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Note: ecognizes over 30 variations in the spelling of the name. In the 1850 census at Butler Co., PA shortly after John's arrival, the name was spelled rather phonetically/with a heavy Irish accent "Houlahin." By 1900 most of his children were spelling the name "Houlihan" but son John David and his family and descendents use "Hollihan." The Irish church records for the marriage of John and his wife and the baptism of several of his children spell the name "Wholehan."
I initially located the marriage record of John "Wholehan" and Margaret "McCarty" at Charleville, Co. Cork, Ireland 8 June 1840 at Irish Genealogical Online Record Search System (ORS), Roman Catholic marriage records, Mallow Heritage Centre, Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland, located at: [http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/index.php]. The record is very skimpy, listing only the date of marriage, parish/district (Charleville), their names, both Roman Catholics, her address as "Springfort Charleville," he a bachelor, she a spinster, the parish priest/celebrant being Fr. Thomas Croke. I have learned that Father Croke was a curate in Charleville and later an Archbishop. Neither witness' nor parents' names are noted, nor is John's address. The Notes section says "See Register." (There's a real teaser! I contacted the Mallow Heritage Centre for an explanation of what this means & they replied that "If there was something on the register it would be recorded. This is all the information that was on that record in the original register." Alas]. BUT Ancestry.com's database "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915," shows the marriage of John Wholehan and Margaret McCarthy at Diocese of Cloyne, Charleville, Cork on 2 June 1840, she of Springfort "both being relatives in the third degree of consanguinity which was dispensed by the Right Honorable Doctor Crotty." According to http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2010/09/09/can-cousins-marry-in-the-church, this likely means that John and Margaret were first cousins. If this supposition is true, then it may be that John's mother was a McCarthy as I already know the name of Margaret's mother, Herlihy/Hierlihy. I have found the marriage of a Denis Houlihan to a Mary McCarthy at Bantry, Cork 20 Jan 1793. I also located a Daniel Houlihan married to a Catherine McCarthy who had a child baptized at Rathcormack, Cork in 1808.
The same Wholehan spelling is found in a number of other people in the parish who were married there within a few years of the marriage of John & Margaret. Since the spelling Wholehan is found NOWHERE ELSE, I believe that it was a variation of the name spelled by the parish priest in this church and he consistently used it during his time there. Hence, I believe it likely that these people may have been siblings or at least cousins to John Houlihan/Wholehan and I have shown these as unverified siblings in my tree.
Since the Cork/Limerick border is close to Charleville, John may have been from Limerick. Limerick's online records show 2 entries for the baptism of a "John Houlihan" in Co. Limerick in 1820. I purchased a peek at both records and can't confirm that either is the right man. One is a 27 Dec 1820 baptism in Fedamore parish, Co. Limerick, parents being Patrick Houlihan and Mary Morgan; sponsors were John & Joanna Quilty. The second is a baptism 26 July 1820 in Knockaderry parish, parents "Thade. Houlihan and "Hana. Cagney; sponsors were John O'Keefe and Maria Hayes. I am inclined to disallow both of these, if only because these parents' names are not repeated in John & Margaret's family and the surname was spelled "Houlihan" rather than "Wholehan" as it is spelled in Co. Cork records. The surname spelling is a very weak determinant, I realize, especially since all the Wholehan spellings come from Cork; there are no John "Wholehan" entries in Limerick. I have purchased additional records from Cork & Limerick, but have been similarly unable to identify John's exact record.
More possible is the baptism of a John Houlihan, son of Denis Houlihan and Margaret Mara of [sic] Killculane at Hospital, Co. Limerick, diocese of Cashel & Emly on 15 Aug 1815. Sponsors were Wm Bourke and Bridget Kean (Catholic Parish Registers, The National Library of Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Microfilm Number: Microfilm 02507 / 03 Source Information Ancestry.com. Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.Original data:Catholic Parish Registers, National Library of Ireland, Ireland. Published under the National Library of Ireland's Terms of Use of Material made available on registers.nli.ie.) The fact that John and his wife named their first son Denis suggests a strong possibility that the child was named after his father. The town of Hospital, Limerick is only 27 kms. from Charleville, Cork where Margaret McCarthy lived and where she and John Houlihan were married. Kilcullane (alternately Killan alias Kylkellane, Kyllkellane, Kylkylane, Kylkyllan, Kylkyllane) is a Townland and a Civil Parish, Small County is the Barony. See Research Notes below....
I have also found the baptisms of "Denis Wholehan" in 1840 in Co. Cork, "Denis Houlihan" in 1841 in Co. Limerick, another "Denis Wholehan" in 1843, Co. Cork; I have confirmed that the 1840 Cork entry is the correct one (I've not looked at the 1843 entry). I've also found the baptism of a "Catherine Wholehan" in December 1841 in Charleville, Co. Cork; a view of it indicates the parents to be John & Margaret McCarthy. Both "Bridget Wholehan" and "John Wholehan," were both baptized in Co. Cork, 1845. These are all children of John and Margaret, confirming the identification. However, I have not located John Houlihan (or any variant spelling) in the Tithe Applotment Records 1840 or after in Cork, although his children were being baptized there. Several Johns appear in Co. Clare, north of Limerick and, perhaps, John and Margaret traveled back to her parish for the baptisms of their children. Otherwise, it might indicate that John owned no property eligible for tithing.
According to Wikipedia, "Charleville or R\'e1th Luirc (R\'e1th Luirc or An R\'e1th in Irish) is a town in north County Cork, Ireland, situated in Ireland's Golden Vale, near the border with County Limerick. It is located on the "Glen" tributary river, which flows into the Maigue River in Co. Limerick. It is the second largest town between Limerick and Cork (Mallow is the largest), and is located on the N20 road. The Roman Catholic parish of Charleville is situated in the Diocese of Cloyne." Elsewhere..."Prior to the building of Holy Cross Church in 1902, Catholics worshiped in the church in Chapel Street, a church which was erected in 1812 and was in use up to the opening of the new church in 1902. This gem of architecture was converted for use as a Parochial Hall in 1902." "Before the Protestant Reformation (1536), the Norman family of de Cogan, who ruled this area of north Cork, built a church or monastery between 1241 and 1439 in the land now known as Ballysally cemetery; but after the church was ransacked - there are ruins in the cemetery to this day - there is no record to indicate where the Catholics worshiped between the time of the destruction and the building of the Parish Church in Chapel Street in 1812. Very likely Mass houses, poorly furnished thatched cabins, open at one end, served for the purpose of worship where that was possible in Penal times. The church which was built in 1812 catered for the Catholic population of over 5,000. It originally had no belfry but one was added in 1829 and the bell, now on display in the Parochial Hall, is claimed to have been the first to be erected and rung when Daniel O'Connell gained Catholic Emancipation."
On 4 Aug 1845, a John Wholehane acted at as surety for a Mary Collins when she borrowed 1 pound sterling from the Baltimore Sustainability Loan Fund. Mick Crowley was the other surety. All three lived in Ballymacrown, Cork, Ireland. However, Ballymacrown, Baltimore is located in west Cork, on the coast, nowhere near the areas of Charleville or Springfort which are in the far eastern sector.
John Houlihan immigrated from Ireland to America about 1847. In Vol. 1 of "The Famine Immigrants," a list of immigrants arriving at the port of NY 1846-1851, there is listed a John Houlihan, a 25 year old farmer who arrived alone. He arrived in NY June 16, 1847 on the barque "Shamrock" that sailed from Limerick. This COULD be the correct John; his wife may have traveled later with the children and/or her parents. At the 1900 census, daughter Bridget Ann reported her immigration as 1848, a year after the immigration of the John mentioned above.
John "Houlahn" first appears in the 1850 US Federal census in PA, living in Donegal Township, Butler Co., PA. He was 31 years old and the father of 5, the youngest, Mary J., age 2, having been born in PA. His occupation was shown as tailor. He and his family were living with another born-in-Ireland family, Richard (60) and Catherine (55) McCarty/McCarthy, a farmer with real estate valued at $1500. The McCarthy family included Dennis, 36, Patrick, 34, David, 28, William, 20, and Richard, 19 (or 17). Dennis (real estate valued at $1000), David & William are also farmers, Patrick and Richard possibly "laborers." These are John Houlihan's in-laws, Margaret's parents and brothers: the names of the McCarthy children frequently reoccur in later Houlihan generations.
[HISTORICAL NOTE: Organized in 1803, the earliest settlers of Butler Co., PA were of Scotch, Scotch-Irish and Irish descent. The former settled in Connoquenessing Twp and White Oak Springs, the Irish principally in Donegal & adjoining townships. In 1850 the total population of the county was 22,378. Butler County is immediately north of Allegheny Co; Donegal Twp. is located on the eastern border with Armstrong Co., about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh. Donegal Twp. was settled by a number of Irish families, including Dugans & Gallaghers. Many of these settlers were members of St. Patrick's Church in Sugarcreek Twp., Armstrong Co., just across the border from Butler. It was, allegedly, the first Catholic Church west of the Alleghenies. (from "The History of Butler Co., 1876")].
