I'm reaching a plateau in my own search and am hoping someone might have some suggestions... My great-grandparents on the Boyle side were Michael Boyle and Ellen Howe. I have lots of information on the Howe side, thanks to the Clare Heritage Center. (They provided lots of information for the initial fee, so I'd have to say I'm quite pleased with what I got.) Ellen Howe was the daughter of John Howe and Ellen Murrihy of Carrowduff townland, very near Miltown Malbay. She was born in 1832, with several siblings who eventually ended up in DeWitt, Clinton County, Iowa. (If there are any other Howe descendants whose forebears came from that neck of the woods, I'd dearly love to get in contact with you.) Some of the Howe cousins emigrated to Australia and I've been in contact with those descendants as well. Anyway, the Boyle side is fuzzier. We know that Michael Boyle was born in County Clare in 1820 or so... But we don't have any information as to siblings, parentage or a more precise location. Most of the Boyles in Clare in that time frame came from Kilmurry-Ibrickane parish, around Quilty. That's also near Miltown Malbay, and the family lore is that Michael came to America (in 1847) with Ellen and her mother (though that's not for sure). So on that basis, I'm assuming that we're related to the Quilty Boyles. There are similarities in the family's favored given names ... Michael, John, Austin, James (of course, Mary, Ellen and Bridget on the women's side) ... so that's another point in favor of the Quilty connection. The only other clue is that one of the witnesses to Michael and Ellen's wedding in August 1857 (at Sinsinawa Mound in Grant County, Wis.) was named John Boyle. So that's an indication that at least one other family member (a cousin? a brother?) was in the Midwest at that time. It would be a dream if there were a descendant of such a John Boyle out there who had some more info. Along the way I've collected a goodly amount of information about the Quilty Boyles ... there are descendants in America, Britain and Australia (as well as Ireland, of course), and I've been in touch with some of them. I still need to update my Web site at http://family.boyle.net with all the new information I've gotten this summer ... but if you're interested in following up on any of these connections, please feel free to write me. Michael and Ellen Boyle, by the way, lived in Dubuque County, Iowa, until 1858, then moved out to a farm in Garryowen, Jackson County, Iowa ... the farm where I grew up. I've tracked down pretty much all of Michael's descendants ... Boyles as well as Reddins, Brownes, Kinsellas, Deluherys, Shanahans, etc., etc. If you're related through Michael Boyle's descendants I've probably got you on my list already. But if you're curious about anything, just drop me a line or check out the Web site. Many thanks to Pat for presiding over both these lists (Boyle and Clare)... Best to all, Alan Boyle ============================================================ Alan and Tonia Boyle -- [email protected] 12412 SE 26th Place, Bellevue, Wash. 98005 tel: 425-957-0219