Can someone from Ireland explain this to me?

Question

I'm researching my great-grandfather, Daniel Horrigan (Hourigan). He was born on 4 Apr 1845 in Limerick. He got married (for the second time) on 14 Aug 1882 in Limerick. His marriage record lists his location as Vizes Field. It also says his father was dead. (His father was Daniel Hourigan.)

So, I've been rummaging around in Irish records trying to see if I could find anything and I stumbled across this, A 69-year-old Daniel Hourigan (in 1911) living in Vizes Fields in Limerick? Wait. What?

And in the 1901 Census, he appears still married to Bridget, who is 19! when he's 59.

But I can't find ANY Hourigans in earlier census records except for 1821, but those are all in County Cavan.

So, my Daniel's father, Daniel, was dead in 1882 when Daniel remarried. But who is THIS Daniel? I can't imagine that my 2g-grandfather would have two sons born three years apart both named Daniel.

This is weird.

And why are Irish records so darn hard to search?

Answer 1

I have Hourigan ancestors from that area. Don't know much about them but they are connected by marriage to my Paternal lineage (Slatterys) of Clare. I even have a Daniel Hourigan b.c. 1743 whose grandaughter Bridget Hourigan married my paternal ancestor Patrick Slattery. Bridget was born in Cratloe which is near the Limerick/Clare border. I have these people in my family tree on Ancestry website. My Ancestry username is WilliamLMaher1975 if you want to see what I have found.

Comments

I took a look, but it's not much help. Bridget may have been a contemporary of my 2g-grandfather, but she was in a different part of Ireland.

Answer 2

Hi Paul,
You likely won't find them on any earlier census records. The 1901 and 1911 censuses are the only surviving full censuses of Ireland open to the public. Later ones will be released once 100 years have passed since they were taken, but only small parts of the earlier ones survive.
They could easily be the same Daniel, at this time in history in Ireland most people didn't know (or care) how old they were. You're lucky it's only three years, it could easily be out by a decade!
Here's Daniel and Bridget's marriage:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1897/10457/5808253.pdf (entry 27)
I'll do some more nosing and see what I turn up :)

Comments

There seems to be Daniel Hourigan, a stonecutter (son of Daniel) and Daniel Hourigan, an artist (son of Patrick).

Daniel the Stonecutter:

Married MARY COONERTY in 1872

Married Sarah McSweeny in 1882

Daniel the Artist:

Married Bridget Tracey in 1897

Living on Richmond Street in 1901 (with Bridget)

Living in Vizes Fields in 1911 (with Bridget)

Died in 1916 (informant is Bridget's mother)

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They're different Daniels because my g-grandfather emigrated to America in 1883-4 with his new wife. Daniel the artist was still in Ireland in 1916. Thank you for the record of his first marriage. That was helpful.

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Indeed, they also have different fathers.

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Daniel the artist's father was also a stonecutter, so maybe they're of some relation?

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Could be. Adding Mary Coonerty opened up a lot of records. Turns out that Daniel had a daughter by Mary that he brought with him to New York. She would have been my grandmother's half-sister. She died in New York in 1910.

I found another record that shows the baptism of a Michael Hourigan in 1875 in St. Mary's Parish but I can't tell what month it was. 

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61039/images/02417_01_0375?treeid=&personid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=sAy3520&_phstart=successSource&pId=304529647

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The date of baptism was 30 Aug 1875. I cheated by checking RootsIreland but if you scroll to the very top of the image, it lists the month of Aug and then 30th is noted next to his baptismal entry.

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Thank you. I appreciate it.