I was finally able to locate John and his family in the 1860 PA census (roll 1069, pg. 69, line 6, dwelling 112) by reading the Armstrong Co. census line-by-line; his name does not appear in the census index book in any PA location. The 1860 PA census appears to be poorly indexed overall; this is not the first time I've found people in Butler and Armstrong counties who are not indexed. John was living in Brady's Bend, Armstrong Co., PA, a 39 year old Irish-born day laborer in this "coal patch" district. Margaret was also 39 and with them were all 7 children identified previously: Dennis, 19, day laborer; Brigid, 15, domestic; John, 13; Mary J., 11; Margaret, 9; David, 5; and William, 3.
Since the marriage record of son William in Pittsburgh indicates that he was born in Armstrong Co. (about 1858) and J.J. Houlihan knew of the birth of his grandfather, John's son David Houlihan, in Saxonburg, Butler Co. (1855), it appears that the Houlihan family moved from Butler to Armstrong Co. between 1855 and 1858. Brady's Bend is just across the county line from Butler Co. and near Donegal Township where the Houlihans & McCarthys first settled after immigration. Brady's Bend was named for Captain Samuel Brady, an Indian fighter. The Great Western Iron Works opened there in 1839 and the town boomed for 40 years afterwards, with 40 blast furnaces working simultaneously at its prime.
Until 1866 there was no Catholic church in Brady's Bend; the faithful had to travel two miles to Sts. Peter & Paul Church on Armstrong Run Road in Queenstown to attend services. Only a cemetery marks the spot today. Until 1861, even this church did not have a resident priest; the church was served by visiting priests from neighboring towns until Rev. Thomas Walsh of Co. Waterford, Ireland arrived in 1861. In 1864, St. Patrick's Church was erected in Brady's Bend, construction being completed in 1866. (from Brady's Bend Historical Society, Inc., If These Hills Could Talk: A History of Bradys Bend Township, Perry Township & East Brady, PA, (Walker & Sons Printing, Kittanning, PA 1984), pp. 167-169).
In the 1870 Federal census of Pennsylvania (roll 1299, pg. 565), John Houlihan was living in Union Township, Allegheny Co., now the Green Tree Boro/Banksville Road area of southwest Pittsburgh . At the time of this census, John was 50, his wife 52 and he was a coal miner. Three additional children were born since 1850, Margaret, David and William. Daughters Catherine and Bridget are not shown in the census - Catherine married in about 1860 & Bridget Ann (apparently known as "Annie") in about 1865. Eldest son Dennis is shown as being "insane" and therefore not eligible to vote. John's 15 year old son David is also listed, as a coal miner! Three McCarthys are living in the home as well - Margaret's brother Richard, a 40 year old widower, coal miner, eligible to vote, and his 2 daughters, Margaret and Kate. According to J.J. Houlihan, Kate was the child of Richard "Dick" McCarthy's first wife and later adopted by aunt and uncle Margaret & John Houlihan; he was apparently unaware of the other daughter and we don't know anything more of her. Finally, three other coal miners were also boarding in the house - Francis Gallagher, age 30, and Francis and Thomas Danaher (spelling is garbled), ages 40 & 35 respectively John next appears in the 1880 census living in the home of his son, John Houlihan, on Butler St. (no address) in Pittsburgh, with his wife, sons William & Dennis, daughter Mary Jane and niece Kate McCarthy. He was then 59 years old. His occupation is listed as "laborer at Fleming/Flaming." He was unable to read or write, as was his wife and daughter, Mary Jane.
According to St. Mary's Cemetery records, Pittsburgh, John "Holahan" died about 1 Oct. 1883, "killed by a fall of clay." He was 63 years old. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, 45th & Penn Sts., Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh on 4 October 1883 in Section R, row 16, grave 79. In the same grave are buried granddaughter Philomena, daughter of son David & Barbara Houlihan (died Jan., 1884 ) and son Dennis (died May, 1894). John's funeral was likely held at St. Mary's or St. Kieran's Church, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh.
A brief obituary was published in the "Pittsburgh Gazette" for John "Hollihan," Sr. on Thursday, 4 Oct. 1883, pg. 5. It reads as follows: HOLLIHAN - On Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1883, at his residence, corner 51st and Butler, JOHN HOLLIHAN, Sr., in the 63rd year of his age. Friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral TO-DAY at 8:30 am." No death certificate was filed; none wwas required in PA until 1900.
On 18 April 1998 and again of 23 April 1998 I visited John's gravesite. Because Section R is an old section of the cemetery, no section maps are available and I was unable to locate the grave on my first visit. I requested that the cemetery mark the graves of John and his wife, Margaret for me and I found orange cones placed at each on 23 April. I believe that the rows are numbered from the back wall forward to the street, putting John's grave (row 16) further from the street than his wife's (row 27). There is no tombstone at John's grave, but it is next to a small gray upright stone which has a now-headless lamb on the top of it. The name is not legible, but it appears that the death year was 1911 or 1915, a cross is inscribed to the left of the death year and the word "Son" is clearly visible at the bottom near the grassline. This is not a Houlihan family grave, but this stone should provide a good marker for John Houlihan's grave which is just to the left of this marker.
Because of the description of death given in cemetery records, "killed by a fall of clay," I speculated that John may have died in an accident while working, perhaps a trench or hole cave-in. I read the "Pittsburgh Gazette" from Wed. 26 Sept. through 3 Oct. 1883, the day he died, but was unable to find any article relating to such an accident. Given that the obituary says that he died at his residence, the accident may have taken place some weeks or even months preceding his demise.
In later investigating the McCarthy family, specifically John McCarthy, brother of Margaret McCarthy Houlihan, I was able to locate his gravestone, the only stone I was able to find of either family. On it, John McCarthy is called "a native of County Cork," indicating that sister Margaret McCarthy Houlihan was from Cork; as noted above, John Houlihan was likely from Cork or, perhaps adjoining Limerick. ********************* "The Surnames of Ireland" says the following about the name: "(O) Hoolhan - Prominent septs so named belong to Thomond (Clare) and mid-Leinster. 17 variant spellings are recorded by the registrar-general including Oulihan and Whoolahan. HOULIHAN is usual in Munster (includes Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kerry & Tipperary); Holohan in Co. Kilkenny. In north Connacht Nolan is a frequent synonym. The Gaelic is O hUallachain (ullach meaning proud)". The name is also associated with Merry (O Mearadhaigh, O Mearha) in Co. Kilkenny, frequently appearing in 16th century records and later.
According to "Irish Family Names," by Brian deBreffney, Houlihan is a Clare name. The Irish Birth Indexes for 1890 listed 71 Houlihans: 20 in Leinster, 49 in Munster, 0 in Ulster and 2 in Connaught. According to David F. Houlihan, Jr., his father was descended from families from Co. Cork and Co. Limerick. Rita (Kane) Burns, daughter of Ella (Houlihan) Kane was told that the family was from Co. Kildare. However, having now located the grave of Margaret (McCarthy) Houlihan's brother, John McCarthy, at St. Mary's Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh which indicated that he was a native of County Cork, Ireland, I think it's safe to say that John Houlihan was of the same county or, possibly from a border county.
Spelling variants include: Houlahan Hollihan Holahan Houlaghan Hullihan Holohan Oolahan Holihan Holoughan Oulahan Hoolaghan Oulihan Hoolihan Whoolahan WHoolahan Whoolehen Wholehan
The parish priest at Charleville who married John Houlihan and Margaret McCarthy and baptized their children used the spelling "Wholehan" in the church records. ______________________________________________________________________ Variations in the Irish Spelling of Whelton and Houlihan Here is a list of various spellings of Whelton/Houlihan from Traynor's Web Page: "Why do we see various spellings of Irish names? In the first place, there was often more than one spelling of the names in the Irish language. Then the Irish names were translated to English, phonetically, or by meaning, or by using an English name that was similar. Then there were variations in the translated spellings. If you are confused because there are two or three variations of your name, then look at these variations of the Irish name of O'h-Uallachain; uallach, ("proud, haughty, merry, supple, vain"), uallchan, ("a coxcomb, a fop"). "MacUallachain, MacCuolahan, O'Holohan, Colaghan, Coolacan, Collaghan, Halahan, Halegan, Halligan, Holahan, Holhane, Holhgane, Holighan, Holland, Holligan, Hoolaghan, Hoolaghane, Hoolahan, Houlaghan, Houlaghane, Houlahan, Howlegan, Howlan, Hulegan, Huolaghane, Olehan, Oulahan, Oullaghan, Oullahan, Woolahan, and Merrie, Merry, FitzMerry, Mac-Merry, Nolan (of Mayo), Noland (in England), Proud, Proude, Soople, Suple, Supple, Vain, Vane, Whelton, and Wilton." Father Michael Whelton of South Africa provided this history of the Whelton name to the family history: "The Irish Whelton name was originally O'Hullachain, then progressed through Holohan in 1773, Helton, Holteen, Holtin, Hulahan, Houlten, Houltin and became Whelton in 1814, Wholtin in 1815 and from 1829 Whelton. Since the people spoke Gaelic, the parish priest making the entries in the register spelled the names his way."
