Brennan Surname in Swinford (Meelick and Kilconduff) Roman Catholic Parish Records, County Mayo, Ireland

The Swinford Roman Catholic Parish Records are covered in two different microfilms: Microfilm Number 1279233 items 5-9 and Microfilm Number 926020. Microfilm Number 1279233 is listed as covering the following according to the LDS website: Baptisms 1841-1915 and Marriages 1846-1878. Microfilm 926020 covers Baptisms 1822-1900 and Marriages 1808-1915. I am going to proceed with Microfilm 926020. Due to the huge concentration of Brennans in this parish, I have started to split the pages into two parts to minimize download times. A link to the second page will be found at the bottom. Swinford is also referred to as Meelick and Kilconduff Catholic Parish. Kilconduff Civil Parish and Meelick Civil Parishes are both covered in this Catholic Parish.

I have a page specifically on the Town of Swinford, a major town in Kilconduff Civil Parish, (one of County Mayo's Primary Market Towns in the 19th Century) in my County Mayo Market Town section.

NOTE: I have had an extremely hard time distinguishing surname Brenan from Surname Branan in this film as many of the pages are faded and hard to read. Also, keep in mind that in many of these records there are only a few days noted on the microfilm page and no "ditto" marks are given on the other records. I can't assume that the date is the same as the dated record before so I will use a question mark instead. If you see your family in these pages, please contact me and I will give you the dates noted before and after the record so you can narrow the range.

Item 5 of microfilm 1279233 is listed as covering Baptisms May 1841-November 29, 1846. The early years of this film are nearly impossible to read, the ink is smeared and they are so faded I am having a hard time deciphering what is written. If you think your family came from this parish I would recommend that you order this microfilm and make sure I haven't missed or misinterpreted anything!

Item 6 includes marriages of Kilconduff and Meelick July 3, 1846-March 31, 1878. Reverend Dean Bernard Durcan is listed in association with these records.

Item 7 covers the baptisms for Kilconduff and Meelick. Reverend Bernard Durcan, parish priest of Swinford, is documented as being associated with these records as well. There are many pages in this item that are so blurry and faded, they are impossible to decipher. They come and go so I am not sure if they are bad scans or just an old ledger.

Item 8 covers Baptisms in Swinford Parish from July 1859 to September 1875. There are many blurry, pale pages in this section that are nearly impossible to read. If you believe your family is in this parish, be sure to order this film to make sure I haven't missed anything as I am having quite a difficult time deciphering many records.

Item 9 begins with October 1875 and has pretty thorough records up through 1914 and then there are scattered records from abroad and in Swinford after that. Item 9 is a vast improvement over the previous three items.

Summary of Findings for Microfilm 1279233: Upon completion of Item 5 of microfilm 1279233 and have identified 48 different Brennan Families plus 7 Brennan records with an unknown spouse. Eighteen different Townlands in Kilconduff Civil Parish were documented places of residence for these Brennan Families as well as two Townlands in Meelick Civil Parish. The Kilconduff Townlands documented were Brackloon, Carn, Castleroyan, Curryaun, Cuilmore, Cuiltybo, Cloonaghboy, Cloonlara, Derryronan, Drumshinnagh, Faheens, Kilbride, Kinaff, Liscottle, Swinford, Tullanacorra and Tullynahoo. Lisbaun and Lecarrow were the Townlands documented in Meelick Civil Parish. Several others such as Rooskey and Forth Billings? were also documented. Upon completion of item 6 marriages I have identified 126 total Brennan Families (primarily Brenan and Branan). Upon completion of Item 7 baptisms I have identified a total of 164 total Brennan Families plus 15 records with unknown spouse's surnames. I have completed all five items of this film and am starting microfilm 926020. These records will be added to this compilation.

Microfilm 926020. The following is listed at the start of the film: Achonry June 7, 1808- July 3, 1836. Marriage of Swinford Parish 1808-1846. Section B of the film is Baptisms Meelick and Kilconduff 1822-1826.

I have done my best to correctly transcribe these records, but after five or so hours behind a microfilm reader, the likelihood of mistakes in both interpretation and transcription most certainly increases. I have the microfilm and item numbers on which the records were found so you can confirm the information. In an attempt to minimize download times I have limited the information presented on each family. The records in this section will document Baptisms (B) and Marriages (M). I also have documented all of the baptisms and marriages sponsored/witnessed by Brennans; although these are not included online, they can yield valuable clues such as "circles of friends" and possible Townlands that might provide a missing link. There are additional details in these records such as date of birth, sponsors, priests, and at times notes in the margin detailing marriages and deaths. If you feel that your family is in this compilation, please feel free to contact me and I will share with you the additional details.

Keep this in mind: There are several families in which only the Brennan surname is used. It is impossible to tell if this is the mother's surname or not. I have included these families all under the A-C section under Brennan.

