Dear Friends, I have a very high brick wall. It concerns my ancestor, James Casey born in Ireland. That is my problem -- that's all I know. Even that is precarious, because the only record of James is on his son's death certificate in 1933. Since Eugene's wife was the informant I am assuming she knew about his father's name. The scenario is: Eugene Casey was born April 1847 in Chicago Cook Co Illinois. This is what he states on various documents throughout his life. On some early censuses (1850 & 1860) he is listed as born in Ireland. His own diary states that he never recalls ever seeing his father. I presume his mother died early as by age 2 he was taken to an Aunt in Saint Louis, Missouri and never saw his parents again. The aunt was either Catherine or Margaret GARLAND in St. Louis in 1850. I wondered if one might be a grandmother and the other an aunt. Margaret was the oldest of the two Garlands. I have not been able to track the two ladies in St. Louis, but this was a turbulent and active time in the US Midwest. People were moving around a lot. Eugene was on his own by age 9, he says in his diary, and lost track of his aunt. James Casey, surely would have been young enough to marry again, but with so many James Caseys it is hard to tell which may be him. I don't even know when he was born, although I would estimate 1815-1825. I have not found anything definitive on the passenger lists. Therefore I am wondering how "impossible" it would be to find him in Ireland. No County, no Parish, no area known, to begin to look. The only clue is that he may have married a GARLAND. If any Irish genealogy experts could narrow down a possible place for me to begin to look for him I would sure appreciate the help. Perhaps CASEY is a name common in a certain area? Patricia A. Johnson in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA