Hello Patricia, What I am trying to say is that you cannot rely on the Irish Catholics being from Eire and the Protestant Catholics from Northern Ireland. My g-grandfather lived in Newburgh, Ontario, Canada until his death in 1899 and was Protestant from the time he arrived there around 1857 at about age twenty-four. Therefore, I naturally assumed that he was from Northern Ireland and wasted over a year researching ONLY that possibility. But, after researching and reading many books on Irish history and immigration at the local LDS Family History Centre here in Lethbridge, Alberta, then researching the Queen's University Archives, the Anglican Diocese Archives, making a trip to Newburgh, Ontario (which had a large Irish population in the mid-1800's) and searching records at the County museum in that area, speaking with a local historian there who has extensively researched the Catholic "Phelans" who settled in Ontario, and then finding that the record of my gg-grandfather's parents marriage was from a Catholic parish in Kilkenny City, I soon found out that one cannot make those type of blanket assumptions. My father had heard "rumblings" that our family was Catholic prior to living in Canada but we could never prove it until I started researching the family history. Hope this helps! Pat Dailey wrote: > Donna, > > I've never heard about Irish immigrants changing religions before. > Thanks for the insight. Could you give me some references for this > perhaps? > > I got my idea from a couple old storytellers in Sligo in the summer of > 99. And also from a relative, Fr. Wm B. Faherty, S.J. who lives in St. > Louis and has done Irish research there. > > I'm curious to know more about this. > > Thanks, > Patricia Phelan Dailey > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > Irish Proverb: If you lie down with dogs, you'll rise with fleas. > > ============================== > 9 Health Tips for Computer Genealogists > http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/

Donna, Thanks for your helpful information. We think our Phelans entered the US through Canada but have never established that fact. Perhaps some investigation into Canadian records might help? Patricia

Patricia, I was in a hurry and, after sending the following message, realized that (in the first sentence) I meant to say Irish Protestants NOT Protestant Catholics! Sorry! Donna > Hello Patricia, > > What I am trying to say is that you cannot rely on the Irish Catholics > being from Eire and the Protestant Catholics from Northern Ireland. My > g-grandfather lived in Newburgh, Ontario, Canada until his death in 1899 > and was Protestant from the time he arrived there around 1857 at about age > twenty-four. Therefore, I naturally assumed that he was from Northern > Ireland and wasted over a year researching ONLY that possibility. But, > after researching and reading many books on Irish history and immigration > at the local LDS Family History Centre here in Lethbridge, Alberta, then > researching the Queen's University Archives, the Anglican Diocese > Archives, making a trip to Newburgh, Ontario (which had a large Irish > population in the mid-1800's) and searching records at the County museum > in that area, speaking with a local historian there who has extensively > researched the Catholic "Phelans" who settled in Ontario, and then finding > that the record of my gg-grandfather's parents marriage was from a > Catholic parish in Kilkenny City, I soon found out that one cannot make > those type of blanket assumptions. My father had heard "rumblings" that > our family was Catholic prior to living in Canada but we could never prove > it until I started researching the family history. Hope this helps! > > Pat Dailey wrote: > > > Donna, > > > > I've never heard about Irish immigrants changing religions before. > > Thanks for the insight. Could you give me some references for this > > perhaps? > > > > I got my idea from a couple old storytellers in Sligo in the summer of > > 99. And also from a relative, Fr. Wm B. Faherty, S.J. who lives in St. > > Louis and has done Irish research there. > > > > I'm curious to know more about this. > > > > Thanks, > > Patricia Phelan Dailey > > > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > > Irish Proverb: If you lie down with dogs, you'll rise with fleas. > > > > ============================== > > 9 Health Tips for Computer Genealogists > > http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/ > > ==== PHELAN Mailing List ==== > Irish Proverb: As the old cock crows, the young cock learns. > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog