Domhnall Ó Baoighill (c1863–1941) of Classey, Doochary, Co Donegal

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Áit toighe Dhomhnaill Uí Bhaoighill. Rinneadh an teach seo ar shuidheamh an tsean-toighe, ach bhí an sean-teach ní b'fhaide ná an teach úr, agus tá cuid den tsean-dhubh-shraith ar fhis taobh abhus den bheinn. (Pioctúir: 2022)

According to the information recorded on the Doegen speaker questionnaire in September 1931, Domhnall Ó Baoighill was born at Leitir Mhic a' Bháird and was aged 68 at the time of recording. His father was a farmer from Leitir Mhic a' Bháird, and his mother was from An Chlasaidh. In response to questions, he stated that he lived at An Chlasaidh until the age of 18, then went seasonally to Scotland until the age of 24. He was then in America until the age of 29, and on his return went seasonally to London for nine years. From then on he remained at home in An Chlasaidh. He attended primary school in Doire Luacháin. His occupation was stated to be a farmer. Irish was his mother language, and he could also speak English. He could read both languages and could write in English. The recording team noted "strong clear voice".

Domhnall Ó Baoighill was the son of James Boyle and Anne Devenney (or occasionally, Devine), who lived at An Chlasaidh, in the townland of An Clochar Corr (Cloghercor). Church records give the birth of a daughter Nora or Honora or Hannah to this couple on 21/09/1868, while the civil registry has the birth of a daughter Mary on 01/06/1866 and a son Cornelis (who lived only 13 days) on 23/09/1868. The Donegal Genealogy Resources website, presumably using church records, gives the marriages of three children: Cecilia, who married Daniel McGeehan, Leitir Mhic an Bháird, on 30/01/1884 (4th degree consanguinity); Daniel, our speaker, who married Anne Boyle, Leitir Oiligh, dau of Cornelius Boyle, 15?/02/1893 (3rd degree consanguinity) — the civil marriage record gives the date as 15/01/1894; and Mary, who married John Gallagher, Dumhaigh, on 16/06?/1897. Domhnall's wife, Anne, was born to Cornelius Boyle and Bridget McGettigan at Leitir Oiligh on 14/01/1867. The register of Doire Luacháin school recorded the entry of Daniel Boyle of Classey aged 9 on 31/01/1874.

In 1901, in Cloghercor, Domhnall (Daniel 36), his wife (Annie 31) and three children (Patrick 5, Condy 2, John 1) were living with Domhnall's parents (James 80 and Anne 70; Anne was deaf and blind). All household members over 3 years of age were bilingual, except Anne who had Irish only. In 1911, James (90) was still named as head of the household, but was by then a widower; there were also Daniel (48) and Annie (44), who had been married for 17 years, with all 7 children still surviving. Only six of the children were resident in this household: Patrick 15, Condy 12, John 11, Daniel 7, Cornelius 4, and Joseph 7 months (the eldest, James, aged 16, was living with his maternal grandparents in Leitir Oiligh). All household members over 3 years of age were bilingual.



The family of Domhnall and Annie consisted of seven sons. Of these, Patrick and Cornelius married locally; neither had any family. Daniel and Joseph died in Scotland, both unmarried.
The other three all emigrated to Philadelphia in 1923–25, to the home of their maternal uncle, James Boyle, who died in 1924.
Condy had been in Scotland, and went to America in 1923, where he married Delia McKeone from Co Mayo in 1929; the couple had one daughter.
John had been a railwayman in Gourock, Scotland; he went to America in 1924 and married Kathleen Watters from Dundalk in 1928; the couple had six children; John is thought to have died on 1970/09/14, and to be buried at Langhorne, Bucks Co, Pennsylvania.
James married Annie Mulligan in Belfast in 1922, before going to America in 1925; the couple had seven children, the first two born in Belfast; James died on 1968/09/21 at Philadelphia.

