for the wedding itself. Sometimes the wedding venue alone is mentioned; when this is the case, it seems reasonable to assume that it is connected with the bride, so that’s the column I’ve put it in.

All marriages are listed by groom first. Where two weddings are listed for the same date and place, indicating a double event, I have put them in bold green, and include both under both grooms’ surnames (if these are the same, the double wedding is listed only once).

All but seven of the weddings that give locations include at least one spouse associated with the greater Dublin area, and all but one of the exceptions are in towns within an hour’s drive of Dublin city centre, in the neighbouring counties of Kildare, Wicklow and Meath (for more a detailed breakdown of where these places are, see “Surnames from Parish Newsletter”). In practice, the outreach of the Dublin-based Parish of the Travelling People does not appear to cover all of Ireland with equal intensity.

These weddings would not have featured in the newsletter of the Parish of the Travelling People unless at least one of the spouses were Traveller, but surnames not previously associated with Travellers [there are 13 of these, each followed by an *] may well indicate a non-Traveller spouse (see comments at the end).

It is interesting to note that the remaining 50 established Traveller names include all but 8 of the “top 35” noted by the 1963 Commission on Itinerancy survey, with McDonagh and Connors first and second most common in both, but some interesting differences as well. In my opinion, these mostly arise from the fact that the 1963 survey covered the whole of the country, and thus includes relatively localised “provincial” surnames such as Quilligan that don’t crop up as much in the greater Dublin area.

It is impossible not to be struck by the patterns here. Most marriages for each surname involve a small number of other surnames, or partners both bearing the same surname, and these intermarrying groups overlap very little: compare, for example, the surnames of Connors’ spouses with those of the Maughans.

Note: To respect people’s privacy, Dublin locations have been generalised to North, South, West and Central. Where locations given for bride and groom are identical (for example, the same halting site), these are underlined.

GROOM LOCATION BRIDE LOCATION

Brown Kildare McLoughlin* Dublin West

Cash none given Purcell none given

Cash none given O’Brien Southside

Carthy Dublin West Cash Dublin West

Carthy Dublin West Reilly Dublin West McCarthy England Hanley Dublin West

Carthy none given Maloney none given

McCarthy none given Moorehouse none given

Cassidy none given Wall Dublin West

Cawley none given McDonagh Dublin West

Collins Northside Collins Northside

Collins Northside Joyce Northside

Collins Northside Power Navan

Collins Northside Collins Northside

Collins Dublin West Green Dublin West

Collins Dublin West Collins Central Dublin

Collins none given Collins none given

Collins none given Collins Northside

Connors South Dublin Cranny* South Dublin Connors Dublin West McDonagh Dublin West

Donoghue Dublin West McDonagh Dublin West***

Connors Dublin West Connors South Dublin

Connors Dublin West Connors Dublin West

Connors Dublin West Cash Dublin West

Connors Dublin West Maloney Dublin West

Connors Dublin West Dunne Dublin West Connors South Dublin O’Leary South Dublin Connors South Dublin Connors South Dublin Connors South Dublin Connors South Dublin Connors Wexford Connors South Dublin Connors none given O’Brien none given