I have documented 75 Brennan families living in Kinaff in the Swinford film and am creating pages analyzing them: Brennans with Spouse's Surnames A-Doherty, Doherty through Loftus and Mannion through Walsh. I have also started a page on the Brennans from Cloonaghboy, Kilconduff Civil Parish and Brennan Families Hailing from the Townland of Tullynahoo, Kilconduff Civil Parish, County Mayo, Ireland: An Analysis of their Migration Trails from Ireland to England and to the U.S. documented in Ireland and England Catholic Church Records, the Griffith's Valuation, England and US Census and other Records

This is a work in progress!

If a record comes from the 2nd microfilm 926020 I will note it under the date.

These records are presented by spouse's surname.

The following are other genealogical records of Brennans born in Swineford, Mayo, Ireland and pages I have created on my website trying to link them together:

  1. Catherine Brannan, a 21 year old and unmarried Mill Hand, born in Swineford, Mayo, Ireland, was living with the Michael Kelley Family from Kiltimagh Mayo in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, England when the 1881 Census was conducted. Bridget Brannan, a 60 year old widow from Charlestown was living with them as well.
  2. In the 1881 Kent County, Cheriton Civil Parish England Census: James Brennan was a 20 year old unmarried soldier born in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland
  3. The Thomas Joseph Brennan and Winifred Nolan Family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  4. Thomas Brennan born September 3, 1881 in Swinford, Ireland left Queenstown Ireland on April 23, 1903 and lived the next 16 years in Chicago, naturalizing in Cook County, Illinois on December 17, 1914. He was the son of Thomas Brennan who was deceased as of November 1919. He worked as a laborer and was returning to Ireland to visit an uncle and settle an estate-1919. (Passport Application Database Ancestry.com)
  5. John Brennan 56, Coal Miner Hewer born Swinford, Mayo, Ireland appeared in the 1911 Wallsend Civil Parish, Northumberland England census with his wife Elizabeth 42, children Mary 17, Bridget 14, John Robert 5, Robert Joseph 3 from County Durham and James Patrick 11, Arthur 9 and Patrick 1 born in Northumberland.
  6. US Passport Application January 16, 1922 for Nora Brennan 45, born in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland was traveling to Ireland to visit relation with her children Thomas 3 born February 11, 1918 and Mary 10 months born March 22, 1921 (both in New York City). Her Irish husband John Brennan emigrated to the US on the Mauretania from Liverpool on March 22, 1912. She has lived in the US for 15 years from 1906-1922. They were living at 338 East 66th Street, New York City.
  7. US Passport Application November 23, 1922 for Anthony Brennan born September 15, 1896 in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland. His father was James Brennan also born in Swinford. He emigrated to the US from Liverpool on ? 22, 1915 and has been in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1915. He is a naturalized citizen.
  8. Alaska Alien Arrivals 1906-1956 database on ancestry.com: James Brennan age 49 born about 1874 in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland. He is listed as a Canadian Mining Laborer living on Keno? Hill.
  9. Illinois Deaths Index: Thomas Joseph Brennan born September 15, 1860 Swinford, Ireland died at the age of 73 on January 21, 1934 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois; burial there in Calvary Cemetery. He was the son of Patrick Brennan and Mary Ward who were born in Ireland. His wife was Ellen Brennan. They were living at 1815 E Jefferson Street at the time of his death. FHL microfilm 1675309. (there was a marriage record in the Swinford microfilm 926020 for a Patritius Brenan to a Mary Ward on January 15, 1854; the same couple are listed in the 1279233 film item 6 but it appears to read December 15, 1853 for their marriage. I didn't see any baptismal records for Patrick B and Mary Ward in these films, but there were records for Patritius B and Maria B that could be them.)
  10. Birstall Yorkshire District 7 of the 1911 Census: James Brannan 62 year old widowed Coal Miner Hewer who was born in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland. It says he was married for 40 years with 7 children, 4 living. Living with him on 32 Blackbrown Road were his single son Thom 30 a Card Fitter and Mill Hand born in Birstall, married son James 25 Coal Miner, married 5 years with 3 children, 2 living, his wife Mary Ann 26 Rag Picker both born in Batley, Yorkshire, grand children Thomas Brannan 1, born in Barnley, Walter Preston Brannan 5 born in Batley, Yorkshire, Thomas Brannan 9 born in Birstall and Maggie Hart Grand daughter 17 Pinning Cotton in a Cotton Mill born in Batley, Yorkshire. It would appear that the younger 1 year old Thomas and Walter Preston might be James and Mary Ann's children. The question is did James Brennan, the son of James marry Mary Ann Preston in Dewsbury quarter ending December 1906? It is a remote unproven possibility.
Surnames A-C Surnames D-F Surnames G-I
Surnames J-L Surnames M-N Surnames O-R
Surnames S-T Surnames U-Z Unknown Spouses Surname