The Gaghagan (Goaghan, Goghan, Gaughan, Geoghegan) Surname in Charlestown Roman Catholic Parish Records, County Mayo, Ireland
The Charlestown Roman Catholic Parish Records are covered in microfilm #1279230 items 1 through 6. The film is listed in the LDS film catalog as Parochial Registers of Kilbeagh, 1845-1924 Catholic Church, Parish of Kilbeagh. At one point Carracastle Parish was united with the Catholic of Parish of Kilbeagh; today that Catholic Parish is referred to as Charlestown Roman Catholic Parish. I think that trudging through this film will be a long arduous process if item one was any indication, as the film was marked "Best Available Copy" and was scanned in negative (Black with white print).
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. If you feel that your family is identified in these pages and would like further details, please feel free to contact me.
I am beginning my search of the Gahagan, Goaghan, Goghan, Gaughan and Geoghegan Families in County Mayo with the Charlestown Roman Catholic Parish Records. Keep in mind that they will be out of sequence as I have just recently realized my Gahagan Ireland connection and have to go through item one (the earlier years) again upon completion of items 2-6 of this film. Item one is a huge section. I will work through it gradually again as I begin another film. The only Surname variation I have found in this film is Mary Josephine Gahagan born in 1902 and Michael Geoghegan who married Anne Egan in 1936. Both of these records were in item 6. I am seeing many Gavahans and Gavahins in this microfilm.
In regard to my own family Irish research, there are not only tons of Brennans in this Roman Catholic Parish, but tons of Frains (a fairly uncommon surname) and McNultys, the surnames of my second great grandparents travelling companions and close friends from at least New York to South Bend, Indiana. In the early records of item two I am seeing somel Gavaghan marriages, but no variations of the Gahagan Surname. Although this doesn't appear to be related to my Gahagans, there were Brennan and McNultys witnessing Gavaghan records in the late 1840's marriage records. According to the Griffiths' Valuation the only documented Gavaghans were in Kilbeagh Civil Parish and Kilconduff Civil Parish.
The priests in these records appear to be spelling many of the Townlands phonetically. I will document them as they are presented. If both the husband and wife's surname is Brennan I will include it in the "B" section of these records. Her maiden name may be Brennan or it may be something else and just not used. There is no way to tell one way or the other.
| 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 Surnames |