Connors none given Connors none given

Connors none given O’Driscoll none given

Connors none given Connors none given

Connors none given McInerney none given

Connors none given McDonagh none given

Connors none given Connors Dublin West Connors none given Connors Dublin West

Corcoran none given Reilly Dublin West

Corcoran Dublin West Stokes Dublin West

Mongan Dublin West Corcoran Dublin West**

Cox* none given Cash Athy

Doherty none given Kiely Ballyowen

Doherty Clondalkin McGinley Clondalkin

Doherty Birmingham Kiely Lucan

Donoghue Dublin West McDonagh Dublin West

Connors Dublin West McDonagh Dublin West***

Donoghue none given McDonagh Dublin West

Doran Celbridge Doyle Celbridge

Doyle Longford Keenan Northside

Flynn none given Flynn West Dublin

Gallagher Northside McDonagh Northside

Gavin none given McDonagh Northside

Gavin none given Cunningham Northside

Hanrahan none given Ward Dublin West

Hoey* Armagh Connors Dublin West

Hutchinson none given McCarthy central Dublin

Joyce none given Carey* Dublin West

Joyce none given Nevin Northside

Joyce none given Ward none given

Joyce none given Keating* Northside

Keenan Cork McDonagh Northside

Kennedy* Dublin West Maughan Dublin West

Lawrence Northside Ward Northside

Lawrence none given Maughan none given

Lawrence none given Lawrence none given

Lawrence none given Hennessy* Northside

Lawrence none given Mongan Dublin West

Mongan none given Mongan Dublin West****

Lynch Dublin West Joyce South Dublin

McAleer Northside Joyce Northside

McAleer none given Connors Dublin West

McCann Northside McDonagh Dublin West

McCrea* Dublin West Price Northside

McDonnell Northside Collins Northside

McDonnell none given Collins Northside

McDonagh Dublin West Connors Dublin West McDonagh Dublin West McInerney Portlaoise

