My name is Jan Patrick Mongoven. My 3rd great grandfather was JAMES MUNGOVAN (Mongovan...subsequent generations became Mongoven), born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland circa 1801. Around 1830 he married CATHERINE COSTELLO, who was born perhaps in Ennis. They had at least 6 children: DENNIS H. (later Mongoven - who later married CATHERINE DARCY), JOHN (married SUSAN DARCY), PATRICK J. (married HANNAH [Annie] ASH), MARGARET (married an unknown man in Massachusetts; was widowed; married MICHAEL CROWE in Illinois), CATHERINE T. (married JAMES DARCY), and BRIDGET MONGOVAN.

The family emigrated during the Great Famine in Ireland around 1850. After spending a small number of years near Boston, most made their way to Iroquois County, Illinois (and some eventually went to Clinton County, Iowa).

The vexing question is this: What is James Mungovan's home parish? The short answer is that, given the shortage of surviving County Clare records...plus the fact the many Co. Clare parish records don't begin until after our family members were born or married...we may never know for certain. Seven years ago (almost to this day!) a highly respected family historian, Chris MUNGOVAN, suggested to me via email that "...we will need to look in the Tithe Records of 1825 to find the Townlands where Mungovans and Costellos were living as neighbours. Townlands are generally only a few hundred acres and their names have been used for centuries..."

Chris, with kudos to you for your recent work in getting the Tithe Applotment Books (TAB) online, I've finally done what you suggested. In fact, what I've done is to cross-reference the TAB results with Griffith's Valuation (GV) of 1855.

One of James' sons was Patrick J. Mungoven (Mongoven, of Chicago). He became fairly wealthy and, in his obituary in Aug 1908, it was written that he was born in Ennis. My assumption - which can be challenged, of course - is that the family is from Ennis.

Note that James married Catherine COSTELLO. Searching the TAB and GV records for Mungovan's and Costello's living near one another...and near Ennis...I narrowed my search down to four candidate "civil" parishes: Killone, Clondagad, Clareabbey, and Kilmihil. When looking at online maps of the parishes and the townlands that comprised them, I was able to spot where Mungovan's lived next to/near Costello's.

The top candidate is Killone (civil parish 44...and Poor Union parish Ennis). In this parish in 1828 (TAB records) lived James MUNGOVAN (Drummeen Fitz townland), Pat Mungavan (Lissmealbreeda townland), and Thomas Mungavan (Killmore townland). By the time of the 1855 GV record, James was no longer listed. If he left for America by 1850-1852 (which is almost a certainty), then James would not be listed in the 1855 record. If one looks at the map of the townlands of Killone, two COSTELLO families (MICHAEL COSTILLO of Col Burton Darra townland...neighbors of JAMES MUNGOVAN of Dummeen and JOHN COSTILLO of Reaghfa townland) are near-neighbors of the MUNGOVAN families. I would like to make it clear that it is only my hypothesis, but I believe that Irish families of those difficult times - enduring the Great Famine and crushing poverty - tended to find marriage partners very near their homes. I can't imagine much traveling about the county to find a mate!

Another possible civil parish is Clondagad (civil parish 46 and Poor Union parish Killadysert)...we find James MUNGOVAN (Cragbrien townland) in 1826 (TAB), but not in 1855 (GV) living next to Martin Costelloe and Martin COSTELLO (both of Cappanegera townland), Patrick COSTELLO (Dromquin townland), and John COSTELLO (Cragekerevin townland). However, the "Poor Union" name of the parish is Killadysert...not Ennis, as was stated on Patrick's obituary. Killadysert is some distance southwest from Ennis, which is why I've concluded that it is 2nd on my list of possible candidates. A question: Might a person from Killadysert parish call Ennis his/her birthplace? Is it close enough to be considered Ennis???

Third on the list is the civil parish of Clareabbey (civil parish 45 and poor union parish Ennis). In the TAB records, James MUNGOVAN (Killow townlands) lived some distance away from James COSTELLO (Buncraggy townlands). But, by 1855 (by which time the entire James MUNGOVAN clan had left for America), a John Mungovin lived in Killow townlands. For this reason, I suspect that this is not our direct family.