Father Whelton could have added these variations from the 1796 Flax Seed Premium Entitlement Lists: Houlahan, Houlahane, Houlehane, and Houlton. There was no Whelton or Welton in county Cork on the list of Irish Flax Growers, 1796, but there were these names: Houlten John Ardfield Cork Houltin Cornelius Rathbarry Cork Houlton Cornelius Castleventry Cork Houlton William Ardfield Cork
On the flax growers' list, there was also a James Houlahane of Kilkerranmore (and a Cornelius Merigough of Fanlobbus). There were eight Houlehan families, and one Houlahan family, in county Kerry _______________________ The West Cork, Ireland, web page, lists Houlihan among "well known family surnames with roots in West Cork."
Irish Ancestors lists all the Wheltons counted in Griffith's Valuation as being in county Cork. Here is what it says about the surname Whelton: "Quite numerous: mainly W Cork. Ir. \'d3 h-Uallach\'e1in, uallach, proud. A variant of the more usual Houlihan, q.v."________________________ According to A Topographical and Historical Map of Ancient Ireland, compiled by Philip MacDermott, M.D., the following were the names of the principal families in Ireland, of Irish, Anglo-Norman, and Anglo-Irish origin, from the eleventh to the end of the sixteenth century:
O'HOOLLAGHAN, Chief, Galway. O'HOOLLAGHAN, King's Co. (Offaly). O'HOOLLAGHAN, Cork. O'NOLAN, Lord, Carlow. ________________________ Per Glenn Nolen: [ganolen@@gmail.com], "In Gaelic O'HUALLACHAN or O'HOULIHAN is genitive plural for "of the NOLAN'S." _____________________________________________________________________ The following is from Peter Robinson, "Settlers from Cork to Canada 1823 & 1825," National Archives of Canada: MG 24 B 74, 1-4 and 1-5, microfilm reel M-141 see also M-140.
"A return of Irish Emigrants proceeding to Canada, to be settled at the Expense of His Majesty's Government, under the superintendence of Mr. Peter Robinson, Embarked at Cove on board of the ELIZABETH Transport, Donald Morrison Master, for passage to Quebec - Mr. Pierce Power, R.N. Surgeon in charge. Cove of Cork 16th May 1825. (transcribed from microfilm copy; may contain errors; there may be omissions).
"Ship Elizabeth departed Cork 21st May and arrived at Quebec 1st July 1825. The settlers then proceeded to Montreal aboard the steamboat Quebec, on 2nd July."
29. Houlahan Denis 42 Reduced Farmer Charleville, Cork #180 Capt. Roberts William 20 James 18 Margaret 17 Michael 15 Johanna 13 Dennis 11 Thomas 8 They settled in Emily Twp.
Denis was 42 in 1825, therefore born@@ 1783. It appears he was a widower with 7 children or, possibly, he left his wife and younger children behind in Ireland. It is the Charleville, Cork residence that caught my attention, as this is where John Houlihan and Margaret McCarthy were married and had their children baptized. _________________________________________________________________ RESEARCH NOTES Tithe Applotment Denis Houlehan Ballygrennan, Ballingarry, Limerick 1826
Denis Houlihan Gortnacloghy, Killeedy, Limerick 1832 _______________________________________________________________________________
TOWNLAND PARISH Wholehan Jerry Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Mccarthy John Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Mccarthy Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834 Wholehan Knucknagehy Ross Cork 1834
The above entry from the 1834 Tithe Applotment Books shows a close association between McCarthy and Wholehan in this place - but this townland is a long way from Charlville and is not likely the correct people. __________________________________________________________________________________ I recently saw this on an Irish chat board: "At least in County Cork, Holland was often a fancy, anglicized way of writing Houlihan. Some priests consistently wrote Holland, other Houlihan - no matter what form of the name they heard. So you should check the spelling Houlihan in the case of Irish records. Unfortunately, the name was also spelt Hoolahan, O'Hoolahan, etc., or even Wholehan. In Massachusetts, most of these people became Hollands."
Note: As of June 2019, I have been unable to identify the parentage of immigrant John Houlihan. John was likely not literate and the surname was spelled many different ways. In fact, the Irish Government r
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