McDonagh Dublin West O’Donnell Northside

O’Donnell Northside McDonagh Dublin West*****

McDonagh Northside McDonagh Dublin West McDonagh Roscommon McDonagh Northside

McDonagh Roscommon McDonagh Northside

McDonagh Roscommon Ward Northside******

McDonagh London O’Donnell Northside

McDonagh South Dublin McDonagh South Dublin

McDonagh Dublin Mongan Dublin West

McDonagh Northside Stokes Dublin West

McDonagh Donegal Reilly Dublin West McDonagh Leitrim Stokes Northside

McDonagh England Corcoran Dublin West

McDonagh none given Stokes Northside

McDonagh none given Ward Northside

McDonagh none given Corcoran Dublin West

McDonagh none given Kerrigan Northside

McDonagh none given Joyce Northside

McDonagh none given Lawrence Northside

McDonagh none given McDonagh none given

McDonagh none given McDonagh Northside

McDonagh none given McDonnell Dublin West

McDonagh none given Connors Northside

McDonagh none given Reilly Northside

McDonagh none given Connors Dublin West

McGinley none given Doherty none given

McGinley none given McGinley none given

McGovern* none given Stokes none given

McMahon none given Cawley Northside

Maguire Drogheda Cunningham Tallaght

Mason* Bray Flynn Dublin West

Maughan Dublin West Green Dublin West

Maughan Northside Maughan Belfast

Maughan Northside Maughan Northside

Maughan Northside Stokes Northside

Maughan Northside McDonagh Northside

Maughan South Dublin Mongan Northside

Mongan Northside Maughan Mayo******

Maughan Northside Maughan Northside

Maughan Central Dublin Collins Northside

Maughan none given Maughan Dublin West

Maughan none given Maughan Northside

Maughan none given Maughan none given

Maughan none given McDonagh Northside

Maughan none given Maughan Northside

Maughan none given Lawrence Northside

Maughan none given Maughan South Dublin

Mongan Roscommon Mongan Dublin West

Mongan Dublin West O’Reilly Dublin West

Mongan Dublin West Corcoran Dublin West

Corcoran Dublin West Stokes Dublin West**

Mongan Northside Maughan Mayo

Maughan South Dublin Mongan Northside******

Mongan none given Corcoran Dublin West

Mongan none given Mongan Dublin West Lawrence none given Mongan Dublin West****

Mongan none given Stokes Navan

Mongan none given Maughan none given

Mongan none given Gallagher none given

Moorehouse none given Carroll Kilcoole

Nevin Portlaoise Ward Cork

Nevin none given Maguire Northside

O’Brien Bray Donovan Galway

O’Brien Wicklow Connors South Dublin

O’Brien Wicklow Brien Wicklow

O’Brien Wicklow Connors South Dublin

O’Brien none given Moorehouse none given

O’Brien none given Brown none given

O’Donnell Northside McDonagh Dublin West

McDonagh Dublin West O’Donnell Northside*****

O’Donnell none given Lawrence Maynooth

O’Donnell Northside Reilly Northside

O’Donnell Northside Stokes Northside

O’Donnell Dublin West Stokes Dublin West

O’Leary none given Joyce none given

O’Sullivan none given O’Sullivan Cork

Reilly Northside Maughan Northside

Reilly Dublin West Stokes Athlone

Reilly Dublin West Wall Dublin West

O’Reilly Dublin West Stokes Dublin West

O’Reilly Waterford O’Reilly Dublin West

Reilly Navan Stokes Northside

Reilly none given McDonnell Northside

Reilly none given Stokes Dublin West

Power none given O’Reilly Dublin West

Stokes Dublin West Stokes Dublin West

Stokes London Mongan Dublin West

Stokes Dublin West Nolan Dublin West

Stokes Dublin West McDonagh Northside

Stokes none given Stokes Navan

Stokes none given Stokes Dublin West

Sweeney Dublin West O’Rourke South Dublin

Wall Dublin West Cash Dublin West

Wall Dublin West Berry Dublin West

Wall none given Cash none given

Wall none given Connors none given

Wall Dublin West Gorgon* [sic] Dublin West

Ward Galway Ward Dublin West

Ward London Mongan Dublin West

Ward none given Ward Dublin West

Ward none given Moorehouse Dublin West

Windrum* Northside Maguire “Dublin”

WHO MARRIES WHO?

Putting together all individuals of every surname (note that each, male and female, is included here, so that a bride and groom of the same surname count as two individuals each of whom is married to a partner of that surname) we get the following:

1 Berry marries a Wall

2 Browns marry 1 each McLoughlin* and O’Brien

1 Carey* marries a Joyce

1 Carroll marries a Moorehouse

6 (Mc) Carthys marry 1 Cash, 1 Hanley, 1 Hutchinson, 1 Maloney, 1Moorehouse and

1 Reilly

7 Cashes marry 1 Carthy, 1 Connors, 1 Cox,

1 O’Brien, 1 Purcell, 2 Walls

1 Cassidy marries a Wall

22 Collinses marry 1 Green, 1 Joyce, 2 McDonnells, 1 Maughan and 1 Powers, but mostly (16!) other Collinses

2 Cawleys marry a McDonagh and a McMahon

37 Connorses marry 1 Cash, 1 Cranny*, 1 Dunne, 1 Hoey, 5 McDonaghs, 1 McInerney,

1 McInerney, 1 Maloney,

3 O’Briens, 1 Driscoll and 1 O’Leary - but over half (20 ) marry other Connorses

6 Corcorans marry 2 McDonaghs and one each Maughan, Mongans, Reilly and Stokes

1 Cox* marries a Cash

1 Cranny* marries a Connors

1 Cunningham marries a Maguire

4 Dohertys marry 2 Kielys, 2 McGinleys

2 Donoghues marry 2 McDonaghs

1 Donovan marries an O’Brien

1 Doran marries a Doyle

2 Doyles marry a Doran and a Keenan

1 Dunne marries a Connors

3 Flynns marry 2 Flynns and a Mason*

2 Gallaghers marry a McDonagh and a Mongans

3 Gavins marry a Cunningham and 2 McDonaghs

1 “Gorgon” [sic*] marries a Wall

2 Greens marry a Collins and a Maughan

1 Hanley marries a McCarthy

1 Hanrahan marries a Ward

1 Hennessy* marries a Lawrence

1 Hoey* marries a Connors

1 Hutchinson marries a McCarthy

9 Joyces marry 1 each Carey*, Collins, Keating*, Lynch, O’Leary, McAleer, McDonagh Nevins and Ward

1 Keating* marries a Joyce

2 Keenans marry one each Doyle and McDonagh

1 Kennedy marries a Maughan

1 Kerrigan marries a McDonagh

9 Lawrences marry 1 Hennessy*, 1 O’Donnell, 2 Lawrences, 1 McDonagh, 2 Maughans 1 Mongans and 1 Ward

1 Lynch marries a Joyce

9 (O’) Briens marry 2 Briens, 1 Brown, 1 Cash,

3 Connorses, 1 Donovan and

1 Moorehouse

7 O’Donnells marry 1 Lawrence, 3 McDonaghs, 1 Reilly and 2 Stokeses

1 O’Driscoll marries a Connors

2 O’Learys marry one each Connors and Joyce

2 McAleers marry a Connors and a Joyce

1 McCann marries a McDonagh

1 McCrea* marries a Price

4 McDonnells marry 2 Collinses, 1 McDonagh, 1 Reilly

49 McDonaghs marry 1 Cawley, 5 Connorses, 2 Corcorans,

2 Donoghues, 1 Gallagher, 2 Gavins,

1 Joyce, 1 Keenan, 1 Kerrigan,

1 Lawrence, 1 McCann, 1 McDonnell,

14 McDonaghs, 1 McInerney, 2 Maughans, 1 Mongan,

3 O’Donnells, 2 Reillys, 5 Stokeses and 2 Wards

3 McGinleys marry 2 Dohertys and 1 McGinley

1 McGovern* marries a Stokes

2 McInerneys marry 1 each Connors and McDonagh

1 McLoughlin* marries a Brown

1 McMahon marries a Cawley

3 Maguires marry 1 each Cunningham, Nevins and Windrum*

2 Maloneys marry 1 each Carthy and Connors

1 Mason* marries a Flynn

32 Maughans marry 1 Collins, 1 Green, 1 Kennedy,

2 Lawrences, 2 McDonaghs,

20 Maughans, 3 Monganses, 1 Reilly and 1 Stokes

15 Monganses marry 2 Corcorans, 1 Gallagher,

1 Lawrence, 1 McDonagh,

3 Maughans, 4 Monganses,

1 O’Reilly, 1 Stokes and 1 Ward

4 Moorehouses marry 1 each Carroll McCarthy O’Brien and Ward

3 Nevinses marry 1 each Joyce, Maguire and Ward

1 Nolan marries a Stokes

14 (O’) Reillys marry 1 each Carthy, Corcoran, McDonagh, Maughan, Mongan, McDonnell, O’Donnell, O’Reilly, Power and Wall, and 4 Stokeses

1 O’Rourke marries a Sweeney

2 O’Sullivans marry each other (2 O’Sullivans)

2 Powers marry 1 each Collins and O’Reilly 1 Price marries a McCrae

1 Purcell marries a Cash

22 Stokeses marry 1 Corcoran, 5 McDonaghs,

1 McGovern, 1 Maughan,

2 Monganses, 1 Nolan, 2 O’Donnells, 4 O’Reillys and 5 Stokeses 1 Sweeney marries an O’Rourke

7 Walls marry 2 Cashes and one each Cassidy, Berry, Connors, Gorgon [sic*] and Reilly

12 Wards marry 1 each Hanrahan, Joyce, Lawrence, Mongan, Moorehouse and Nevin, 2 McDonaghs and 4 Wards

1 Windrum* marries a Maguire

* The following names are not noted on ANY existing list of Traveller surnames, including those collected by me 2004-06: Carey [could be misprint for Casey, an established Traveller name]; Cox;Cranny[but one historical source, Sampson 1890 “Tinkers and their Talk” in JGLS vol. 2 no. 4 Oct. 204-21, has “Creenie”); “Gorgon” [almost certainly a misprint as it is not to be found in the Sloinnteoir or Dublin phonebook; perhaps Goggins, a Traveller surname]; Hennessy; Hoey; Keating; Kennedy; McCrea; McGovern; McLoughlin; Mason; and Windrum. To place this in the broader Irish context: Carey, Cox, Cranny/Creaney, Gogan/Goggin/Gordon, Hennessy, Hoey, Keating, Kennedy, Mac Rae, Mac Goveran/Magauran, McLaughlin, Mason and Windham [but not Windrum] are all found in the Sloinnteoir Gaeilge [Ó Droighneáin M. and Ó Murchú M. A., 1995, Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath] an English-to-Gaelic index of all surnames (regardless of origin) established in Ireland.

** In these double weddings, the same locality is given for all four spouses.

*** In these double weddings, the same locality is given for both grooms, and a different one for both brides, strongly suggesting that the brides, or grooms, or both, are siblings.

**** Double wedding in which no location is given for the grooms but a single location is given for two brides of the same surname – probably sisters.

***** In this wedding, a bride and groom of one surname marry a groom and bride of another. One bride and groom are listed for one locality, the other for a different one, suggesting a brother and sister marrying a sister and brother.

****** Here two grooms of the same surname and locality marry two brides of different surnames living near each other but not the exact same locality.

****** Here one bride and one groom of the same surname and location, marry a groom and a bride of another surname, one located in Dublin the other in the West of Ireland.