Ha! Your point is well taken! I always heard tho' that those who took on the Kirwin spelling did so because they knew they were unique and wanted to stand apart from the Kirwans who are as plentious to Ireland as the Smiths and Jones are to the USA :? In my case, the "unique" spelling has at least been consistent in all research so it has made the search a tad bit easier! On the other hand, I learned from a very helpful Kirwan in Ireland that many Irish never knew their birthdates (Christening dates were considered more important) thus commonly merely "chose" either St. Paddy's Day, Christmas Day or New Year's Day as the date for official paperwork stateside... so if, like me, you have one of those three dates as your ancestor's birthdate, you may have a bit more work to do! Thanks for offering the enthusiasm and a wry bit of Irish humor to boot! Jana Black Chris and Kathy Kirwan wrote: > All right, let's let one of the Kirwans who can spell his name right get > this going. My great grandfather Michael Kirwan was born in 1865 at > Killeagh, in the District of Aughrim, Co. Wicklow. > His father Thomas worked in the mines near Avoca. His mother Catherine > (Byrne) > also had sons Thomas (1864), James (1859), and Philip (1867). I have so > far been > unable to find a record of the marriage, death, or birth of Thomas > Kirwan and > Catherine Byrne. I do know that Michael and Philip emigrated to Boston > in > 1891, and that Thomas and James wound up in Foxrock, Co. Dublin. I also > have > learned that Philip returned to Ireland for a visit in 1926, to visit > his > brothers in Foxrock. I also know from photos which he took that he > visited > Shillelagh, in the South of Co. Wicklow, and took pictures of a cottage > believed > to be near there. > I do have records of many "other" Kirwans that I've come across in my > research (as well as a few of those poor relations, the Kirwins, > Kerwins, and other lesser branches of the family). All kidding aside, > I'll try to match the info I have with your postings to come. > > Chris Kirwan