Domhnall Ó Baoighill, together with his neighbour Seán Ruadh 'ac a' Bháird (c1858–1924), was the source of a number of stories collected and printed by Edmund Curtis and particularly by Énrí Ó Muirgheasa (see the references below). Ó Muirgheasa described Ó Baoighill as a "rígh-sgéalaidhe", and mentions that Ó Baoighill learned the tale "Bruidhean Chaorthainn" from 'ac a' Bháird's uncle.

Domhnall died at An Chlasaidh on 1941/07/08, aged 77. His wife Anne died at An Chlasaidh on 1950/04/07, aged 83. Both deaths were registered by their son Joseph, the youngest of the family, who died at Slamannan in Scotland in 1967. Joseph is buried at Glenties, in the Old Graveyard according to a newspaper report, in the New Graveyard according to parish records. The speaker's unmarried son Daniel died accidentally in Scotland in 1948, and was also brought home for burial. The speaker's son Patrick and his wife Annie both died in 1964 and were buried in Éadan Anfa. The speaker's son Cornelius died in 1986 and was buried in Leitir Mhic a' Bháird.

Recent references to Domhnall Ó Baoighill include:
      Énrí Ó Muirgheasa, Maighdean an tSoluis (1913) p 6.
      Énrí Ó Muirgheasa, Bruidhean Chaorthainn (1917) pp iii–v.
      Énrí Ó Muirgheasa, Oidhche Áirneáil i dTír Chonaill (gan dáta) pp iv–v.
      Edmund Curtis, "Mac Rí Chruacháin", Béaloideas 2 (1929) pp 35–46.

Buidheachas mór do John P Ward, Na Gleanntaí — mac le John Sheáin Ruaidh agus ua le Seán Ruadh — agus do Michael Devine, an Chlasaigh. Baineadh feidhm fosta as an “Gildea Family” (Eileen Gildea) public tree ar ancestry.com.



Cornelius O'Boyle, son of the speaker
(Pioctúir: Ó Foinse go Farraige, 2006)

Speaker's recordings Ulster Doegen index


Speculative family tree:


              Connel Boyle-----Bridget McGettigan                                   James Boyle-----Anne Devenney
              c1836–1908    |  c1836–1912                                           c1818–1912   |  c1831–
                            | Letterilly                                                         | Classey
    ----------------------------------------------            -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    |          |          |          |           |            |                              |                             |        |                 |
  James      John      Bridget    Patrick    Anne Boyle-----DANIEL    Daniel McGeehin-----Cecilia      John Gallagher-----Mary     Nora/Hannah     Cornelius
  1870–1924  1876–1956 1874–      1872–1918  1867–1950   |  c1863–1941                 |                               |  1866–    1868–           1868–1868
  US                                                     |                             |                               |
                                                         | m1894                       | m1884                         | m1897
                                                         |  (3rd degree)               |                               |
                                                         |  Ellen Boyle, Mulnamin
                                                         |  (witness)
                                                         |
                                                   James 1895–1968; m 1922 Annie Mulligan in Belfast; to Philadelphia 1925; family of 7; died Philadelphia 1968/09/21
                                                   Patrick 1896–1964: m 1954 Annie Boyle, c1907–1964, Banganboy; lived Banganboy; buried Edeninfagh
                                                   Condy 1898–1985; to Philadelphia 1923; m 1929 Delia McKeone; dau Mary T (m Dombrowski)
                                                   John 1900–?1970; to Philadelphia 1924; m 1928 Kathleen Watters; family of 6; ?died Langhorne 1970/09/14
                                                   Daniel 1903–1946; unmarried; died Slamannan, Scotland; buried Co Donegal
                                                   Cornelius 1907–1986; postman, Doochary and Madavagh; married, no family; buried Leitir Mhic a' Bháird
                                                   Joseph 1910–1967; unmarried; died Slamannan, Scotland; buried Glenties New Cemetery



Ciarán Ó Duibhín
Úraithe 2023/06/10
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