Finally, the 4th possibility is Kilmihil (civil parish 60 and Poor Union Parish Kilrush). James, Michael, Pat, and Thomas Mungavane (all of Greygrove & Knockalaugh townlands) and Michael and Laurence MUNGOVAN (of Boulanamueel townlands) lived next to Patrick COSTELLO (of Castle Park townlands). However, Kilmihil is even further southwest of Ennis as is Clondagad parish...therefore, it seems unlikely that our ancestor emigrated from this parish.

Finally...what about the DARCY surname? James and Catherine Mungovan's children married into the DARCY family upon arrival in America. Interestingly, the only parishes where Darcy's lived near Mungovan's were Killone and Clondagad. In Killone, we find James and John DARCY at Lismealbreeda townland...which, coincidentally, is in the same townland as Pat Mungavan listed above. In Clondagad, we find Dennis DARCY lives in the townlands adjacent to both James MUNGOVAN (Cragbrien townland) and Patrick and John Costello's (Dromquin and Cragekerevin townlands) mentioned above.

No DARCY's are found in the TAB or GV records in Clareabbey or Kilmihil parishes.

In conclusion, I submit that the likeliest possibility of the origin of our emigrant ancestors, James and Catherine (COSTELLO) MUNGOVAN (Mongovan/Mongoven) is the civil parish of Killone, with Clondagad parish a close second. My rationale is based upon the "Ennis" bias found in Patrick J. Mongoven's obit (1908). I am certainly encourage debate in this forum! Clondagad is further away from Ennis that is Killone...our James and Catherine MUNGOVAN family could have come frome that parish instead.

Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
Jan P. Mongoven

PS. I am having my DNA (Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA) tested at Family Tree DNA...I want to find out if our MUNGOVAN ancestors came from Normandy, Spain, or the midlands of Ireland. I'm a few weeks away from learning the results. I encourage all males of Mongoven ancestry to do have DNA testing. Let's solve the riddle of our inheritance.

Hi Jan
Have not replied until now as I wanted to go through as much of my collected notes etc as I could and take a fresh look before comparing with your most recent researches.
From my experience some information is invariably less useful than it at first appears. For example almost everyone finds that their research leads to a family from “Ennis” and then to a James Mungovan. But when you actually look in Ennis you find anyone but James.

It is clear that you have been most thorough in your investigation and I agree with your conclusion.
Furthermore I would say that Lismulbreeda is the townland they left, though not necesarilly one they might have resided in for many generations.

Lismulbreeda is about 6 miles from Ennis and is now in the parish of Clarecastle ( Killone + Clareabbey) . James and Catherine’s first son, Dennis Mongoven, married Cath Darcy. Cath’s parents were John Darcy and Ann Hayes and the parish records show that the parents of Susan Darcy, Cath’s sister who married John Mongoven, were John Darcy and Ann Hayes of Lismulbreeda.

This information came from Clare Heritage Centre in 1990 and was provided for John Thos Mongoven of Orlando who generously gave a copy to me.

While trawling through my files I found that one James Mongovan + family (7 total) from Corlea (Kilfinaghta parish 15 miles from Ennis) emigrated to Canada/America in 1840. Another James Mungovan + family (7 total) was evicted from the townland of Boulanameele in 1847.
While this information helps neither you nor me in our quest it may well help another Mungovan/Mongoven in theirs.

So to conclude for today may I wish all Mungovans a Happy St Patrick’s Day, Good Luck with your family history researches and keep keep posting the information on these boards.

Chris Mungovan

Hello, Chris ~

What a FABULOUS St. Patrick's Day gift you've given me with this information. I'm typing this at the library, but will write in much more detail to you when I can actually sit down and look at my maps in the comfort of my home. I also need to relay my DNA results to you!

Take care!
Jan Patrick Mongoven

Hi Jan
Glad to be able to help.
Judging by the lack of postings lately it seems that the rest of the Mungovan/Mongovan clan have either solved the puzzle of their origins and are keeping quiet or they are just resting. Lets hope the DNA project can inject some life back into things.
While it is important to share infomation via these boards they do have their limitations re exchanging copies of documents via attachments and/or personal information. I can still be contacted via my freeserve email which you should have from our exchanges of a few years ago or on this Mungovan board 13 Oct 1999 Mungovan Research.
Look foreward to hearing from you.
Chris