Being a Document Detective...

I was so excited to see me Great-great grandfathers handwriting in 1911, that I forgot to fully process and investigate it- which is super important because historical documents in Ireland are SO hard to come by. Here's what we've learned from his census document in 1911:

1. EDMOND CARMODY (my great-great grandfather) was a farmer, aged 71 (therefor born 1840-ish) speaks Irish and English and is Widowed. Which means...

2. JOHANA GEANEY (my great-great grandmother) died sometime before 1911.

3. JOHANA and EDMOND had the following children: ELIZABETH (my g-grandmother), EDMOND, BRIDGET, and CATHERINE (who has married a NOLAN by 1911 and had a son JOHN NOLAN).

4. CATHERINE NOLAN (my grandfather's aunt) was married to ?? NOLAN around 1908, and lost one child before having JOHN NOLAN.

Along with the census, The National Archives of Ireland provides the "Enumerator's Abstract," "House and Building Returns," as well as an "Out-Offices and Farm-Steadings Return," which you can read more about here. I really like to look at the House and Building returns because it calculates what class of houses are in the villiage, and on what basis they should be taxed. Here's the 1911 Building return of my great-great grandfather EDMOND CARMODY's town of Ballyduff, Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry.

You can view this document (as well as the others I listed above) much bigger and in greater detail here. From this document I can see that there are other Carmodys living in this small town. I believe that some of them may be Edmond's brothers or sisters, but since there's no documentation to prove it, I put it on the back-burner for now. Meanwhile, from this document I've learned my g-g-grandfather, Edmond Carmody owned his own home, which was 3rd class by English standards. It had a thatch roof, 2 windows, and 2 rooms for 7 people!

While I've learned so much, I now have many more questions.

1. I can't seem to find DENIS O'CONNOR's parents, brothers or sisters in Knocknagoshel in 1911- Where are they?

2. What about my g-g-grandmother JOHANA GEANEY? When did she die? Did she have family?

3. Can I go further back than my g-g-grandfather Edmond who lived in Knocknagoshel?

The last question prompts me to check the 1901 census, for the same town of Knocknagoshel. My grandfather wouldn't have been born yet, but I'm interested to see what Edmond was up to. Here's the same town's building return 10 years earlier, in 1901.

Here he is 10 years earlier; Edmond (Here misspelled as Edward- which I wish could say is uncommon, but searching alternate spellings is VITAL when looking at Irish history). This time his house is classified as 2nd Class! Apparently this house has one more room and window than the house he occupies in 1911. I wonder if he moved, rebuilt, or remodeled to pay less taxes?

We now know:

1. JOHANA (GEANEY) CARMODY was born sometime around 1847, and died after 1901 but before 1911.

2. Johana and Edmond (both Irish speaking) had the following children: ELIZABETH (my g-grandmother), CATHERINE (b. 1875), DANIEL (b. 1877), BRIDGET (b. 1879), THOMAS (b. 1881) and EDMOND (b. 1883)

I feel like I'm learning so much about Elizabeth Carmody's family (who raised my grand father), but where is Elizabeth and her husband John at this time? They are no where to be found in Knocknagoshel. The hunt continues...