Connaughton Blog: Recent Comments

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-08-27T15:19:58Z

I would love to have been at that function.
Stephen Conaughton, Ardclough, Straffan Co Kildare.

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-08-27T15:11:11Z

My name is Stephen Connaughton – the 4th in successive generations and perhaps more that are not recorded. I live just outside the city of Dublin where Connaughton is a rare surname but getting less so. I am glad of this because not a day passes that I don’t have to spell it for someone. We hailed from County Roscommon, where it is a common name and moved east in 1951 under a Land Commission scheme for small farmers. Below is an exerpt from a memoir that I am currently writing. Hope it is of interest to some of you. I would suspect your families emigrated from the West of Ireland in the 19th century.
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The Connaughtons, according to a medieval map, hailed from that corner of County Sligo next to Kilalla Bay. There is an oral family tradition that some of them joined up with General Humbert’s French army when it landed at Killalla in 1798, in an attempt to rid Ireland of the English. Humbert was successful at first, routed English forces at Castlebar, and set up the Republic of Connacht. However he was eventually defeated by Lord Cornwallis - he of American War of Independence fame. The Connaughtons, having backed a loser, now could not return home for fear of their lives, and settled in County Roscommon. It is still a common name there. One of their number settled in Marlesgrove, Ballymoe, and it was from here that Dad’s grandfather, Patrick Connaughton came, when he married into the farm at Cournabanny, Cloonfad in 1869. Dad and I often discussed family history working in the fields during my teens.
“Patrick went to Birmingham to work in a brick making works, while his wife and family stayed at home to look after the little farm Dad explained.”
“And why not just move his family over.”
“Very hard to get a place to live.”
“Besides the little farm brought in a few bob.”
“And how often would he come home,” I asked.
“Varied. When the work ran out. Most only found seasonal work - same as myself in later years”
I was so flabbergasted at this that I can still picture the spot in the field behind the house where we spoke.
“Living away from his wife and family from one end of the year to the other?
“Times wee hard. People had to make sacrifices then.”
This practice was not unusual in Ireland till recent times.
Bricks were made from a special kind of clay mined out of the ground at Aston, near the famous Aston Villa football ground. A lookout stood on the top of the mine and watched out for cracks in the ground. One occurred, and the men were ordered up immediately, but Pat forgot his shovel, went back for it and was smothered in the collapse.
“He went back for a bloody old shovel, Dad.”
“He would have been held responsible for the loss of the shovel.
“He lost his life instead! ”
“I told you times were hard.”
I had to sit down in the corner of that first field. The time was the si

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-08-20T09:12:51Z

Hello Connaughtons!

Like many of you, I stumbled upon this blog while looking for something else. I am intrigued to learn of other Connaughtons from the Hamilton Ohio area. My grandfather was Michael P. Connaughton of Hamilton, a veteran of the Spanish-American war. He died before I was born, so I know him from a single photograph. I believe his origins were in Roscommon, but I have not been able to trace his ancestry and my father and uncles are all deceased. I am wring from Krakow, Poland, but live in St. Cloud Minnesota.

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-03-12T12:49:44Z

im really sorry i said francis connaughton but i was thinking wrong.He was Francis Jurek, but his wife, My grandmother, who is Virginia Connaughton might be related. She is from California and has descendants in Ireland. Her mother was Isabelle Connoaugton but they called her something else i cant really remember but i will figure out.My great-grandmother was an artist. Im going to try to find more information.
-Haley

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-03-12T00:53:32Z

Hi. I'm of the Connaughtons who mostly live in Southwestern Ohio, USA. My aunt started working on a family tree a couple of years ago and I looked in her information and there are 2 Francis Connaughtons; but no connection to the line we are associated with. It was good to hear from you. Out of curiosity, how do you pronounce Connaughton? Is it Con'-a-ton or Co-naught'-ton or something else?

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-03-03T00:37:08Z

Hi. i moved to Canada in 1987 from Dublin Ireland. My Mothers last name was Connaughton, her father (My grandaddy) was Francis Connaughton, married to Nora. His family is mostly from Cork, where they still reside today although mostly new last names.

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-01-26T19:39:45Z

hi do any of u still answer on this blog i see the date goin back to 2006 would be interested to hear from any of you with irish history myself I am of the mullingar/streamstowns (co. westmeath)connaughtons..irish pronunciation is con-a-ton but majority of other countries (canada, england..) pronounce it con-awe-tun...love ot hear from anyof ya thx n take care...Kathy

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2008-01-11T03:46:30Z

Hello, I have a photo album of the CONNOUGHTON family from Wisconsin on Ebay right now. As far as I can tell the family Of Michael and Cathy moved here from New York around 1850ish or so. If interested e-mail me at Oldstuff@elknet.net. Thanks Dan

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2007-09-19T08:13:44Z

Hallo,
Looking at the picture of the two children - especially the little boy, I'd say we are related... I have a picture of my father - Pagie COnnaughton when he was about 18 - looks just like him! My Connaughton family are from Cabra Co. Sligo. I don't know how blogs work either. I was brought up in England and live in Belgium. I went to Ireland to meet my cousins last year. It was great.

Comment on Maiden Voyage

2007-09-19T03:57:49Z

I wonder if your related somehow to my grandfather Mike Connaughton? He was an orphan from Galway, and then lived in Clifden, Co. Galway.